INDIVIDUAL AND INSTITUTION VIRTUALIZATION MECHANISMS
A virtualization capability is adapted support virtualization for an individual or an institution. The virtualization for an individual or an institution may be provided using mappings of real information to virtual information. The virtualization for an individual or an institution may be used to support secure communications by the individual or an institution (e.g., electronic communications, non-electronic communications, or the like). The virtualization for an individual or an institution may include various types of E.164 Number Mapping (ENUM) virtualization, such as user ENUM virtualization, infrastructure ENUM virtualization, private ENUM virtualization, enterprise ENUM virtualization, and the like. The virtualization for an individual or an institution may include virtualization for online transactions in a manner that hides real information associated with the individual or an institution (e.g., name, mailing address, or the like) from the online vendor. The virtualization for an individual or an institution may include other types of virtualization.
1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a memory configured to store a mapping of a real identity of an entity to a virtual identity of the entity, wherein the real identity comprises real information associated with the entity and the virtual identity comprises virtual information associated with the entity, wherein the entity comprises an individual or an institution; and
a processor communicatively connected to the memory, the processor configured to:
receive a communication for the entity, the communication for the entity comprising at least a portion of the real information associated with the entity; and
process the communication for the entity using at least a portion of the virtual information from the virtual identity of the entity.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
receive new real information associated with the entity; and
update at least a portion of the real information based on the new real information.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
receive new virtual information associated with the entity; and
update at least a portion of the virtual information based on the new virtual information.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
receive a request for generation of new virtual information associated with the entity;
generate the new virtual information for the entity; and
update at least a portion of the virtual information based on the new virtual information.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
monitor a timer associated with the virtual information; and
invalidate at least a portion of the virtual information based on a determination that an indication of a renewal of the virtual information is not received before expiration of the timer.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
generate or modify at least a portion of the virtual information dynamically based on receipt of the communication for the entity.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
generate, modify, or invalidate at least a portion of the virtual information based on detection of at least one trigger condition associated with the virtual information.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one trigger condition comprises at least one of a temporal trigger, an event-based trigger, a context-based trigger, or a location-based trigger.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
propagate at least a portion of the real information or at least a portion of the virtual information toward a device based on validation of credentials received from the device.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mapping is a first mapping of a first real identity of the entity to a first virtual identity of the entity, wherein the processor is configured to:
generate a second mapping of the first real identity of the entity or a second real identity of the entity to a second virtual identity of the entity.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mapping is a first mapping of the real identity of the entity to a first virtual identity of the entity, wherein the memory is configured to store a second mapping of the real identity of the entity to a second virtual identity of the entity, wherein the processor is configured to:
select the first mapping for use in processing the communication for the entity based on at least a portion of the real information included in the communication for the entity.
12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the real information comprises at least one of a real name of the entity, a real address of the entity, a real domain of the entity, a real ENUM identifier associated with the entity, or a real vCard associated with the entity.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the virtual information comprises at least one of a virtual name of the entity, a virtual address of the entity, a virtual domain of the entity, a virtual ENUM identifier associated with the entity, or a virtual vCard associated with the entity.
14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communication comprises an order, wherein the real information included in the communication comprises a real name and a real mailing address, wherein the virtual information used for processing the communication comprises a virtual name and a virtual mailing address.
15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communication is an ENUM-based communication, wherein the real information included in the communication comprises a real ENUM identifier, wherein the virtual information used for processing the communication comprises a virtual ENUM identifier.
16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the ENUM-based communication is associated with at least one of user ENUM virtualization, infrastructure ENUM virtualization, private ENUM virtualization, enterprise ENUM virtualization, vCard ENUM virtualization, or Calling Name (CNAM) ENUM virtualization.
17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processor is configured to:
identify a service associated with the communication of the entity;
perform a lookup for a called virtualized E.164 number in an ENUM Domain Name Server (DNS) domain;
select a virtualized Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of a terminating carrier for a compatible terminating service entry that is published against an enclosing virtualized number block entry; and
initiate completion of the call request based on a virtualized service interconnection point.
18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communication comprises a vCard-based communication, wherein the real information included in the communication comprises a real vCard of the individual, wherein the virtual information used for processing the communication comprises a virtual vCard of the individual.
19 . A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
maintaining a mapping of a real identity of an entity to a virtual identity of the entity, wherein the real identity comprises real information associated with the entity and the virtual identity comprises virtual information associated with the entity, wherein the entity comprises an individual or an institution;
receiving a communication for the entity, the communication for the entity comprising at least a portion of the real information associated with the entity; and
processing the communication for the entity using at least a portion of the virtual information from the virtual identity of the entity.
20 . A method, comprising:
using a processor and a memory for:
maintaining a mapping of a real identity of an entity to a virtual identity of the entity, wherein the real identity comprises real information associated with the entity and the virtual identity comprises virtual information associated with the entity, wherein the entity comprises an individual or an institution;
receiving a communication for the entity, the communication for the entity comprising at least a portion of the real information associated with the entity; and
processing the communication for the entity using at least a portion of the virtual information from the virtual identity of the entity.