METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THEFT OF SERVICE IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20080076386A1
• Filed: 09/22/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kineto Wireless Incorporated (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tao, Patrick, Gupta, Rajeev, Markovic, Milan, Khetawat, Amit, Gallagher, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,995,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/16 with lock-out or secrecy provision in party-line systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• 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 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

A method of preventing theft of service in a communication system that includes a first wireless communication system and a second wireless communication system that includes a Femtocell access point (FAP) and a network controller that can communicatively couple the FAP to the first wireless communication system. The method creates an authorized session that includes a session identify for a first user equipment (UE). The UE is recognized by the first communication as an authorized UE to use the FAP. The method rejects a request by the FAP to register a second UE when the identity of the second UE does not match any identity in the set of first UE identities. The rejected request includes the session identity of the authorized session and the identity of the second UE. The second UE is not recognized by the first communication system as an authorized UE to use the FAP.

Claims

1. A method of preventing theft of service in a communication system comprising a first wireless communication system and a second wireless communication system comprising a Femtocell access point (FAP) and a network controller communicatively coupling the FAP to the first wireless communication system, the method comprising:

a) creating an authorized session comprising a session identity for a first user equipment (UE), said session for communicatively coupling the first UE with the first wireless communication system through the FAP, the first UE recognized by the first wireless communication system as an authorized UE to use the FAP, the first UE identified by a set of identities; and

b) rejecting a request by the FAP to register a second UE when an identity of the second UE does not match any identity in said set of first UE identities, wherein the rejected request comprises the session identity of the authorized session and the identity of the second UE, the second UE not recognized by the first wireless communication system as an authorized UE to use the FAP.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of first UE identities comprises an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of the first UE.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of first UE identities comprises a temporary mobile subscriber identity for circuit switched (CS) services (TMSI) assigned by the first wireless communication system to the first UE.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the set of first UE identities comprises a temporary mobile subscriber identity for packet switched (PS) services (P-TMSI) assigned by the first wireless communication system to the first UE.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising deregistering said authorized session for the first UE.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorized session is a first session, the method further comprising creating a second authorized session using an identity of the first UE from said set of identities of the first UE.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE is communicatively coupled to the FAP using a short-range licensed wireless frequency.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication system is a generic access network (GAN), wherein the network controller is a generic access network controller (GANC).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network controller is communicatively coupled to the first wireless communication system through a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) Iu interface.

10. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for execution, the computer program for preventing theft of service in a communication system comprising a first wireless communication system and a second wireless communication system comprising a Femtocell access point (FAP) and a network controller communicatively coupling the FAP to the first wireless communication, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

a) creating an authorized session comprising a session identity for a first user equipment (UE), said session for communicatively coupling the first UE with the first wireless communication system through the FAP, the first UE recognized by the first wireless communication system as an authorized UE to use the FAP, the first UE identified by a set of identities; and

b) rejecting a request by the FAP to register a second UE when an identity of the second UE does not match any identity in said set of first UE identities, wherein the rejected request comprises the session identity of the authorized session and the identity of the second UE, the second UE not recognized by the first wireless communication system as an authorized UE to use the FAP.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the set of first UE identities comprises an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of the first UE.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the set of first UE identities comprises a temporary mobile subscriber identity for circuit switched (CS) services (TMSI) assigned by the first wireless communication system to the first UE.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the set of first UE identities comprises a temporary mobile subscriber identity for packet switched (PS) services (P-TMSI) assigned by the first wireless communication system to the first UE.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for deregistering said authorized session for the first UE.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the authorized session is a first session, the method further comprising creating a second authorized session using an identity of the first UE from said set of identities of the first UE.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the UE is communicatively coupled to the FAP using a short-range licensed wireless frequency.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second wireless communication system is a generic access network (GAN), wherein the network controller is a generic access network controller (GANC).

18. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the network controller is communicatively coupled to the first wireless communication system through a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) Iu interface.