SE469707B

SE469707B - Method and device for authorization checking for telecommunications services

Info

Publication number: SE469707B
Application number: SE9102637A
Authority: SE
Inventors: P Carlson
Original assignee: Televerket
Priority date: 1991-09-12
Filing date: 1991-09-12
Publication date: 1993-08-23
Also published as: SE9102637L; SE9102637D0

Abstract

The invention concerns a method and a device for authorization checking for telecommunications services, in particular automatic checking of authorization for subscribers who call telecommunications services via the telecommunications network. According to the invention the authorization checks are available automatically by a signal from the calling subscriber's home station being utilized, which clearly identifies the calling subscriber. The code is forwarded to the called subscriber, that is the telecommunications service, which detects the code in order to check the authorization. The call is then connected depending upon the result of the check. As a result of the use of the invention a high level of security is obtained against unauthorized infiltration into different telecommunications service systems. <IMAGE>

Description

469 707 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 2 abonnenten, dvs teletjänsten, som avkänner koden för att kontrollera behörigheten. Samtalet uppkopplas sedan i beroen- de av utfallet av kontrollen. 469 707 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 2 the subscriber, ie the telecommunications service, who senses the code to check the authorization. The call is then connected depending on the outcome of the check.

Uppfinningen är närmare definierad i åtföljande patent- ﬁyw krav. Uppfinningen kommer att beskrivas mera i detalj nedan med hänvisning till ritningen.The invention is further defined in the appended claims. The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawing.

KORTFATTAD BESKRIVNING AV RITNINGEN Den enda figuren är ett blockschema över en föredragen utföringsform av föreliggande uppfinning.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The single figure is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETALJERAD BESKRIVNING AV UPPFINNINGENS FÖREDRAGNA UTFÖRINGSFORMER I figuren visas hur en första abonnent Abl är kopplad via en telefonstation som tillhör det normala telenätet till en andra abonnent Ab2. Den station som abonnent ligger under kallas hemstation. Den första abonnenten är den som önskar utnyttja en teletjänst som finns hos den-andra abonnenten. En mängd sådana teletjänster existerar redan pá marknaden.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The figure shows how a first subscriber Abl is connected via a telephone station belonging to the normal telephone network to a second subscriber Ab2. The station under which the subscriber is located is called the home station. The first subscriber is the one who wishes to use a telecommunications service available from the second subscriber. A number of such telecommunications services already exist on the market.

Teletjänsten kan erbjuda åtkomst av en eller flera data- baser eller andra register som tjänsteköparen önskar hämta information ifrån. Teletjänsten styrs av någon utrustning, vanligtvis datoriserad, som kan kommunicera med tjänsteköpa- ren. Kommunikationen kan ske med tal, eller vanligtvis med signalering direkt till datautrustningen med hjälp av ton- valssignalering eller modemkommunikation. Det är vanligt att inte vem som helst får utnyttja den lagrade informationen utan någon form av behörighetskontroll måste ske innan någon information utlämnas. Datorutrustningen innefattar företrä- desvis någon minnesenhet som lagrar de behöriga användarna. I det här fallet är de behöriga användarna lagrade som sina respektive telefonnummer.The telecommunications service may offer access to one or more databases or other registers from which the service buyer wishes to retrieve information. The telecommunications service is controlled by some equipment, usually computerized, that can communicate with the service buyer. The communication can take place by voice, or usually by signaling directly to the computer equipment by means of tone dialing or modem communication. It is common for not everyone to be allowed to use the stored information, but some form of authorization check must take place before any information is disclosed. The computer equipment preferably includes some memory unit which stores the authorized users. In this case, the authorized users are stored as their respective telephone numbers.

Således måste den anropande abonnenten Abl på något sätt uppge sitt telefonnummer. Enligt uppfinningen utnyttjas _3- abonnentens hemstation för detta. Hemstationen är nämligen utrustad med identifieringsorgan som avkänner vilken abonnent som önskar uppkoppla ett samtal. Hemstationen alstrar i beroende därav en unik kod (ANI-koden i AXE-stationer). Denna unika kod sänds vidare till den anropade abonnenten Ab2 före själva ringsignalen. Naturligtvis finns det fler telefonsta- 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 469 707 3 tioner mellan första och andra abonnenten i det generella fallet.Thus, the calling subscriber Abl must in some way state his telephone number. According to the invention, the _3- subscriber's home station is used for this. Namely, the home station is equipped with identification means which detect which subscriber wishes to connect a call. Depending on this, the home station generates a unique code (the ANI code in AX stations). This unique code is transmitted to the called subscriber Ab2 before the ring signal itself. Of course, there are more telephone stations between the first and second subscribers in the general case.

