Authentication in communication systems
View Patent ↗A user of a first packet-based communication network is authorized to access a second packet-based communication network. In at least some embodiments, an authorization request is received from a user terminal of the user at a first network element of the first packet-based communication network, the authorization request comprising a first user identity. Responsive to the authorization request, a request is transmitted to create a second user identity from the first network element to a second network element of the second packet-based communication network. The second network element creates the second user identity for use in the second packet-based communication network, the second user identity being derivable from the first user identity according to a predetermined rule. The second user identity in the second packet-based communication network is stored for use with subsequent communication events over the second packet-based communication network.
1. A method of authorising a user of a first packet-based communication network to access a second packet-based communication network, comprising:
receiving, from a first network element of the first packet-based communication network, a request to create, from a first user identity, a second user identity, the request being received by a second network element;
creating, by the second network element, the second user identity for use in the second packet-based communication network, the second user identity being derived from the first user identity according to a predetermined rule; and
storing the second user identity in the second packet-based communication network for use with subsequent communication events over the second packet-based communication network.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined rule comprises combining the first network identity and a predefined token.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined rule comprises concatenating the first network identity with at least one predefined control character.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined rule is a hash function.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first packet-based communication network is an instant messaging network.
6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the second packet-based communication network is a voice over internet protocol network.
7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the voice over internet protocol network is a peer-to-peer network.
8. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the communication event is a voice call.
9. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the communication event is a video call.
10. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from a calling user terminal, an initiation of a communication event with the user over the second packet-based communication network.
11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein receiving said initiation comprises receiving, from the calling user terminal, the second user identity, and using the second network identity to establish a connection with the user over the second network.
12. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising enabling initiation of a communication event between a user terminal of a user with a further user over the second packet-based communication network.
13. A system configured to communicate with a first network element configured to be connected to a first packet-based communication network, the system comprising:
a second network element configured to be connected to a second packet-based communication network, wherein the second network element is arranged to:
receive a request from the first network element to create, from a first user identity, a second user identity;
create the second user identity for use in the second packet-based communication network, the second user identity being derivable from the first user identity according to a predetermined rule; and
store the second user identity for use with subsequent communication events over the second packet-based communication network.
14. A system according to claim 13 , wherein the predetermined rule comprises combining the first network identity and a predefined token.
15. A system according to claim 13 , wherein the predetermined rule comprises concatenating the first network identity with at least one predefined control character.
16. A system according to claim 13 , wherein the predetermined rule is a hash function.
17. A system according to claim 13 , wherein the first packet-based communication network is an instant messaging network.
18. A system according to claim 13 , wherein the second packet-based communication network is a voice over internet protocol network.
19. A system according to claim 18 , wherein the voice over internet protocol network is a peer-to-peer network.
20. A system according to claim 18 , wherein the communication event is a voice call.
21. A system according to claim 18 , wherein the communication event is a video call.
22. A system according to claim 13 , wherein the second packet-based communication network is further configured to receive, from a calling user terminal, an initiation of a communication event with a user over the second packet-based communication network.
23. A system according to claim 13 , wherein the second packet-based communication network is configured to enable initiation of a communication event between a user terminal and a further user over the second packet-based communication network.
24. A method of authorising a user of a first packet-based communication network comprising an instant messaging network to access a second packet-based communication network comprising a voice over internet protocol network, comprising:
receiving at a network entity connected to the second packet-based communication network a request to create a user identity, the request being transmitted from a first network entity connected to the first packet-based communication network and comprising a first user identity used in the first packet-based communication network;
the network entity creating the user identity for use in the second packet-based communication network, the user identity being derivable from the first user identity according to a predetermined rule; and
the network entity storing the user identity in the second packet-based communication network for use with subsequent communication events over the second packet-based communication network.
25. A method comprising:
storing, on a user terminal, a list of contacts comprising network identities of the contacts in a first packet-based communication network;
initiating a communication event between the user terminal and a further user over a second packet-based communication network, by enabling selection of the further user from the list of contacts and deriving a network identity of the further user in the second packet-based communication network from the network identity in the first packet-based communication network using a predetermined rule; and
using the network identity of the further user in the second packet-based communication network to establish a connection with the further user over the second packet-based communication network.
26. The method of claim 25 further comprising deriving another user identity for the second packet-based communication network from a corresponding identity in the first packet-based communication network using the predetermined rule and transmitting an authorization request to the second packet-based communication network including the derived user identity.
27. The method of claim 26 further comprising transmitting a request for a digital certificate to a first network element of the first packet-based communication network and receiving, from the first network element a digital certificate associated with a second network element of the second packet-based communication network.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein a private key is derived from the digital certificate, and wherein the authorization request transmitted to the second packet-based communication network includes the private key.
29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the digital certificate is provided to the second packet-based communication network prior to initiating a communication event.
30. A user terminal comprising:
means for storing, on the user terminal, a list of contacts comprising network identities of the contacts in a first packet-based communication network;
means for initiating a communication event between the user terminal and a further user over a second packet-based communication network, by enabling selection of the further user from the list of contacts and deriving a network identity of the further user in the second packet-based communication network from the network identity in the first packet-based communication network using a predetermined rule; and
means for using the network identity of the further user in the second packet-based communication network to establish a connection with the further user over the second packet-based communication network.
31. The user terminal of claim 30 further comprising means for deriving another user identity for the second packet-based communication network from a corresponding identity in the first packet-based communication network using the predetermined rule and means for transmitting an authorization request to the second packet-based communication network including the derived user identity.
32. The user terminal of claim 31 further comprising means for transmitting a request for a digital certificate to a first network element of the first packet-based communication network and means for receiving, from the first network element a digital certificate associated with a second network element of the second packet-based communication network.
33. The user terminal of claim 32 , wherein a private key is derived from the digital certificate, and wherein the authorization request transmitted to the second packet-based communication network includes the private key.
34. The user terminal of claim 32 , wherein the digital certificate is provided to the second packet-based communication network prior to initiating a communication event.
35. A computing device comprising:
a hardware processor;
a computer-readable storage medium;
a computer program product embodied on the computer-readable storage medium and configured so as when executed on the processor, to implement a method comprising:
receiving a request to create, from a first user identity associated with a first packet-based communication network, a second user identity associated with a second packet-based communication network; and
creating the second user identity for use in the second packet-based communication network, the second user identity being derived from the first user identity according to a predetermined rule.
36. The computer device of claim 35 , wherein the predetermined rule comprises combining the first network identity and a predefined token.
37. The computer device of claim 35 , wherein the predetermined rule comprises concatenating the first network identity with at least one predefined control character.
38. The computer device of claim 35 , wherein the predetermined rule is a hash function.