Method for Selectively Exposing Subscriber Data
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for selectively exposing subscriber data include maintaining subscriber data at a digital data storage, wherein the digital data storage is protected by a service provider firewall. A request to expose subscriber data from a third-party requestor is received. Selected subscriber data and a security condition associated with the request are determined, wherein the security condition is based on an identity of the third-party requestor. The selected subscriber data is retrieved if the security condition is satisfied, and the selected subscriber data is transmitted to the third-party requestor.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/282,009, filed Oct. 26, 2011, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present disclosure relates to selectively exposing subscriber data maintained by a telecommunications service provider to third parties.
BACKGROUNDTelecommunications service providers are currently looking for solutions that enable the monetization of their network assets beyond traditional models such as long-distance and toll-free calling services. For example, service providers can turn the vast amounts of data they have about their subscribers into valuable “contextual” information for third-parties. However, this subscriber contextual data is often not readily accessible to third-parties, and is not typically exposed in a manner that is both efficient and secure.
SUMMARYMethods, systems and articles of manufacture for selectively exposing subscriber data may be implemented by maintaining subscriber data at a digital data storage, wherein the digital data storage is protected by a service provider firewall. A request to expose subscriber data from a third-party requestor is received via an application programming interface. Selected subscriber data and a security condition associated with the request are determined. The security condition is based on an identity of the third-party requestor. The selected subscriber data is retrieved if the security condition is satisfied, and the selected subscriber data is transmitted to the third-party requestor.
In accordance with an embodiment, selectively exposing subscriber data may be implemented by determining whether a subscriber opt-in rule is associated with the selected subscriber data. The selected subscriber data is retrieved if the subscriber opt-in rule is satisfied. The subscriber opt-in rule may be satisfied based on a subscriber opt-in response, such as a voice or text message response. A time-limit may be imposed for receiving the subscriber opt-in response.
In accordance with an embodiment, selectively exposing subscriber data may be implemented by updating the subscriber opt-in rule based on the subscriber opt-in response. A new subscriber opt-in rule may be generated based on the subscriber opt-in response.
In accordance with an embodiment, selectively exposing subscriber data may be implemented by maintaining the subscriber data in a cache memory. The selected subscriber data may include at least one of subscriber profile, device property or location data.
These and other advantages will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
Subscriber data maintained by telecommunications service providers, including customer profile, device identity and customer authentication data may be selectively exposed to third-parties for improving customer-service applications (e.g., network-based call handling, and mobile payments), enabling customer-service applications and other uses. It should be appreciated that such applications may be web-based applications (e.g., browsers and social networks).
The subscriber data management element 204 may store and retrieve subscriber data from one or more subscriber databases, such as a subscriber database 212 protected by a service provider firewall at a telecommunications service provider 102. The subscriber data management element 204 may also update the subscriber data in a subscriber database 212 based on periodic or push-based notifications from a service provider 102.
The subscriber data management element 204 selectively exposes subscriber data to customers 106 in response to requests received via the APIs 208. As described in further detail below, the subscriber data management element 204 may employ a variety of security algorithms to selectively expose subscriber data. For example, the subscriber data management element 204 may require a subscriber 104 to affirmatively opt-in for the exposure of sensitive subscriber data, while subscriber opt-in may not be required for the exposure of other less sensitive data. As such, the opt-in management element 206 may manage subscriber opt-in information, and may also initiate message-based or offline Web-based subscriber opt-in capabilities by contacting a subscriber 104 for opt-in permission and allowing the subscriber data to be exposed only if a subscriber opt-in rule is satisfied.
