Restricting communications between subscriber machines

• US 9,794,271 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meredith, Sheldon Kent, Austin, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): ABEDIN, SHANTO
• Application Number:
  US14/526,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20160127386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 713168, 713162-163, 726 26- 30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A method of transferring information between subscribers associated with a communication service is disclosed. The method includes receiving a first handle address associated with a first subscriber device, in which the first subscriber device transfers information to a group of subscriber devices, each of the group of subscriber devices is linked to different handle addresses, and each of the different handle addresses is included in a group of handle addresses. The method also includes determining whether the first handle address is included in the group of handle addresses, transferring information from the first subscriber device to the group of subscriber devices in response to the first handle address being included in the group of handle addresses, and verifying that the transferred information was received by the group of subscriber devices. A corresponding system and computer-readable device are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of transferring information between subscribers associated with a communication service, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a first handle address associated with a first subscriber device, the first handle address being a first proxy address distinct from an assigned first IP address, the first subscriber device transferring information to a group of subscriber devices, each of the group of subscriber devices being linked to different handle addresses, each of the different handle addresses being included in a group of handle addresses, the different handle addresses being proxy addresses distinct from IP addresses assigned to the group of subscriber devices;

determining, by the computing device, whether the first handle address is included in the group of handle addresses;

determining, by the computing device, an encryption of the first subscriber device based on whether the subscriber device is associated with an individual encryption or with encryption of the group of subscriber devices;

transferring, by the computing device, information from the first subscriber device to the group of subscriber devices in response to the first handle address being included in the group of handle addresses based at least on the encryption of the first subscriber device;

verifying, by the computing device, that the transferred information was received by the group of subscriber devices;

requesting, by the first subscriber device, a general exclusion of membership in the group of subscriber devices; and

granting, by the computing device, an exclusion of membership in response to acceptance of an encrypted exclusion offer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an encryption key to the first subscriber device, the encryption key enabling the first subscriber device to identify the group of handle addresses to which a decryption key was delivered.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the decryption key to the group of handle addresses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of subscriber devices further comprises a sub-group of subscriber devices, the sub-group of subscriber devices enabling selective messaging between subscribers devices associated with the sub-group of subscriber devices.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising requesting, by the first subscriber device, a general exclusion of membership in the sub-group of subscriber devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting, by the first subscriber device, a specific exclusion of membership with a specific subscriber device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising granting an exclusion of membership in response to acceptance of an encrypted exclusion offer.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising granting an exclusion in response to acceptance of an encrypted exclusion offer.

9. A system that transfers information between subscribers associated with a communication service, the system comprising:

a computing device comprising;

a processor and a memory;

a server computer that interfaces with the computing device, the computing device configured to;

receive a first handle address associated with a first subscriber device, the first handle address being a first proxy address distinct from an assigned first IP address, the first subscriber device transferring information to a group of subscriber devices, each of the group of subscriber devices being linked to different handle addresses, each of the different handle addresses being included in a group of handle addresses, the different handle addresses being proxy addresses distinct from IP addresses assigned to the group of subscriber devices;

determine whether the first handle address is included in the group of handle addresses;

determine an encryption of the first subscriber device based on whether the subscriber device is associated with an individual encryption or with encryption of the group of subscriber devices;

transmit information from the first subscriber device to the group of subscriber devices in response to the first handle address being included in the group of handle addresses based at least on the encryption of the first subscriber device as determined by the processor;

verify whether the transferred information was received by the group of subscriber devices;

request a general exclusion of membership in the group of subscriber devices; and

grant an exclusion of membership in response to acceptance of an encrypted exclusion offer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is further configured to provide an encryption key to the first subscriber device, the encryption key enabling the first subscriber device to identify the group of handle addresses to which a decryption key was delivered.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the computing device is further configured to provide the decryption key to the group of handle addresses.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the group of subscriber devices further comprises a sub-group of subscriber devices, the sub-group of subscriber devices enabling selective messaging between subscribers devices associated with the sub-group of subscriber devices.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first subscriber device requests a general exclusion of membership in the sub-group of subscriber devices.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first subscriber device requests a specific exclusion of membership with a specific subscriber device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise generating computing device is further configured to generate an exclusion in response to acceptance of an encrypted exclusion offer.

16. A computer-readable device storing instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first handle address associated with a first subscriber device, the first handle address being a first proxy address distinct from an assigned first IP address, the first subscriber device transferring information to a group of subscriber devices, each of the group of subscriber devices being linked to different handle addresses of the group of handle addresses, each of the different handle addresses being included in the group of handle addresses, the different handle addresses being proxy addresses distinct from IP addresses assigned to the group of subscriber devices;

determining whether the first handle address is included in the group of handle addresses;

determining an encryption of the first subscriber device based on whether the subscriber device is associated with an individual encryption or with encryption of the group of subscriber devices;

transferring information from the first subscriber device to the group of subscriber devices in response to the first handle address being included in the group of handle addresses based at least on the encryption of the first subscriber device; and

verifying that the transferred information was received by the group of subscriber devices;

requesting a general exclusion of membership in the group of subscriber devices; and

granting an exclusion of membership in response to acceptance of an encrypted exclusion offer.