WO2000010314A1 - Terminal log-on device and method and terminal for carrying out a log-on procedure - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for logging a terminal or terminal connection onto a telecommunication or data transfer network. The invention also relates to a communication network enabling the log-on procedure to be carried out and to a terminal that makes the log-on procedure considerably easier. An opportunity for communication is provided for a terminal at a connection in said network where a log-on has not previously occurred. Said opportunity is only provided for the log-on process to be carried out and enables the terminal to be logged on at said connection, whereby the user of the terminal can set up the connection individually.

Description

description

Device and method for registering a terminal connection and terminal for carrying out a registration process

The invention relates to a method for registering a terminal or a terminal connection in a telecommunications or data transmission network, and a

Communication or data network, which enables the described method. Furthermore, the invention relates to a terminal in this communication network, which enables the method to be carried out.

The term terminal connection is used in an abstract sense. The technical means necessary for connecting a terminal, such as the junction box, are referred to below as network termination. As a rule, the connection devices up to the junction box already exist for a potential customer. If it is a terminal device that is 'connected' wirelessly (such as GSM), the base station is already available here. This means that the network termination is often already physically available, but no connections can be established from there, since there is no connection authorization (i.e. no contract between customer and network provider and therefore no service).

If a customer now wants to register with a service provider in a communication network, a distinction is essentially made between two approaches.

In the conventional telephone network with stationary end devices, the customer usually has to submit his application in writing. The necessary installations, such as cables and connection sockets, are often already available. It is but there is no longer an active connection because the previous user has given up and logged it off.

As soon as this connection is to be reactivated, the new potential user must submit an application. This essentially contains personal data of the new customer, in particular information about the payment for the services provided by the network operator company. Depending on the operator and type of communication network, there is also the choice of special services and options, such as: B. Call forwarding, voice mailbox, higher data rates added. The telephone company will then often only activate the line again; as a rule, nothing needs to be changed in the technical equipment.

This is a very cumbersome process for the customer, and it is also time-consuming, since it can take days between the submission of the application and the activation by the network operator company. In other countries, such as the United States, a simple phone call is sometimes sufficient to activate the line. However, this must be done from another connection.

In a mobile network, on the other hand, you often buy the network connection directly with the end device. Here it is even more important for the network operator that the customer provides an address, account number, etc. in addition to the name when registering. This usually happens when you purchase the device or z. B. necessary to operate the terminal card. The distributor then enters the data into a management station of the operator of the mobile radio network, for which purpose he has to contact the corresponding service of the management station via a terminal.

Based on this data, a mobile connection can be set up and activated. In the context of the description of the invention, terminal connection, or short connection, is understood to mean the entirety of the technical requirements which are required for the correct establishment of connections and transmission of messages from / to a specific terminal in a communication network and which are specific to a terminal, including the data stored for this.

The object of the invention is to enable the user of a communication terminal to carry out the registration and registration of a terminal connection completely from a terminal and the relevant terminal connection.

This object is achieved by a communication network according to claim 1, a terminal according to claim 4 and a special network node according to claim 8.

The communication or data network according to the invention includes a network termination on the user side, also called a network end point (network termination). This is not released in the non-registered state. After connecting any end device (PC, mobile phone, telephone, ...) to the communication or data network via this network endpoint, it is only possible to establish a connection to a next node or higher-level server, which can carry out a registration procedure.

This higher-level server must at least contain information about the services possible with this service provider or network operator. The customers will then be informed. The transmission protocol used for the transmission depends on the type of communication network concerned and the type of terminal connected. A very simple solution is a menu-driven announcement, in which the individual menu items are then selected using DTMF.

This information about the configuration of the terminal connection desired by the user, together with the customer information (name, address, bank details) is also referred to below as registration information.

The registration information transmitted by the potential customer via the network is received by the higher-level server and has to be stored and processed there. This evaluation and conversion into the required format for the registration information can take place without further intervention by an operator.

After checking the information for plausibility and correctness, the relevant terminal device connection can then be marked in the database of the server as released, or the deactivation can be canceled.

A terminal suitable for the procedure according to the invention must in particular have means for determining, storing, evaluating and transmitting registration information. This includes personal data of the user (such as name, address, account numbers etc.). In addition, so-called usage-related data can be determined, for example services frequently used by the user. In the case of a registration procedure, this data is additionally transmitted to a service provider so that the latter can provide network access that is optimally adapted for the user.

