IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20110087782A1
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meizu Technology Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Bouckaert, Philippe, Macheoeuf, Guy, Azouz, Nada
• Granted Patent: US 9,161,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/021 Ensuring consistency of routing table updates, e.g. by using epoch numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

According to one embodiment of present invention, there is provided a method of controlling access to a communication network. The method comprises receiving a request from a communication device to connect to the communication network, the request including a substantially unique identifier of the device, and determining whether the identifier is contained in a local device database of the network. Where it is determined that the identifier is not contained in the local database, the method further comprises authorizing the device to connect to the network, and at a subsequent update of the local device database, determining the status of the identifier from a shared device database, and updating the status of the determined identifier in the local device database with the determined status.

Claims

1. A method of controlling access to a communication network, comprising:

receiving a request from a communication device to connect to the communication network, the request including a substantially unique identifier of the device;

determining whether the identifier is contained in a local device database of the network; and

where the identifier is not contained in the local device database;

authorizing the device to connect to the network;

at a subsequent update of the local device database, determining the a status of the identifier from a shared device database; and

updating the status of the identifier in the local device database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the local device database comprises:

identifiers of devices authorized to connect to the network; and

identifiers of devices not authorized to connect to the network;

in which authorizing the device to connect to the network comprises determining whether a received identifier is an identifier which is authorized to connect to the network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising where an identifier is not contained in the local device database, marking the identifier such that the status thereof is subsequently retrieved from the shared device database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the local device database comprises:

a white-list of device identifiers authorized to connect to the network;

a black list of device identifiers not authorized to connect to the network; and

a gray-list of device identifiers authorized to connect to the network but to be monitored;

in which authorizing the device to connect to the network comprises determining whether the device is authorized to connect to the network by way of the identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising where the identifier is not contained in the local device database, adding the identifier to the gray-list of the local device database.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising during updating of the local device

database, updating the status of any gray-listed devices with a status stored in the shared device database.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the method is adapted for use for with a mobile telecommunication network.

8. The method of claim 1, in which the method is adapted for use with a mobile telecommunications network, the device identifiers being international mobile equipment identity numbers, the local device database being an equipment identity register and the shared database being a global IMEI database.

9. A communication system operable in accordance with the method of claim 1.