Styrutrustningen hos den andra abonnenten innefattar enligt uppfinningen ett detekteringsorgan, som har förmågan att detektera den unika koden. Koden jämföres med de koder för behöriga användare som finns lagrade i minnesenheten. Om abonnenten Abl befinnes vara behörig släpps ringsignalen fram och samtalet uppkopplas. Ingen motringning är nu nödvändig och tjänsteköparen kan direkt börja kommunicera med tele- tjänsten.The control equipment of the second subscriber according to the invention comprises a detection means, which has the ability to detect the unique code. The code is compared with the codes for authorized users stored in the memory device. If the subscriber Abl is found to be authorized, the ring signal is released and the call is connected. No callback is now necessary and the service buyer can immediately start communicating with the telecommunications service.

Om den anropande abonnenten befinnes vara icke behörig kan styrutrustningen reagera pá tvá alternativa sätt. Det första alternativet är att ringsignalen inte släpps fram och sàledes får den anropande abonnenten aldrig kontakt med tele- tjänsten. Det andra alternativet är att samtalet ändå upp- kopplas men att styrutrustningen istället för att tillåta kommunikation med teletjänsten utsänder någon form av med- delande som för tjänsteköparen anger att han inte är behörig att få tillträde till teletjänsten. Meddelandet kan vara någon form av tonsignal eller ett talat meddelande.If the calling subscriber is found to be unauthorized, the control equipment can react in two alternative ways. The first alternative is that the ring signal is not transmitted and thus the calling subscriber never gets in touch with the telecommunications service. The second alternative is that the call is still connected, but that the control equipment, instead of allowing communication with the telecommunications service, sends some form of message stating to the service buyer that he is not authorized to gain access to the telecommunications service. The message can be some form of tone signal or a spoken message.

I dagens befintliga AXE-stationer finns redan funktionen att alstra en sådan kod. Koden består av ett starttecken, ett stopptecken'samt den'anropande abonnentens telefonnummer.Today's existing AX stations already have the function of generating such a code. The code consists of a start sign, a stop sign and the calling subscriber's telephone number.

Koden sänds alltid före ringsignalen till den anropade abon- nenten.The code is always sent before the ring signal to the called subscriber.

Föreliggande uppfinning är emellertid inte begränsad till denna kod utan andra koder kan förekomma vid andra tele- fonsystem. Uppfinningen är endast begränsad av nedanstående patentkrav.However, the present invention is not limited to this code but other codes may be present in other telephone systems. The invention is limited only by the following claims.

Claims

469 707 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 PATENT CLAIMS

Method for authorization control in the case of a telecommunications service, characterized in that a subscriber who wishes to use the telecommunications service calls it by dialing the relevant telephone number, that the calling subscriber's home station identifies the calling subscriber and generates a code unique to the calling subscriber, that the code is forwarded to the called subscriber, which includes the telecommunications service, that the telecommunications service detects the unique code and determines whether the calling subscriber is authorized, and that, if the calling subscriber is found to be authorized, the call is connected.

Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the telecommunications service determines whether the calling subscriber is authorized by comparing the unique code with codes previously stored with the telecommunications service.

Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the call is not connected if the calling subscriber is not found to be competent.

Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, if the subscriber is not found to be authorized, the call is connected, but that the telecommunications service answers the call with a special signal or a message informing the calling subscriber that it is not authorized.

Device for access control (4) in telecommunications service, comprising a calling subscriber wishing to use the telecommunications service, equipment providing the telecommunications service, a home station belonging to the calling subscriber and arranging connection of its calls, characterized in that the home station comprises an identification means identifying the called subscriber and depending thereon generates a code unique to the calling subscriber, that the home station forwards the call to the telecommunications service equipment and transmits the unique code before the ring signal, that the telecommunications service equipment comprises a detection means, which detects the unique the code to determine if the calling subscriber is authorized and then connect the call accordingly.

Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the telecommunications service equipment comprises a memory unit for storing data and codes for subscribers who are authorized to use the telecommunications service.