Automated user registration

• US 8,370,912 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2007
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Turnbull, Rory S, Thompson, Stephen M
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Okeke, Izunna
• Application Number:
  US12/278,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20080320573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,217 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

For users to access network services such as video streaming from a device, users usually have to register themselves with the service first. Most registration mechanisms require a user to input a username, password, date of birth and other details. When implemented through a web interface, this mechanism is relatively easy for the service provider to provision. However, the problem is that users are required to manually enter significant amounts of information which can be both time consuming, especially on a mobile device where there usually no QWERTY input device, and susceptible to unintentional errors. The present invention proposes an automated registration process that does not require a user to enter any details manually except for the initial request to subscribe to a service. The process gathers information automatically about the user and the device used, which is then stored and used for user authentication during subsequent service requests following the initial subscription request. The subsequent requests for service also do not require the user to manually input any user data.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning a service in a communications network between a user terminal and an application server, said method comprising an initial subscription request phase followed by a subsequent service request phase, the subscription request phase comprising:

(i) receiving a subscription request for the service at the application server, said subscription request including a subscriber identity associated with the user terminal;

(ii) initiating a configuration dialogue between the application server and the user terminal to configure an application on the user terminal, wherein the application server sends an identity number to the user terminal and the identity number is a random number generated by the application server;

(iii) storing at the user terminal the identity number and sending from the user terminal to the application server the identity number and a serial number associated with the user terminal;

(iv) in response to said sending the serial number with the corresponding identity number in step (iii), storing at the application server the serial number with the corresponding identity number sent by the user terminal in step (iii);

and wherein the subsequent service request phase comprises;

(v) sending a request for the service from the user terminal to the application server using the configured application, said service request including the identity number and the serial number stored at the user terminal;

(vi) comparing by the application server the identity number and serial number sent by the user terminal from step (v) and comparing said numbers with the corresponding numbers stored at the application server, and if the number match, then providing the requested service to the user terminal.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the subscriber identity is a mobile subscriber ISDN number.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the serial number is the international mobile equipment identity of the user terminal.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the subscription request is sent by the user terminal over the communications network.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the subscription request is a short message service message.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the subscriber identity is added by the communications network to the subscription request.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the communications network is a mobile communications network.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the subscription request is sent over the Internet.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the subscription request is sent via a web page.

10. A user terminal configured to conduct communications with an application server of a communications network, the user terminal comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor configured to participate in an initial subscription request phase followed by a subsequent service request phase;

wherein the processor, in order to participate in the initial subscription request phase, is configured to;

send a subscription request for a service to the application server, said subscription request including a subscriber identity associated with the user terminal;

participate in a configuration dialogue with the application server to configure an application on the user terminal, wherein the user terminal receives an identity number from the application server and the identity number is a random number generated by the application server;

store in the storage device of the user terminal the identity number and send to the application server the identity number and a serial number associated with the user terminal for storage by the application server of the serial number with the corresponding identity number sent by the user terminal;

wherein the processor, in order to participate in the subsequent service request phase, is configured to;

send a request for the service to the application server using the configured application, said service request including the identity number and the serial number stored at the user terminal; and

receive the requested service from the application server which compares the identity number and serial number sent by the user terminal and compares said numbers with the corresponding numbers stored at the application server, and provides the requested service to the user terminal if the number match.

11. The user terminal according to claim 10, wherein the subscriber identity is a mobile subscriber ISDN number.

12. The user terminal according to claim 10, wherein the serial number is the international mobile equipment identity of the user terminal.

13. The user terminal according to claim 10, wherein the subscriber identity is added by the communications network to the subscription request.

14. An application server for providing a service in a communications network to a user terminal, the application server comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor configured to participate in an initial subscription request phase followed by a subsequent service request phase;

wherein the processor, in order to participate in the initial subscription request phase, is configured to;

receive a subscription request for the service, said subscription request including a subscriber identity associated with the user terminal;

participate in a configuration dialogue with the user terminal to configure an application on the user terminal, and send an identity number to the user terminal, wherein the identity number is a random number generated by the application server;

receive the identity number and a serial number associated with the user terminal, the identity number being previously stored at the user terminal; and

store, in the storage device of the application server, the serial number with the corresponding identity number received from the user terminal; and

wherein the processor, in order to participate in the subsequent service request phase, is configured to;

receive a request for the service from the user terminal using the configured application, said service request including the identity number and the serial number stored at the user terminal; and

compare the identity number and serial number received from the user terminal, and compare said numbers with the corresponding numbers stored at the application server, and if the number match, then provide the requested service to the user terminal.

15. The application server according to claim 14, wherein the subscriber identity is a mobile subscriber ISDN number.

16. The application server according to claim 14, wherein the serial number is the international mobile equipment identity of the user terminal.

17. The application server according to claim 14, the subscriber identity is added by the communications network to the subscription request.