METHOD FOR THE INTERCEPTION OF GTP-C MESSAGES
First Claim
1. A method for the interception of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) control (GTP-C) messages, comprising:
- intercepting a GTP-C message at a control module;
said control module residing between a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN);
said message originating from a wireless subscriber device and carried to said control module via said SGSN;
performing a balance query to determine if said wireless subscriber device has a sufficient balance;
forwarding said message from said control module to said GGSN if said wireless subscriber device has a sufficient balance; and
,causing modification of said GTP-C message if said subscriber device has insufficient balance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a species of control-message intercept method which includes a passive monitoring approach whereby the relevant control packets are inspected for the purpose of providing additional information for the purpose of facilitating the operation of some primary or ‘master’ Internet Protocol (IP) charging/rating middleware platform/gateway system (intended to equip network operators with the ability to rate and bill IP traffic), and secondly, an invasive technique whereby control (GTP-C) messages are injected for the purpose of altering the state of a given data session in an more aggressive fashion (e.g. to drop a data session when the subscriber runs out of money in his/her prepaid account).
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for the interception of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) control (GTP-C) messages, comprising:
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intercepting a GTP-C message at a control module;
said control module residing between a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN);
said message originating from a wireless subscriber device and carried to said control module via said SGSN;performing a balance query to determine if said wireless subscriber device has a sufficient balance; forwarding said message from said control module to said GGSN if said wireless subscriber device has a sufficient balance; and
,causing modification of said GTP-C message if said subscriber device has insufficient balance. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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2-7. -7. (canceled)
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15. A control module for the interception of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) control (GTP-C) messages, comprising:
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a means for intercepting a GTP-C message received from a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) connected to said control module;
said control module further connected to a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN);
said message originating from a wireless subscriber device and carried to said control module via said SGSN;
a means for performing a balance query to determine if said wireless subscriber device has a sufficient balance;a means for forwarding said message from said control module to said GGSN if said wireless subscriber device has a sufficient balance; and
,a means for causing deletion of said GTP-C message if said subscriber device has insufficient balance. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computer-readable medium storing a plurality of programming instructions;
- said programming instructions executable on a control module;
said programming instructions for configuring said control module to perform a method for the interception of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) control (GTP-C) messages;
said method comprising;intercepting a GTP-C message at said control module;
said control module residing between a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN);
said message originating from a wireless subscriber device and carried to said control module via said SGSN;performing a balance query to determine if said wireless subscriber device has a sufficient balance; forwarding said message from said control module to said GGSN if said wireless subscriber device has a sufficient balance; and
,causing deletion of said GTP-C message if said subscriber device has insufficient balance.
- said programming instructions executable on a control module;
Specification