Inhibiting system traffic from unregistered mobile stations

• US 8,594,041 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mecca, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JUSTIN YE
• Application Number:
  US11/680,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20070147353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,463 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/331, 455/410, 455/411, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/435.3
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A method and system for reducing transmissions from unregistered mobile wireless devices including inhibiting administrative type transmissions from the mobile wireless device upon detection that the mobile wireless device is in a first transmission mode indicating that the mobile wireless device is deactivated or unregistered. Moreover, the administrative type transmission functionality is automatically restorable. Transmissions from the mobile wireless device are preferably comprised of traffic transmissions that contain data packets and other transmissions that contain information for administrative purposes, such as for communication link management operations between the mobile wireless device and the wireless packet switched network. Preferably, the administrative type transmissions include roam transmissions, activation transmissions, and born transmissions.

Claims

1. A method of managing data transmission, the method comprising:

attempting, by a network device of a wireless packet switched network including a processor, to register a wireless mobile unit;

determining, by the network device, that the wireless mobile unit is unauthorized to use the wireless packet switched network;

reducing, by the network device, a data congestion of the wireless packet switched network by transmitting a DIE packet to the wireless mobile unit, the DIE packet including an instruction to disable a transmission of registration data from the wireless mobile unit to the wireless packet switched network; and

automatically restoring, by the network device, reception of the registration data from the wireless mobile unit;

after twelve hours during a first two weeks following a receipt of the DIE packet by the wireless mobile unit, or after twenty-four hours during week two through week six following the receipt of the DIE packet, or after forty-eight hours during week six through week fifty-two following the receipt of the DIE packet, or by a power cycle or manual reset of the wireless mobile unit when the wireless mobile unit remains in an idle mode more than fifty-two weeks following the receipt of the DIE packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically restoring includes restoring the reception of the registration data in response to a predetermined criterion being satisfied.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising varying, by the network device, a time period in which the reception of the registration data is disabled based on a time of detecting a DIE mode for the wireless mobile unit, wherein the varying includes varying the time period for a first time period based on being within a first time from the detecting the DIE mode, varying the time period for a second time period based on being after a second time from the detecting the DIE mode, wherein the first time period occurs before the second time period, and the second time is after the first time.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined criterion is a condition with respect to a fixed time interval.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless mobile unit is included as part of a motor vehicle, and the predetermined criterion is meeting a condition with respect to an ignition of the motor vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration data comprises data related to network level status information.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising detecting, by the network device, the receipt of the DIE packet by the wireless mobile unit.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising restoring, by the network device, a transmission of administrative data to the wireless mobile unit.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving, by the network device, an electronic serial number that identifies the wireless mobile unit.

10. A wireless mobile unit, comprising:

a non-transitory memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the non-transitory memory, that facilitates execution of the computer-executable instructions to at least;

determine that the wireless mobile unit is unregistered during interaction of the wireless mobile unit with a wireless packet switched network;

receive a DIE packet that disables a transmission of registration data from the wireless mobile unit, to reduce data congestion on the wireless packet switched network; and

automatically restore the transmission of the registration data from the wireless mobile unit;

after twelve hours during a first two weeks following reception of the DIE packet by the wireless mobile unit, or after twenty-four hours during week two through week six following the reception of the DIE packet, or after forty-eight hours during week six through week fifty-two following the reception of the DIE packet, or by a power cycle or manual reset of the wireless mobile unit when the wireless mobile unit remains in an idle mode more than fifty-two weeks following the reception of the DIE packet.

11. The wireless mobile unit of claim 10, wherein the registration data includes administrative data.

12. The wireless mobile unit of claim 10, wherein the transmission of the registration data from the wireless mobile unit to the wireless packet switched network is restorable in response to satisfaction of at least one predetermined criterion.

13. The wireless mobile unit of claim 12, wherein the processor is embedded in a motor vehicle.

14. The wireless mobile unit of claim 13, wherein the transmission of the registration data from the wireless mobile unit to the wireless packet switched network is restorable in response to a determination that a motor of the motor vehicle has started.

15. The wireless mobile unit of claim 12, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of an application for disablement of the wireless mobile unit.

16. The wireless mobile unit of claim 12, wherein the processor further facilitates the initiation of a transmission mode that indicates the wireless mobile unit has failed to be validated.

17. The wireless mobile unit of claim 12, wherein the at least one predetermined criterion is based on a variable time period.

18. The wireless mobile unit of claim 12, wherein the at least one predetermined criterion is manual reset of the wireless mobile unit.

19. The wireless mobile unit of claim 12, wherein the wireless mobile unit is determined to be unregistered based on an electronic serial number.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system including a processor to perform operations, comprising:

determining that a wireless mobile unit is unauthorized while interacting with a wireless packet switched network;

in response to the determining that the wireless mobile unit is unauthorized, facilitating reducing of data congestion of the wireless packet switched network including facilitating inhibiting transmission of data from the wireless mobile unit;

varying a time period in which the transmission of the data is inhibited based on a time of detecting a disabling signal for the wireless mobile unit, and

automatically restoring receiving of the data from the wireless mobile unit;

after twelve hours during a first two weeks following a receipt of the DIE packet by the wireless mobile unit, or after twenty-four hours during week two through week six following the receipt of the DIE packet, or after forty-eight hours during week six through week fifty-two following the receipt of the DIE packet, or by a power cycle or manual reset of the wireless mobile unit when the wireless mobile unit remains in an idle mode more than fifty-two weeks following the receipt of the DIE packet.