System and method for enabling encrypted voice communications between an external device and telephony devices associated with an enterprise network

• US 9,413,882 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Gisby, Douglas, Dodson, Theron, Yach, David, Gray, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pope, Kharye
• Application Number:
  US12/394,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20100220850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,720 Days
• Field of Search: 379/211, 379/225, 379/231, 379/232, 379/93.01, 379/93.02, 379/93.07, 379/93.09, 379/93.11, 380/256, 380/267, 380/259, 380/260, 380/270, 380/271, 380/280, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/357, 455/556, 713/189
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 for facilitating encrypted voice communications, the method comprising:

detecting at a network server an incoming telephone call to a primary telephone number from an external device operating outside an enterprise network, the primary telephone number associated with a remote device operating outside the enterprise network and with a telephony device operating within the enterprise network;

contacting both the remote device and the telephony device to route the incoming telephone call;

determining which of the remote device or the telephony device was answered; and

in response to detecting that the remote device was answered;

the network server transmitting a session key to the remote device via a data connection path between the remote device and the network server;

the network server transmitting the session key to the external device via a data connection path between the external device and the network server;

the network server connecting the incoming telephone call to the remote device via a first voice connection path between the network server and the external device, and via a second voice connection path between the network server and the remote device;

the network server receiving from the remote device encrypted first voice communication signals via the second voice connection path, the encrypted first voice communication signals having been encrypted by the remote device using the session key, and relaying the encrypted first voice communication signals to the external device via the first voice connection path; and

the network server receiving from the external device encrypted second voice communication signals via the first voice connection path, the encrypted second voice communication signals having been encrypted by the external device using the session key, and relaying the encrypted second voice communication signals to the remote device via the second voice connection path.

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the session key to the external device comprises transmitting the session key encrypted with a public key associated with the external device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the session key to the external device comprises transmitting the session key via a message management server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein contacting the remote device comprises:

retrieving a first connection number for the remote device;

transmitting a first data signal to the remote device via a 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; and

receiving a second data signal from the remote device,

wherein determining whether the remote device was answered is based on the second data signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a land-based telephony device.

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

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

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the session key to the remote device comprises transmitting the session key encrypted with a public key associated with the remote device.

11. An apparatus for facilitating encrypted voice communications, the apparatus comprising:

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

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

detecting at a network server an incoming telephone call to the primary telephone number from an external device operating outside an enterprise network, the primary telephone number associated with a remote device operating outside the enterprise network and with a telephony device operating within the enterprise network;

contacting both the remote device and the telephony device to route the incoming telephone call;

determining which of the remote device or the telephony device was answered; and

in response to detecting that the remote device was answered;

transmitting a session key to the remote device via a data connection path between the remote device and the network server;

transmitting the session key to the external device via a data connection path between the external device and the network server;

connecting the incoming telephone call to the remote device via a first voice connection path between the network server and the external device, and via a second voice connection path between the network server and the remote device;

receiving from the remote device encrypted first voice communication signals via the second voice connection path at the network server, the encrypted first voice communication signals having been encrypted by the remote device using the session key, and relaying the first voice communication signals to the external device via the first voice connection path; and

receiving from the external device second voice communication signals via the first voice connection path at the network server, the encrypted second voice communication signals having been encrypted by the external device using the session key, and relaying the encrypted second voice communication signals to the remote device via the second voice connection path.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein transmitting the session key to the external device comprises transmitting the session key encrypted with a public key associated with the external device.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein transmitting the session key to the external device comprises transmitting the session key via a message management server.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein transmitting the session key to the remote device comprises transmitting the session key encrypted with a public key associated with the remote device.

15. A system for facilitating encrypted voice communications, the system comprising a processor configured to perform acts comprising:

detecting at a network server an incoming telephone call to a primary telephone number from an external device operating outside an enterprise network, the primary telephone number associated with a remote device operating outside the enterprise network and with a telephony device operating within the enterprise network;

contacting both the remote device and the telephony device to route the incoming telephone call;

determining which of the remote device or the telephony device was answered; and

in response to detecting that the remote device was answered;

transmitting a session key to the remote device via a data connection path between the remote device and the network server;

transmitting the session key to the external device via a data connection path between the external device and the network server;

connecting the incoming telephone call to the remote device via a first voice connection path between the network server and the external device, and via a second voice connection path between the network server and the remote device;

receiving from the remote device encrypted first voice communication signals via the second voice connection path at the network server, the encrypted first voice communication signals having been encrypted by the remote device using the session key, and relaying the encrypted first voice communication signals to the external device via the first voice connection path; and

receiving from the external device encrypted second voice communication signals via the first voice connection path, the encrypted second voice communication signals having been encrypted by the external device using the session key, and relaying the encrypted second voice communication signals to the remote device via the second voice connection path.