Patent · US Expired

User-transparent security method and apparatus for authenticating user terminal access to a network

US5721780A · kind A · utility

181Cited by
2References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 31, 1995
Grant dateFeb 24, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 31, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04Q2213/13515
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention provides a password authentication security system for a telecommunications network having a plurality of user terminals or subscriber stations communicably coupled to the network. The system comprises a network control center coupled to the subscriber stations, to service provider stations and to network databases via the network. Upon establishment of a communication with a subscriber station, a network coupling identifier comprising in one embodiment the telephone number of the line to which the subscriber station is connected is detected at a telephone switching office and transmitted to the control center. If this is the first time communications have been established between the subscriber station and the network, the received telephone number is encrypted to produce a secret password that is then automatically transmitted to the subscriber station for storage in memory. Upon subsequent communications, the telephone number is again received by the control center where it is encrypted to produce a second password. The first password is then automatically retrieved from memory of the subscriber station independent of user interaction. The two passwords are…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.