Method and apparatus for authorization based phone calls in packet switched networks

• US 7,720,208 B1
• Filed: 04/15/2002
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: FitzGerald, Cary, Kia, Azita E., Oran, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/123,603
• Time in Patent Office: 2,955 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.01, 379/114.15, 379/114.16, 379/114.17, 379/114.19, 379/114.2, 379/144.01, 370/252, 370/356, 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408
• US Class Current: 379/144.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8166 Available credit

Abstract

A call authorization system moves state maintenance for authorization based phone calls from a central authorization server to different gateways in a packet switched network. A simple authorization session protocol is used between the authorization server and the gateways to minimize network traffic. The authorization session protocol releases the authorization server from having to maintain states for open authorization based phone calls.

Claims

1. A call authorization system, comprising:

a gateway to collect authentication information including an account identification number and a personal identification number from an endpoint of a call, and to send an authorization request message to an authentication server, the authorization request requesting a response message authorizing connection of the call for the endpoint with a particular class of service, the authorization request message including an authorization request identifying the class of service associated with the call, and including the account identification number and the personal identification number, the authentication server to determine whether the endpoint is authorized to connect the call according to the class of service identified in the authorization request, and wherein the gateway is configured to connect the call through a packet-switched network and maintain authorization states for the connected call when the response message indicates the authorization request is accepted and the endpoint is authorized to make calls with the requested class of service.

2. A call authorization system according to claim 1 wherein the device is configured to send another authorization request to the authorization server during the connected call requesting additional time when a credit value is about to be used up for the connected call, and wherein the device receives a response message containing another credit value authorizing an additional amount of time for maintaining the connected call.

3. A call authorization system according to claim 2 wherein the device uses the credit value to initialize a timer for tracking a duration of the connected phone call.

4. A call authorization system according to claim 2 including sending any unused portion of the credit value back to the authorization server for crediting back to an associated user account.

5. A call authorization system according to claim 1 wherein the authorization request includes a destination address authorized for a user initiating the call and the response message authorizing the call when the destination address is authorized in the authorized server.

6. A call authorization system according to claim 1 wherein the authorization request includes a class of service indicator and the device connects the call when the class of service indicator is indicated as accepted in the response message.

7. A call authorization system according to claim 1 wherein the device tracks state information for the call including an account identifier for the call, a duration of the call, a connect status of the call, and accounting information for the call and forwards the tracked state information to the authorization server.

8. A method for authorizing calls, comprising:

sending, with an intermediate gateway, an authorization request requesting a response message authorizing connection of a call, the authorization request identifying a type of service provided in the call;

when the response message indicates the authorization request is accepted according to the identified type of service, connecting the call at least partially through a packet-switched network and maintaining authorization states for the connected call with the intermediate gateway; and

when the response message indicates the authorization request is denied according to the identified type of service, providing to an endpoint requesting the connection of the call, a denial message indicating a status for the type of service requested in the call.

9. A method according to claim 8 including

sending another authorization request during the connected call requesting additional time for maintaining the connected call when a credit value is about to be used up for the connected call;

and

receiving a response message containing another credit value indicating an additional amount of time for maintaining the connected call.

10. A method according to claim 9 including using the credit value to initialize a timer for tracking duration of the connected call.

11. A method according to claim 8 including sending the destination address in the authorization request and connecting the call when the destination address is authorized in the response message.

12. A method according to claim 8 including sending a class of service indicator in the authorization request and connecting the call when the class of service indicator is accepted in the response message.

13. A method according to claim 8 including:

tracking state information for the call in the intermediate gateway, the state information including an account identifier, a duration, a connect status, and accounting information for the call; and

relaying the state information to an authorization server.

14. A system for authorizing calls, comprising:

means for sending an authorization request requesting a response message authorizing connection of a call, the authorization request identifying a type of service provided in the call;

means for connecting the call at least partially through a packet-switched network when the response message indicates the authorization request is accepted according to the identified type of service, wherein the means for connecting the call is configured to maintain authorization states for the connected call in an intermediate gateway, and wherein the means for connecting the call is configured to not connect the call when the response message indicates the authorization request is denied; and

means for providing at least one denial message to an endpoint requesting the connection of the call according to the identified type of service, where the denial message indicates a status for the type of service provided in the call.

15. A system according to claim 14 including

means for sending another authorization request during the connected call requesting additional time for maintaining the connected call when a credit value is about to be used up for the connected call;

and

means for receiving a response message containing the credit value indicating an additional amount of time for maintaining the connected call.

