EP2145464A1

EP2145464A1 - Method and terminal for producing and/or modifying an entry in a communication directory

Info

Publication number: EP2145464A1
Application number: EP07724430A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Anton Kruk; Volker Mösker
Original assignee: Gigaset Communications GmbH
Current assignee: Gigaset Communications GmbH
Priority date: 2007-04-20
Filing date: 2007-04-20
Publication date: 2010-01-20
Also published as: WO2008128555A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing and/or modifying an entry (name 1, name 2, name N) in a communication directory (KV). The entry is produced and/or modified by means of a terminal (EG) that is associated with or to be associated with the corresponding entry (name 1, name 2,..., name N). In a first step, a communication address of the terminal (EG) is determined and stored in the terminal (EG), in a second step, the terminal (EG) establishes a connection to an administration instance (VI) for the communication directory (KV), in a third step, an identification is carried out in the administration instance (VI), and in a fourth step, the terminal (EG) transmits the data required for producing and/or modifying the entry (name 1, name 2,..., name N) to the administration instance (VI) and utilizes them therein.

Description

description

Method and terminal for creating and / or changing an entry in a communication directory

The invention relates to a method for creating and / or changing an entry in a communication directory according to the preamble of patent claim 1, and a terminal for carrying out the method according to the preamble of claim 16.

The best-known communication directories are telephone bookers in which entries with communication addresses (usually telephone numbers) can be found by name or company name. In addition to the "classic" phonebooks and their electronic counterparts, which are mostly used in the form of CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs or other data carriers, nowadays mostly so-called online communication directories are used, ie databases that are distributed over a communication network (eg Internet or an intranet). This relates in particular voice data terminals (VoIP phones, VoIP = Voice over Internet Protocol), which are already connected to a data network / communication network (Internet) anyway and therefore "online" advantageous to a constantly updated database of a service provider or . of a directory provider.

So far, the databases of such directory providers are essentially based on the data stock or the data stocks of public network operators from fixed-line telephony; in Germany, for example, on the database of Deutsche Telekom. However, with the increasing liberalization of the telecommunications market, more and more "providers" are offering their services, so maintaining a "total"

Communication directory becomes more difficult. In addition, in the field of so-called "Internet telephony", ie the VoIP subscriber, not only the number of grants awarded munikationsadressen (phone numbers) permanently increases, but these numbers are also subject to frequent change. Thus, a subscriber with a VoIP phone or a multimedia computer can log in alternately or simultaneously at one or more VoIP providers and thus have a plurality of assigned communication addresses for the same VoIP terminal.

For this reason, the "administration requirement" of one or more central communication directories is enormous; new entries must be inserted, old entries must be removed and existing entries must be changed each time a communication address or other data assigned to the entry is changed. Moreover, since each participant can be registered in several communication directories or should be entered, the administration requirement multiplies accordingly.

To solve the problem, it is advisable that a participant himself, for example via an Internet access, maintains the entries in the communication directories concerned him. This requires that a participant logs on once with a provider of directories and then virtually any time with a user name and password "his" entries can edit. However, it has proved to be disadvantageous that the entry of telephone numbers (ie communication addresses) by the user himself is error-prone and can also be misused, so also in the forefront, wrong. Another problem is that the administration of such

Entry in communication directories is a burden for many participants and therefore often only with a time delay, incomplete or not at all made.

It is therefore an object of the present invention that

Maintenance of entries in communication directories safer and easier to design. This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1 and by a terminal according to claim 16.

For this purpose, a method is proposed for creating and / or changing an entry in a communication directory, in which at least one communication address is assigned or assigned in each case in the communication directory of a plurality of entries. The creation and / or modification is carried out by means of a terminal, which is assigned to the relevant entry or assign, being determined in a first step, a communication address of the terminal and stored in the terminal, in a second step of the terminal a connection to a In a third step, an identification with the administrative entity is established, and in a fourth step by the terminal the data needed to create and / or modify the entry are transferred to the administrative body and used there. The terminal thus becomes itself a data supplier for (authenticated) communication addresses and further data for the entry. This makes it possible for an end device to automatically register itself or its assigned subscriber with one or a plurality of communications directories or maintain these entries, thereby improving the database of the communication directories thus maintained. In addition, this method avoids errors that may occur during manual maintenance or creation of such entries. The effort for the maintenance of the "phonebook entries" is reduced by the thus possible automation.