This object is also achieved by a method according to claim 8. An essential prerequisite for the method according to the invention for registering a terminal connection is the availability of a transmission option for registration data to a service provider. This can be implemented, for example, in the form of a “registration protocol”, via which only one destination address - that of the service provider - can be controlled. This destination address can be known on the end device side (the user enters the number in the end device or knows the end device or the network end point) ' the number) . Certain data must be transferable for the service provider, in particular for the billing of the desired services (e.g. name, address, bank details). Furthermore, additional information about the configuration of the desired connection can be included, so that a user-specific login to a service provider is possible.

Many advantages result from the procedure according to the invention. For the "customer" on the network connection side, a new registration is much more convenient than with the conventional procedure. The procedure is handled much faster and more conveniently from home and there is no longer any need to fill out forms by hand.

It is also easier for the service provider to set up connections, the data entered by the customer can be transferred straight away and fed into the administration, and there is no longer any need for additional workers to enter the data at data collection terminals (e.g. in branches of the network access provider) ).

Advantageous refinements and developments are specified in the subclaims.

In the constantly evolving telecommunications landscape and after the release of monopolies such as Deutsche Telekom, it is very likely that the customer will have the choice between different providers and different services. In this scenario, there will also be several higher-level servers with equal rights in the network, for which the connection can be registered. As before, you have to establish a first connection to one of the servers (e.g. to the closest one or to the one that has previously managed the connection, other strategies are conceivable). The credentials are now handled first through this first server. There is a possibility that the first server offers those services that this server offers. However, it can also be the case that after a regular comparison between these various servers, an offer from the other accessible servers can already be displayed.

Several strategies are then conceivable: 1. The customer already selects the service provider / network operator by selecting the desired configuration. If this differs from the owner of the first server, the further negotiation is transferred to a server of the operator concerned. The further procedure is as described above. 2. The customer puts together a range of services, the service provider / network operator is not known to him. After receiving the information, the higher-level server must first determine which service provider / network operator is able to provide the desired services and then hand over the negotiations.

3. The customer specifies additional conditions, eg B. the search for the cheapest provider. In this case, further usage information, such as the frequency of international connections or the usage frequency at certain times, can be used for evaluation. The higher-level server must then use this additional information to determine the most suitable service provider / network operator for the customer.

Since security-critical data (such as the

Credit card number), it is desirable from both sides (potential customer, service provider / network operator) that security measures are taken. The acceptance of such procedures, comparable to orders placed over the Internet, is directly dependent on the security of the data transmission. On the one hand, authentication of the customer and the provider side is urgently required. Secondly, the data transmission must be protected from eavesdropping during the registration process.

One solution to this problem is a higher-level server in the network, the task of which is to provide signatures of the network subscribers. The procedures performed here such. B. Encryption using PGP are already known to the person skilled in the art.

This ^λ security 'server can be identical to the higher-level server of the service provider (who carries out the registration procedure), e.g. B. if only one possible service provider exists in the network. However, it can also be a server that is independent of the service provider / network operator.

The data required for encryption is entered here regardless of the registration process; prior, one-time registration is necessary.

For the advantageous implementation of the method, it is favorable if the end device used by the customer has certain features.

So it may be advantageous to select the ^ best 'service provider to determine more information about the ^λ user habits'. The user can enter this himself to the best of his knowledge, but this can also be determined independently over a longer period of time using a suitable end device. These user habits include information about the type of transmission desired (more voice or data transmission), duration and destinations (^ local calls 'or ^λ long distance calls'). Furthermore, preferably used services such as conference calls, call forwarding etc. can be registered. When a new terminal connection is registered, this terminal is now connected and independently transmits the information previously collected during the registration process. In a further embodiment, the user habits are not transmitted from the terminal to the higher-level server. Instead, the evaluation takes place in the suitable terminal, which is known during the registration process, the registration information of the available service providers / network operators.

A wide variety of configurations are conceivable for the method according to the invention, all of which simplify handling and increase comfort, in particular for the “customer” of the network access provider.

In one embodiment, in addition to a registration procedure, the establishment of a connection to selected further numbers, for example emergency numbers such as the police, fire brigade or emergency doctor, is permitted on a terminal connection which is not registered. A connection to the network access provider is also conceivable, in the form of a hotline, where questions (such as compatibility of the terminal, tariffs etc.) can be clarified before registering a connection.

