Remote Access System and Method for Enabling a User to Remotely Access Terminal Equipment from a Subscriber Terminal

• US 20090019134A1
• Filed: 12/28/2004
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Di Tria, Paolo, Vitaglione, Giosue, Bochicchio, Rosalba, Bellifemine, Fabio, Trucco, Tiziana, Caire, Giovanni
• Granted Patent: US 8,156,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A method for enabling a subscriber terminal to remotely access terminal equipment, the terminal equipment storing identification data of the subscriber terminal, and the subscriber terminal being subscribed to a communication network and to a remote access service, wherein the method includes: receiving a request for authentication from the terminal equipment, the request for authentication including identification data of the subscriber terminal; receiving a request for access to the terminal equipment from the subscriber terminal; authenticating the subscriber terminal based on information from the communications network; forwarding the request for authentication from the terminal equipment to the subscriber terminal upon authenticating the subscriber terminal, the subscriber terminal processing the request for authentication to authenticate the terminal equipment; receiving an authentication notification from the subscriber terminal; forwarding the authentication notification from the subscriber terminal to the terminal equipment, the terminal equipment processing the authentication notification to authenticate said subscriber terminal; receiving an authentication notification from the terminal equipment; and enabling the subscriber terminal to remotely access the terminal equipment upon receiving the authentication notification from the terminal equipment.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A remote access method for enabling a user to remotely access terminal equipment from a subscriber terminal via a remote access system, said terminal equipment storing identification data of said subscriber terminal, comprising:

receiving a request for authentication from said terminal equipment, said request for authentication comprising said identification data of said subscriber terminal;

receiving a request for access to said terminal equipment from said subscriber terminal;

verifying that said subscriber terminal is subscribed to said remote access system;

authenticating said subscriber terminal based on information from a communications network;

forwarding said request for authentication from said terminal equipment to said subscriber terminal, said subscriber terminal processing said request for authentication to authenticate said terminal equipment;

receiving an authentication notification from said subscriber terminal;

forwarding said authentication notification from said subscriber terminal to said terminal equipment, said terminal equipment processing said authentication notification to authenticate said subscriber terminal; and

receiving an authentication notification from said terminal equipment; and

enabling said subscriber terminal to remotely access said terminal equipment.

27. The remote access method as claimed in claim 26, wherein authenticating said subscriber terminal based on information from said communications network comprises:

verifying that said subscriber terminal has been previously authenticated by said communications network.

28. The remote access method as claimed in claim 26, wherein verifying that said subscriber terminal has been previously authenticated by said communications network comprising:

verifying that said identification data of said subscriber terminal has been stored by said communications network in a database.

29. The remote access method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said identification data comprises at least a mobile subscriber international integrated services digital network number of said subscriber terminal.

30. The remote access method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

storing said request for authentication until said subscriber terminal has been authenticated by said communications network.

31. The remote access method as claimed in claim 26, wherein verifying that said subscriber terminal is subscribed to said remote access system comprises:

extracting said identification data of said subscriber terminal from said request for authentication; and

verifying that said extracted identification data are associated with a subscriber of said remote access system.

32. A remote access method as claimed in claim 31, further comprising:

rejecting said request for authentication if said identification data are not associated with a subscriber of said remote access system.

33. The remote access method as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

sending an authentication refusal to said terminal equipment if said identification data are not associated with a subscriber of said remote access system.

34. The remote access method as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

rejecting any subsequent request for authentication from said terminal equipment for a time span if said identification data are not associated with a subscriber of said remote access system.

35. The remote access method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said request for authentication from said terminal equipment comprises data encrypted using user access credentials entered in said terminal equipment, and wherein said subscriber terminal authenticates said terminal equipment based on said encrypted data in said request for authentication.

36. The remote access method as claimed in claim 32, wherein authenticating said terminal equipment based on said encrypted data comprises:

decrypting said encrypted data in said request for authentication by using access credentials entered in said subscriber terminal;

encrypting said decrypted data using said user access credentials entered in said subscriber terminal;

comparing said encrypted data in said request for authentication with said data encrypted using said user access credentials entered in said subscriber terminal; and

authenticating said terminal equipment if said comparison has a positive outcome.

