Method and system for service authentication, network preference, and reporting logic with MMS services

• US 9,088,892 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cham, Dev, Pothuraju, Suman
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Brian
• Application Number:
  US13/835,686
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Methods and systems for multimedia messaging service (MMS) authentication over IP networks are disclosed. An access identifier records message corresponding to a user by a multimedia messaging service center (MMSC) forwarded by a server is received. Data from the access identifier records message including a mobile directory number, a framed IP address, access network information and a session ID is extracted and stored in a cache accessible to the MMSC. Network IP authentication is executed to determine that the user has a valid IP address. Client IP authentication of the user is executed to determine that the valid IP address is stored in the cache. A correspondence between the valid IP address and a mobile directory number of the user is determined. The user is authenticated for MMS over the IP network based on the correspondence.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating multimedia messaging service (MMS) over an Internet Protocol (IP) network, comprising:

receiving an access identifier records message corresponding to a user by a multimedia messaging service center (MMSC);

extracting and storing data from the access identifier records message in a cache accessible to the MMSC including a mobile directory number, a framed IP address, access network information and a session ID;

executing network IP authentication to determine that the user has a valid IP address;

executing client IP authentication of the user to determine that the valid IP address is stored in the cache;

determining a correspondence between the valid IP address and a mobile directory number of the user; and

authenticating the user for MMS over the IP network based on the correspondence.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a most recent access identifier records message corresponding to the user;

flushing the cache of received access identifier records messages; and

extracting and storing data from the most recent access identifier records message corresponding to the user including a mobile directory number, a framed IP address, access network information and a session ID.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining MMS services permitted for the user and forwarding subscriber information to the MMSC.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

depositing an MMS message with the MMSC by the user using the IP network.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

retrieving an MMS message from the MMSC by the user using the IP network.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining a route for the MMS message by the MMSC or sending a request to an inter-carrier gateway by the MMSC to determine a route for the MMS message.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising sending a message ID from a short message service center (SMSC) to the user, validating the message ID by determining that user is authorized to receive the MMS message and retrieving the MMS message by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an MMS message route preference for the user including preferring the IP network over a cellular network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP network is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) Network and the valid IP address is provided by a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway.

10. A system for authenticating multimedia messaging service (MMS) over an Internet Protocol (IP) network, comprising:

a multimedia messaging service center (MMSC) in communication with at least one device corresponding to a user, the MMSC comprising;

one or more processors;

a memory;

the one or more processors configured to;

receive an access identifier records message corresponding to the user by a multimedia messaging service center (MMSC);

extract and store data from the access identifier records message in a cache accessible to the MMSC including a mobile directory number, a framed IP address, access network information and a session ID;

execute network IP authentication to determine that the user has a valid IP address;

execute client IP authentication of the user to determine that the valid IP address is stored in the cache;

determine a correspondence between the valid IP address and a mobile directory number of the user; and

authenticate the user for multimedia messaging service (MMS) over the IP network based on the correspondence.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors is further configured to:

flush the cache of received access identifier records messages;

determine a most recent access identifier records message corresponding to the user; and

extract and store data from the most recent access identifier records message corresponding to the user including a mobile directory number, a framed IP address, access network information and a session ID.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors is further configured to:

determine MMS services permitted for the user and forward subscriber information to the MMSC.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors is further configured to:

determine an MMS message route preference for the user including preferring the IP network over a cellular network.

14. A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon, causing a computing device to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving an access identifier records message corresponding to a user by a multimedia messaging service center (MMSC);

extracting and storing data from the access identifier records message in a cache accessible to the MMSC including a mobile directory number, a framed Internet Protocol (IP) address, access network information and a session ID;

executing network IP authentication to determine that the user has a valid IP address;

executing client IP authentication of the user to determine that the valid IP address is stored in the cache;

determining a correspondence between the valid IP address and a mobile directory number of the user; and

authenticating the user for multimedia messaging service (MMS) over the IP network based on the correspondence.

15. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

flushing the cache of received access identifier records messages;

determining a most recent access identifier records message corresponding to the user; and

extracting and storing data from the most recent access identifier records message corresponding to the user including a mobile directory number, a framed IP address access network information and a session ID.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

determining MMS services permitted for the user and forwarding subscriber information to the MMSC.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

determining an MMS message route preference for the user including preferring the IP network over a cellular network.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving an access identifier records feed by a multimedia message service center (MMSC);

extracting data from the access identifier records feed and storing a route index, a mobile directory number, a wide area network (WAN) Internet Protocol (IP) and a virtual private network (VPN) IP in a call detail record for each multimedia message service (MMS) message in a storage accessible to the MMSC; and

evaluating call detail records in the storage to provide analytics regarding MMS service usage.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the analytics comprise MMS network usage including usage on a first network and usage on a second network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first network is a cellular network and the second network is an IP network.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the analytics comprise MMS IP network usage including usage on a first network and usage on a second network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first network is a first Wi-Fi network and the second network is a second Wi-Fi network.