Since this form of registering a device connection is particularly interesting for people who take up their location for a limited time (e.g. business people who work at the customer's site and change their place of residence for a few months), it is with them proposed procedure also possible to enter an expected end date when registering the connection. This avoids a second process (deregistration) and misuse of the connection of third parties if, for example, the deregistration is unexpectedly delayed.

This preset logoff time can still be checked by the central server and can also be postponed using a similar procedure.

The number of service providers is constantly increasing. The different service providers differ in the Usually by their tariffs and / or by the range of services. It is therefore desirable for the customer to be able to choose between several service providers in order to choose the most suitable one. The terminal can therefore offer a possibility of displaying the services offered, in particular if the customer can choose between several service providers. Many possibilities are conceivable here, such as the use of the surface of the already widespread Internet browser on a computer or the display of a cell phone.

In addition to the selection of the service provider, it is also desirable from this to also select the services offered by the service provider (e.g. ISDN: call forwarding, call waiting, conference call ...).

This collection of selected or preferred services, hereinafter referred to as the ^λ usage profile ', can be entered by the user during each registration process or initially. This procedure is e.g. B. useful if the display and input options of the terminal are limited, such as a mobile phone. Another option is a 'learning' user profile, which logs every change in user behavior (in addition to the services used, the time and place distribution of the connections and / or data transfers performed) and can be used if necessary (i.e. when the next registration process is carried out) . This user profile can be located in the terminal, which the user must then carry with him when changing location. Another option is to store this user profile with the service provider. This makes sense if either the same provider is selected again when moving or if the different providers are networked and exchange data.

An important point is the authentication of the registration or the applicant. The previous written form concludes a contract between the network operator or service provider and the customer. On the other hand, the customer who registers guarantees payment for the services used (provision of a connection and various services with a certain quality of service).

Various identification measures are conceivable to guarantee that the customer registering does not enter incorrectly incorrect data and thereby charges an uninvolved third party with his costs. It is also desirable on the customer side if authentication ensures that a connection has actually been established to a network access provider and not to an uninvolved third party who misuses the data thus obtained (name and account number) for his purposes can.

Various procedures are proposed for authentication or identification before the method is carried out. The customer's end device can be used, for example, to transmit a 'private code' as an identification code.

An even more secure method requires the prior storage of a signature or a key with a reliable server, in which, as with the PGP encryption method, which is already known for data transfer on the PC, the data that has arrived from the server during the registration process Be authenticated to the other side.

In this way, a contract can be concluded that does not require subsequent written confirmation using additional forms.

In one embodiment, it is also conceivable to modify existing, registered terminal connections. This can consist in changing the desired services up to completely deregistering the connection. The invention is explained below on the basis of exemplary embodiments.

The figure shows an exemplary structure of a network. On the left is the user or customer (user) who wants to access a communication network using a terminal (UE). This terminal can have a display device (DIS) and will usually have an input option (TAS). The terminal can now be connected to a communication network via a connection option (NT, Network Termination). This connection option can, for. B. be a TAE socket, but also a mobile station such as the D or E network

Via any transport network, e.g. B. conventional telephony, mobile telephony (different network operators and different transmission protocols used and

Standards) or a data transmission network (Internet, X.25, ATM networks, etc.). These networks all consist of interconnected network elements (NE), via which a connection to a service provider is established. ^Λ virtual connections' (in the case of packet-oriented networks) are also possible.

The network entity (TMN server) provided by the service provider then treats the request made by the user by informing about the available services, registering the requested services and making agreements about the billing of the desired services.

One possible implementation is a special technique in which specialized network nodes take on special tasks in this network. This network architecture is also called an intelligent network in a telephone network. This architecture makes it possible to recognize certain connection or transmission requests and to treat them separately according to predefinable rules. This requires, on the one hand, special switching nodes in the network, which recognize these calls, and, on the other hand, higher-level servers, which contain the rules for handling these calls and for which one Switching nodes can retrieve the information required for this.

It is also possible with the technology of the 'detection points' that special network connections are marked as 'deactivated' in the data base of the higher-level server. It is then possible that the customer can only dial special numbers (the 'hotlines' of the various network operators or service providers, or even selected emergency numbers, toll-free numbers) after connecting his terminal to said connection.