The solution of the task further provides a terminal for maintaining an entry in a communication directory, with a user interface, with a communication interface for data exchange by means of a communication network (KN), with a memory device for storing at least one communication address, a user ID and / or a password, with a data transfer instance for establishing a connection to an administrative entity for the communication directory, with an identification entity for identification at the administrative instance, and with a registration authority for the creation and / or modification of an entry and for the transmission of required data to the administrative entity. Thus, the terminal is set up to carry out the method described above. Such endgerät equipped in such a way is able to automatically create or change the entries in communication directories concerning this terminal or its user.

Advantageous embodiments of the inventive method are given in the dependent claims. The features and advantages described here are mutatis mutandis to apply to the inventive terminal.

The method can be used particularly advantageously if a VoIP terminal is used as the terminal and a directory number is used as the communication address. In this case, such communication directories can be used in which primarily entries are registered with fixed network subscribers. Especially VoIP terminals, by being permanently connected to a data network (generally the Internet), can establish connections to the administrative authorities of communication directories at any time and cost-effectively. The method can also be advantageously used for POTS (Old Old Telephony Service (POTS), ISDN or mobile terminal equipment (for example, GSM or UMTS equipment).

An easy way to store the communication address in the terminal is in the manual input; however, automatic methods are also advantageously used. To the latter, for example, the automatic retrieval of the communication address or communication addresses from a communication node to which the terminal is assigned pays. In the case of ISDN terminals, this can be a private or open Liehe switching system, in VoIP terminals a so-called SIP proxy server or a H.323 gatekeeper. In this case, it is also advantageous to use protocol elements which go beyond the respectively used standardized communication protocol (eg SIP or H.323). A further advantageous possibility for the automatic determination and storage of the communication address is that the terminal establishes a communication connection to a correspondingly programmed remote station, whereby the communication address is determined by evaluation of a CLIP information (CLIP = Calling Line Identification Presentation) and then transferred to the terminal.

The method can be protected against manipulation by performing an authentication of the determined communication address after the first step. Advantageously, this authentication is carried out by means of a callback method, wherein the determined communication address to a Ruckruf instance, which is programmed according uubmittelt and then the Ruckruf instance a callback, so the establishment of a communication connection to the relevant terminal by means the communicated communication address, wherein in the case of a successful recall, the determined communication address is considered authenticated and is registered as such in the terminal.

The third method step can also be safeguarded against misuse and manipulation by carrying out the identification by transmitting a user name previously provided by the operator of the communication directory and / or a corresponding password. A repeated input of the user name and / or the password in the terminal can be omitted by storing these data once in the terminal and then used in each case for identification at the management instance. Of course, also the communication addresses and respective usernames / passwords of several communication directories can be entered into the terminal or be retrieved from this from a central server, so that a variety of different communication directories can be edited. This increases the probability that a participant or its associated entries will be found.

The timeliness of the communication directory or of the communication directories used is improved by repeating the described maintenance of the entries at regular intervals or at least whenever one of the communication addresses assigned to the terminal or other data relevant for the entries is changed. This advantageously takes place automatically whenever corresponding administration processes are carried out on the terminal.

Exemplary embodiments of the inventive method are explained below with reference to the drawings. At the same time they serve to explain an end device according to the invention.