The selective exposure of subscriber data may also include subscriber authentication. For example, a confidence level score (e.g., 0 to 100%) may represent a confidence level that a subscriber (or other requesting entity) is who they claim to be. In one embodiment, the subscriber data management element 204 may determine a confidence level score for authenticating a subscriber 104 by accessing a voice call platform 214 that monitors biometric characteristics of the subscriber's voice (e.g., via a voice recognition algorithm), in combination with other factors, such as a device's current location. For example, if the device location is known to be the subscriber's home or work address, the confidence level score may increase. On the other hand, if the device shows recent unusual calling or location patterns this could lower the score, or prompt the subscriber data management element 204 to make one or more additional authentication requests, such as for a personal identification number (PIN), password or the like. While the preceding example is exemplary, it will be appreciated that a variety of techniques (e.g., neural networks, advanced metrics and the like) may be used to determine a confidence level score, or otherwise determine that a subscriber or other requesting entity is who they claim to be, for authentication purposes.
For ease of understanding, the platform 200 is described as comprising discrete elements performing discrete tasks. However, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the functions of one or more of the elements may be combined and/or performed by one or more consolidated elements, such as a processor in cooperation with memory. Further, a service provider 102 may wish to bundle the selective exposure of subscriber data with other services (e.g., legacy services such as toll-free and long distance applications). Therefore, it should be understood that one or more elements or functions of the platform 200 may be integrated into various elements or functions of a general application exposure platform 210.
In one embodiment, a mobile application 302 intercepts a call dialed from a mobile device 303 (e.g., a user equipment device such as a smart-phone) when subscriber opt-in is required before the call is connected. For example, a call directed to a customer 106 may be received at an API 208, and the subscriber data management element 204 may direct the mobile application 302 to present a graphical user interface (GUI) prompt asking whether the dialing subscriber wishes to opt-in to share data with the customer 106.
In another embodiment, certain trusted Web-based providers, such as browsers and social networks 305, may have a provider Web-based portal 304 for providing off-line customer services, such as authenticating subscribers. The platform 200 may include a portal integration module 306 for interfacing with a provider Web-based portal 304 to access subscriber authentication, new subscriber enrollment, off-line subscriber opt-in management and other capabilities in lieu of performing such operations internally. For example, a provider Web-based portal 304 may be allowed to opt-in for data exposure on behalf of a subscriber.
The platform 200 may also include a cache memory 308, such as for frequently exposed subscriber data that would typically be stored in the subscriber database 212. The cache memory 308 may be accessible for storing, pre-retrieving or reconstructing subscriber data 212 from one or more service providers 102 to avoid performance penalties during real-time data lookups. For example, new subscriber data and third-party application attributes may initially be stored in the cache memory 308 for increased speed and efficiency.
In another embodiment, when selected subscriber data from a particular service provider 102 is proprietary, or only a subset of subscriber data is available, the cache memory 308 may be accessible for reconstructing the unavailable, restricted or missing subscriber data from available data (e.g., a home time-zone update may be reconstructed based on a subscriber's known address).
As mentioned above, the platform 200 includes one or more APIs 208 interfacing with third-party applications 202, and in the various embodiments, the APIs 208 may include any function that relates to subscriber data maintained by one or more service providers 102.
