System and method of mapping and protecting communication services with OAuth

1. A system for providing scoped access to subscriber information of a subscriber, comprising:

an authorization server, executing on one or more processors;

a plurality of communication services, wherein each communication service includes one or more interfaces, wherein each interface includes one or more methods;

a flexible data structure, wherein the flexible data structure maps each of the interfaces and methods of a communication service to a resource identifier, wherein the resource identifier and one or more parameters associated therewith identify a scope of information of the subscriber exposed by the communication service;

wherein the authorization server, when receiving a request including a resource identifier, for accessing the communication service, operates to

obtain an authorization from the subscriber to access the communication service; and

in response to receiving said authorization from said subscriber, issue an access token granting access to a particular scope of the information of the subscriber identified by the resource identifier in the request and one or more parameters associated therewith.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises

a resource server, which, when receiving the access token, validates the access token and enables access to said communication service in accordance with the particular scope identified by the resource identifier in the request and the associated parameters.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of communication services include at least a charging interface enabling access to a subscriber billing account and mapped to a charging resource identifier.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of communication services include at least a charging interface enabling access to a subscriber billing account and mapped to a charging resource identifier, wherein the charging resource identifier is associated with a parameter for an amount of a charge.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of communication services include at least a location interface enabling access to a subscriber location and mapped to a location resource identifier.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the resource identifiers are associated with a subresource identifier such that an access token granting access to said communication service in accordance with a particular scope identified by such a resource identifier also grants access to a subresource identified by the subresource identifier.

7. A method for providing scoped access to subscriber information of a subscriber, comprising:

(a) providing an authorization service, executing on one or more processors;

(b) providing a plurality of communication services, wherein each communication service includes one or more interfaces, wherein each interface includes one or more methods;

(c) providing a flexible data structure, wherein the flexible data structure maps each of the interfaces and methods of a communication service to a resource identifier, wherein the resource identifier and one or more parameters associated therewith identify a scope of information of the subscriber exposed by the communication service;

(d) receiving a request including a resource identifier to access the communication service;

(e) obtaining an authorization from the subscriber to access the communication service; and

(f) in response to receiving said authorization from said subscriber, issue an access token granting access to a particular scope of information of the subscriber identified by the resource identifier in the request and one or more parameters associated therewith.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the access token;

validating the access token; and

in response to validating the access token, enabling access to said specified communication service in accordance the particular scope identified by the resource identifier in the request and one or more associated parameters.

9. The method of claim 7 ,

wherein the plurality of communication services include at least a charging interface enabling access to a subscriber billing account and mapped to a charging resource identifier; and

wherein step (f) comprises in response to receiving said authorization from said subscriber, issuing an access token granting access to said charging interface in accordance with a particular scope identified by the charging resource identifier and one or more parameters associated therewith.

10. The method of claim 7 ,

wherein the plurality of communication services include at least a charging interface enabling access to a subscriber billing account and mapped to a charging resource identifier, wherein the charging resource identifier is associated with a parameter for an amount of a charge; and

wherein step (f) comprises in response to receiving said authorization from said subscriber, issuing an access token granting access to said charging interface in accordance with a particular scope identified by the charging resource identifier and the parameter for the amount of the charge.

11. The method of claim 7 ,

wherein the plurality of communication services include at least a location interface enabling access to a subscriber location and mapped to a location resource identifier; and

wherein step (f) comprises in response to receiving said authorization from said subscriber, issuing an access token granting access to said location interface in accordance with a particular scope identified by the location resource identifier and one or more parameters associated therewith.

12. The method of claim 7 ,

wherein one or more of the resource identifiers are associated with a subresource identifier; and

wherein step (f) comprises in response to receiving said authorization from said subscriber, issuing an access token granting access to said communication service in accordance with a particular scope identified by such resource identifier and one or more associated parameters.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps comprising:

(a) providing an authorization service, executing on one or more processors;

(b) providing a plurality of communication services, wherein each communication service includes one or more interfaces, wherein each interface includes one or more methods;

(c) providing a flexible data structure, wherein the flexible data structure maps each of the interfaces and methods of a communication service to a resource identifier, wherein the resource identifier and one or more parameters associated therewith identify a scope of information of the subscriber exposed by the communication service;

(d) receiving a request including a resource identifier to access the communication service;

(e) obtaining an authorization from the subscriber to access the communication service; and

(f) in response to receiving said authorization from said subscriber, issue an access token granting access to a particular scope of information of the subscriber identified by the resource identifier in the request and one or more parameters associated therewith.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions stored thereon, when executed by a computer, further cause the computer to perform the steps comprising:

receiving the access token;

validating the access token; and

in response to validating the access token, enabling access to said specified communication service in accordance the particular scope identified by the resource identifier in the request and one or more associated parameters.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 ,

wherein the plurality of communication services include at least a charging interface enabling access to a subscriber billing account and mapped to a charging resource identifier; and

wherein, in response to receiving said authorization from said subscriber, an access token is issued granting access to said charging interface in accordance with a particular scope identified by the charging resource identifier and one or more parameters associated therewith.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 ,

wherein the plurality of communication services include at least a charging interface enabling access to a subscriber billing account and mapped to a charging resource identifier, wherein the charging resource identifier is associated with a parameter for an amount of a charge; and

wherein, in response to receiving said authorization from said subscriber, issuing an access token granting access to said charging interface in accordance with a particular scope identified in the charging resource identifier and the parameter for the amount of the charge.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 ,

wherein the plurality of communication services include at least a location interface enabling access to a subscriber location and mapped to a location resource identifier; and

wherein, in response to receiving said authorization from said subscriber, issuing an access token granting access to said location interface in accordance with a particular scope identified in the location resource identifier and one or more parameters associated therewith.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 ,

wherein one or more of the resource identifiers are associated with a subresource identifier; and

wherein, in response to receiving said authorization from said subscriber, issuing an access token granting access to said communication resource and said subresource in accordance with a particular scope identified in such a resource identifier and one or more parameters.