Method for accessing a telecommunications service by means of an electronic address

• US 8,423,001 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Lauper, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US11/513,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20070123167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,420 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/414.2, 455405-409, 455/410, 455/411, 340/572.1, 705 26- 27, 705 64- 69
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• 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 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4935 Connection initiated by DAS system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

A method is disclosed with which a telecommunication user can access a telecommunications service by means of a telecommunications terminal and an electronic address. The telecommunications user reads an electronic code (100) stored in an RFID element (1) by means of an RFID reader device (2), said electronic code (100) is transmitted to a name service server (6) over a telecommunications network (4), said name service server (6) replies with the electronic page address of a page corresponding to the code and that can be used to determine the electronic address, the electronic address is made available to the telecommunications terminal and said telecommunications service is accessed.

Claims

1. A method with which a telecommunication user can access a telecommunications service on a telecommunication network by means of a telecommunication terminal and an electronic address, comprising the following method steps:

associating said electronic address with a telecommunication service;

associating said electronic address with an electronic page;

associating an electronic code embedded in an RFID element with said electronic page;

said telecommunication terminal reading said electronic code stored in said RFID element with an RFID reader device connected to or integrated in said telecommunication terminal;

accepting a password from the user for authenticating the user, wherein said password includes a portion of said electronic code or is derived therefrom;

verifying the password by said telecommunications terminal;

if and only if said password passes said verification, performing the steps of;

transmitting said electronic code from said telecommunications terminal over said telecommunication network to a name service-server,

said name service-server replying to said telecommunications terminal with said electronic address of said electronic page corresponding to said electronic code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic code is transmitted from the telecommunication terminal to a telecommunication server, wherein the telecommunication server is located in the infrastructure of the telecommunication network and wherein said telecommunication server transmits said electronic code to the name service-server, and wherein said name service-server is located outside the infrastructure of the telecommunication network and is accessible to several network operators.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said page includes a hypertext content in a markup language.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic address corresponds to the electronic address of a target terminal in a switched network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said electronic address is a telephone or facsimile number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic address corresponds to the electronic address of a target terminal in a packet-oriented network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said page includes only said electronic address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said telecommunications service includes establishing a connection between said telecommunications terminal and a target terminal with said electronic address.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said telecommunications service is accessed only after confirmation of said user after said code has been read.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a software application in said telecommunications terminal invites said user to enter said confirmation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said software application invites the user to select one from several possible telecommunications services with said electronic address.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said software application invites the user to select one of several available electronic addresses.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said electronic address is packed in an object that also includes a program for accessing said telecommunications service.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each said code is initiated on the manual initiative of said telecommunication user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said telecommunications terminal continuously searches for RFID elements at close range.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said telecommunications service is accessed by said mobile device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said RFID reader device is part of a mobile radio telephone.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said code is packed by a software application in said mobile radio telephone and transmitted to said server.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said password is derived from a signature using said electronic code based on a public key.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said password must be received prior to using said electronic code.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein only a portion of said electronic code is transmitted.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein a redundancy check is applied to said electronic code for checking for code errors.

23. A system comprising:

an entity associated with an electronic address for supporting a payment transaction;

a product with an RFID element in which an electronic code is stored,

a mobile communication device connected to a packet-oriented communication network in which it is authorized,

a communication server for connecting to said mobile communication device over said network;

a name service-server connected to said network, wherein said electronic code is associated with an electronic page having at least one electronic address indicated as markup field, and

at least one RFID reader device connected with or integrated in said mobile communication device and adapted for reading said electronic code, wherein

said mobile device is adapted for sending said electronic code to said communication server, and wherein

said communication server is adapted for utilizing said electronic code to obtain said electronic page from said name service server, and

wherein said communication server is further adapted for providing said electronic address to said mobile communication device, and further wherein

said mobile device includes an application for utilizing said electronic address from said page for automatically performing a payment transaction with the entity to which said electronic address has been associated, wherein

the user is authenticated using a password including a portion of said electronic code or is derived therefrom such that said electronic page is obtained from said name service server if and only if said password is accepted from the user and said password is verified by the mobile device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said electronic address is printed on said product.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said password is derived from a signature using said electronic code based on a public key.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein said password must be received by said communication server prior to said communication server utilizing said electronic code.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein said only a portion of said electronic code is sent to said communication server by an application executing on said mobile device or said RFID reader.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein a redundancy check is applied to said electronic code for checking for code errors.

29. A method comprising the steps of:

associating an electronic address with a telecommunication service provided by an entity;

associating said electronic address with an electronic page;

associating an electronic code embedded in an RFID element with said electronic page;

accepting the electronic code read from said RFID element by a telecommunication device and transmitted over a telecommunication network;

transmitting said electronic code over the telecommunication network to a name service-server;

accepting a password from the telecommunication terminal for authentication, wherein said password includes a portion of said code or is derived using said code;

if and only if the password is verified by the telecommunication terminal, said name service-server replying with the electronic page address of the electronic page corresponding to said electronic code and with which said electronic address is to be determined;

determining said electronic address from said electronic page;

transmitting the electronic address to said telecommunication terminal; and

providing access to said telecommunication service based on said electronic address.