Systems and methods for accessing reporting services

• US 7,047,417 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Trivedi, Prakash A., Busch, Eric M., Leskuski, Walter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peeso, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US10/097,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 713/182, 713/200, 713/201, 713/202
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1446 inter-operator billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 : Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 : wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 : for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 : at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 : Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 : Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 : Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 : Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 : using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 : for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 : for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/63 : based on the content carried by the session initiation protocol [SIP] messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8292 : Charging for signaling or unsuccessful connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0148 : Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0172 : Mediation, i.e. device or program to reformat CDRS from one or more switches in order to adapt to one or more billing programs formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 : VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 : Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/44 : Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

An operational support system includes a network interface and a report unit. The network interface receives an identifier and password from a user, determines whether to grant access to the operational support system based on the identifier and password, and transmits, when access is granted, the identifier and password to the report unit. The report unit automatically compares the identifier and password to stored identifiers and passwords and grants access to the report unit when the identifier and password correspond to one of the stored identifiers and passwords.

Claims

1. A method for providing reports, comprising:

receiving information from a user at a network interface;

comparing the user information to a first set of previously stored user information;

capturing the user information in a cookie when the user information corresponds to the first set of previously stored user information;

transmitting the cookie to a reporting unit;

comparing the user information from the cookie to a second set of previously stored user information; and

providing one or more reports to the user when the user information from the cookie corresponds to the second set of previously stored user information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user information includes a user identifier and password.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, prior to the providing, a level of authorization based on the user information from the cookie.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the providing includes:

providing only those reports to which the user is determined to be authorized.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting occurs in response to a command from the user.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the command includes a request for a report.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting occurs automatically when the user information corresponds to the first set of previously stored user information.

8. A method for accessing a device in an operational support system, comprising:

receiving an identifier and password from a user at a network interface;

authenticating the user using the identifier and password;

transmitting the identifier and password to the device; and

automatically authenticating the user based on the transmitted identifier and password at the device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the device is a report unit.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

capturing, after the authenticating, the identifier and password in a cookie.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the transmitting includes:

transmitting the cookie to the device.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

determining a level of authorization at the device based on the transmitted identifier and password.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein further comprising:

granting access to the user to one or more reports based on the determined level of authorization.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing the one or more reports to the user via the network interface.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the one or more reports include reports relating to network performance.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the automatically authenticating includes:

comparing the transmitted identifier and password to a group of previously stored identifiers and passwords.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein the transmitting occurs in response to a request for access to the device from the user.

18. An operational support system comprising:

a network interface configured to;

receive an identifier and password from a user,

determine whether to grant access to the operational support system based on the identifier and password, and

transmit the identifier and password when access is granted; and

a report unit configured to;

receive the identifier and password from the network interface,

automatically compare the identifier and password to stored identifiers and passwords, and

grant the user access to the report unit when the identifier and password correspond to one of the stored identifiers and passwords.

19. The operational support system of claim 18 wherein the network interface is further configured to:

capture the received identifier and password in a cookie.

20. The operational support system of claim 19 wherein, when transmitting, the network interface is configured to:

transmit the cookie to the report unit.

21. The operational support system of claim 18 wherein the report unit is further configured to:

determine a level of authorization based on the identifier and password.

22. The operational support system of claim 21 wherein the report unit is further configured to:

grant the user access to one or more reports based on the determined level of authorization.

23. The operational support system of claim 22 wherein the report unit is further configured to:

provide the one or more reports to the user via the network interface.

24. The operational support system of claim 18 wherein the one or more reports relate to port usage.

25. A system for providing reports, comprising:

means for receiving information from a user;

means for comparing the user information to a first set of stored user information;

means for capturing the user information in a cookie when the user information corresponds to the first set of stored user information;

means for transmitting the cookie to a reporting unit;

means for comparing the user information from the cookie to a second set of stored user information; and

means for providing one or more reports to the user when the user information from the cookie corresponds to the second set of stored user information.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the user information includes a user identifier and password.

27. The system of claim 25 further comprising:

means for determining, prior to the providing, a level of authorization based on the user information from the cookie.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the means for providing includes:

means for providing only those reports to which the user is determined to be authorized.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein the means for transmitting transmits the cookie to the reporting unit automatically when the user information corresponds to the first set of stored user information.

30. The system of claim 25 wherein the means for transmitting transmits the cookie to the reporting unit in response to a command from the user.