IP Library Granted Patent US 10,341,855
Granted Patent B2
US 10,341,855 · App. 15/395,802 · Granted Jul 2, 2019

Detection of unsecure calls by communications device

Inventors: Venkata Ganesh Vari (Hyderabad, IN); Abhishek Mishra (Miyapur, IN); Shantanu Desai (Hyderabad, IN)
Assignee: Polycom, Inc.
H04W12/02H04M1/6033H04M1/6041H04M1/72519H04M1/72583
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,341,855
App. No.
15/395,802
Granted
Jul 2, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed are communications devices which can send indications that they are secure, and which can detect when a far end device is not secure (unsecure). A secure device is one that is not connected to a speakerphone or other speaker which is capable of emitting—or actually is emitting—sound which is louder than a certain threshold. If a communication device detects that a remote endpoint is unsecure, the communication device will switch to an unsecure mode. When the switch is made, the communications device alerts the user that the call is not secure so that the user can proceed accordingly.

Claims (39)

1. A communications device configured to operate, alternatively, in a secure mode and an unsecure mode, the communications device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions comprising instructions to:

detect actuation of a selectable input;

set the communication device in the secure mode and place, at a first time, a secure call responsive to the detection;

receive, responsive placement of the call, one or more communications from a remote endpoint;

determine, based at least in part on the one or more communications, that the remote endpoint has, at a second time subsequent to the placement of the call, become physically connected directly to a loudspeaker which is configured to produce audio greater than or equal to 80 dB; and

switch, responsive to such determination, the communications device from the secure mode to the unsecure mode.

2. The communications device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to provide an indication when the communications device has been switched to the unsecure mode.

3. The communications device of claim 2 , wherein the indication comprises a visual alert, an audio alert, or both.

4. The communications device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to automatically terminate the call when the communications device has been switched to the unsecure mode.

5. The communications device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to detect whether the remote endpoint is operating in a secure mode by detecting whether one or more of the communications does not comply with a predetermined protocol.

6. The communications device of claim 5 , wherein the predetermined protocol is a session initiation protocol containing a Polycom-Termination-Info header, which includes at least a speakerphone-on parameter and a speakerphone-off parameter.

7. The communications device of claim 5 , wherein the predetermined protocol is a session initiation protocol containing a SIP Alert-Info header, which includes information comprising at least an alert-category parameter and an alert-indication parameter.

8. The communications device of claim 7 , wherein the SIP Alert-Info header is defined by RFC 7462, in which at least one alert-category is a speakerphone detection, for which alert-indication values of no and yes are defined.

9. The communications device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to switch communications device to unsecure mode when a communication containing urn:alert:speakerphone:yes is received by the communications device.

10. A method for placing a secure telephonic call, the method comprising:

detecting actuation of a selectable input;

setting a communications device in a secure mode responsive to the detection;

placing, at a first time, a secure call responsive to the detection;

receiving, responsive to placing the secure call, one or more communications from a remote endpoint;

determining, based at least in part on the one or more communications, that the remote endpoint has, at a second time subsequent to placing the call, been physically connected directly to a loudspeaker which is configured to produce audio greater than or equal to 80 dB;

switching, responsive to such determination, the communications device to an unsecure mode;

detecting when the communications device is coupled to a speakerphone device; and

upon such detection, switching, the communications device to the unsecure mode.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing an indication that the communications device has been switched to the unsecure mode.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the indication comprises a visual alert, an audio alert, or both.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising canceling the call upon actuation of a selectable cancellation input when the communications device has been switched to the unsecure mode.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising detecting whether the remote endpoint is operating in a secure mode by detecting whether one or more of the one or more communications does not comply with a predetermined protocol.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the predetermined protocol is a session initiation protocol containing a Polycom-Termination-Info header, which includes at least a speakerphone-on parameter and a speakerphone-off parameter.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the predetermined protocol is a session initiation protocol containing a SIP Alert-Info header, which includes information comprising at least an alert-category parameter and an alert-indication parameter.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the SIP Alert-Info header is defined by RFC 7462, in which at least one alert-category is a speakerphone detection, for which alert-indication values of no and yes are defined.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising switching the communications device to the unsecure mode when a communication containing urn:alert:speakerphone:yes is received by the communications device.

19. A communications device, the communications device alternately operable in a secure mode and an unsecure mode, the communications devices configured to:

detect actuation of a selectable input;

set the communications device in the secure mode and place, at a first time, a secure call responsive to the detection;

receive, responsive to placement of the call, one or more communications from a remote endpoint;

determine, based at least in part on the one or more communications, that the remote endpoint has, at a second time subsequent to the placement of the call, become physically connected directly to a loudspeaker which is configured to produce audio greater than or equal to 80 dB; and

switch, responsive to such determination, the communications device from the secure mode to the unsecure mode.

Assignments (6)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: POLYCOM, INC.
To: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
Reel/Frame 064056/0947 →
RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY INTERESTS Recorded Aug 30, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: PLANTRONICS, INC.; POLYCOM, INC.
Reel/Frame 061356/0366 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 5, 2018
From: PLANTRONICS, INC.; POLYCOM, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 046491/0915 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 3, 2018
From: MACQUARIE CAPITAL FUNDING LLC
To: POLYCOM, INC.
Reel/Frame 046472/0815 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 22, 2018
From: VARI, VENKATA GANESH; MISHRA, ABHISHEK
To: POLYCOM, INC.
Reel/Frame 046180/0632 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 3, 2017
From: POLYCOM, INC.
To: MACQUIRE CAPITAL FUNDING LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 042232/0838 →
Priority Claims (1)
IN 201631014831 · Apr 28, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170318456A1 · Nov 2, 2017