Systems and methods for communication protection

• US 7,236,598 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2001
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invicta Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Invicta Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheymov, Victor I, Turner, Roger B
• Primary Examiner(s): JUNG, DAVID YIUK
• Application Number:
  US09/862,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20010048745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,225 Days
• Field of Search: 713 20-202, 380270-273
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0414 during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/80 Arrangements enabling lawful interception [LI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A communications system and method is provided to reliably protect communication systems, such as mobile phone systems, from unauthorized use, as well as to make the interception of wireless communication more difficult. Specifically, the static wireless phone number or other similar identifiers are not used for identification and authorization during communication between the mobile unit and a base station. Instead, a set of private identifiers is determined and is known only to the phone company and the base stations controlling the mobile phone calls. These private identifiers allow dynamic and continual updating of the mobile phone and base station directories with current valid identifiers that are used for communication between the devices.

Claims

1. A system for preventing unauthorized communication, the system comprising:

a mobile unit having a static mobile unit identifier that uniquely identifies the mobile unit, the mobile unit generating a first random identification number, the mobile unit storing the first random identification number;

a base station in communication with the mobile unit; and

a central control in communication with the base station, the central control

generating a second generated identification number from a use of a table associated with the static mobile unit identification number and communicating the second generated random identification number to the base station,

wherein the base station receives the first random identification number from the mobile unit and compares the first random identification number to the second generated random identification number, thereby providing security, and

wherein the first random identification number is updateable, and is updated with each call based on the static mobile unit identifier, at a periodic time interval, and/or upon an occurrence of a triggering event.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one account management system that maintains the association between the static mobile unit identifier and the first random identification number.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security system that detects unauthorized communications based on the static mobile unit identifier.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one account management system that updates the first random identification number.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one security system that is capable of at least one of encrypting and decrypting a portion of the communications based on the static mobile unit identifier between the mobile unit and another device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile unit is at least one of a mobile phone, a pager, a mobile communications device and a wireless modem.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station is at least one of a cellular tower, a satellite and a relay station for providing communications based on the static mobile unit identifier and the first random identification number.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the central control is at least one of a portion of a communications system, a telecommunications system and a satellite communications system for providing communications based on the static mobile unit identifier and the first random identification number.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a current one of the first random identification number replaces the static mobile unit identifier during communications with the mobile unit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the static mobile unit identifier is based on a telephone number of the mobile unit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the static mobile unit identifier is a telephone number of the mobile unit.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first random identification number and the second generated random identification number used for updating the first random identification number are exchanged in a secure manner.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the secure manner for exchanging the first random identification number and the second generated random identification number is based on cryptography.