IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,763,081
Granted Patent B2
US 8,763,081 · App. 11/397,313 · Granted Jun 24, 2014

Network based authentication

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,763,081
App. No.
11/397,313
Filed
Apr 3, 2006
Granted
Jun 24, 2014
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2438
USPC
726/3
Abstract

Application layer authentication of a data-network based application makes use of a SIM function accessible to the application and telephone network authentication service accessible to a server to the application. For example, the application uses SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) for communication with the server and the authentication service is provided via a GSM based telephone network. In one implementation, a device (a “dongle”) includes an authentication module, application software, and an interface for communicating with a remote server over a data communication network. The application software includes instructions for using the authentication module to authorize an application layer interaction with the remote server.

Claims (25)

1. An apparatus that is removably attachable to a computer system, the apparatus comprising:

an authentication module including a module compatible with authentication in a mobile telephone network, the module including at least one of a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM), a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), a 3GPP IP Multimedia Subsystem Services Identity Module (ISIM), and a module compatible with a CDMA or 3GPP2 networks;

a memory with application software stored therein, the application software, including instructions for execution of a communication application on the computer system, the communication application including a configurable user interface for emulating one of a plurality of mobile telephone devices; and

an interface for communicating with a remote server over a data communication network;

wherein the application software includes instructions, which, when loaded and executed on the computer system cause the computer system to:

establish by a first application executing as a stand-alone application in an operating environment of an operating system of the computer system an application layer connection between the first application and the remote server without requiring a service of another application on the computer system to establish the application layer connection; and

use by the first application executing on the computer system the authentication module to automatically authorize an application layer interaction between the first application and the remote server on the application layer connection.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interface comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication application comprises a softphone application.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the application layer interaction comprises a voice communication interaction.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the application layer interaction comprises a registration interaction.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the registration interaction includes a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) interaction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the instructions for using the authentication module to authorize the application layer interaction include instructions that cause authentication via a telephone network authentication system.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a positioning system.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the positioning system comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS).

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the application software comprises instructions for accessing the positioning system and providing location information over the data communication network.

11. A method comprising:

loading executable software for a first application from a removable device onto a computer system, the first application including a communication application including a configurable user interface for emulating one of a plurality of mobile telephone devices; and

executing the software on the computer system, including:

establishing by the first application an application layer connection between the first application executing as a stand-alone application in an operating environment of an operating system of the computer system and a remote server over a data communication network without requiring a service of another application on the computer system to establish the application layer connection,

accessing by the first application executing on the computer system an authentication module on the removable device, the authentication module including a module compatible with authentication in a mobile telephone network, the module including at least one of a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM), a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), a 3GPP IP Multimedia Subsystem Services Identity Module (ISIM), and a module compatible with a CDMA or 3GPP2 networks, and

using the first application executing on the computer system the authentication module to automatically authorize an application layer interaction between the first application and the remote server on the application layer connection.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein executing of the software is performed on a mobile computer system to which the removable device is attached.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising attaching the removable device to the mobile computer system.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein executing the communication application comprises executing a softphone application.