Systems and methods for added authentication in distributed network delivered half-duplex communications

• US 7,848,523 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mousseau, Gary P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Homayounmehr; Farid
• Assistant Examiner(s): Powers; William S
• Application Number:
  US12/197,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20080313705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 380/270, 726/17
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

In half-duplex communications over a wireless network, a user from a private organisation sends the request for half-duplex communication through a private server controlled by the private organisation. The private server sets up a private account with the wireless carrier and the user communicates via the private account.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless user device which is configured for wireless communications in a wireless carrier network, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, at the wireless user device, identities of private user devices by communicating with a private authentication element of a private communication network which is separate and apart from the wireless carrier network; and

causing a request for a Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) session to be sent, from the wireless user device via the wireless carrier network, to a carrier half-duplex processing element (CHDP) of the wireless carrier network, the request identifying at least one invitee private user device and indicating to the CHDP to perform authentication of the at least one invitee private user device with use of the private authentication element for the request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting, at the wireless user device, the identities of the at least one invitee private user device in the request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating comprises the further act of communicating with a private group list management server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of causing the request for the PoC session to be transmitted comprises the further act of causing the request to be transmitted to a PoC server of the CHDP.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

populating, at the wireless user device, an address book with the private identities obtained from the private authentication element.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

participating, in the PoC session established via the CHDP, with at least one invitee private user device that is properly authenticated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the private authentication element comprises the further act of communicating with a private authentication element in a private communication network that is not part of the wireless carrier network via a firewall of the private communication network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless carrier network comprises a cellular network, and communicating with the private authentication element comprises the further act of communicating with a private authentication element in a private communication network that is not part of the cellular network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identities of the private user devices comprise private identities.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium with computer readable code stored thereon for implementing the method of claim 1.

11. A wireless user device which is configured for wireless communications in a wireless carrier network, the wireless user device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive identities of private user devices through communications with a private authentication element of a private communication network which is separate and apart from the carrier network; and

a transmitter configured to transmit, from the wireless user device via the wireless carrier network, a request for a Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) session to a carrier half-duplex processing element (CHDP) of the wireless carrier network, the request identifying at least one invitee private user device and indicating to the CHDP to perform authentication of the at least one invitee private user device with use of the private authentication element for the request.

12. The wireless user device of claim 11, further comprising:

an encryption device configured to encrypt the identities of the at least one invitee private user device in the request.

13. The wireless user device of claim 11, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the identities of private user devices from a private group list management server.

14. The wireless user device of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the request to a PoC server of the CHDP.

15. The wireless user device of claim 11, which is further configured to populate an address book with the identities obtained from the private authentication element.

16. The wireless user device of claim 11, which is further configured to participate, in the PoC session established via the CHDP, with at least one invitee private user device that is properly authenticated.

17. The wireless user device of claim 11, wherein the wireless carrier network comprises a cellular network, and wherein the receiver is configured to receive the identities of the private user devices from a private authentication element in a private communication network that is not part of the cellular network.

18. The wireless user device of claim 11, wherein the identities of the private user devices comprise private identities.