The above-described methods may be implemented on a computer using well-known computer processors, memory units, storage devices, computer software, and other components. A high-level block diagram of such a computer is illustrated in
The foregoing Detailed Description is to be understood as being in every respect illustrative and exemplary, but not restrictive, and the scope of the invention disclosed herein is not to be determined from the Detailed Description, but rather from the claims as interpreted according to the full breadth permitted by the patent laws. It is to be understood that the embodiments shown and described herein are only illustrative of the principles of the present invention and that various modifications may be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Those skilled in the art could implement various other feature combinations without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
Claims
1. A method comprising:
- receiving a request from a third-party requestor to expose subscriber data;
- determining a security condition associated with the third-party requestor;
- determining a historical calling pattern and a historical location pattern of the third-party requestor for a selected time period;
- requesting authentication information of the third-party requestor based on the historical calling pattern and the historical location pattern of the third-party requestor;
- determining a confidence level score representing a confidence level in a represented identity of the third-party requestor based at least on the historical calling pattern, the historical location pattern, and the authentication information; and
- transmitting the subscriber data to the third-party requestor based on the confidence level score satisfying a threshold confidence level score of the security condition.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
- responsive to the confidence level score not satisfying the threshold confidence level score, requesting additional authentication information of the third-party requestor so that the confidence level score satisfies the threshold confidence level score.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
- determining whether a subscriber opt-in rule is associated with the subscriber data; and
- transmitting the subscriber data based on the subscriber opt-in rule being satisfied.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the subscriber opt-in rule is satisfied based on a subscriber opt-in response.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
- determining whether at least some of the subscriber data includes sensitive subscriber data; and
- in response to determining that at least some of the subscriber data includes sensitive subscriber data, transmitting the subscriber data based on a subscriber opt-in being satisfied.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
- pre-retrieving frequently exposed subscriber data; and
- storing the frequently exposed subscriber data in cache memory.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber data includes at least one of a subscriber profile, device property, and location data.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the security condition comprises an authentication confidence indication.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the request from at least one of a Web-based provider portal, an enterprise application, and a mobile application.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the subscriber data is unavailable, the method further comprising:
- generating at least a portion of the unavailable subscriber data based on available subscriber data.
11. An apparatus comprising:
- an application programming interface configured to receive a request from a third-party requestor to expose subscriber data; and
- a subscriber data management element configured to: determine a security condition associated with the third-party requestor; determine a historical calling pattern and a historical location pattern of the third-party requestor for a selected time period; request authentication information of the third-party requestor based on the historical calling pattern and the historical location pattern of the third-party requestor; determine a confidence level score representing a confidence level in a represented identity of the third-party requestor based at least on the historical calling pattern, the historical location pattern, and the authentication information; and transmit the subscriber data to the third-party requestor based on the confidence level score satisfying a threshold confidence level score of the security condition.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the subscriber data management element is further configured to:
- responsive to the confidence level score not satisfying the threshold confidence level score, requesting additional authentication information of the third-party requestor so that the confidence level score satisfies the threshold confidence level score.
13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the subscriber data management element is further configured to:
- determine whether a subscriber opt-in rule is associated with the subscriber data; and
- transmit the subscriber data based on the subscriber opt-in rule being satisfied.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the subscriber opt-in rule is satisfied based on a subscriber opt-in response.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the subscriber data management element is further configured to generate a new subscriber opt-in rule based on the subscriber opt-in response.
16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the subscriber data management element is further configured to:
- determine whether at least some of the subscriber data includes sensitive subscriber data; and
- in response to determining that at least some of the subscriber data includes sensitive subscriber data, transmit the subscriber data based on a subscriber opt-in being satisfied.
17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the subscriber data management element is further configured to:
- pre-retrieve frequently exposed subscriber data; and
- store the frequently exposed subscriber data in cache memory.
18. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, that in response to execution by a computing device causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:
- receiving a request from a third-party requestor to expose subscriber data;
- determining a security condition associated with the third-party requestor;
- determining a historical calling pattern and a historical location pattern of the third-party requestor for a selected time period;
- requesting authentication information of the third-party requestor based on the historical calling pattern and the historical location pattern of the third-party requestor;
- determining a confidence level score representing a confidence level in a represented identity of the third-party requestor based at least on the historical calling pattern, the historical location pattern, and the authentication information; and
- transmitting the subscriber data to the third-party requestor based on the confidence level score satisfying a threshold confidence level score of the security condition.
19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, further comprising:
- responsive to the confidence level score not satisfying the threshold confidence level score, requesting additional authentication information of the third-party requestor so that the confidence level score satisfies the threshold confidence level score.
20. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the subscriber data is unavailable, the operations further comprising:
- generating at least a portion of the unavailable subscriber data based on available subscriber data.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 23, 2015
Publication Date: Jun 11, 2015
Applicant: ALCATEL LUCENT (Boulogne Billancourt)
Inventors: Alok Sharma (Lisle, IL), Yigang Cai (Naperville, IL)
Application Number: 14/628,782