Methods and systems for enforcing prepayment based on lack of support of authentication functionality by a wireless serving system
First Claim
1. A method carried out by at least one home-core-network entity associated with a home carrier of a mobile station, the method comprising:
- the at least one home-core-network entity receiving from a particular wireless serving system a registration request associated with the mobile station, wherein the particular wireless serving system comprises a mobile switching center (MSC);
in response to receiving the registration request, the at least one home-core-network entity making a determination that the particular wireless serving system does not support authentication functionality of the home carrier, wherein the registration request comprises an indication of whether the particular wireless serving system supports authentication functionality of the home carrier, and wherein the indication of whether the particular wireless serving system supports authentication functionality of the home carrier comprises an indication of whether the MSC supports authentication functionality of the home carrier; and
in response to the determination being that the particular wireless serving system does not support authentication functionality of the home carrier, the at least one home-core-network entity sending to the particular wireless serving system a registration response that grants the registration request subject to a requirement of prepayment for communication by the mobile station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for enforcing prepayment based on lack of support of authentication functionality by a particular wireless serving system. In one embodiment, at least one home-core-network entity associated with a home core network of a mobile station receives from a particular wireless serving system a registration request associated with the mobile station. Responsive to receiving the registration request, the at least one home-core-network entity makes a determination as to whether the particular wireless serving system supports authentication functionality. Responsive to the determination being that the particular wireless serving system does not support authentication functionality, the at least one home-core-network entity sends to the particular wireless serving system a registration response that grants the request subject to at least one prepayment requirement.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method carried out by at least one home-core-network entity associated with a home carrier of a mobile station, the method comprising:
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the at least one home-core-network entity receiving from a particular wireless serving system a registration request associated with the mobile station, wherein the particular wireless serving system comprises a mobile switching center (MSC); in response to receiving the registration request, the at least one home-core-network entity making a determination that the particular wireless serving system does not support authentication functionality of the home carrier, wherein the registration request comprises an indication of whether the particular wireless serving system supports authentication functionality of the home carrier, and wherein the indication of whether the particular wireless serving system supports authentication functionality of the home carrier comprises an indication of whether the MSC supports authentication functionality of the home carrier; and in response to the determination being that the particular wireless serving system does not support authentication functionality of the home carrier, the at least one home-core-network entity sending to the particular wireless serving system a registration response that grants the registration request subject to a requirement of prepayment for communication by the mobile station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system associated with a home carrier of a mobile station, the system comprising:
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a communication interface; a processing unit; non-transitory data storage; and program instructions stored in the non-transitory data storage and executable by the processing unit to carry out functions comprising; upon receiving from a particular wireless serving system, via the communication interface, a registration request associated with the mobile station, the system making a determination that the particular wireless serving system does not support authentication functionality of the home carrier, wherein the particular wireless serving system comprises a mobile switching center (MSC), wherein the registration request comprises an indication of whether the particular wireless serving system supports authentication functionality of the home carrier, and wherein the indication of whether the particular wireless serving system supports authentication functionality of the home carrier comprises an indication of whether the MSC supports authentication functionality of the home carrier; and in response to the determination being that the particular wireless serving system does not support authentication functionality of the home carrier, the system sending to the particular wireless serving system a registration response that grants the registration request subject to a requirement of prepayment for communication by the mobile station. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method carried out by at least one home-core-network entity associated with a home carrier of a mobile station, the method comprising:
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the at least one home-core-network entity receiving from a particular wireless serving system a registration request associated with the mobile station, wherein the particular wireless serving system comprises a mobile switching center (MSC); the at least one home-core-network entity receiving from the particular wireless serving system an identifier of the MSC; in response to receiving the registration request, the at least one home-core-network entity making a determination that the particular wireless serving system does not support authentication functionality of the home carrier, wherein making the determination that the particular wireless serving system does not support authentication functionality of the home carrier comprises performing a database lookup to determine based at least in part on the identifier of the MSC whether the particular wireless serving system supports authentication functionality of the home carrier; and in response to the determination being that the particular wireless serving system does not support authentication functionality of the home carrier, the at least one home-core-network entity sending to the particular wireless serving system a registration response that grants the registration request subject to a requirement of prepayment for communication by the mobile station.
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Specification