Intranet platform system

• US 7,039,612 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Cook, Fred S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Greene, Daniel L.
• Application Number:
  US09/656,511
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51, 705/50, 705/26, 705/35, 709/200, 709/201, 709/202, 709/205, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 707/9, 707/10, 707/225, 713/200, 713/202
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

An intranet platform system that automatically configures and provides access to virtual intranet networks using intranet access cards. The intranet platform system comprises a processing system coupled to an interface system. The processing system is configured to process a request message for intranet access to determine if an intranet configuration exists, and if the intranet configuration exists, process the request message to connect a user who receives an intranet access card to the intranet configuration. If the intranet configuration does not exist, the processing system processes the request message to automatically create the intranet configuration and connect the user to the intranet configuration. The interface system is configured to receive the request message for the processing system.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to an intranet, the method comprising:

providing intranet access cards to users, wherein the intranet access cards include intranet access information for intranet configurations;

receiving a first request message for access to the intranet from a first requesting communication device employed by a first user who receives a first intranet access card;

processing the first request message to determine if an intranet configuration providing access to intranet services exists, wherein first intranet access information for the intranet configuration is produced, and wherein the intranet configuration defines at least one connection employable by a plurality of the users between a plurality of intranet communication devices within the intranet;

in response to determining the intranet configuration exists, processing the first intranet access information to connect the first requesting communication device of the first user to the intranet configuration to provide the intranet services associated with the first intranet access card to the first user, wherein the intranet services provided depend on the intranet configuration; and

in response to determining the intranet configuration does not exist, processing the first intranet access information to execute a script to create the intranet configuration, to create a first card configuration for the first intranet access card, and to connect the first requesting communication device of the first user to the intranet configuration to provide the intranet services associated with the first intranet access card to the first user, wherein the intranet services provided depend on the intranet configuration;

wherein the first card configuration associates the first intranet access card with the intranet configuration; and

wherein the first card configuration comprises information for configuring the first requesting communication device of the first user for optimal access speed over the connection with the intranet configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to determining the intranet configuration exists, processing the first intranet access information to determine if the first card configuration exists; and

in response to determining the first card configuration does not exist, processing the first intranet access information to create the first card configuration.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein processing the first request message to determine if the intranet configuration exists comprises:

generating a first query message that includes a request for the first intranet access information provided with the first intranet access card;

transmitting the first query message;

receiving a first response message that includes the first intranet access information; and

processing the first intranet access information to determine if the intranet configuration exists.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein processing the first intranet access information to execute a script to create the intranet configuration comprises:

processing the first intranet access information to validate the first intranet access card.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein processing the first intranet access information to create the first card configuration comprises:

in response to validating the first intranet access card, executing an intranet card configuration script to configure the first requesting communication device for access to the intranet configuration using the first intranet card; and

storing the first card configuration.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second request message for access to the intranet from a second user who receives a second intranet access card;

processing the second request message to determine if a second card configuration exists for the second intranet access card, wherein second intranet access information for the intranet configuration is produced;

in response to determining the second card configuration exists, connecting a second requesting communication device of the second user to the intranet configuration;

in response to determining the second card configuration does not exist, processing the second intranet access information to create the second card configuration; and

in response to creating the second card configuration, connecting the second requesting communication device of the second user to the intranet configuration.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein determining if the second card configuration exists comprises:

generating a second query message that includes a request for the second intranet access information provided with the second intranet access card;

providing the second query message;

receiving a second response message that includes the second intranet access information; and

processing the second intranet access information to determine if the second card configuration exists.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein processing the second intranet access information to create the second card configuration comprises:

processing the second intranet access information to validate the second intranet access card; and

in response to validating the second intranet access card, executing a second intranet card configuration script to configure the second requesting communication device for access to the intranet configuration using the second intranet access card; and

storing the second card configuration.

9. An intranet platform system comprising:

a processing system configured to process a first request message from a first requesting communication device employed by a first user having a first intranet access card to determine if an intranet configuration exists, wherein first intranet access information for an intranet configuration providing access to intranet services is produced, and wherein the intranet configuration defines at least one connection employable by a plurality of users between a plurality of intranet communication devices within the intranet, in response to determining the intranet configuration exists, process the first intranet access information to connect the first requesting communication device of the first user to the intranet configuration to provide the intranet services associated with the first intranet access card to the first user, wherein the intranet services provided depend on the intranet configuration, and in response to determining the intranet configuration does not exist, process the first intranet access information to execute a script to create the intranet configuration, to create a first card configuration for the first intranet access card, and to connect the first requesting communication device of the first user to the intranet configuration to provide the intranet services associated with the first intranet access card to the first user, wherein the intranet services provided depend on the intranet configuration; and

an interface system coupled to the processing system and configured to receive the first request message for the processing system from the first requesting communication device of the first user;

wherein the first card configuration associates the first intranet access card with the intranet configuration; and

wherein the first card configuration comprises information for configuring the first requesting communication device of the first user for optimal access speed over the connection with the intranet configuration.

10. The intranet platform system of claim 9 wherein in response to determining the intranet configuration exists, the processing system is configured to process the first intranet access information to determine if the first card configuration exists, and in response to determining the first card configuration does not exist, process the first intranet access information to create the first card configuration.