If the selection of the network operator is not successful, a connection to the responsible service provider can be established simply by using the connection (lifting the telephone handset or the modem, 'off-hook'). This is done without first dialing a digit of a destination number, simply by recognizing the source of the call by the higher-level server.

The higher-level server then also negotiates the conditions for the desired connection. This can be done with the help of the html protocol, for example, if a PC or similar is connected to the user side (possibly only for this purpose at short notice). If the customer data is located on this central server, only the entry of the central server has to be changed after verification of the received customer data to such an extent that regular transmissions and target numbers other than the selected hotlines are now possible. The newly registered connection is then immediately ready for use. In the other case, data must be compared beforehand. List of abbreviations

DIS display

DTMF Dial Tone Multy Frequency

GSM Global System for Mobile Communication

HTML Hypertext Markup Language

ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network

NE network element

NET transmission network

NT Network Termination

PGP Pretty Good Privacy

TAE subscriber line equipment

TAS input option (keyboard)

TMN Telecommunications Management Network

UE terminal (user equipment)

Claims

claims 1. Communication or data network with connection means (NT), via which a communication terminal (UE) can be connected to this network and from which it is possible to establish a connection to a specialized server (TMN server) in this network, and with data transmission means in order to transmit credentials and with means for storing the credentials and with means for evaluating the credentials in the server and with means for releasing the terminal connection in accordance with the transmitted credentials. 2. Communication or data network according to claim 1, characterized in that there are at least two specialized servers that are connected to each other via the communication network, and can enable a registration of the terminal connection, and with means for evaluating the registration information and for selecting the the desired connection to the most suitable server. 3. Communication or data network according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a server in the communication network contains information that enables authentication and / or encryption of the transmitted data. Terminal in a communication network with means for storing registration information and / or data related to the usage habits of the user and with a transmission device for transmitting this information and / or usage-related data to a communication network when registering a terminal connection. 5. Terminal according to claim 4, characterized in that the usage-related data collected in the storage device are determined and stored by means of collecting usage information during the usage time of the terminal. 6. Terminal according to claim 4, characterized in that a display device is present, by means of which the user can be shown a selection of configurable, usage-related data, and an input device, by means of which the user can select from the usage-related data and enter it in a storage device . 7. Terminal according to one of the claims 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that Means for evaluation are available, which can determine the best for the user from several connection options, based on the usage-related data stored in the terminal. 8. Server in a communication network, with means for recognizing a request for registration that is transmitted from a non-registered subscriber to the server via the communication network and with means for evaluating this request for registration and with means for checking the correctness of the data contained in the request for registration and with means for configuring a terminal connection and with means for releasing this terminal connection. 9. A method for registering a terminal connection in a communication or data transmission network, with a terminal providing a communication facility for a terminal at a non-registered terminal connection in this network which is only provided for performing a registration process and which registers the terminal enables this terminal connection by a user of this terminal being able to set up this connection individually in a registration process. 10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that connections to special communication partners can be established from a non-registered terminal connection without a prior registration of this connection in the communication network being required. 11. The method according to any one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the registration of the terminal connection is valid for a predetermined, limited period. 12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 9, 10 or 11, characterized in that during the registration process on the terminal is displayed, which service provider can be selected for this terminal connection and / or which services can be provided by this service provider. 13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the user can select and adapt services individually on the basis of the services proposed by the service provider when registering. 14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 9 to 13, characterized in that the selection of the services used is based on a user profile which is stored in the terminal and contains information about the type of services desired. 15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the user profile is generated and updated in the terminal, based on empirical values during the period of use by the user. 16. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 9 to 15, characterized in that the user profile is generated and updated in the terminal on the basis of empirical values during the period of use by the user. 17. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 9 to 16, characterized in that after selection of the desired services, a registration is made with the service provider who offers the desired service at the cheapest cost. 18. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 9 to 17, characterized in that after the selection of the desired services, when the information is transmitted, an authentication takes place. 19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that the authentication is carried out by a private code that the terminal supplies. 20. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that the authentication of the customer against the service provider is carried out by a signature that is stored on a reliable server. 21. The method according to any one of claims 18, 19 or 20, characterized in that the authentication of the service provider to the customer is carried out by a signature that is stored on a reliable server. 22. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 9 to 21, characterized in that a modification of the registered connection is possible by reselecting the services offered.