Method of authorization for a cellular system

• US 8,954,033 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Leppanen, Eva-Maria, Saarenpaa, Matti, Aakula, Jukka
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US12/968,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/418, 455/432.1, 455/435.1, 455/432.3, 370/229, 370/230, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/335, 370/352, 709/204, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 713/168
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method and entity of authorizing in a communication system are disclosed. The method includes using authorizing data to reference other data to define an authorization associated with the other data. The authorizing data includes one of a data component, data group, or data element. Further, a user profile can be provided and includes a user profile data component and an authorization data component. The authorization data component or the user profile data component references another authorization component. Access is authorized to data associated with the user profile data component in accordance with the authorization data component.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, by a generic user profile server, a request for a generic user profile data, the generic user profile data comprising a plurality of parts, at least one of the plurality of parts comprising one or more of a data component, a data group, and a data element, wherein authorization data referencing the generic user profile data is one of the plurality of parts of the generic user profile data, wherein the at least one of the plurality of parts and the authorization data are parts of a common data structure;

receiving, at the generic user profile server, a response comprising the generic user profile data to which a requestor has authorized access rights, wherein an authorization is defined on the basis of the authorization data; and

sending, by the generic user profile server, the generic user profile data after receiving the response comprising the generic user profile data,

wherein the authorization data controls access to at least one of the plurality of parts,

wherein at least a portion of the authorization data is common to a plurality of users, and

wherein the authorization takes into account at least one of a requestor, a requested data, a target subscriber, and an operation to be performed.

2. A method comprising:

sending, by a generic user profile server, a request for a generic user profile data, the generic user profile data comprising a plurality of parts, at least one of the plurality of parts comprising one or more of a data component, a data group, and a data element, wherein authorization data referencing the generic user profile data is one of the plurality of parts of the generic user profile data, wherein the authorization data is independent of the at least one of the plurality of parts;

receiving, at the generic user profile server, a response comprising the generic user profile data to which a requestor has authorized access rights, wherein an authorization is defined on the basis of the authorization data; and

sending, by the generic user profile server, the generic user profile data after receiving the response comprising the generic user profile data,

wherein the authorization data controls access to at least one of the plurality of parts,

wherein at least a portion of the authorization data is common to a plurality of users, and

wherein the authorization takes into account at least one of a requestor, a requested data, a target subscriber, and an operation to be performed.

3. A method comprising:

sending, by a generic user profile server, a request for a generic user profile data, the generic user profile data comprising a plurality of parts, at least one of the plurality of parts comprising one or more of a data component, a data group, and a data element, wherein authorization data referencing the generic user profile data is one of the plurality of parts of the generic user profile data, wherein the authorization data comprises at least one of rules for the authorization data, data distribution information, usage information, and default information;

receiving, at the generic user profile server, a response comprising the generic user profile data to which a requestor has authorized access rights, wherein an authorization is defined on the basis of the authorization data; and

sending, by the generic user profile server, the generic user profile data after receiving the response comprising the generic user profile data,

wherein the authorization data controls access to at least one of the plurality of parts,

wherein at least a portion of the authorization data is common to a plurality of users, and

wherein the authorization takes into account at least one of a requestor, a requested data, a target subscriber, and an operation to be performed.

4. A method comprising:

sending, by a generic user profile server, a request for a generic user profile data, the generic user profile data comprising a plurality of parts, at least one of the plurality of parts comprising one or more of a data component, a data group, and a data element, wherein authorization data referencing the generic user profile data is one of the plurality of parts of the generic user profile data, wherein the authorization data further includes data that is user specific;

receiving, at the generic user profile server, a response comprising the generic user profile data to which a requestor has authorized access rights, wherein an authorization is defined on the basis of the authorization data; and

sending, by the generic user profile server, the generic user profile data after receiving the response comprising the generic user profile data,

wherein the authorization data controls access to at least one of the plurality of parts,

wherein at least a portion of the authorization data is common to a plurality of users, and

wherein the authorization takes into account at least one of a requestor, a requested data, a target subscriber, and an operation to be performed.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

arranging the authorization data to reference at least one element of a generic user profile information model.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

obtaining the authorization data from at least one of a separate privacy register, a user profile server, a separate server, and a data storage.

7. A method comprising:

sending, by a generic user profile server, a request for a generic user profile data, the generic user profile data comprising a plurality of parts, at least one of the plurality of parts comprising one or more of a data component, a data group, and a data element, wherein authorization data referencing the generic user profile data is one of the plurality of parts of the generic user profile data, wherein the authorization data is common to all components of a profile for a user;

receiving, at the generic user profile server, a response comprising the generic user profile data to which a requestor has authorized access rights, wherein an authorization is defined on the basis of the authorization data; and

sending, by the generic user profile server, the generic user profile data after receiving the response comprising the generic user profile data,

wherein the authorization data controls access to at least one of the plurality of parts,

wherein at least a portion of the authorization data is common to a plurality of users, and

wherein the authorization takes into account at least one of a requestor, a requested data, a target subscriber, and an operation to be performed.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a sender configured on a generic user profile server to send a request for a generic user profile data, the generic user profile data comprising a plurality of parts, at least one of the plurality of parts comprising one or more of a data component, a data group, and a data element, wherein authorization data referencing the generic user profile data is one of the plurality of parts of the generic user profile data, the sender further configured to send the generic user profile data after receiving the response comprising the generic user profile data; and

a receiver configured on the generic user profile server to receive a response comprising generic user profile data to which a requestor has authorized access rights, wherein an authorization is defined on the basis of the authorization data,

wherein the authorization data controls access to at least one of the plurality of parts,

wherein at least a portion of the authorization data is common to a plurality of users, and

wherein the authorization takes into account at least one of a requestor, requested data, a target subscriber, and an operation to be performed, wherein the apparatus comprises an application, a server, or a user equipment.

