Policy Validation Server for Telecommunications Service Authorization

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In telecommunications networks, particularly in SIP and IMS systems, there is a lack of effective methods to accurately indicate authorized and available services to user devices, leading to potential unauthorized access or service unavailability during session setup.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that involves a server receiving messages from user devices, retrieving policy data from a database to validate service authorization and availability, and modifying messages to reflect only authorized and available services, ensuring that user devices can only access approved services by interacting with a policy database and service authorization server.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the network does not perform service authorization checks, then session setup is faster and simpler, but unauthorized access and service unavailability occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice authorizationVSAvoidauthorization check process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs service authorization checks before allowing session setup to proceed. The policy validation server checks whether a service is authorized and available before the actual session establishment, preventing unauthorized access in advance rather than detecting it during or after session setup.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A policy validation server is introduced as an intermediary component between the user device and the session setup process. This server mediates the authorization check by retrieving policy data from a policy database and validating whether services should be advertised or made available, centralizing the complexity in a dedicated component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the network validates service authorization and availability, then unauthorized access is prevented, but session setup time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice authorizationVSAvoidsession setup time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Service authorization validation is performed as a preliminary action before session setup begins. By checking authorization status in advance through the policy validation server, the system ensures that only authorized services are considered for session establishment, avoiding time-consuming checks during the actual session setup process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The user device autonomously determines which services to advertise based on its capabilities and the authorization status returned by the policy validation server. The device self-regulates its service advertising behavior without requiring continuous network intervention or complex manual configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Adaptability or versatility

If user devices advertise all supported services, then device versatility is maximized, but network security and service availability are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice support capabilityVSAvoidunauthorized access

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The policy validation server provides feedback to the user device about which services are authorized and available. Based on this feedback, the device adjusts its service advertising behavior, removing unauthorized or unavailable services from its advertisements while maintaining the ability to advertise authorized services.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The policy validation server acts as an intermediary that sits between the user device's service advertising capability and the network's service selection process. It retrieves policy data, validates authorization status, and returns modified service lists to the device, enabling the device to advertise only authorized services.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9497183B2Systems and methods for authorizing services in a telecommunications network

Publication Date: 2016.11.15 RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS OPERATING CO INC

AI summary

A computer-implemented method for authorizing access by a user device to at least one service offered over an Internet Protocol (IP) network is provided. A server receives a message from the user device. The message indicates that the user device is configured to support the at least one service. The server then retrieves from a database policy data associated with the user device. The server validates based on the policy data that the user device is authorized to advertise the at least one service and the at least one service is available for access by the user device. If the at least one service is unauthorized or unavailable for access by the user device, the server modifies the message to indicate one or more authorized and available services for the user device without including the at least one service.