11. The intranet platform system of claim 10, wherein the processing system is configured to generate a first query message that includes a request for the first intranet access information provided with the first intranet access card, and process a first response message that includes the first intranet access information to determine if the intranet configuration exists;

and

wherein the interface system is configured to transmit the first query message and receive the first response message for the processing system.

12. The intranet platform system of claim 11 wherein the processing system is configured to process the first intranet access information to validate the first intranet access card.

13. The intranet platform system of claim 11 wherein the processing system is configured to execute an intranet card configuration script to configure the first requesting communication device for access to the intranet configuration using the first intranet access card, and store the first card configuration in response to validating the first intranet access card.

14. The intranet platform system of claim 9 wherein the processing system is configured to process a second request message to determine if a second card configuration exists for a second intranet access card, wherein second intranet access information for the intranet configuration is produced, in response to determining the second card configuration exists, connect a second requesting communication device of a second user to the intranet configuration, and in response to determining the second card configuration does not exist, process the second intranet access information to create the second card configuration and connect the second requesting communication device of the second user to the intranet configuration;

and

wherein the interface system is configured to receive the second request message for access to the intranet for the processing system.

15. The intranet platform system of claim 14 wherein the processing system is configured to generate a second query message that includes a request for the second intranet access information provided with the second intranet access card and process a second response message including the second intranet access information to determine if the second card configuration exists;

and

wherein the interface system is configured to transmit the second query message and receive the second response message for the processing system.

16. The intranet platform system of claim 15 wherein the processing system is configured to process the second intranet access information to validate the second intranet access card, and in response to validating the second intranet access card, execute a second intranet card configuration script to configure the second requesting communication device for access to the intranet configuration using the second intranet access card, and store the second card configuration.

17. A software product for use in operating an intranet platform system, the product comprising:

processing system instructions operational when executed by a processor to direct a processing system to process a first request message from a first requesting communication device employed by a first user having a first intranet access card to determine if an intranet configuration exists, wherein first intranet access information for an intranet configuration providing access to intranet services is produced, and wherein the intranet configuration defines at least one connection employable by a plurality of users between a plurality of intranet communication devices within the intranet, in response to determining the intranet configuration exists, processing the first intranet access information to connect the first requesting communication device of the first user to the intranet configuration to provide the intranet services associated with the first intranet access card to the first user, wherein the intranet services provided depend on the intranet configuration, and in response to determining the intranet configuration does not exist, processing the first intranet access information to execute a script to create the intranet configuration, to create a first card configuration for the first intranet access card, and to connect the first requesting communication device of the first user to the intranet configuration to provide the intranet services associated with the first intranet access card to the first user, wherein the intranet services provided depend on the intranet configuration;

interface system instructions operational when executed by the processor to direct an interface system to receive the first request message for access to the intranet from the first requesting communication device of the first user who receives a first intranet access card; and

a storage medium operational to store the processing system instructions and the interface system instructions;

wherein the first card configuration associates the first intranet access card with the intranet configuration; and

wherein the first card configuration comprises information for configuring the first requesting communication device of the first user for optimal access speed over the connection with the intranet configuration.

18. The product of claim 17 wherein in response to determining the intranet configuration exists, the processing system instructions are operational to process the first intranet access information to determine if the first card configuration exists, and in response to determining the first card configuration does not exist, process the first intranet access information to create the first card configuration.

19. The product of claim 18, wherein the processing system instructions are operational to generate a first query message that includes a request for the first intranet access information provided with the first intranet access card, and process a first response message that includes the first intranet access information to determine if the intranet configuration exists;

and

wherein the interface system instructions are operational to transmit the first query message and receive the first response message for the processing system.

20. The product of claim 19 wherein the processing system instructions are operational to process the first intranet access information to validate the first intranet access card.

21. The product of claim 19 wherein the processing system instructions are operational to execute a first intranet card configuration script to configure the first requesting communication device for access to the intranet configuration using the first intranet access card, and store the first card configuration in response to validating the first intranet access card.

22. The product of claim 17 wherein the processing system instructions are operational to process a second request message to determine if a second card configuration exists for a second intranet access card, wherein second intranet access information for the intranet configuration is produced, in response to determining the second card configuration exists, connect a second requesting communication device of a second user to the intranet configuration, and in response to determining the second card configuration does not exist, process the second intranet access information to create the second card configuration and connect the second requesting communication device of the second user to the intranet configuration;

and

wherein the interface system instructions are operational to receive the second request message for access to the intranet for the processing system.

23. The product of claim 22 wherein the processing system instructions are operational to generate a second query message that includes a request for the second intranet access information provided with the second intranet access card and process a second response message including the second intranet access information to determine if the second card configuration exists;

and

wherein the interface system instructions are operational to transmit the second query message and receive the second response message for the processing system.

24. The product of claim 23 wherein the processing system instructions are operational to process the second intranet access information to validate the second intranet access card and in response to validating the second intranet access card, execute a second intranet card configuration script to configure the second requesting communication device for access to the intranet configuration using the second intranet access card and store the second card configuration.