Method of supervising mobile telephone subscriptions in a mobile telephone system

• US 4,955,049 A
• Filed: 09/08/1989
• Issued: 09/04/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Ghisler, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/404,572
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 379/63, 379/59, 379/60, 379/58, 379/62, 379/91, 379/188, 458/33, 235/380, 235/381, 235/375
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning

Abstract

A method of supervising the subscribers in a mobile telephone system to detect audulent use of a mobile telephone. A fraudulent subscriber (MS2) can have the same identification number (12) as that (11) of a legitimate subscriber (MS1) and the operator of the system cannot discover the fraudulent use. According to the proposed method, a predetermined sequence of numbers (00, 01, . . .20) is assigned to each mobile telephone in the system. When a call is made by a subscriber across a control channel it is followed by a particular number in the sequence across the allotted voice channel and this order number is recorded in the toll-ticketing records in the mobile switching centre (MSC). When the next call is made from the same subscriber, the next order number is sent and recorded. Thus all the calls from a legitimate subscriber are recorded in a determined sequence. The order number from a fraudulent subscriber'"'"'s call will break the legitimate subscriber'"'"'s sequence and the fraud can be discovered by this break.

Claims

1. A method of supervising mobile telephone subscriptions in a mobile telephone system including a number of mobile stations (MS1, MS2) and at least one fixed station (MSC), characterized in

assigning to each mobile station (MS1) a first predetermined sequence of numbers and numbering the calls chargeable to a particular subscription by said first sequence of numbers,

signalling these numbers from the mobile station (MS1) to the fixed station (MSC) in a second predetermined sequence (NN), one number for each paying call when a call is made,

recording said second predetermined sequence (NN) of numbers together with the subscription number and a certain point of time.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in the further subsequent steps:

returning a first acknowledge signal (OK1) from said fixed station (MSC) to said mobile station (MS1) after said signalling of a particular number (NN=01) and after that said particular number has been registered for the call from the mobile station (MS1), said first acknowledge signal stepping said first sequence of numbers forward to a next number in the sequence, and

sending a second acknowledge signal (OK2) from the mobile station (MS1) to the fixed station (MSC) indicating said stepping of the first sequence (NN) and confirming a recording of said particular number (NN=01) in the fixed station (MSC).

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that upon said returning of the first acknowledge signal (OK1), a time out is started in said fixed station (MSC) in order to provide for the propagation qualities of the communication medium between said mobile station (MS1) and said fixed station (MSC).