Cascading network login

• US 8,276,197 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Mangal, Manish, Breau, Jeremy R., Rogers, Frederick C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pearson, David
• Application Number:
  US11/734,581
• Time in Patent Office: 1,993 Days
• Field of Search: 726/8, 726/5, 726/3
• US Class Current: 726/8
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server

Abstract

A method and system are provided for accessing network resources. An embodiment of the method includes receiving login information associated with logging one or more customers in to a data network associated with a first domain substantially owned by a first entity; and utilizing the login information to automatically register the one or more customers with a second data network associated with a second domain so that at least a portion of services that would have been available to a customer who was properly logged in to the second network will be available to the one or more customers by virtue of the registering.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for facilitating a method of accessing network resources, the method comprising:

receiving login information associated with logging a customer into a first data network, utilizing a home subscriber server (HSS), associated with a home domain substantially owned by a first entity;

utilizing the login information, automatically registering the customer with a plurality of second data networks associated with a plurality of foreign domains so that at least a portion of services that would have been available to a customer who was properly logged into each of second data networks in the plurality of second data networks will be available to the customer by virtue of the registering, wherein the automatically registering comprises;

providing login information to a first serving call session control function (S-CSCF) in the home domain, and utilizing the login information to communicate login details to a second S-CSCF within each of the second data networks;

communicating the login information from the HSS of the home domain to a third S-CSCF associated with a second foreign domain, wherein the first S-CSCF acts as a proxy or interrogating call session control function (P-CSCF or I-CSCF) to communicate the login information to the third S-CSCF; and

logging in to the second foreign domain via the third S-CSCF to interface with the second foreign domain, such that at least a second portion of the set of services may be provided to the user by the second foreign domain.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the first data network includes a mobile-communications-network capable of facilitating wireless voice calls.

3. The media of claim 2, where the plurality of second data networks include a cable network capable of communicating cable-television programming.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein each of the foreign domains in the plurality of foreign domains is substantially owned by another entity.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein the registering includes logging the customer into each of the second data networks in the plurality of second data networks.

6. A method of providing access to network resources in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) networking environment, the method comprising:

receiving by way of a first network a request from a mobile device of a desire to access a set of services, the first network being a home or foreign network to the mobile device;

determining that in order to satisfy the request, at least a portion of the services will need to be provided by a third network owned by a third entity, wherein the third network is a foreign network to the mobile device;

utilizing login credentials associated with a first serving call session control function (S-CSCF) of the first network to automatically replicate a login process to a second S-CSCF associated with a second network so that a set of services is provided to the mobile device by the second network via the first network without user intervention; and

automatically replicating, via the second network, a login process associated with a third S-CSCF of the third network using the login credentials so that the at least a portion of the services is provided by the third network via the second and first networks, wherein the first network controls the services provided by the second network and the third network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first, second and third networks are substantially owned by different entities.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first network includes the ability to facilitate mobile wireless communications.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile wireless communications include communications between mobile phones.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second or third network includes the ability to communicate cable-television programming.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein utilizing login credentials associated with the first network to automatically replicate a login process associated with the second network further comprises:

registering the mobile device with the second network as though the mobile device had originally accessed the second network directly.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising automatically providing the at least a portion of the services to the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising repeating all or a portion of the steps recited in claim 6 to facilitate a cascading log-in process for additional networking environments.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of allowing resources associated with a foreign network to be provided to a customer via a home network, the method comprising:

providing access to a home network that includes at least in part an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture;

receiving via the home network an indication from a user that the user wishes to access at least a portion of a set of services, the at least a portion of the set of services being provided by a first foreign network which also includes at least in part an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture;

utilizing a home subscriber server (HSS) associated with the home network to determine identifying information associated with the user;

providing login information from the identifying information to a first serving call session control function (S-CSCF) associated with the home network;

communicating the login information from the HSS of the home network to a second S-CSCF associated with the first foreign network, wherein the first S-CSCF acts as a proxy or interrogating call session control function (P-CSCF or I-CSCF) to communicate the login information to the second S-CSCF;

logging in to the first foreign network via the second S-CSCF to interface with the first foreign network such that the at least a portion of the set of services may be provided to the user by the first foreign network;

communicating the login information from the HSS of the home network to a third S-CSCF associated with a second foreign network, wherein the first S-CSCF acts as a proxy or interrogating call session control function (P-CSCF or I-CSCF) to communicate the login information to the third S-CSCF;

logging in to the second foreign network via the third S-CSCF to interface with the second foreign network such that at least a second portion of the set of services may be provided to the user by the second foreign network; and

providing the set of services to the user, wherein the services of the home network, first foreign network, and second foreign network are simultaneously reachable.

15. The media of claim 14, further comprising:

the second S-CSCF communicating the login information provided by the HSS of the home network to a fourth S-CSCF associated with a third foreign network, wherein the second S-CSCF acts as a proxy or interrogating call session control function (P-CSCF or I-CSCF) to communicate the login information to the third S-CSCF;

logging in to the third foreign network via the fourth S-CSCF to interface with the third foreign network such that at least a third portion of the set of services may be provided to the user by the fourth foreign network via the first foreign network and the home network; and

providing the set of services to the user, wherein the services of both the home network, the first foreign network, and the fourth foreign network are simultaneously reachable.