# US 12,114,157 B2 · Service start method and communication system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,114,157 B2 - Document ID: US12114157B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/255,354 - Filed: 2019-06-26 - Published: 2021-08-26 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-29 - Assignees: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation - Applicants: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation - Inventors: Manabu Yoshino; Takashi Yamada; Hiroo Suzuki; Jun-Ichi Kani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12114157B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play - H04W 12/068: {using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications} - H04L 63/0876: {based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint} - H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources} - H04W 12/40: Security arrangements using identity modules - H04Q 11/0067: {Provisions for optical access or distribution networks, e.g. Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GE-PON), ATM-based Passive Optical Network (A-PON), PON-Ring} - H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) ## Abstract A service start method is a service start method executed by a communication system, and the service start method includes: a step of acquiring identification information or authentication information of a device, a customer, or a service; a step of making authentication of the device, the customer, or the service to succeed when the identification information or the authentication information has been acquired together with information that is associated with the customer or a customer's location in advance, or when the identification information or the authentication information has been acquired from a terminal or a line that is associated with the customer in advance; and a step of starting provision of the service for the device for which the authentication has succeeded. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A service start method executed by a communication system, the service start method comprising: acquiring identification information or authentication information of a device, a customer, or a service; wherein the customer is associated with an identifier of a terminal different from the device, or an identifier of a line when accepting an order for opening the service from the customer, making authentication of the device, the customer, or the service to succeed by associating the customer with the identification information or the authentication information, when the identification information or the authentication information has been acquired from the terminal indicated by the identifier of the terminal associated with the customer, or acquired from the line indicated by the identifier of the line associated with the customer; and starting provision of the service for the device or the customer for which the authentication has succeeded. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The service start method according to claim 1, wherein in the making authentication to succeed, the authentication of the device, the customer, or the service is made to succeed when the identification information or the authentication information has been acquired from the terminal or the line that is associated in advance with the customer, the customer's location, or the service, and the identification information or the authentication information acquired together with the information that is associated in advance or the identification information or the authentication information acquired from the terminal or the line is included in information of a predetermined range including a plurality of elements. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The service start method according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined range including a plurality of elements is a range including two or more pieces of the identification information or the authentication information of the device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The service start method according to claim 2, wherein in the making authentication to succeed, position information of the customer, the device, or the terminal is acquired within a predetermined time for acquiring the position information from a time when the terminal or the line transmitted the identification information or the authentication information, and in the starting the provision, the service is started when the position information indicates a position within a predetermined range. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The service start method according to claim 1, wherein in the making authentication to succeed, position information of the customer, the device, or the terminal is acquired within a predetermined time for acquiring the position information from a time when the terminal or the line transmitted the identification information or the authentication information, and in the starting the provision, the service is started when the position information indicates a position within a predetermined range. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The service start method according to claim 1, wherein the identification information or authentication information is not transmitted to the device or the customer. ### Claim 7 A communication system comprising: one or more processors and/or one or more circuitries configured to perform as: an acquisition unit that acquires identification information or authentication information of a device, a customer, or a service; wherein the customer is associated with an identifier of a terminal different from the device, or an identifier of a line when accepting an order for opening the service from the customer, an authentication unit that makes authentication of the device, the customer, or the service to succeed by associating the customer with the identification information or the authentication information, when the identification information or the authentication information has been acquired from the terminal indicated by the identifier of the terminal associated with the customer, or acquired from the line indicated by the identifier of the line associated with the customer; and a control unit that starts provision of the service for the device or the customer for which the authentication has succeeded. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The communication system according to claim 7, wherein the authentication unit makes the authentication of the device, the customer, or the service to succeed when the identification information or the authentication information has been acquired from the terminal or the line that is associated in advance with the customer, the customer's location, or the service, and the identification information or the authentication information acquired together with the information that is associated in advance, or the identification information or the authentication information acquired from the terminal or the line is included in information of a predetermined range including a plurality of elements. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The communication system according to claim 7, wherein the acquisition unit acquires position information of the customer, the device, or the terminal within a predetermined time for acquiring the position information from a time when the terminal or the line transmitted the identification information or the authentication information, and the authentication unit makes the authentication of the device, the customer, or the service to succeed when the position information indicates a position within a predetermined range. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The communication system according to claim 7, wherein the one or more processors and/or the one or more circuitries further configured to perform as an associating unit that executes association of the device, the customer, or the service with the identification information or the authentication information, wherein the authentication unit makes the authentication of the device, the customer, or the service to succeed in accordance with the identification information or the authentication information for which the association has been executed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The communication system according to claim 10, wherein the one or more processors and/or the one or more circuitries further configured to perform as a consistency unit that confirms consistency between the identification information or the authentication information associated before acquisition in the acquisition unit and the identification information or the authentication information associated after the acquisition in the acquisition unit, wherein the authentication unit makes the authentication of the device, the customer, or the service to succeed in accordance with a confirmation result of the consistency. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The communication system according to claim 7, wherein the authentication unit notifies the terminal or the line that the authentication of the device, the customer, or the service has been attempted. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The communication system according to claim 7, wherein the authentication unit makes authentication of relocation of the device, the customer, or the service to succeed when the identification information or the authentication information together with information that is associated with a customer's location different from the customer's location in advance have been acquired, or when the identification information or the authentication information has been acquired from a terminal or a line that is associated with the customer in advance, from a terminal or a line that is associated with the customer's location in advance, or from a terminal or a line that is associated with the customer's location different from the customer's location in advance. ### Claim 14 A service start method executed by a communication system, the service start method comprising: acquiring identification information or authentication information of a device, a customer, or a service; wherein the customer is associated with an identifier of a terminal different from the device, or an identifier of a line when accepting an order for opening the service from the customer, making authentication of the device, the customer, or the service to succeed by associating the customer with the identification information or the authentication information, when the identification information or the authentication information and information indicating the identifier of the terminal or the line have been acquired together; and starting provision of the service for the device or the customer for which the authentication has succeeded. ### Claim 15 A service start method executed by a communication system, the service start method comprising: acquiring identification information or authentication information of a device, a customer, or a service; wherein the customer is associated with an identifier of a line, making authentication of the device, the customer, or the service to succeed by associating the customer with the identification information or the authentication information when the identification information or the authentication information and information indicating the identifier of the line have been acquired together; and starting provision of the service for the device or the customer for which the authentication has succeeded. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The service start method according to claim 15, wherein the identifier of the line is a contractor number of the line. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The service start method according to claim 15, wherein the customer is associated with an identifier of a line when accepting an order for opening the service from the customer. ### Claim 18 A service start method executed by a communication system, the service start method comprising: acquiring identification information or authentication information of a device, a customer, or a service; wherein the customer is associated with an identifier of a line, making authentication of the device, the customer, or the service to succeed by associating the customer with the identification information or the authentication information, when the identification information or the authentication information has been acquired from the line indicated by the identifier associated with the customer; and starting provision of the service for the device or the customer for which the authentication has succeeded. ### Claim 19 A communication system comprising: one or more processors and/or one or more circuitries configured to perform as: an acquisition unit that acquires identification information or authentication information of a device, a customer, or a service; wherein the customer is associated with an identifier of a line, an authentication unit that makes authentication of the device, the customer, or the service to succeed associating the customer with the identification information or the authentication information, when the identification information or the authentication information has been acquired from the line indicated by the identifier of the line associated with the customer; and a control unit that starts provision of the service for the device or the customer for which the authentication has succeeded.