9. A system comprising:

at least one generic user profile server comprising;

a receiver configured to receive a request from an application relating to generic user profile data;

at least a first processor configured to access authorization data, reference the generic user profile data, the generic user profile data comprising a plurality of parts, the parts being one or more of a data component, a data group, and a data element, wherein the authorization data is one of the plurality of parts of the generic user profile data; and

at least a second processor configured to authorize access to a requestor of one or more parts of the generic user profile data in accordance with the authorization data, and to send a response to the application including data relating to the parts of the generic user profile data the requestor is authorized to access,

wherein the authorization data controls access to at least one of the plurality of parts,

wherein at least a portion of the authorization data is common to a plurality of users, and

wherein the authorization takes into account at least one of a requestor, requested data, a target subscriber, and an operation to be performed,

wherein the at least one application is provided on at least one of

at least one user equipment,

at least one third party server, and

a home network.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one server comprises at least one of a generic user profile server and an authorization server.

11. 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 at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least;

send a request for a generic user profile data, the generic user profile data comprising a plurality of parts, at least one of the plurality of parts comprising one or more of a data component, a data group, and a data element, wherein authorization data referencing the generic user profile data is one of the plurality of parts of the generic user profile data, wherein the at least one of the plurality of parts and the authorization data are parts of a common data structure;

receive a response comprising the generic user profile data to which a requestor has authorized access rights, wherein an authorization is defined on the basis of the authorization data; and

send the generic user profile data after receiving the response comprising the generic user profile data,

wherein the authorization data controls access to at least one of the plurality of parts,

wherein at least a portion of the authorization data is common to a plurality of users, and

wherein the authorization takes into account at least one of a requestor,

requested data, a target subscriber, and an operation to be performed.

12. 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

at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least;

send, by the apparatus a request for a generic user profile data, the generic user profile data comprising a plurality of parts, at least one of the plurality of parts comprising one or more of a data component, a data group, and a data element, wherein authorization data referencing the generic user profile data is one of the plurality of parts of the generic user profile data, wherein the authorization data is independent of the at least one of the plurality of parts;

receive, at the apparatus, a response comprising the generic user profile data to which a requestor has authorized access rights, wherein an authorization is defined on the basis of the authorization data; and

send, by the apparatus, the generic user profile data after receiving the response comprising the generic user profile data,

wherein the authorization data controls access to at least one of the plurality of parts,

wherein at least a portion of the authorization data is common to a plurality of users, and

wherein the authorization takes into account at least one of a requestor, a requested data, a target subscriber, and an operation to be performed, wherein the apparatus comprises a generic user profile server.

13. 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

at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least;

send, by the apparatus, a request for a generic user profile data, the generic user profile data comprising a plurality of parts, at least one of the plurality of parts comprising one or more of a data component, a data group, and a data element, wherein authorization data referencing the generic user profile data is one of the plurality of parts of the generic user profile data, wherein the authorization data comprises at least one of rules for the authorization data, data distribution information, usage information, and default information;

receive, at the apparatus, a response comprising the generic user profile data to which a requestor has authorized access rights, wherein an authorization is defined on the basis of the authorization data; and

send, by the apparatus, the generic user profile data after receiving the response comprising the generic user profile data,

wherein the authorization data controls access to at least one of the plurality of parts,

wherein at least a portion of the authorization data is common to a plurality of users, and

wherein the authorization takes into account at least one of a requestor, a requested data, a target subscriber, and an operation to be performed, wherein the apparatus comprises a generic user profile server.

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

at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least;

send, by the apparatus, a request for a generic user profile data, the generic user profile data comprising a plurality of parts, at least one of the plurality of parts comprising one or more of a data component, a data group, and a data element, wherein authorization data referencing the generic user profile data is one of the plurality of parts of the generic user profile data, wherein the authorization data further includes data that is user specific;

receive, at the apparatus, a response comprising the generic user profile data to which a requestor has authorized access rights, wherein an authorization is defined on the basis of the authorization data; and

send, by the apparatus, the generic user profile data after receiving the response comprising the generic user profile data,

wherein the authorization data controls access to at least one of the plurality of parts,

wherein at least a portion of the authorization data is common to a plurality of users, and

wherein the authorization takes into account at least one of a requestor, a requested data, a target subscriber, and an operation to be performed, wherein the apparatus comprises a generic user profile server.

15. 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

at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least;

send, by the apparatus, a request for a generic user profile data, the generic user profile data comprising a plurality of parts, at least one of the plurality of parts comprising one or more of a data component, a data group, and a data element, wherein authorization data referencing the generic user profile data is one of the plurality of parts of the generic user profile data, wherein the authorization data is common to all components of a profile for a user;

receive, at the apparatus, a response comprising the generic user profile data to which a requestor has authorized access rights, wherein an authorization is defined on the basis of the authorization data; and

send, by the apparatus, the generic user profile data after receiving the response comprising the generic user profile data,

wherein the authorization data controls access to at least one of the plurality of parts,

wherein at least a portion of the authorization data is common to a plurality of users, and

wherein the authorization takes into account at least one of a requestor, a requested data, a target subscriber, and an operation to be performed, wherein the apparatus comprises a generic user profile server.