IMS conferencing policy logic

• US 8,909,701 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Costa-Requena, Jose, Khartabil, Hisham, Jalava, Teemu, Kuusinen, Jarmo, Koskelainen, Petri, Isomki, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Ibrahim, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US10/429,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20040221037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,239 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system are disclosed for creating a conferencing access logic. The logic is for allowing access to a conference in an internet protocol (IP) network. The invention entails establishing an allow list of allowed users, setting up a default policy applicable to unlisted users, matching listed users with corresponding conference rights, and assigning a uniform resource identifier (URI) to the access logic. The URI is for identifying and editing elements of the access logic, including the allow list, the default policy, and the conference rights.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing at least one allow list of allowed users for a conference in a network,

setting up a default policy for said conference applicable at least to access of all users seeking access to said conference, wherein the default policy is selected from the group consisting of allowing access, denying access, and asking permission to access, and wherein each default policy uses for access control both the at least one allow list and at least one deny list,

implementing the set up default policy to allow or deny access by the users seeking access to the conference,

matching users allowed to access the conference with corresponding conference rights,

specifying a uniform resource identifier to indicate a conferencing access logic of the conference, and

editing elements of the conferencing access logic for setting up at least another conference,

wherein said elements include the at least one deny list, the at least one allow list, the default policy, and the conference rights.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising forming a particular access sanity algorithm that corresponds to the default policy being a particular policy,

wherein the particular access sanity algorithm specifies a type of access for a user listed in both the at least one allow list and at least one deny list.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein the type of access is identical to the particular policy applicable to the users seeking access to the conference.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one allow list confers a set of the conference rights on the listed users, and

wherein listing on a plurality of allow lists causes a user to be matched with a union of respective sets of the conference rights.

5. A method of claim 1, further comprising

causing, at least in part, storage of the access logic in a conference server after the conference is completed,

uploading the edited conferencing access logic that is identified by the uniform resource identifier, and

setting up the at least another one conference based upon the edited conferencing access logic.

6. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

compiling at least one deny list of users to be denied access, and

eliminating any overlap between the at least one allow list and the at least one deny list, wherein the allow list or the deny list includes at least one wildcard covering a plurality of users.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the group further comprises anonymous access and hidden access.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the conference rights is included in the group comprised of a right to terminate the conference, a right to transfer rights, a right to manage general conference properties, a right to disconnect participants, a right to manage at least one access control list, a right to grant permission to access the conference, a right to revoke rights, and a right to grant rights.

9. A method of claim 1 wherein the default policy is public access that provides a user, that is not listed in the allow list, access to the conference by:

checking whether the user is in a private list;

if the user is not in the private list, checking whether the user is in a deny list; and

if the user is not listed in the deny list, providing the user the access to the conference.

10. A method of claim 1, wherein the default policy is asking permission to access that provides a user access to the conference by:

checking if the user is listed in the allow list or a deny list, and if the user is not listed in the allow list or the deny list, providing the user the access to the conference when a permission to access is given.

11. A method of claim 1, wherein the default policy is allowing access, and wherein the method further comprises accessing the at least one deny list prior to accessing the at least one allow list in order to determine whether the users seeking access to the conference are in the at least one deny list or in the at least one allow list or in both lists, and, based on a determination whether the users seeking access to the conference are in the at least one deny list or in the at least one allow list or in both lists, allowing or denying access to the conference.

12. A method of claim 1, wherein the default policy is denying access, and wherein the method further comprises accessing the at least one access list prior to accessing the at least one deny list in order to determine whether the users seeking access to the conference are in the at least one deny list or in the at least one allow list or in both lists, and, based on a determination whether the users seeking access to the conference are in the at least one deny list or in the at least one allow list or in both lists, allowing or denying access to the conference.

13. A method of claim 1, wherein the default policy is asking permission to access, and wherein the method further comprises accessing the at least one deny list and the at least one allow list prior to performing a process of asking for access in order to determine whether the users seeking access to the conference are to be allowed access to the conference, are to be denied access to the conference, or are to be allowed access or denied access to the conference through the process of asking for access.

14. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

establish at least one allow list of allowed users for a conference in a network,

set up a default policy for said conference applicable at least to access of all users seeking access to said conference, wherein the default policy is selected from the group consisting of allowing access, denying access, and asking permission to access, and wherein each default policy uses for access control both the at least one allow list and at least one deny list,

implementing the set up default policy to allow or deny access by the users seeking access to the conference,

match the users allowed to access the conference with corresponding conference rights, and

edit elements of a conferencing access logic of the conference for setting up at least another conference, the conferencing access logic being identified by a uniform resource identifier, said elements including the at least one deny list, the at least one allow list, the default policy, and the conference rights.

15. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the default policy is public access that provides a user, that is not listed in the allow list, access to the conference by:

checking whether the user is in a private list;

if the user is not in the private list, checking whether the user is in a deny list; and

if the user is not listed in the deny list, providing the user the access to the conference.

16. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

compile at least one deny list of users to be denied access, and

eliminate any overlap between the at least one allow list and the at least one deny list,

wherein the allow list or the deny list includes at least one wildcard covering a plurality of users.

17. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further caused to form a particular access sanity algorithm that corresponds to the default policy being a particular policy, wherein the particular access sanity algorithm specifies a type of access for a user listed in both the at least one allow list and at least one deny list.

18. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the group further comprises anonymous access and hidden access.

19. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one of the conference rights is included in the group comprised of a right to terminate the conference, a right to transfer rights, a right to manage general conference properties, a right to disconnect participants, a right to manage at least one access control list, a right to grant permission to access the conference, a right to revoke rights, and a right to grant rights.

20. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is a user terminal.

21. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is a conference server responsive to input from a user terminal.

22. A method, comprising:

providing by a conference owner terminal an access logic upload signal to a conference server to create a conferencing access logic that governs access to a conference in a network according to at least one deny list and at least one allow list of allowed users, wherein the conferencing access logic sets a default policy for said conference applicable at least to access of all users seeking access to said conference, wherein the default policy is selected from the group consisting of allowing access, denying access, and asking permission to access, and wherein each default policy uses for access control both the at least one allow list and the at least one deny list;

causing, at least in part, reception of a uniform resource identifier assignment signal at the conference owner terminal, in response to the access logic upload signal, and

providing by the conference owner terminal a logic edit signal to the conference server in response to the assignment signal, for editing elements of the conferencing access logic and setting up another conference,

wherein said elements include the at least one deny list, the at least one allow list and the default policy.

23. A method of claim 22, wherein the default policy is public access that provides a user, that is not listed in the allow list, access to the conference by:

checking whether the user is in a private list;

if the user is not in the private list, checking whether the user is in a deny list; and

if the user is not listed in the deny list, providing the user the access to the conference.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

providing an access logic upload signal to a conference server to create a conferencing access logic that governs access to a conference in a network according to at least one deny list and at least one allow list of allowed users, wherein the conferencing access logic sets a default policy for said conference applicable at least to access of all users seeking access to said conference, wherein the default policy is selected from the group consisting of allowing access, denying access, and asking permission to access, and wherein each default policy uses for access control both the at least one allow list and the at least one deny list;

causing, at least in part, reception of a uniform resource identifier assignment signal, in response to the access logic upload signal, and providing a logic edit signal to the conference server in response to the assignment signal, for editing elements of the conferencing access logic and setting up another conference, wherein said elements include the at least one deny list, the at least one allow list and the default policy.

25. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

provide an access logic upload signal to a conference server to create a conferencing access logic that governs access to a conference in a network according to at least one deny list and at least one allow list of allowed users, wherein the conferencing access logic sets a default policy for said conference applicable at least to access of all users seeking access to said conference, wherein the default policy is selected from the group consisting of allowing access, denying access, and asking permission to access, and wherein each default policy uses for access control both the at least one allow list and the at least one deny list;

cause, at least in part, reception of a uniform resource identifier assignment signal, in response to the access logic upload signal, and

provide a logic edit signal to the conference server in response to the assignment signal, for editing elements of the conferencing access logic and setting up another conference,

wherein said elements include the at least one deny list, the at least one allow list and the default policy.

26. An apparatus of claim 25, wherein each of the at least one allow list confers a set of the conference rights on the allowed users, and

wherein listing on a plurality of allow lists causes a user to be matched with a union of respective sets of the conference rights.

27. An apparatus of claim 25, wherein the default policy is public access that provides a user, that is not listed in the allow list, access to the conference by:

checking whether the user is in a private list;

if the user is not in the private list, checking whether the user is in a deny list; and

if the user is not listed in the deny list, providing the user the access to the conference.

28. An apparatus of claim 25, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

compile at least one deny list of users to be denied access, and

eliminate any overlap between the at least one allow list and the at least one deny list,

wherein the allow list or the deny list includes at least one wildcard covering a plurality of users.

29. An apparatus of claim 25, wherein the apparatus is further caused to form a particular access sanity algorithm that corresponds to the default policy being a particular policy, wherein the particular access sanity algorithm specifies a type of access for a user listed in both the at least one allow list and at least one deny list.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

establishing at least one allow list of allowed users for a conference in a network, setting up a default policy for said conference applicable at least to access of all users seeking access said conference, wherein the default policy is selected from the group consisting of allowing access, denying access, and asking permission to access, and wherein each default policy uses for access control both the at least one allow list and at least one deny list,

implementing the set up default policy to allow or deny access by the users seeking access to the conference, matching the users allowed to access the conference with corresponding conference rights, and

editing elements of a conferencing access logic of the conference for setting up at least another conference, the conferencing access logic being identified by a uniform resource identifier, said elements including the at least one deny list, the at least one allow list, the default policy, and the conference rights.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

causing, at least in part, storage of the access logic in the conference server after the conference is completed, uploading the edited conferencing access logic that is identified by the uniform resource identifier, and

setting up the at least another one conference based upon the edited conferencing access logic.