Apparatus and method for detecting a cloned base station
First Claim
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1. A method, performed by a wireless mobile communications device, of detecting the presence of a cloned base station, the method comprising:
- determining whether a Neighbor Cell List, which lists channels of base stations of neighboring cells, has been received from the current serving cell at the wireless mobile communication device;
when it is determined that the Neighbor Cell List has not been received from the current serving cell at the wireless mobile communication device, sending from the wireless mobile communication device a warning to a user of the wireless mobile communications device that the base station for the current serving cell is a base-station clone;
when it is determined that the Neighbor Cell List has been received from the current serving cell at the wireless mobile communication device, sensing, by the wireless mobile communication device, respective power levels of each of the channels listed in the Neighbor Cell List;
determining whether at least a predetermined number of neighboring cells listed in the Neighbor Cell List have a power level of zero;
when it is determined that (1) the Neighbor Cell List has been received from the current serving cell at the wireless mobile communication device, and (2) at least the predetermined number of neighboring cells listed in the Neighbor Cell List have a power level of zero, sensing, by the wireless mobile communication device, a power level of the current serving cell;
determining whether the power level of the current serving cell is greater than a current-serving-cell threshold power level; and
when it is determined that (1) the Neighbor Cell List has been received from the current serving cell at the wireless mobile communication device, (2) at least the predetermined number of neighboring cells listed in the Neighbor Cell List have a power level of zero, and (3) the power level of the current serving cell is greater than a current-serving-cell threshold power level, sending from the wireless mobile communication device a warning to a user of the wireless mobile communication device that the base station for the current serving cell is a base-station clone.
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Abstract
Communications are established between a base station and a mobile unit. The mobile unit analyzes the content of at least some information received from the base station relating to neighboring cells. When the analyzing indicates that the base station is a cloned base station, a warning is initiated to the user.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. A method, performed by a wireless mobile communications device, of detecting the presence of a cloned base station, the method comprising:
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determining whether a Neighbor Cell List, which lists channels of base stations of neighboring cells, has been received from the current serving cell at the wireless mobile communication device; when it is determined that the Neighbor Cell List has not been received from the current serving cell at the wireless mobile communication device, sending from the wireless mobile communication device a warning to a user of the wireless mobile communications device that the base station for the current serving cell is a base-station clone; when it is determined that the Neighbor Cell List has been received from the current serving cell at the wireless mobile communication device, sensing, by the wireless mobile communication device, respective power levels of each of the channels listed in the Neighbor Cell List; determining whether at least a predetermined number of neighboring cells listed in the Neighbor Cell List have a power level of zero; when it is determined that (1) the Neighbor Cell List has been received from the current serving cell at the wireless mobile communication device, and (2) at least the predetermined number of neighboring cells listed in the Neighbor Cell List have a power level of zero, sensing, by the wireless mobile communication device, a power level of the current serving cell; determining whether the power level of the current serving cell is greater than a current-serving-cell threshold power level; and when it is determined that (1) the Neighbor Cell List has been received from the current serving cell at the wireless mobile communication device, (2) at least the predetermined number of neighboring cells listed in the Neighbor Cell List have a power level of zero, and (3) the power level of the current serving cell is greater than a current-serving-cell threshold power level, sending from the wireless mobile communication device a warning to a user of the wireless mobile communication device that the base station for the current serving cell is a base-station clone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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Specification