Method for personal network service configuration and system for personal network service configuration

• US 8,879,421 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Fok Ah Chuen, Frederic, Roger, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aung, Sai
• Application Number:
  US13/059,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20110149802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/338, 370/310, 370/392, 455418-4221, 4554321-455, 455/415, 455/402.1, 455/414.1, 455/406, 455/410
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An invention concerns a method for enabling Service configuration by a plurality of Personal Network Entities connected to a Personal Network comprising a Personal Network Application Server accessible via IP Multimedia Subsystem domain, a primary Personal Network Entity holding a subscription to control the Personal Network and a plurality of secondary Personal Network Entities controlled by the primary Personal Network Entity, the method comprising the following steps: —associating to each PNE configuration rights describing the services to be configured by each of the PNE, —storing the PNE identities, and configuration rights associated to each PNE in a Configuration Element (PNRCE), —sending to the PN Application Server (AS) a configuration request based on the stored configuration rights.

Claims

1. A method for personal network service configuration enabling Service configuration by a plurality of Personal Network Entities connected to a Personal Network comprising a Personal Network Application Server accessible via IP Multimedia Subsystem domain, a primary Personal Network Entity holding a subscription to control the Personal Network and a plurality of secondary Personal Network Entities controlled by the primary Personal Network Entity, comprising:

associating configuration rights to each Personal Network Entity describing which specific services each of the Personal Network Entities is permitted to configure in the Personal Network;

storing identities of each of the Personal Network Entities and the configuration rights describing the specific services that each of the Personal Network Entities is permitted to configure in the Personal Network, the configuration rights being associated to each of the Personal Network Entities in a Personal Network Right Configuration Element (PNRCE);

comparing a configuration request issued by any one of the Personal Network Entities with the configuration rights stored in the PNRCE for one of the Personal Network Entities having sent the configuration request, the configuration request being a request for the one Personal Network Entity having sent the configuration request to configure one or more specific services in the Personal Network, the configuration request being compared with the stored configuration rights to determine whether the one or more specific services indicated by the configuration request corresponds with at least one of the specific services the one Personal Network Entity is permitted to configure; and

sending the configuration request to the Personal Network Application Server when the configuration request is compliant with one or more of the configuration rights stored in the PNRCE for the one Personal Network Entity having sent the configuration request,

wherein the specific services that each of the Personal Network Entities is permitted to configure in the Personal Network and the specific services indicated by the configuration request from the one Personal Network Entity comprise one or more of redirection of services for one or a set of the Personal Network Entities, modifying session redirection, registering one of the Personal Network Entities in the Personal Network, and activating Private Network Service.

2. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 1, wherein every Personal Network configuration request issued by any one of the Personal Network Entities terminates at the primary Personal Network Entity which checks the PNRCE and sends the desired Personal Network configuration request to the Personal Network Application Server on behalf of the originated Personal Network Entity.

3. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 1, wherein any Personal Network configuration request issued by any one of the Personal Network Entities is directly sent to the Personal Network Application Server by the originated Personal Network Entity.

4. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 2, wherein the primary Personal Network Entity is a device that has all privileges to modify the PNRCE such as a Customer Network Device, a Home Gateway device, or an Internet Gateway.

5. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 4, wherein the Personal Network Entities are secondary devices of the Personal Network different from the primary Personal Network Entity.

6. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 4, wherein the primary Personal Network Entity is a user equipment that holds a Universal Subscription Identity Module to which is associated a Controller Service Profile.

7. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 4, wherein the PNRCE is stored in the primary Personal Network Entity.

8. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 4, wherein the PNRCE is hosted on the Personal Network Application Server.

9. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 4, wherein the PNRCE is a server independent from the primary Personal Network Entity and from the secondary Personal Network Entity.

11. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 3, wherein the primary Personal Network Entity is a device that has all privileges to modify the PNRCE such as a Customer Network Device, a Home Gateway device, or an Internet Gateway.

12. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 11, wherein the Personal Network Entities are secondary devices of the Personal Network different from the primary Personal Network Entity.

13. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 11, wherein the primary Personal Network Entity is a user equipment that holds a Universal Subscription Identity Module to which is associated a Controller Service Profile.

14. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 11, wherein the PNRCE is stored in the primary Personal Network Entity.

15. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 11, wherein the PNRCE is hosted on the Personal Network Application Server.

16. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 11, wherein the PNRCE is a server independent from the primary Personal Network Entity and from the secondary Personal Network Entities.

17. The method for personal network service configuration according to claim 1, wherein after the configuration request is sent to the Personal Network Application Server when the configuration request is compliant with one or more configuration rights stored in the PNRCE, the Personal Network Entity having sent the configuration request is permitted to configure the Personal Network according to the one or more configuration rights stored in the PNRCE.

10. A system for personal network service configuration enabling Service configuration by a plurality of Personal Network Entities connected to a Personal Network comprising a Personal Network Application Server accessible via IP Multimedia Subsystem domain, a primary Personal Network Entity holding a subscription to control the Personal Network and a plurality of secondary Personal Network Entities controlled by the primary Personal Network Entity, comprising:

a processing device;

an associating unit that associates configuration rights to each Personal Network Entity describing which specific services each of the Personal Network Entities is permitted to configure in the Personal Network;

a storing unit that stores identities of each of the Personal Network Entities and the configuration rights describing the specific services that each Personal Network Entity is permitted to configure in the Personal Network, the configuration rights being associated to each of the Personal Network Entities in a Personal Network Right Configuration Element (PNRCE);

a comparing unit configured to compare a configuration request issued by any one of the Personal Network Entities with the configuration rights stored in the PNRCE for one of the Personal Network Entities having sent the configuration request, the configuration request being a request for the one Personal Network Entity having sent the configuration request to configure one or more specific services in the Personal Network, the configuration request being compared with the stored configuration rights to determine whether the one or more specific services indicated by the configuration request corresponds with at least one of the specific services the one Personal Network Entity is permitted to configure; and

a sending unit configured to, when the configuration request is compliant with one or more of the configuration rights stored in the PNRCE for the one Personal Network Entity having sent the configuration request, send the configuration request to the Personal Network Application Server,

wherein the processing device is configured to execute one or more of the associating unit, the storing unit, the comparing unit, and the sending unit to associate the configuration rights, store the identities, compare the configuration request with the configuration rights, and send the configuration request, respectively, and

wherein the specific services that each of the Personal Network Entities is permitted to configure in the Personal Network and the specific services indicated by the configuration request from the one Personal Network Entity comprise one or more of redirection of services for one or a set of the Personal Network Entities, modifying session redirection, registering one of the Personal Network Entities in the Personal Network, and activating Private Network Service.

18. The system for personal network service configuration according to claim 10, wherein after the configuration request is sent to the Personal Network Application Server when the configuration request is compliant with one or more configuration rights stored in the PNRCE, the Personal Network Entity having sent the configuration request is permitted to configure the Personal Network according to the one or more configuration rights stored in the PNRCE.

19. A method for personal network service configuration enabling service configuration, the method comprising:

associating configuration rights to each of a plurality of personal network entities connected to a personal network, the configuration rights describing one or more services, from a plurality of services used to configure the personal network, that each of the personal network entities is permitted to configure in the personal network;

storing identities and one of a plurality of control levels for each of the personal network entities, each of the control levels indicating an amount of the one or more services that are permitted to be configured by each personal network entity;

identifying one of the personal network entities having sent a configuration request to configure one or more specific services in the personal network;

determining whether the identified personal network entity is permitted to configure the one or more specific services indicated by the configuration request based on the control level stored for the identified personal network entity; and

transmitting the configuration request to a personal network application server when it is determined that the identified personal network entity is permitted to configure the one or more specific services indicated by the configuration request,

wherein the specific services that each of the Personal Network Entities is permitted to configure in the Personal Network and the specific services indicated by the configuration request from the one Personal Network Entity comprise one or more of redirection of services for one or a set of the Personal Network Entities, modifying session redirection, registering one of the Personal Network Entities in the Personal Network, and activating Private Network Service.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of personal network entities includes one or more of a primary personal network entity holding a subscription to control the personal network and a plurality of secondary personal network entities controlled by the primary personal network entity.