Secured communication via location awareness

• US 9,774,727 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2015
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Forbes, Scott C., Criddle, Linda, Milstein, David, Chu, Lon-Chan, Wang, Kuansan, Malueg, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oh, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/873,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20160021246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42034 Calling party identification service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/40 Security arrangements using identity modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A method and system for collecting and verifying the location information of a calling party and a device of the calling party is provided. More specifically, a method and system is provided for determining whether the identity of the calling party can be confirmed, via evaluating location information, with an acceptable degree of certainty. The location information may be provided by the calling party or obtained from various sources over a digital communication channel. Some of the provided location information which can be accidentally or intentionally altered is identified and evaluated to determine its accuracy as part of the verification process of the caller'"'"'s identity.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, operatively connected with the memory, that executes;

receiving a declaration and agreeing to a structured hierarchy of a plurality of structured hierarchies for receiving contextual information;

receiving a call connection request and first contextual information associated with a caller device, wherein the first contextual information is received as the declared structured hierarchy;

based at least in part on receiving the first contextual information in the declared structured hierarchy, determining whether the first contextual information is validated;

requesting second contextual information corresponding to the caller device in response to determining that the first contextual information is un-validated;

receiving the second contextual information;

determining whether the second contextual information is validated; and

generating, during a connection setup phase of the call connection request, an output for display on the system, wherein the generated output comprises a validation indication for the first contextual information and a validation indication for the second contextual information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute:

simultaneously displaying, during the connection setup phase, the validation indication for the first contextual information and the validation indication for the second contextual information.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor further executes:

receiving input indicating acceptance of the call connection request and connecting the caller device with the system.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the processor further executes:

requesting, during a connected call between the caller device and the system, third contextual information from the caller device;

receiving the third contextual information;

determining whether the third contextual information is validated; and

generating an output for display on the system, wherein the generated output comprises a validation indication for the third contextual information.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the processor further executes:

in response to display of the validation indication for the third contextual information, receiving input to continue the connected call or cancel the connected call.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein generating of the output further comprises displaying a level of certainty regarding an identity associated with the caller device based on validation of the third contextual information.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first contextual information and the second contextual information is location information associated with the caller device.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein generating of the output further comprises displaying a level of certainty regarding an identity associated with the caller device based on validation of the first contextual information and the second contextual information.

9. A system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, operatively connected with the memory, that executes;

receiving a declaration and agreeing to a structured hierarchy of a plurality of structured hierarchies for receiving contextual information;

receiving a call connection request and contextual information associated with a caller device, wherein the contextual information is received as the declared structured hierarchy comprising a first portion of location information corresponding to the caller device;

based at least in part on receiving the contextual information in the declared structured hierarchy, determining whether the first portion of location information is validated;

requesting a second portion of location information corresponding to the caller device in response to determining that the first portion of location information is un-validated;

receiving the second portion of location information;

determining whether the second portion of location information is validated; and

generating, during a connection setup phase of the call connection request, an output for display on the system, wherein the generated output comprises a validation indication for the first portion of location information and a validation indication for the second portion of location information.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to execute:

simultaneously displaying, during the connection setup phase, the validation indication for the first portion of information and the validation indication for the second portion of information.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the processor further executes:

in response to display of the validation indication for the third portion of location information, receiving input to continue the connected call or cancel the connected call.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor further executes:

receiving input indicating acceptance of the call connection request and connecting the caller device with the system.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor further executes:

requesting, during a connected call between the caller device and the system, third location information from the caller device;

receiving the third location information;

determining whether the third portion of location information is validated; and

generating an output for display on the system, wherein the generated output comprises a validation indication for the third location information.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein generating of the output further comprises displaying a level of certainty regarding an identity associated with the caller device based on validation of the first portion of location information and the second portion of location information.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a declaration and agreeing to a structured hierarchy of a plurality of structured hierarchies for receiving contextual information;

receiving, at a callee device from a caller device, a call connection request and contextual information that comprises first location information and second location information corresponding to the caller device, wherein the contextual information is received as the declared structured hierarchy;

based at least in part on receiving the contextual information in the declared structured hierarchy, determining whether the first location information and the second location information are validated; and

generating, during a connection setup phase of the call connection request, an output for display on the callee device based on the determining, wherein the generated output comprises a validation indication for the first location information and a validation indication for the second location information.

16. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15, further comprising:

simultaneously displaying, during the connection setup phase, the validation indication for the first location information and the validation indication for the second location information.

17. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15, further comprising:

displaying, on the callee device, the validation indication for the first location information.

18. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving additional contextual information from the caller device;

determining whether the additional contextual information is validated;

generating an output for display on the callee device that comprises a validation indication for the additional contextual information; and

displaying, on the callee device, the validation indication for the additional contextual information.

19. The computer-implemented method according to claim 18, further comprising:

displaying a level of certainty regarding an identity associated with the caller device based on validation of the first location information and validation of the second location information.

20. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15, wherein the generating of the output further comprises displaying a level of certainty regarding an identity associated with the caller device based on validation of the first location information.