The single drawing shows in schematic representation an arrangement of a user, a terminal, a communication network, a communication directory, an administrative entity and a communication node.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The FIGURE schematically shows a communication network KN, to which the terminal EG, a communication node PRXY ("SIP Proxy Server"), a database server with a communication directory KV and an administrative entity VI are connected by way of example for a multiplicity of different types of communication terminals. In this case, the terminal EG is assigned to a user BN. While the illustrated terminal EG in the present exemplary embodiment is a VoIP telephone according to the SIP standard, other types of terminal devices such as multimedia PCs, PDAs, mobile phones and DECT terminals can be used for the method described below. The communication network KN will be example used the Internet. Analogous to the terminal EG used, the communication node PRXY is a switching entity according to the SIP standard; of course, when using different types of end devices, an adapted, different type of communication node is used, which has no fundamental influence on the subsequently described method.

In contrast to the architecture presented here, the communication directory KV can also be realized by means of a distributed database. In particular, the method described below can also be used with a plurality of different communication directories KV. In this case, the administrative entity VI is a tool for the administration of the communications directory KV. In the present exemplary embodiment, the management instance VI comprises a web server with the aid of which a user BN can create, change or delete the entries of the communication directory assigned to him via a computer with a web browser. For this purpose, a "provider", ie a telecommunications service provider, informs his customers (here: the user BN) with a user name and a password, which must be entered for each administration process. The management entity VI is not only equipped with a graphical user interface, but can also be directly contacted and operated by correspondingly programmed terminals EG, whereby also the communicated user name and the password must be transmitted via the communication network KN. In addition, the management entity VI is programmed in such a way that a recall occurs in the event of a security-relevant change of an entry in the communication directory KV. This means that, in particular with every change or new entry of a telephone number, the user BN is notified of a randomly generated PIN in the configuration dialog of the user interface of the management entity V 1. After completion of the administration session, the management entity VI establishes a (jerk) call to the newly entered or changed telephone number via the communication network KN on. If the telephone number is correctly entered, the user BN can accept the call on the terminal EG and confirm the callback by entering the previously notified PIN. Only after correct input of the PIN, the changed entry for the communication directory KV is released.

The communication node PRXY is equipped with a (not shown) "virtual" Endgerat, which is thus simulated only by a suitable software and not in the form of a special hardware is available. This special virtual terminal is used to automatically determine a number of a terminal EC. For this purpose, a terminal EG can call in this terminal EG manufacturer preprogrammed number of the virtual terminal, which is evaluated by the virtual terminal, the CLIP information of the call and transmitted to the terminal EG. Thus, the user BN is relieved of the task to manually enter the current number of the terminal EC in this self.

Alternatively, the terminal EG can also use the familiar ENUM

Use the Telephony NumMapping (RFC 3761) procedure to resolve a suitable communication address.

In the following, it is assumed that the user BN has newly acquired the terminal board EG and has received a letter with personal access data from the provider with the new terminal EG. The personal access data consist of a SIP identifier, a SIP password, a user name for the communication directory KV, and a password for the communication directory KV. A network address (URL) for the administrative entity VI has already been programmed into the terminal EG by the manufacturer. After commissioning of the terminal EG this shows the user BN a dialog with which this user BN enters the personal access data in the terminal EG. These aforementioned personal access data are thus stored in the terminal EG for later uses. In addition, the user BN can enter further data on his terminal EG which are suitable for a are intended in a communication directory KV or several communication directories KV, such as name, address, job title, etc.

After these first steps, the terminal EG first logs on to the communication node PRXY by means of the entered personal access data and is therefore ready for use. Thereafter, the terminal EG asks the user BN by means of a dialogue whether an entry in the communication directory KV is desired. The user BN confirms this dialog so that the terminal EG now checks whether entries already exist in its memory area for "own numbers". Since this is not the case, the terminal EG now establishes a connection to the virtual terminal of the communication node PRXY according to the method already described; the necessary "virtual" number has already been programmed by the manufacturer into the terminal EG. Of course, instead of the described "virtual Endgerates" also another appropriately equipped "real" terminal can be used or a manual input of the phone number by the user BN done.