37. The remote access method as claimed in claim 35, further comprising:

rejecting said request for authentication upon receiving a non-authentication notification from said subscriber terminal.

38. The remote access method as claimed in claim 37, further comprising:

sending an authentication refusal to said terminal equipment upon receiving a non-authentication notification from said subscriber terminal.

39. The remote access method as claimed in claim 37, further comprising:

rejecting any subsequent request for authentication from said terminal equipment for a time span upon receiving said non-authentication notification from said subscriber terminal.

40. The remote access method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said authentication notification from said subscriber terminal comprises data encrypted using said access credentials entered in said subscriber terminal, and wherein said terminal equipment authenticates said subscriber terminal based on said encrypted data in said authentication notification.

41. The remote access method as claimed in claim 40, wherein authenticating said subscriber terminal based on said encrypted data in said authentication notification comprises:

decrypting said encrypted data in said authentication notification by using said access credentials entered in said terminal equipment;

encrypting said decrypted data using said access credentials entered in said terminal equipment;

comparing said encrypted data in said authentication notification with said data encrypted using said access credentials entered in said terminal equipment; and

authenticating said subscriber terminal if said comparison has a positive outcome.

42. The remote access method as claimed in claim 40, further comprising:

rejecting said request for access upon receiving a non-authentication notification from said terminal equipment.

43. The remote access method as claimed in claim 42, further comprising:

sending an authentication refusal to said subscriber terminal upon receiving said non-authentication notification from said terminal equipment.

44. The remote access method as claimed in claim 42, further comprising:

rejecting any subsequent request for access from said subscriber terminal for a time span upon receiving said non-authentication notification from said terminal equipment.

45. The remote access method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said remote access system stores an access control list containing access authorizations for different subscriber terminals, each access authorization specifying resources of said terminal equipment to which a corresponding subscriber terminal may access;

and wherein enabling said subscriber terminal to remotely access said terminal equipment comprises;

determining the access authorization associated with said subscriber terminal in said access control list; and

enabling said subscriber terminal to access the resources of said terminal equipment specified in said access authorization.

46. A remote access system for enabling a user to remotely access terminal equipment from a subscriber terminal, said subscriber terminal, said terminal equipment and said remote access system comprising a configuration capable of implementing the remote access method according to claim 26.

47. Software modules, when loaded in terminal equipment, a subscriber terminal, and a remote access system for enabling a user to remotely access said terminal equipment from said subscriber terminal capable of cooperating in implementing the remote access method according to claim 26.

48. A mobile office service method for enabling a user to remotely control terminal equipment from a subscriber terminal via a remote access system, said terminal equipment storing identification data of said subscriber terminal, said mobile office service comprising:

generating a request for authentication at said terminal equipment, said request for authentication comprising said identification data of said subscriber terminal;

sending said request for authentication from said terminal equipment to said remote access system;

generating at said subscriber terminal a request for access to said terminal equipment;

sending said request for access from said subscriber terminal to said remote access system;

verifying at said remote access system that said subscriber terminal is subscribed to said remote access system;

authenticating at said remote access system said subscriber terminal based on information from a communications network;

sending said request for authentication to said subscriber terminal;

processing at said subscriber terminal said request for authentication to authenticate said terminal equipment;

generating an authentication notification at said subscriber terminal;

sending said authentication notification from said subscriber terminal to said terminal equipment via said remote access system;

processing at said terminal equipment said authentication notification to authenticate said subscriber terminal; and

establishing a secure communication between said subscriber terminal and said terminal equipment.

49. The mobile office service method as claimed in claim 48, wherein establishing a secure communication comprises:

generating a common session key at said subscriber terminal and said terminal equipment; and

encrypting communication between said subscriber terminal and said terminal equipment by using said common session key.

50. The mobile office service method as claimed in claim 48, wherein said remote access system stores an access control list containing access authorizations for different subscriber terminals, each access authorization specifying resources of said terminal equipment to which a subscriber terminal may access;

and wherein establishing a secure communication comprising;

determining the access authorization associated with said subscriber terminal in said access control list; and

enabling said subscriber terminal to access the resources of said terminal equipment specified in said access authorization.