Dynamic key exchange for call forking scenarios

• US 8,249,238 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc. (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Samayamantry, Mallikarjuna, Ruetschi, Johannes, Kucmerowski, Dennis L., Prange, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Application Number:
  US11/524,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20080123849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/352, 370/467, 379/229, 379/90.02, 379/93.01, 379/93.02, 379/93.03, 379/207.02, 379/207.11, 345/589, 380/247, 380/257, 380/279, 380/282, 713/168, 713/171
• US Class Current: 379/207.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0078 Security; Fraud detection; Fraud prevention

Abstract

In some embodiments, a call forking dynamic key exchange system may include one or more of the following features: (a) a memory comprising, (i) a dynamic key exchange program that allows a caller to initiate a call having a security request to multiple subscribers and selecting at least one subscriber who answers the call, and (b) a processor coupled to the memory that executes the dynamic key exchange program.

Claims

1. A call forking dynamic key exchange system comprising:

a first communication device that sends a call request to a plurality of destination devices, the call request comprising a first half of a security key;

a telephony server that forwards the call request and instructs the plurality of destination devices not to respond with a second half of the security key until at least one destination device of the plurality of destination devices answers the call request and a period of silence is detected on an unsecured speech path between the first communication device and the at least one answering destination device;

wherein the telephony server determines if the at least one destination device answers the call request; and

wherein if the at least one destination device answers the call request;

the telephony server creates the unsecured speech path between the first communication device and the at least one answering destination device,

the telephony server determines if silence is detected on the unsecured speech path,

if silence is detected on the unsecured speech path the at least one answering destination device provides the second half of the security key to the telephony server,

the telephony server establishes a secure media connection if the second half of the security key is determined to be valid, and

if silence is not detected the telephony server repeatedly determines if silence is detected on the unsecured speech path for a predetermined period of time; and

wherein if the at least one destination device does not answer the call request;

the telephony server repeatedly determines if the at least one destination device answers the call request for a predetermined amount of time and terminates the call request to any of the plurality of destination devices that do not answer the call request in the predetermined amount of time.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephony server places the first communication device and the at least one answering destination device on hold to determine determines if silence is detected on the unsecured speech path.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the call request is a Session Initiation Protocol (“

SIP”

) call request.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephony server comprises a Private Branch Exchange (“

PBX”

).

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the call request comprises a Voice over Internet Protocol (“

VoIP”

) call request.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the call request comprises a call request for a data call.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first communication device is an SIP enabled device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of destination devices are SIP enabled devices.

9. A method for securing multiple call telecommunications comprising:

a first communication device sending a call request with a first half of a security key to a telephony server;

the telephony server forwarding the call request to a plurality of destination devices and instructing the destination devices not to respond with a second half of the security key until at least one destination device of the plurality of destination devices answers the call request and a period of silence is detected on an unsecured speech path between the first communication device and the at least one answering destination device;

the telephony server determining if at least one destination device of the plurality of destination devices answers the call request;

if the at least one destination device answers the call request;

the telephony server creating the unsecured speech path between the first communication device and the at least one answering destination device,

the telephony server determining if silence is detected on the unsecured speech path,

if silence is detected, the at least one answering destination device providing the second half of the security key to the telephony server, and the telephony server establishing a secure media connection between the first communication device and the at least one answering destination device if the second half of the security key is determined to be valid,

if silence is not detected, the telephony server repeating the step of determining if silence is detected on the unsecured speech path; and

if the at least one destination device has not answered the call request, the telephony server repeating the step of determining if at least one destination device of the plurality of destination devices answers the call request; and

the telephony server terminating the call request to any of the plurality of destination devices that did not answer the call request.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein determining if silence is detected on the unsecured speech path comprises the telephony server placing the first communication device and the at least one answering destination device on hold and detecting silence on the unsecured speech path.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the call request is a SIP call request.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the telephony server comprises a Private Branch Exchange (“

PBX”

).

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the call request comprises a Voice over Internet Protocol (“

VoIP”

) call request.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the call request comprises a call request for a data call.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the first communication device is an SIP enabled device.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of destination devices are SIP enabled devices.