Network based authentication

• US 8,763,081 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgeport Networks, Inc. (Alianza, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bridgeport Networks, Inc. (Alianza, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bogdanovic, Ivan Dean, Aborn, Justin A., Blumenthal, Steven H., Jhawar, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehedi, Morshed
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, KENNETH W
• Application Number:
  US11/397,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20070234404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,004 Days
• Field of Search: 726 2- 3, 713/161, 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4182 for identification purposes, e.g. storing user identification data, preferences, personal settings or data restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code in combination with an additional device, e.g. dongle or smart card G06F21/123
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

Application layer authentication of a data-network based application makes use of a SIM function accessible to the application and telephone network authentication service accessible to a server to the application. For example, the application uses SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) for communication with the server and the authentication service is provided via a GSM based telephone network. In one implementation, a device (a “dongle”) includes an authentication module, application software, and an interface for communicating with a remote server over a data communication network. The application software includes instructions for using the authentication module to authorize an application layer interaction with the remote server.

Claims

1. An apparatus that is removably attachable to a computer system, the apparatus comprising:

an authentication module including a module compatible with authentication in a mobile telephone network, the module including at least one of a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM), a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), a 3GPP IP Multimedia Subsystem Services Identity Module (ISIM), and a module compatible with a CDMA or 3GPP2 networks;

a memory with application software stored therein, the application software, including instructions for execution of a communication application on the computer system, the communication application including a configurable user interface for emulating one of a plurality of mobile telephone devices; and

an interface for communicating with a remote server over a data communication network;

wherein the application software includes instructions, which, when loaded and executed on the computer system cause the computer system to;

establish by a first application executing as a stand-alone application in an operating environment of an operating system of the computer system an application layer connection between the first application and the remote server without requiring a service of another application on the computer system to establish the application layer connection; and

use by the first application executing on the computer system the authentication module to automatically authorize an application layer interaction between the first application and the remote server on the application layer connection.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interface comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication application comprises a softphone application.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the application layer interaction comprises a voice communication interaction.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the application layer interaction comprises a registration interaction.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the registration interaction includes a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) interaction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the instructions for using the authentication module to authorize the application layer interaction include instructions that cause authentication via a telephone network authentication system.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a positioning system.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the positioning system comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS).

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the application software comprises instructions for accessing the positioning system and providing location information over the data communication network.

11. A method comprising:

loading executable software for a first application from a removable device onto a computer system, the first application including a communication application including a configurable user interface for emulating one of a plurality of mobile telephone devices; and

executing the software on the computer system, including;

establishing by the first application an application layer connection between the first application executing as a stand-alone application in an operating environment of an operating system of the computer system and a remote server over a data communication network without requiring a service of another application on the computer system to establish the application layer connection,

accessing by the first application executing on the computer system an authentication module on the removable device, the authentication module including a module compatible with authentication in a mobile telephone network, the module including at least one of a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM), a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), a 3GPP IP Multimedia Subsystem Services Identity Module (ISIM), and a module compatible with a CDMA or 3GPP2 networks, and

using the first application executing on the computer system the authentication module to automatically authorize an application layer interaction between the first application and the remote server on the application layer connection.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein executing of the software is performed on a mobile computer system to which the removable device is attached.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising attaching the removable device to the mobile computer system.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein executing the communication application comprises executing a softphone application.