Authenticated communications access service
AssigneeAT&T Bell Laboratories
InventorsJohn B. Medamana, John W. Palmer, Roy P. Weber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention relates to arrangements for providing pre-authenticated access from a caller to a service provider. The caller dials the number of the service provider and subsequently enters a personal identification number (PIN) or other suitable authentication data, and, if necessary, an account number. A data base in the communications carrier verifies that the caller has been authorized to access the service provider and that the PIN is correct for that caller and forwards the call to the service provider only if both checks are satisfied. Only preauthenticated calls are delivered to the service provider, and the caller need only remember one PIN for all the service providers accessed by this arrangement.
Claims27
A method of providing authenticated and authorized communications access to a called destination, comprising the steps of:
- in a switching office, responsive to receipt of a call comprising a called number identifying said destination, data identifying a caller, and authentication data, querying a data base means for accessing data, using said called number, said identifying data and said authentication data to verify authentication of said caller and authorization by said destination of access by said caller;
- and
- responsive to a positive verification response from said data base extending said call toward said destination;
- wherein said data identifying said caller comprises an automatically identified telephone number.
In a communications network, switching means comprising:
- means, responsive to receipt of a call comprising a called number identifying a destination, data identifying a caller and authentication data supplied by said caller, for transmitting at least one query message to a data base means for accessing data, for verifying authentication of said caller and authorization by said destination of access by said caller;
- means responsive to receipt of a positive verification response message from said data base means for extending said call toward said destination;
- and
- means for transmitting said data for identifying said caller to said destination.
In a communications network, switching means comprising:
- means, responsive to receipt of a call comprising a called number identifying a destination, data identifying a caller and authentication data supplied by said caller, for transmitting at least one query message to a data base means for accessing data, for verifying authentication of said caller and authorization by said destination of access by said caller;
- means responsive to receipt of a positive verification response message from said data base means for extending said call toward said destination;
- and
- wherein said positive verification response message comprises data for further identifying said caller, and said switching means further comprises:
- means for transmitting said data for further identifying said caller to said destination.
A method of providing authenticated and authorized communications access to a called destination, comprising the steps of:
- in a switching office, responsive to receipt of a call comprising a called number identifying said destination, data identifying a caller, and authentication data, querying a data base means for accessing data to verify authentication of said caller and authorization by said destination of access by said caller;
- and
- responsive to a positive verification response from said data base extending said call toward said destination;
- wherein said querying step comprises:
- sending a first data message comprising said called number, said data identifying said caller, and said authentication data to said data bases;
- verifying in said data base means whether said authentication data matches authentication data for said data identifying said caller;
- and
- transmitting a verification message comprising caller data from said data base to said first switching system;
- further comprising the steps of:
- transmitting said authentication data comprising at least one dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) signal from a caller station to said switching office;
- transmitting said data identifying a caller and said caller data to said destination over a facility of an integrated services digital network;
- wherein said verification message comprises a non-dialable telephone number for extending said call to said destination;
- wherein said data identifying said caller comprises an automatically identified telephone number.
A method of providing authenticated and authorized communications access to a called destination, comprising the steps of:
- in a switching office, responsive to receipt of a call comprising a called number identifying said destination, data identifying a caller, and authentication data, querying a data base means for accessing data, using said called number, said identifying data and said authentication data to verify authentication of said caller and authorization by said destination of access by said caller, and
- responsive to a positive verification response from said data base extending said call toward said destination;
- wherein said data identifying a caller is data identifying a calling card number or credit card number of said caller and wherein said authentication data is data other than data of said calling card or credit card.
A method of providing authenticated and authorized communications access to a called destination, comprising the steps of:
- in a switching office, responsive to receipt of a call comprising a called number identifying said destination, data identifying a caller, and authentication data, querying a data base means for accessing data, using said called number, said identifying data and said authentication data to verify authentication of said caller and authorization by said destination of access by said caller, and
- responsive to a positive verification response from said data base extending said call toward said destination;
- wherein said data identifying a caller is data identifying a telephone number of said caller and wherein said authentication data is data other than said data of said telephone number identifying said caller.
A method of employing a communications network, for interconnecting a plurality of entities, to authorize a transaction, said transaction not related to establishing a communication path, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a request from a first one of the entities connected to the communications network;
- responding to the request by employing the communications network to obtain first information for authenticating the transaction from said first one of the entities;
- employing the communications network to obtain second information for authorizing the transaction, using accessing data comprising said first information, from a data base;
- and
- employing said network to provide the second information to a second one of the entities connected to the network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.