Verifying network delivery of information to a device based on physical characteristics

• US 8,799,309 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kolathaya, Suraj Nadubettu, Ponnusamy, Rajkumar Williams Thomas, Cheng, Yung, Amalpurapu, Sriharsha S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MORRISON, JAY A
• Application Number:
  US12/639,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A device may include a network interface configured to receive verification requirements and a message from a source device. In addition, the device may include a processor configured to receive a request from a destination device to send the message to the destination device, validate a logical address provided in the message based on a physical characteristic described or referenced in the verification requirements, and send the message to the destination device when the processor successfully validates the logical address based on the physical characteristic.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a network interface configured to receive verification requirements and a message addressed to a logical address, from a source device, wherein the verification requirements identify one or more physical characteristics, associated with a destination device, including at least one of;

a time window for receiving the request to access the message,

geographical coordinates, including at least one of a latitude, a longitude, or an altitude, of the destination device, or

a media access control (MAC) address of a component in customer premises equipment associated with the destination device; and

a processor configured to;

receive a first request from a destination device to access the message;

send, to the destination device, a second request for information related to at least one of the identified physical characteristics;

validate, based on information received in response to the second request, the logical address based on a determination that a physical characteristic associated with the destination device corresponds to the at least one of the identified physical characteristics in the verification requirements; and

selectively provide, responsive to the validation, access to the message to the destination device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the identified one or more physical characteristics comprise a MAC address that includes:

a MAC address installed by a service provider associated with the destination device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the destination device includes one of:

a mobile computer, a smart phone, or a computer.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage to store physical characteristics that are associated with logical addresses, wherein, to validate the logical address, the processor is further configured to;

compare the at least one of the identified physical characteristics to a physical characteristic retrieved from the storage by using the logical address as a key.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the identified physical characteristics further include a physical address comprising at least one of:

a text message;

an email message;

a web page;

or a file.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the message includes the verification requirements and the logical address includes one of:

a universal resource locator (URL) or an email address.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the message includes the verification requirements and:

an encrypted message.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, from a source device, verification requirements, indicative of a physical address of a geographic location and a logical address associated with a destination device;

receiving a request from the destination device to establish a communication session with the source device;

determining, in response to the request, that the received physical address does not correspond to a physical address, identified in the physical characteristics, associated with the logical address;

obtaining, from the destination device and based on the determining, a physical address associated with the logical address;

validating, in response to obtaining the physical address, the logical address based on a correspondence between the obtained physical address and the physical address identified in the verification requirements; and

establishing, based on results of the validating, the communication session between the source device and the destination device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein validating the logical address includes:

obtaining a match between the received logical address and a device address obtained by querying the destination device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein validating the received logical address includes:

obtaining geographical coordinates, from the destination device, of the destination device, wherein the geographical coordinates include at least one of a latitude, a longitude, or an altitude; and

using the geographical coordinates to validate the obtained physical address.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein obtaining the geographical coordinates includes:

obtaining, from the destination device, global positioning system (GPS) information related to a current location of the destination device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein establishing the communication session includes:

establishing a voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) call between the source device and the destination device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein establishing the communication session includes:

authenticating the destination device for communicating with the source device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein validating the logical address includes:

determining whether the destination device is requesting the communication session to be established within a time window prescribed in the verification requirements.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

notifying the destination device via the logical address when the verification requirements are received.

16. Non-transitory computer-readable memory media, comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least processor one to;

receive, from a source device, verification requirements, indicative of a physical address of a geographic location and a logical address associated with a destination device,

receive a request from the destination device to establish a communication session with the source device,

determine, in response to the request, that the received physical address does not correspond to a physical address, identified in the physical characteristics, associated with the logical address,

obtain, from the destination device and based on a determination, a physical address associated with the logical address,

validate, in response to obtaining the physical address, the logical address based on a correspondence between the obtained physical address and the physical address identified in the verification requirements, and

establish, based on results of a validation, the communication session between the source device and the destination device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable memory media of claim 16, wherein to validate the logical address, the one or more instructions cause the at least processor one to:

obtain a match between the received logical address and a device address obtained by querying the destination device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable memory media of claim 16, wherein to validate the received logical address, the one or more instructions cause the at least processor one to:

obtain geographical coordinates, from the destination device, of the destination device, wherein the geographical coordinates include at least one of a latitude, a longitude, or an altitude; and

use the geographical coordinates to validate the obtained physical address.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable memory media of claim 18, wherein to obtain the geographical coordinates, the one or more instructions cause the at least processor one to:

obtain global positioning system (GPS) information related to a current location of the destination device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable memory media of claim 16, wherein to validate the logical address, the one or more instructions cause the at least processor one to:

determine whether the destination device is requesting the communication session to be established within a time window prescribed in the verification requirements.