Method, system and computer program product for countering anti-traffic redirection

• US 20060246897A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobileum, Incorporated fka Roamware
• Original Assignee: Mobileum, Incorporated fka Roamware
• Inventors: Jiang, John Yue Jun
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

A method and system for countering anti-traffic redirection of a roaming mobile station is provided. Observing registration messages exchanged between the visiting network and the home network, the disclosed invention detects if the visiting network has deployed an anti-traffic-redirection mechanism as aimed at fooling the home network into permitting connection with a non-preferred network. The invention also provides for a way to steer the roamer to reattempt connection with a preferred network.

Claims

1. A method for countering an anti-traffic redirection of a roaming mobile station in a Visiting Public Mobile Network (VPMN) by a Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN), the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a forced connection of the roaming mobile station to a non-preferred VPMN by observing exchange of at least one registration message between the VPMN and the HPMN, and

steering the roaming mobile station to reinitiate a registration attempt with a preferred VPMN.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the forced connection comprises passively monitoring the exchange of registration messages between the VPMN and the HPMN.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the forced connection comprises actively monitoring the exchange of registration messages between the VPMN and the HPMN.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the forced connection comprises checking a number of LUP messages received within a configurable threshold time interval.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein steering the roaming mobile station comprises sending a Location Update Reject registration message in response to a predefined number of LUP messages received within the configurable threshold time interval.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predefined number of LUP messages is one or more.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the configurable threshold time interval is 15 seconds.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of statistically configuring the threshold time interval based on the number of LUP messages received within the configurable threshold time interval.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the forced connection comprises checking for a time gap between two consecutive LUP messages.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein steering the roaming mobile station comprises sending a Location Update Reject message in response to the two consecutive LUP messages received after a gap of a configurable extended time interval.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the configurable extended time interval is 2 times a configurable threshold time interval.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the configurable extended time interval is 30 seconds.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein sending the Location Update Reject message is executed only a predetermined number of times.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the predetermined number is within the range of 1 to 2.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the forced connection comprises checking for a Location Update (LUP) message received subsequent to a successful registration, within a configurable time interval and for a threshold number of outbound roamers registered with the same VPMN.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the configurable time interval is 10 minutes.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the threshold number of outbound roamers is at least one.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the threshold number of outbound roamers is calculated as a percentage of total outbound roamers registered with the VPMN.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein steering the roaming mobile station comprises sending a MAP-Cancel Location message after a configurable time interval subsequent to issuing a LUP ack to a VPMN.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the configurable time interval is 10 minutes.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein steering the roaming mobile station comprises sending a MAP-Cancel Location after a configurable time interval subsequent to receiving a MAP RestoreData from a VPMN.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the configurable time interval is 10 minutes.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein, steering the roaming mobile station comprises sending ISD (RR) for a configurable number of times in response to an ISD ACK with System Failure, Unexpected Data Value and Missing Data.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the forced connection comprises checking for a Location Update (LUP) message received within a configurable time interval subsequent to a RNA message for a particular mobile station on a particular VPMN.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein steering the roaming mobile station comprises sending a RNA message, in response to the LUP message received within the configurable time period of sending the last RNA message to the mobile station attempting registration with the VPMN.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the configurable time period is 20 seconds.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein, steering the roaming mobile station comprises sending a RNA error code in response to a location update request from a VPMN which has disabled OTA messages from the HPMN.

28. A system for countering an anti-traffic redirection of a roaming mobile station in a Visiting Public Mobile Network (VPMN) by a Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN), the system comprising of:

a probing block for observing at least one registration message exchanged between the VPMN and the HPMN,

a detecting block for detecting a forced connection of the mobile roaming station to a non-preferred VPMN, and

a redirection block for steering the roaming mobile station to reinitiate a registration attempt with a preferred VPMN.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the VPMN and the HPMN are a part of a wireless network.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the wireless network includes GSM, GPRS, 3G, CDMA, WCDMA, TDMA, WLL, WiFi, WiMax and VolP networks.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the probing block intercepts a signaling link between the HPMN and an international STP.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the probing block passively monitors the registration messages exchanged between the VPMN and the HPMN.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the probing block is coupled to the HPMN Roaming STP.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the probing block actively monitors the registration messages exchanged between the VPMN and the HPMN.

35. The system of claim 28, wherein the probing block monitors the registration messages exchanged between a VPMN and a HPMN STP.

36. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium including a computer readable program code for countering an anti-traffic redirection of a roaming mobile station in a Visiting Public Mobile Network (VPMN) by a Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN), the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code configured for detecting a possible forced connection of the roaming mobile station to a non-preferred VPMN by observing at least one registration message exchanged between the VPMN and the HPMN, and

computer readable program code configured for steering the roaming mobile station to reinitiate a registration attempt with a preferred VPMN.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, comprising computer readable program code configured for passively monitoring the registration messages exchanged between the VPMN and the HPMN.

38. The computer program product of claim 36, comprising computer readable program code configured for actively monitoring the registration messages exchanged between the VPMN and the HPMN.

39. The computer program product of claim 36, comprising computer readable program code configured for checking the number of LUP messages received within a configurable threshold time interval.

40. The computer program product of claim 36, comprising computer readable program code configured for sending a Location Update Reject registration message in response to a predefined number of LUP messages received within the configurable threshold time interval.

41. The computer program product of claim 36, comprising computer readable program code for statistically configuring the threshold time interval on the basis of the number of LUP messages received within the configurable threshold time interval.

42. The computer program product of claim 36 comprising computer readable program code configured for checking for a time gap between two consecutive LUP messages.

43. The computer program product of claim 36, comprising computer readable program code configured for sending a Location Update Reject message in response to two consecutive LUP messages received after a gap of a configurable extended time interval.

44. The computer program product of claim 36, comprising computer readable program code configured for checking for a Location Update (LUP) message received subsequent to a successful Location Update, within a configurable time interval and for a threshold number of outbound roamers registered on the same VPMN.

45. The computer program product of claim 36, comprising computer readable program code configured for sending a MAP-Cancel Location after a configurable time interval subsequent to issuing a LUP ack to a VPMN.

46. The computer program product of claim 36, comprising computer readable program code configured for sending a MAP-Cancel Location after a configurable time interval subsequent to receiving a MAP RestoreData from a VPMN.

47. The computer program product of claim 36, comprising computer readable program code configured for sending ISD (RR) for a configurable number of times in response to an ISD ACK with System Failure, Unexpected Data Value, RNA and Missing Data.

48. The computer program product of claim 36, comprising computer readable program code configured for checking for a Location Update (LUP) message received within a configurable time interval subsequent to a RNA message for a particular mobile station on a particular VPMN.

49. The computer program product of claim 36, comprising computer readable program code configured for sending a RNA message, in response to the LUP message received within the configurable time period of sending the last RNA message to the mobile station attempting registration with the VPMN.

50. The computer program product of claim 36, comprising computer readable program code configured for sending a RNA error code in response to a location update request from a VPMN.