IP Library Granted Patent US 12,470,407
Granted Patent B2
US 12,470,407 · App. 18/507,547 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Enhanced transport layer security encryption certification management systems and methods

Inventors: Matthew Maher (St. Charles, MO); George McFalls (Colorado Springs, CO); Michael Chan (Auburndale, FL); Craig Foucher (Flat Rock, MI); Darren Behmlander (White Lake, MI); Michael Miller (West Bloomfield, MI)
Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
H04L9/3268
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,470,407
App. No.
18/507,547
Granted
Nov 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and devices related to installing a security certificate. A method may include identifying, by a network provisioning abstraction layer (NPAL) of a network provisioning system, a digital certificate file received from a certificate management system (CMS); identifying a session boarder controller (SBC) that supports transport layer security (TLS); uploading the digital certificate file to the identified SBC; installing a remote certificate at the identified SBC; enabling the remote certificate at the identified SBC; and sending, based on enabling the remote certificate at the identified SBC, a notification to the CMS indicating that a remote certificate has been installed at the identified SBC.

Claims (72)

1 . A method for installing a security certificate, the method comprising:

identifying, by at least one processor of a network provisioning abstraction layer (NPAL) of a network provisioning system, a digital certificate file received from a certificate management system (CMS);

identifying, by the at least one processor, a session boarder controller (SBC) that supports transport layer security (TLS);

uploading, by the at least one processor, the digital certificate file to the identified SBC;

converting, by the at least one processor, the digital certificate file to a remote certificate at the identified SBC;

enabling, by the at least one processor, the remote certificate at the identified SBC; and

sending, by the at least one processor, based on enabling the remote certificate at the identified SBC, a notification to the CMS indicating that the remote certificate has been installed at the identified SBC,

wherein the digital certificate file is associated with a request from a certificate management tool to install the remote certificate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital certificate file is based on a certificate authority certificate of a certificate authority website.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a second SBC that supports TLS;

uploading the digital certificate file to the second identified SBC;

installing a remote certificate at the second identified SBC;

enabling the remote certificate at the second identified SBC; and

sending, based on enabling the remote certificate at the second identified SBC, a notification to the CMS indicating that a remote certificate has been installed at the second identified SBC.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the uploading, installing, and enabling at the identified SBC use a first configuration, and wherein the uploading, installing, and enabling at the second identified SBC use a second configuration different than the first configuration.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the CMS does not provide an indication of the identified SBC to the NPAL.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

deleting the remote certificate from the identified SBC.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying an application programming interface (API) call received from the CMS, the API call requesting names of SBCs using TLS; and

sending an API response to the CMS comprising the names of the SBCs using TLS.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a renewing certificate from the CMS; and

uploading a cryptography file to the identified SBC based on the renewing certificate.

9 . A certificate management system (CMS) for installing a security certificate, the CMS comprising: a memory and at least one processor, the at least one processor is configured to:

identify a request, received from a certificate management tool (CMT), to install a certificate authority (CA) certificate;

convert a filed received from the CA to a certificate file;

download the certificate file to a network provisioning abstraction layer (NPAL) of a network provisioning system;

install the CA certificate at the NPAL;

identify a first notification, received from the NPAL, indicating that the NPAL has uploaded the certificate file and installed a remote certificate at a session boarder controller (SBC) that supports transport layer security (TLS); and

send, to the CMT, a second notification indicating that the NPAL has uploaded the certificate file and installed a remote certificate at the SBC that supports transport layer security TLS.

10 . The CMS of claim 9 , wherein the CMS does not identify the SBC to the NPAL.

11 . The CMS of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

send an application programming interface (API) call received to the NPAL, the API call requesting names of SBCs using TLS;

receiving an API response from the NPAL comprising the names of the SBCs using TLS;

identify a selection of a second SBC received from the CMT; and

install a certificate of the second SBC at the NPAL.

12 . The CMS of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

identify a first request, received from the CMT, to delete a SBC certificate version;

send a second request, to the NPAL, to delete the SBC certificate version;

identify an indication, received from the NPAL, that the SBC certificate version has been deleted; and

send, to the CMT, a notification that the SBC certificate version has been deleted.

13 . A system for installing a security certificate, the system comprising:

a memory and at least one processor;

a certificate management tool;

a certificate management system (CMS);

a network provisioning abstraction layer (NPAL) of a network provisioning system; and

session boarder controllers (SBCs), wherein:

the CMT is configured to send, to the CMS, to install a certificate authority (CA) certificate;

the CMS is configured to send, to the NPAL, a digital certificate file based on the CA certificate; and

the NPAL is configured to:

identify a SBC of the SBCs that supports transport layer security (TLS);

upload the digital certificate file to the identified SBC;

install a remote certificate at the identified SBC;

enable the remote certificate at the identified SBC; and

send, based on enabling the remote certificate at the identified SBC, a notification to the CMS indicating that the remote certificate has been installed at the identified SBC.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the NPAL is further configured to:

identify a second SBC that supports TLS;

upload the digital certificate file to the second identified SBC;

install a remote certificate at the second identified SBC;

enable the remote certificate at the second identified SBC; and

send, based on enabling the remote certificate at the second identified SBC, a notification to the CMS indicating that a remote certificate has been installed at the second identified SBC.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the uploading, installing, and enabling at the identified SBC use a first configuration, and wherein the uploading, installing, and enabling at the second identified SBC use a second configuration different than the first configuration.

16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the CMS does not provide an indication of the identified SBC to the NPAL.

17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the NPAL is further configured to delete the remote certificate from the identified SBC.

18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the NPAL is further configured to:

identify an application programming interface (API) call received from the CMS, the API call requesting names of SBCs using TLS; and

send an API response to the CMS comprising the names of the SBCs using TLS.

19 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the NPAL is further configured to:

identify a renewing certificate from the CMS; and

upload a cryptography file to the identified SBC based on the renewing certificate.

Assignments (3)
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (SECOND LIEN) Recorded Nov 4, 2024
From: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; GLOBAL CROSSING TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069295/0749 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Nov 4, 2024
From: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; GLOBAL CROSSING TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069295/0858 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 13, 2023
From: MAHER, MATTHEW; MCFALLS, GEORGE; CHAN, MICHAEL; FOUCHER, CRAIG; BEHMLANDER, DARREN; MILLER, MICHAEL
To: LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 065543/0445 →