Communications methods and apparatus related to web initiated sessions
View Patent ↗A client device, e.g., a smartphone including a web browser, requests a call authorization token from a web server, e.g., a web page server. The web server, acting on behalf of a company, whose web page is hosted and whose phone corresponds to the called party, screens incoming requests and decides whether or not to issue an authorization token, e.g., a signed token including an encrypted portion. The web server issues a call authorization token and communicate the issued token to the client device. The client device includes the received issued call authorization token in a signal, e.g., a SIP INVITE signal, which it generates and sends to a session border controller (SBC). The session border controller processes the received authorization token and checks the authorization token to validate the received token. The SBC establishes a communications session if the received token passes the validation check.
1. A method of operating a client device, the method comprising:
detecting, by the client device, user input indicating selection of a call initiation option corresponding to a web page used to initiate a call to a party;
sending, by the client device, a request for a call authorization token to a web server;
receiving, by the client device, an issued call authorization token from said web server, said call authorization token including information encrypted by the web server using a key known to the web server and a Session Border Controller and authorizing the Session Border Controller to establish a call between the client device and a called party device, said encrypted information including a token number; and
sending, by the client device, a signal to initiate a call to said Session Border Controller, said signal being an invite message including information identifying the party to which said call is directed and said issued call authorization token.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
generating said token number; and
including said token number in said request for a call authorization token.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said token number is a random number.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said issued call authorization token includes only encrypted information.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said issued call authorization token includes at least some encrypted information and additional information, said additional information being unencrypted and being some but not all of the information used to generate the encrypted information.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said encrypted information is generated based on a signal from said client device.
7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
receiving, by the client device, a request for user input from said web server; and
wherein said signal from said client device includes a message providing information entered by a user of said client device in response to a request for user input.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said request for user input is a request that the user enter text corresponding to a phrase supplied by said web server.
9. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein said client device, said web server, and said Session Border Controller are separate devices; and
wherein said client device is a smartphone coupled to said web server via a wireless communications link.
10. A communications device including a processor configured to control the communications device to:
detect user input indicating selection of a call initiation option corresponding to a web page used to initiate a call to a party;
send a request for a call authorization token to a web server;
receive an issued call authorization token from said web server, said call authorization token including information encrypted by the web server using a key known to the web server and a Session Border Controller and authorizing the Session Border Controller to establish a call between the communications device and a called party device, said encrypted information including a token number; and
send a signal to initiate a call, said signal being an invite message including information identifying the party to which said call is directed and said issued call authorization token.
11. The communications device of claim 10 , wherein said token number is a random number.
12. The communications device of 10 , wherein said issued call authorization token includes at least some encrypted information and additional information, said additional information being unencrypted and being some but not all of the information used to generate the encrypted information.
13. A method of operating a web server, the method comprising:
receiving a request for a call authorization token from a client device executing a web browser in response to user selection of an initiate call web page option presented to a user in a web page;
determining whether or not to issue a call authorization token in response to said request;
when it is determined that a call authorization token is to be issued,
i) generating, using encryption and a key known to a Session Border Controller and said web server, the call authorization token, said call authorization token including a token number and authorizing the Session Border Controller to establish a call between the client device and a called party device; and
ii) sending the generated call authorization token to said client device for use in establishing a call with a called party.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
prior to receiving the request for a call authorization token, transmitting the web page to the client device, said web page including a JavaScript providing said call initiate option which when activated by a user of said web browser triggers the web browser to send said request for a call authorization token.
15. The method of 13 , wherein determining whether or not to issue a call authorization token includes:
determining if said request for a call authorization token corresponds to a known customer of a business to which said web page corresponds based on information included in said request, said request including a customer identifier or an identifier identifying the client device from which said request was sent.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining whether or not to issue a call authorization token includes determining to issue said call authorization token when it is determined the request for a call authorization token corresponds to the known customer of the business to which the web page corresponds.
17. The method of 16 , wherein determining whether or not to issue a call authorization token includes, when it is determined that the request for a call authorization token did not come from a known customer:
sending a request for user input to the client device; and
making a decision whether or not to issue the call authorization token based on user input received from said client device.
18. A web server including a processor configured to control said web server to:
receive a request for a call authorization token from a client device executing a web browser in response to a user selection of an initiate call web page option presented to a user in a web page;
determine whether or not to issue a call authorization token in response to said request;
generate, using encryption and a key known to a Session Border Controller and said web server, the call authorization token, when it is determined that a call authorization token is to be issued, said call authorization token including a token number and authorizing the Session Border Controller to establish a call between the client device and a called party device; and
send the generated call authorization token to said client device for use in establishing a call with a called party.
19. The web server of 18 , wherein said processor is further configured to control said web server to:
transmit the web page to the client device, said web page including a JavaScript providing the call initiate option which when activated by a user of said web browser triggers the web browser to send said request for a call authorization token.
20. The web server of claim 19 , wherein said to determine whether or not to issue a call authorization token includes:
determining if said request for a call authorization token corresponds to a known customer of a business to which said web page corresponds based on information included in said request, said request including a customer identifier or an identifier identifying the client device from which said request was sent.