16. A system according to claim 15 including means for using the credit value to initialize a timer for tracking duration of the connected call.

17. A system according to claim 14 including means for sending a destination address in the authorization request and connecting the call when the destination address is authorized in the response message.

18. A system according to claim 14 including means for sending a class of service indicator in the authorization request and connecting the call when the class of service indicator is accepted in the response message.

19. A system according to claim 14 including:

means for tracking state information for the call in the intermediate gateway, the state information including an account identifier, a duration, a connect status, and accounting information for the call; and

means for relaying the state information to an authorization server.

20. An article comprising a machine-accessible medium having associated data that, when accessed, results in the following:

sending, with an intermediate gateway, an authorization request requesting a response message authorizing connection of a call to an authorization device, the authorization request identifying a type of service provided in the call;

when the response message indicates the authorization request is accepted according to the identified type of service, connecting the call at least partially through a packet-switched network and maintaining authorization states for the connected call with the intermediate gateway; and

when the response message indicates the authorization request is denied according to the identified type of service, providing to an endpoint requesting the connection of the call a denial message indicating the authorization request is denied due to a lack of authorization to provide the type of service provided in the call.

21. The machine-accessible medium of claim 20 including

sending another authorization request during the connected call to the authorization device requesting additional time for maintaining the connected call when a credit value is about to be used up for the connected call;

and

receiving a response message containing the credit value indicating an additional amount of time for maintaining the connected call.

22. The machine-accessible medium of claim 21 including using the credit value to initialize a timer for tracking duration of the connected call.

23. The machine-accessible medium of claim 20 including sending a destination address in the authorization request and connecting the call when the destination address is authorized in the response message.

24. The machine-accessible medium of claim 20 including sending a class of service indicator in the authorization request and connecting the call when the class of service indicator is accepted in the response message.

25. The machine-accessible medium of claim 20 including:

tracking state information for the call in the intermediate gateway, the state information including an account identifier, a duration, a connect status, and accounting information for the call; and

relaying the state information to an authorization server.

26. A call authorization system, comprising:

an authorization server configured to receive and respond to call connection authorization request messages including an authorization request identifying a type of call requested, an account identification number, and a personal identification number from intermediary gateways without monitoring the call states for connected calls, wherein the intermediary gateways are configured to maintain the call states for connected calls, and wherein the authorization server is configured to authenticate calls according to the account identification number and the personal identification number and to authorize the authenticated calls for connection by the intermediary gateways at least partially through a packet-switched network according to the authorization request identifying the type of call requested.

27. A call authorization system according to claim 26 wherein the authorization server authorizes calls according to a class of service in the authorization requests from the intermediary gateways.

28. A call authorization system according to claim 26 wherein the authorization server contains a user account and is configured to receive a request for additional connection time from one of the intermediary gateways while a call is connected and search the user account associated with the connected call for additional credit, the authorization server further configured to send a response message authorizing additional connection time for the call when additional credit exists in the associated user account.

29. A call authorization system according to claim 27 wherein the authorization server verifies a destination address for the call in the authorization request with a matching user record and sends a response message authorizing the call when the destination address is authorized.

30. A method for establishing a call in a network, comprising:

receiving, with a gateway, a call connection request message from a client, the call connection request including an authorization request, an account identification number and a personal identification number, the authorization request identifying at least one of a destination address for the call or a class of service for the call;

forwarding the call connection request message to an authorization server with the gateway, the authorization server to authorize the call according to the authorization request in the call connection request;

connecting the call to the destination address at least partially through a packet-switched network with the gateway when a response message is received authorizing the call connection request message based on the destination address or connecting the call with the class of service identified in the call connection request when the response message is received authorizing the call connection request according to the class of service;

maintaining authorization states of the connected call with the gateway;

monitoring call status information with the gateway while the call is connected; and

generating call update messages with the gateway according to the monitored call status information and sending the call update messages to the authorization server for updating a user record associated with the call.

31. A method according to claim 30 including monitoring a duration of the connected call and connecting the call for a time period corresponding with a credit value received in the response message.

32. A method according to claim 31 including requesting additional credit values to extend the call.

33. A method according to claim 32 including sending any unused portion of the credit value back to the authorization server for crediting back to an associated user account.

34. A method according to claim 30 including generating notifications to a client from time to time indicating an amount of call time available for an unused portion of the credit value.

35. A method according to claim 30 including:

sending a class of service in the call connection request; and

connecting the call through the gateway when the response message accepts the class of service.