Now, the terminal EG is equipped with all necessary information about its own communication address or own communication addresses (here: phone number) and builds a

Connection to the administrative instance VI. Since the user BN is already registered with the management instance VI by "his" provider and the access data are already present in the terminal EG, the terminal EG now starts an "administration session" by transmitting the user name and the password and first checks, whether there is already an entry in the communication directory KV for the entered user name. Since this entry does not yet exist, a new entry is created and this entry is assigned the previously determined communication address (telephone number). The data exchange with the management entity VI can optionally also be encrypted. _

The management entity VI stores all transmitted information between, transmits to the terminal EG a randomly generated PIN and terminates the administration session. This is followed by a recall of the administrative entity VI to the terminal EG, whereby in the context of this recall the terminal EG retransmits the previously received PIN and thus confirms the authenticity of the communication address to be assigned to the entry. Optionally, of course, this authentication of the phone number can be omitted by means of Ruckruf- method.

Now, the management instance VI releases the newly created entry for the communication directory KV. If there are further access data for further communication directories KV in the terminal EG, the process of creating or changing the entries for communication directories KV is repeated accordingly. Similar to the described method of creating the entry entries can also be changed or deleted.

Claims

_Patentansprüche

1. Procedure for creating and / or changing an entry

(Name 1, Name 2, Name N) in a communication directory (KV), wherein in the communication directory (KV) a plurality of entries (Name 1, Name 2, ... Name N) is assigned in each case at least one communication address, thereby in that the creation and / or modification is carried out by means of a terminal (EG) assigned or to be assigned to the relevant entry (name 1, name 2,..., name N).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that

in a first step, a communication address of the terminal (EG) is determined and stored in the terminal (EG),

in a second step, the terminal (EG) establishes a connection to an administrative entity (VI) for the communications directory (KV),

- in a third step, an identification with the administrative authority (VI) is carried out, and

in a fourth step through the terminal (EG), the data required to create and / or change the entry (Name 1, Name 2, ..., Name N) are transferred to the administrative entity (VI) and used there.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that as the terminal (EG) a VoIP terminal is used.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that as the terminal (EG) a POTS terminal, an ISDN terminal or a mobile phone is used.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a telephone number is used as the communication address.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the first step, the communication address by a user (BN) manually in the terminal (EC) is entered.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in the first step, the communication address is automatically determined by the terminal (EG).

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the communication address by the terminal (EG) at a communication node (PRXY), which is assigned to the terminal (EG), is retrieved.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the communication address of the terminal (EG) by means of establishing a communication connection is determined at a remote site, where determined by the remote station, the communication address by evaluating a CLIP information of the communication and communication to the terminal (EC).

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that after the first step, an authentication of the determined communication address is performed.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the authentication is carried out by means of a recall method, wherein the determined communication address is transmitted to a Ruckrufinstance and then by the Ruckruf instance as Ruckruf a communication connection to the terminal (EG) means the communicated communication address is made, wherein in the case of a successful recall, the determined communication address in the terminal (EC) is marked as authenticated.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the third step, the identification by transferring a user name and / or a password is performed.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that prior to the transmission at least once the user name and / or password stored in the terminal (EC) and for identification of the terminal (EC) to the Verwaltungs- mstanz (VI) is transmitted.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the steps two to four is carried out automatically at configurable time intervals repeatedly.

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the steps two to four at least when changing a communication address of the terminal (EC) and / or other for an entry (Name 1, Name 2, ..., Name N) relevant Data is automatically executed by the terminal (EG).

16. terminal (EC) for maintaining an entry in a communication directory (KV), with a user interface, and with a communication interface for data exchange by means of a communication network (KN), characterized by, a memory device for storing at least one communication address, a user ID and / or a password, a data transmission entity to establish a connection to a management entity (VI) for the communication directory (KV), an identification entity to identify the management entity (VI), and a registration authority to create and / or modify an entry (name 1, Name 2, ..., name N) and for the transmission of required data to the administrative authority (VI).