Method for automatically registering a user in a desk-share environment and IP telephone
The present invention relates to a method for automatically registering a user in a desk-share environment comprising a plurality of desks, each desk being equipped with an IP telephone connected to a communication network, in particular, to a local area network, wherein the IP telephone holds a data base comprising data of all desk-share users of the desk-share environment, the data comprising at least a user ID and a MAC address of a terminal device for each user assigned to a user profile, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, at the IP telephone, an IP data packet from a first terminal device via the communication network; verifying the MAC address in the IP data packet received from the first terminal device; and when the MAC address corresponds to a MAC address in the data of the data base, activating the user profile assigned to the MAC address in the IP telephone. Further, the invention relates to an IP telephone which is adapted to carry out the method for automatically registering a user in a desk-share environment.
1. A method for automatically registering a user in a desk-share environment comprising a plurality of desks, each desk being equipped with an IP telephone connected to a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:
storing, at the IP telephone, a first user profile that includes a user identifier to verify a first user and the first user profile also including a MAC address of a first terminal device of the first user;
connecting the IP telephone to the first terminal device for connecting the first terminal device to the communication network;
the IP telephone receiving first data packets for transmission into the communication network from the first terminal device after the first terminal device is connected to the IP telephone for connection to the communication network, the first data packets comprising the MAC address of the first terminal device of the first user;
verifying, by the IP telephone, that the MAC address of the first data packets received from the first terminal device for transmission into the communication network matches the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile based on a comparison of the MAC address of the first data packets to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile;
in response to the IP telephone determining that the MAC address of the first data packets corresponds to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile from the comparison of the MAC address of the first data packets to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile, the IP telephone activating the first user profile for use of the IP telephone by the first user;
the IP telephone periodically receiving second data packets for transmission into the communication network from the first terminal device; and
the IP telephone verifying a MAC address of the second data packets is the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile by a comparison of the MAC address of the second data packets to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile to maintain the first user profile being active on the IP telephone.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first user profile is stored in a database of the IP telephone, the method also comprising:
receiving, by the IP telephone, third data packets for transmission into the communication network after the second data packets are received, the third data packets having a new MAC address;
in response to the IP telephone determining that the new MAC address of the third data packets does not correspond with the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile based on a comparison of the new MAC address of the third data packets with the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile resulting in the new MAC address not matching the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile, the IP telephone deactivating the first user profile;
checking, by the IP telephone, whether the new MAC address is a MAC address of a second user profile of the database based on a comparison of the new MAC address of the third data packets to the MAC address of the second user profile; and
in response to the IP telephone determining that the new MAC address is the MAC address of the second user profile stored in the database from the comparison of the new MAC address of the third data packets to the MAC address of the second user profile, the IP telephone activating the second user profile.
3. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
receiving, by the IP telephone, third data packets for transmission into the communication network after the second data packets are received, the third data packets having a new MAC address;
in response to the IP telephone determining that the new MAC address of the third data packets does not correspond with the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile, the IP telephone deactivating the first user profile;
checking, by the IP telephone, whether the new MAC address is a MAC address of any second user profiles of a-database; and
the IP telephone activating a default user profile in response to determining that the new MAC address of the third data packets is not the MAC address of any of the second user profiles.
4. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
receiving, by the IP telephone, third data packets for transmission into the communication network after the second data packets are received, the third data packets having a new MAC address;
in response to determining that the new MAC address of the third data packets does not correspond with the MAC address of the first terminal device that is included in the first user profile, the IP telephone deactivating the first user profile;
checking, by the IP telephone, whether the new MAC address is a MAC address of any second user profiles of a database based on a comparison of the new MAC address of the third data packets to the MAC addresses of the second user profiles; and
the IP telephone activating a previously activated user profile that was activated prior to the first user profile being activated in response to determining that the new MAC address is not the MAC address of any of the second user profiles of the database.
5. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
receiving, by the IP telephone, third data packets for transmission into the communication network after the second data packets are received, the third data packets having a new MAC address;
in response to determining that the new MAC address of the third data packets does not correspond with the MAC address of the first terminal device that is included in the first user profile, the IP telephone deactivating the first user profile;
checking, by the IP telephone, whether the new MAC address is a MAC address of any second user profiles of a database based on a comparison of the new MAC address of the third data packets to the MAC address of the second user profiles; and
the IP telephone activating an emergency calls only mode in response to determining that the new MAC address is not the MAC address of any of the second user profiles of the database.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises a step of detecting a stop of data traffic received from the first terminal device.
