Method and Apparatus for Authenticating Users of An Emergency Communication Network

Abstract

An authentication system is configured to weight multiple available network supplied and user supplied authentication factors to determine whether a user should be provided with access to an Emergency Communication Network (ECN). The multiple factors may include the location of the user, MIN, short PIN, token, biometric information, and other information. The level of access to be provided to the user may be tiered based on the authentication level achieved during the weighting process. Authentication information may be shared between groups of individuals, so that the authentication requirements for group members may be reduced as other members of the group supply authentication information to the ECN. Group authentication may be used to enable group services such as conferencing and push-to-talk to be set up automatically for the group.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of providing access to a communication service, the method comprising:
 collecting multiple elements of authentication information associated with a prospective user of the communication service, no single element of authentication information being sufficient to secure access to the communication service for the user;   applying a weighted authentication process to the multiple elements of authentication information; and   determining, from the weighted authentication process, a level of access to the communication service to provide to the user.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the determined level of access is selected from a plurality of levels of access, the plurality of access levels including a no access level. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of levels of access comprises at least two differentiated access levels in addition to the no access level. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the elements of authentication information is provided by a communication network which provides at least part of the communication service. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the multiple elements of authentication information comprises information associated with a device used to request authentication. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the multiple elements of authentication information comprises a location associated with a device used to request authentication. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the multiple elements of authentication information comprises biometric information associated with a prospective user of the communication service. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising prompting the prospective user for at least one of the multiple elements of authentication information. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein requirements for one element of authentication information depend on information provided for another element of authentication information. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein:
 an authentication identifier having a first number of characters is required when combined with first information provided for at least one other element of authentication information; and   an authentication identifier having a second number of characters is required when combined with second information provided for the at least one other element of authentication information.   
     
     
         31 . A method of providing access to a communication service, the method comprising:
 collecting authentication information associated with a first prospective user of the communication service;   authenticating the first prospective user based on the collected information;   receiving from a second prospective user of the communication service a request to communicate with the first prospective user; and   enabling the second prospective user to communicate with the first prospective user using the communication service without requiring the second prospective user to authenticate with the communication service.   
     
     
         32 . A method of providing access to a communication service, the method comprising:
 establishing a group association for a group of prospective users of the communication service;   authenticating the first prospective user; and   using information received from the authenticated first prospective user in authenticating other prospective users of the group of prospective users.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein authenticating the first prospective user comprises:
 collecting authentication information from the first prospective user; and   applying a weighted authentication process to the collected authentication information.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein using information received from the authenticated first prospective user in authenticating other prospective users of the group of prospective users comprises enabling access to the communication service by the other prospective users without requiring authentication by the other prospective users. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein using information received from the authenticated first prospective user in authenticating other prospective users of the group of prospective users comprises reducing a number of elements of authentication information required from other prospective users of the group for authentication of the other prospective users. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein using information received from the authenticated first prospective user in authenticating other prospective users of the group of prospective users comprises reducing a length of a personal identifier required from other prospective users of the group for authentication of the other prospective users. 
     
     
         37 . An authentication server for providing access to a communication service, the server comprising:
 a processor, a storage medium connected to the processor storing authentication instructions for execution by the processor and a network interface connected to the processor and operable to connect the processor to a communication network providing at least part of the communication service, the authentication instructions comprising instructions executable by the processor:   to collect multiple elements of authentication information associated with a prospective user of the communication service, no single element of authentication information being sufficient to secure access to the communication service for the user;   to apply a weighted authentication process to the multiple elements of authentication information; and   to determine, from the weighted authentication process, a level of access to the communication service to provide to the user.   
     
     
         38 . The server of  claim 37 , wherein the instructions executable to determine a level of access are instructions executable to select from a plurality of levels of access, the plurality of access levels including a no access level. 
     
     
         39 . The server of  claim 38 , wherein the plurality of levels of access comprises at least two differentiated access levels in addition to the no access level. 
     
     
         40 . The server of  claim 37 , wherein at least one of the elements of authentication information is provided by the communication network which provides at least part of the communication service. 
     
     
         41 . The server of  claim 37 , wherein at least one of the multiple elements of authentication information comprises information associated with a device used to request authentication. 
     
     
         42 . The server of  claim 37 , wherein at least one of the multiple elements of authentication information comprises a location associated with a device used to request authentication. 
     
     
         43 . The server of  claim 37 , wherein at least one of the multiple elements of authentication information comprises biometric information associated with a prospective user of the communication service. 
     
     
         44 . The server of  claim 37 , wherein the authentication instructions further comprise instructions executable to prompt the prospective user for at least one of the multiple elements of authentication information. 
     
     
         45 . The server of  claim 37 , wherein requirements for one element of authentication information depend on information provided for another element of authentication information. 
     
     
         46 . The server of  claim 45 , wherein the authentication instructions comprise instructions executable by the processor:
 to require an authentication identifier having a first number of characters when combined with first information provided for at least one other element of authentication information; and   to require an authentication identifier having a second number of characters when combined with second information provided for the at least one other element of authentication information.   
     
     
         47 . An authentication server for providing access to a communication service, the server comprising:
 a processor, a storage medium connected to the processor storing authentication instructions for execution by the processor and a network interface connected to the processor and operable to connect the processor to a communication network providing at least part of the communication service, the authentication instructions comprising instructions executable by the processor:   to collect authentication information associated with a first prospective user of the communication service;   to authenticate the first prospective user of the communication service based on the collected authentication information;   to receive from a second prospective user of the communication service a request to communicate with the first prospective user; and   to enable the second prospective user to communicate with the first prospective user using the communication service without requiring the second prospective user to authenticate with the communication service.   
     
     
         48 . An authentication server for providing access to a communication service, the server comprising:
 a processor, a storage medium connected to the processor storing authentication instructions for execution by the processor and a network interface connected to the processor and operable to connect the processor to a communication network providing at least part of the communication service, the authentication software comprising instructions executable by the processor:   to establish a group association for a group of prospective users of the communication service;   to authenticate the first prospective user; and   to use information received from the authenticated first prospective user in authenticating other prospective users of the group of prospective users.   
     
     
         49 . The server of  claim 48 , wherein the instructions executable to authenticate the first prospective user comprise instructions executable:
 to collect authentication information from the first prospective user; and   to apply a weighted authentication process to the collected authentication information.   
     
     
         50 . The server of  claim 48 , wherein the instructions executable to use information received from the authenticated first prospective user in authenticating other prospective users of the group of prospective users comprise instructions executable to enable access to the communication service by the other prospective users without requiring authentication by the other prospective users. 
     
     
         51 . The server of  claim 48 , wherein the instructions executable to use information received from the authenticated first prospective user in authenticating other prospective users of the group of prospective users comprise instructions executable to reduce a number of elements of authentication information required from other prospective users of the group for authentication of the other prospective users. 
     
     
         52 . The server of  claim 48 , wherein the instructions executable to use information received from the authenticated first prospective user in authenticating other prospective users of the group of prospective users comprise instructions executable to reduce a length of a personal identifier required from other prospective users of the group for authentication of the other prospective users.