Personalizing access to the internet via an access network and an internet service provider using an internet subscriber profile

• US 6,324,579 B1
• Filed: 04/20/1999
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bleuse, Patrice, Lapierre, Martine
• Primary Examiner(s): WILEY, DAVID ARMAND
• Application Number:
  US09/294,197
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227-229, 709/220, 709/249, 370/385, 370/389, 370/351, 379/229
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/122 where the PSTN/ISDN access is used as an access to networks other than PSTN/ISDN access arrangements to networks other than PSTN/ISDN H04M7/0066; access arrangements to public data networks H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

In a method of personalizing access to the Internet via an access network and an Internet service provider, the access network allocates an Internet caller profile when setting up a telephone call to access the Internet. The access network transmits the Internet caller profile to the Internet service provider and the Internet service provider personalizes access to the Internet in accordance with the Internet caller profile. Functions of an access network such as the intelligent network are used to personalize Internet access in a fashion that is transparent for the user and independent of the Internet service provider.

Claims

1. A method of personalizing access to the Internet via an access network and an Internet service provider, comprising the following steps:

said access network allocates an Internet caller profile before setting up a telephone call to access the Internet, wherein said Internet caller profile comprises all the parameters used by said Internet service provider to customize Internet access, then

said access network transmits said Internet caller profile to said Internet service provider, and then

said Internet service provider permits access to the Internet in accordance with said Internet caller profile.

2. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said access network is an intelligent network.

3. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said access network includes an intelligent function for managing Internet caller profiles.

4. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said Internet caller profile includes information relating to Internet transactions such as access filtering information.

5. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said Internet caller profile includes information relating to said telephone call such as billing, payment or call authorization information.

6. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said Internet caller profile includes information common to all Internet service providers and information specific to each Internet service provider.

7. The method claimed in claim 1 comprising a step in which said Internet service provider updates said Internet caller profile.

8. The method claimed in claim 1 including a step in which said user updates said Internet caller profile.

9. The method claimed in claim 1 including a step in which said access network creates said Internet caller profile.

10. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said Internet caller profile of a user is retained from one Internet access to another.

11. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein said Internet caller profile of a user is retained in the event of a change of Internet service provider.

12. A method of network access, comprising:

initiating a call over a telephone network of a telephone network provider using a telephone number associated with a plurality of Internet service providers;

authenticating a user initiating said call, wherein said authenticating is performed by said telephone network provider;

retrieving a profile of said user, wherein said profile comprises all the parameters used by one of said Internet service providers to customize Internet access, and wherein said retrieving is performed by said telephone network provider;

selecting one of said plurality of Internet service providers based on said profile of said user;

transmitting information, based on said profile of said calling user, to said selected one of said plurality of Internet service providers; and

then

setting up said call between said user and said selected one of said plurality of Internet service providers.

13. A method of network access, comprising:

initiating a call over a telephone network of a telephone network provider using a telephone number associated with an Internet service provider;

authenticating a user initiating said call, wherein said authenticating is performed by said telephone network provider;

retrieving a profile of said user, wherein said profile comprises all the parameters used by said Internet service provider to customize Internet access, and wherein said retrieving is performed by said telephone network provider;

making a connection decision based on said profile of said user, wherein said connection decision is performed by said telephone network provider;

transmitting information, only when said connection decision is affirmative, from said telephone network provider to said Internet service provider; and

then

setting up said call between said user and said Internet service provider.