Enhanced privacy protection in a telecommunication network

摘要

The present invention relates to enhanced privacy protection in a telecommunication network in which unique virtual phone numbers are used that are called party specific, i.e., different virtual phone numbers are used for the relation of different communication between a subscriber (101) of the privacy service and other parties (102). That is, if a given virtual number is called from a different number that was assigned to, then this call will be rejected, but the call will be set up if the given virtual phone number is called from a phone number that was assigned to. In this way, the privacy is better protected.

主权项

1. A method for enhanced privacy protection in a telecommunication network in which a privacy service of a network operator is applied to a subscriber communicating with other parties, the method implemented at a server device in the telecommunication network during a call setup procedure and comprising:
identifying, at the server device, the subscriber applying the privacy service of the network operator in correlation to the other parties; identifying, at the server device, a phone number of another party communicating with the subscriber in the privacy service; assigning, at the server device during the call setup procedure, a virtual phone number that is unique to the relation between the subscriber and the phone number of the another party communicating with the subscriber, wherein assigning the virtual phone number comprises automatically generating the virtual phone number responsive to the subscriber generating a first call towards the another party and is connected to the called number; at the server device, rejecting calls towards the virtual phone number initiated by a calling party that is different from the party the virtual number is assigned to; and at the server device, setting up calls towards the virtual phone number initiated by a calling party that is identical to the party the virtual number is assigned to.