7. The method according claim 6 , comprising:
in response to detecting the stop of the data traffic received from the first terminal device, the IP telephone proceeding according to a preselected option from a number of options selected from the group consisting of: activating a default user profile, activating an emergency calls only mode, and maintaining the activated first user profile.
8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the communications network is a local area network.
9. An IP telephone comprising:
a processor connected to a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a database;
the IP telephone configured to:
store a first user profile in the database, the first user profile including a user identifier to verify a first user and the first user profile also including a MAC address of a first terminal device of the first user;
communicatively connect to the first terminal device for connecting the first terminal device to a communication network;
receive first data packets from the first terminal device for transmission into the communication network when the first terminal device is connected to the IP telephone, the first data packets comprising a MAC address of the first terminal device;
verify that the MAC address of the first data packets received from the first terminal device matches the MAC address that is included in the first user profile based on a comparison of the MAC address of the first data packets to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile; and
activate the first user profile for use of the IP telephone by the first user in response to the MAC address of the first data packets corresponding to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile determined from the comparison of the MAC address of the first data packets to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile; and
periodically receive second data packets from the first terminal device when the first terminal device is connected to the IP telephone to verify a MAC address of the second data packets is the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile based on a comparison of the MAC address of the second data packets to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile to maintain the first user profile being active on the IP telephone.
10. The IP telephone according to claim 9 wherein the IP telephone is a VoIP telephone.
11. The IP telephone according to claim 9 , wherein the IP telephone is also configured to activate the first user profile according to a predetermined time schedule.
12. The IP telephone of claim 9 , wherein the IP telephone is configured to receive third data packets after the second data packets are received by the IP telephone and, deactivate the first user profile in response to determining that a new MAC address of the third data packets does not correspond with the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile based on a comparison of the new MAC address of the third data packets to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile.
13. The IP telephone of claim 12 , wherein the IP telephone also checks whether the new MAC address of the third data packets is a MAC address of any second user profiles stored in the database and activates a default user profile in response to determining that the new MAC address of the third data packets is not the MAC address of any of the second user profiles.
14. The IP telephone of claim 12 , wherein the IP telephone also checks whether the new MAC address of the third data packets is a MAC address of any second user profiles stored in the database and activates a previously active user profile in response to determining that the new MAC address of the third data packets is not the MAC address of any of the second user profiles.
15. The IP telephone of claim 12 , wherein the IP telephone also checks whether the new MAC address of the third data packets is a MAC address of any second user profiles stored in the database and activates an emergency calls only mode in response to determining that the new MAC address of the third data packets is not a MAC address of any of the second user profiles of the database.
16. The IP telephone of claim 9 , wherein, in response to detecting a stop of data traffic received from the first terminal device, the IP telephone is configured to: (i) deactivate the first user profile and activate a default user profile, (ii) deactivate the first user profile and activate an emergency calls only mode, or (iii) maintain activation of the first user profile.
17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having code stored thereon, the code defining a method that is performed by a telephone when the telephone runs the code, the method comprising:
storing, at the telephone, a first user profile in a database, the first user profile including a user identifier to verify a first user and a MAC address of a first terminal device of the first user;
verifying that a MAC address of first data packets received from the first terminal device for transmission into the communication network is the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile based on a comparison of the MAC address of the first data packets to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile;
in response to the telephone determining that the MAC address of the first data packets corresponds to the MAC address of the first user profile based on the comparison of the MAC address of the first data packets to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile, the telephone automatically activating the first user profile for use of the telephone by the first user; and
verifying a MAC address of second data packets received from the first terminal device after the first data packets are received is the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile based on a comparison of the MAC address of the second data packets to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile to maintain the first user profile being active on the telephone.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the method also comprises:
verifying a MAC address of third data packets received from the first terminal device after the second data packets are received is the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile based on a comparison of the MAC address of the third data packets to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile to maintain the first user profile being active on the telephone,
in response to the MAC address of the third data packets not corresponding to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile being determined based on the comparison of the MAC address of the third data packets to the MAC address of the first terminal device included in the first user profile, the telephone checking whether the MAC address of the third data packets corresponds to a MAC address of any second user profiles stored in the database;
in response to the telephone determining that the MAC address of the third data packets does not correspond to the MAC address of any of the second user profiles, performing one of:
(i) deactivating the first user profile and activating a default user profile; and
(ii) deactivating the first user profile and activating an emergency calls only mode.