SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING ENCRYPTED VOICE COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN AN EXTERNAL DEVICE AND TELEPHONY DEVICES ASSOCIATED WITH AN ENTERPRISE NETWORK

• US 20100220850A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Gray, Michael, Dodson, Theron, Yach, David, Gisby, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 9,413,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/609 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks

Abstract

A telecommunication system that can selectively establish communications with one of a plurality of telephony devices associated with a particular telephone number for a device in an enterprise network. More particularly, the system is configured to route an incoming telephone call received from an external device, such as a mobile device for example, to one or more of a plurality of telephony devices associated with the telephone number. The plurality of telephony devices may include personal digital assistants and other remote devices. In one embodiment, the system comprises a network server configured to connect the incoming telephone call from an external device to a telephony device, where voice communications are encrypted for transmission by the network server to the external device from which the incoming telephone call is received, and encrypted voice communications received from the external device can be decrypted, re-encrypted and/or stored by the network server if required.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating encrypted voice communications between an external device and at least one telephony device associated with a primary telephone number for a device in an enterprise network, the method comprising:

detecting an incoming telephone call from the external device to the primary telephone number at a network server;

connecting the incoming telephone call to a telephony device associated with the primary telephone number via a first voice connection path between the network server and the external device and a second voice connection path between the network server and the telephony device associated with the primary telephone number;

receiving first voice communication signals via the second voice connection path at the network server and transmitting the first voice communication signals to the external device in encrypted form via the first voice connection path; and

receiving second voice communication signals from the external device in encrypted form via the first voice connection path at the network server and transmitting the second voice communication signals to the telephony device associated with the primary telephone number via the second voice connection path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the external device comprises a first mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second voice communication signals transmitted via the second voice connection path are in decrypted form;

wherein the method further comprises encrypting the first voice communication signals received via the second voice connection path at the network server for transmission to the external device via the first voice connection path, and decrypting the second voice communication signals received in encrypted form via the first voice connection path at the network server for transmission to the telephony device associated with the primary telephone number via the second voice connection path.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting an encryption key to the external device via a data connection path between the external device and the network server, the encryption key for use in decrypting first voice communication signals received at the external device from the network server and for use in encrypting second voice communication signals transmitted to the network server by the external device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the encryption key transmitted to the external device is a session key encrypted with a public key associated with the external device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the encryption key transmitted to the external device via the data connection path between the external device and the network server is transmitted via a message management server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a first connection number for a remote device, wherein the remote device is associated with the primary telephone number but operates outside of the enterprise network;

transmitting a first data signal to the remote device via a first data connection path between the network server and the remote device, the first data signal inquiring whether the incoming call is to be accepted at the remote device,

receiving a second data signal from the remote device,

determining whether the incoming telephone call is accepted based on the second data signal, and

if the incoming telephone call is accepted, performing said connecting to connect the incoming telephone call to the remote device, wherein the first and second voice communication signals transmitted via the second voice connection path are in encrypted form.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first voice communication signals transmitted in encrypted form via the first and second voice connection paths is encrypted with the same encryption key, and wherein the second voice communication signals transmitted in encrypted form via the first and second voice connection paths is encrypted with the same encryption key.

9. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising:

decrypting the first voice communication signals received via the second voice connection path at the network server and re-encrypting the first voice communication signals for transmission to the external device via the first voice connection path; and

decrypting the second voice communication signals received in encrypted form via the first voice connection path at the network server and re-encrypting the second voice communication signals for transmission to the remote device via the second voice connection path.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting an encryption key to the remote device via a second data connection path between the network server and the remote device, the encryption key for use in decrypting first voice communication signals received at the network server from the remote device and for use in encrypting second voice communication signals transmitted to the remote device by the network server.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the encryption key transmitted to the remote device is a session key encrypted with a public key associated with the remote device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the encryption key transmitted to the remote device via the second data connection path between the network server and the remote device is transmitted via a message management server.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a second encryption key to the external device via a data connection path between the external device and the network server, the second encryption key for use in decrypting first voice communication signals received at the external device from the network server and for use in encrypting second voice communication signals transmitted to the network server by the external device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second encryption key transmitted to the second encryption key is a session key encrypted with a public key associated with the external device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second encryption key transmitted to the external device via the data connection path between the external device and the network server is transmitted via a message management server.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the remote device comprises a second mobile device.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein the remote device comprises a land-based telephony device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein if the incoming telephone call is not accepted, diverting the incoming call to an enterprise voicemail box associated with the primary telephone number.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing user authentication for the remote device.

20. An apparatus for facilitating encrypted voice communications between an external device and at least one telephony device associated with an enterprise network, the apparatus comprising:

a computer readable storage medium, the computer readable storage medium for storing telephone numbers associated with the primary telephone number; and

a processor coupled to said computer readable storage medium, said processor adapted to perform acts of a method comprising;

detecting an incoming telephone call from the external device to the primary telephone number at a network server;

connecting the incoming telephone call to a telephony device associated with the primary telephone number via a first voice connection path between the network server and the external device and a second voice connection path between the network server and the telephony device associated with the primary telephone number;

receiving first voice communication signals via the second voice connection path at the network server and transmitting the first voice communication signals to the external device in encrypted form via the first voice connection path; and

receiving second voice communication signals from the external device in encrypted form via the first voice connection path at the network server and transmitting the second voice communication signals to the telephony device associated with the primary telephone number via the second voice connection path.

21. A system for facilitating encrypted voice communications between an external device and at least one telephony device associated with a primary telephone number for a device in an enterprise network, the system comprising a processor configured to perform acts comprising:

detecting an incoming telephone call from the external device to the primary telephone number at a network server; and

connecting the incoming telephone call to a telephony device associated with the primary telephone number via a first voice connection path between the network server and the external device and a second voice connection path between the network server and the telephony device associated with the primary telephone number;

said connecting comprising

receiving first voice communication signals via the second voice connection path at the network server and transmitting the first voice communication signals to the external device in encrypted form via the first voice connection path, and

receiving second voice communication signals from the external device in encrypted form via the first voice connection path at the network server and transmitting the second voice communication signals to the telephony device associated with the primary telephone number via the second voice connection path.