Methods and systems for base station detection

• US 9,374,709 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company), GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Peirce, Kenneth L., Scheim, Kobi Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zewari, Sayed T
• Application Number:
  US13/753,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20140213216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Methods and systems for unauthorized base station detection are disclosed herein. In an example of the method, an in-vehicle controller of a vehicle or an application of a mobile communications device scans a cellular radio environment to identify an available base station. By a signal detection unit in operative communication with the in-vehicle controller or the application, a strength of a signal of the available base station is detected. The in-vehicle controller or the application recognizes that the signal strength is out of the expected signal strength range, and determines that the available base station is the unauthorized base station. While in connection with the unauthorized base station, the in-vehicle controller or the application determines a location of the unauthorized base station. Other examples of the method are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an unauthorized base station, comprising:

scanning, by an in-vehicle controller of a vehicle or an application of a mobile communications device, a cellular radio environment to identify an available base station;

detecting, by a signal detection unit in operative communication with the in-vehicle controller or the application, a strength of a signal of the available base station;

comparing the detected signal strength with an expected signal strength range;

determining that the detected signal strength is out of the expected signal strength range;

categorizing the available base station as an unauthorized base station;

connecting to the unauthorized base station;

while in connection with the unauthorized base station, determining, by the in-vehicle controller or the application, a location of the unauthorized base station by triangulating a location of the vehicle or the mobile communications device, a direction of the signal, and the signal strength; and

transmitting invalid signal strength information to the unauthorized base station to entice the unauthorized base station to further reduce the signal strength out of the expected signal strength range, wherein the invalid signal strength information falsely informs the unauthorized base station that its emitted signal is higher than a power level of the signal actually transmitted by the unauthorized base station.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein:

the comparing includes comparing, by a processor of the in-vehicle controller or a processor of the mobile communications device running computer-readable instructions embodied on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium, the detected signal strength with a preset threshold value; and

the method further comprises, from the comparing, recognizing that the detected signal strength is below the preset threshold value.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein:

the scanning identifies a second available base station in proximity of the available base station, the second available base station emitting a second signal; and

the comparing includes;

determining, by the signal detection unit, a strength of the second signal; and

recognizing, by a processor of the in-vehicle controller running computer-readable instructions embodied on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium, that the signal strength is less than the second signal strength.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising recognizing, by a processor of the in-vehicle controller or a processor of the mobile communications device running computer-readable instructions embodied on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium, that the detected signal strength fluctuates.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by a processor of the in-vehicle controller or a processor of the mobile communications device running computer-readable instructions embodied on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium, a location of a legitimate base station within a predetermined proximity of the location of the unauthorized base station; and

mapping, by the processor of the in-vehicle controller or the processor of the mobile communications device, the location of the legitimate base station and the location of the unauthorized base station, thereby generating a base station map.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 wherein the base station map further includes any of:

a period of time during which the locations had been identified;

or

a direction of travel of the vehicle or the mobile communications device when the locations had been identified.

7. The method as defined in claim 5, further comprising:

transmitting the base station map to a call center in selective and operative communication with the vehicle or the mobile communications device;

by a computing system of the call center running computer-readable instructions embodied on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium, generating a message identifying the unauthorized base station;

identifying at least one other vehicle or at least one other mobile communications device then-currently within proximity of the location of the unauthorized base station; and

pushing the message to the at least one other vehicle or the at least one other mobile communications device.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, further comprising transmitting the message to a legitimate cellular network provider.

9. A system for detection of a base station categorized as unauthorized, comprising:

an in-vehicle controller of a vehicle or an application of a mobile communications device;

computer-readable instructions for scanning a cellular radio environment to identify an available base station;

a signal detection unit in operative communication with the in-vehicle controller or the application, the signal detection unit including a receiver to detect a strength of a signal of the available base station;

computer-readable instructions for recognizing that the signal strength of the available base station is out of an expected signal strength range and to determine that the available base station is the unauthorized base station;

wireless communication equipment to connect the in-vehicle controller or the mobile communications device to the unauthorized base station;

computer-readable instructions for determining a location of the unauthorized base station by triangulating a location of the vehicle or the mobile communications device, a direction of the signal, and the signal strength while the in-vehicle controller or the mobile communications device is in connection with the unauthorized base station; and

computer-readable instructions for transmitting invalid signal strength information to the unauthorized base station to entice the unauthorized base station to further reduce the signal strength out of the expected signal strength range, wherein the invalid signal strength information falsely informs the unauthorized base station that its emitted signal is higher than a power level of the signal actually transmitted by the unauthorized base station;

each of the computer-readable instructions being embodied on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium and executable by a processor of the in-vehicle controller or a processor of the mobile communications device.

10. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein the computer-readable instructions for recognizing that the signal strength of the available base station is out of the expected signal strength range includes:

computer-readable instructions for comparing the signal strength of the available base station with a preset threshold value; and

computer-readable instructions for recognizing, from the comparison, that the signal strength of the available base station is below the preset threshold value.

11. The system as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

a second available base station in proximity of the available base station; and

a second signal emitted by the second available base station;

and wherein;

the signal detection unit is to detect a strength of the second signal; and

the computer-readable instructions for recognizing that the signal strength of the available base station is out of the expected signal strength range include computer-readable instructions for recognizing that the signal strength of the available base station is less than the second signal strength.

12. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein the computer-readable instructions for recognizing that the signal strength of the available base station is out of the expected signal strength range include computer-readable instructions for recognizing that the signal strength of the available base station fluctuates.

13. The system as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

computer-readable instructions for identifying a location of a legitimate base station within a predetermined proximity of the location of the unauthorized base station; and

computer-readable instructions for mapping the location of the legitimate base station and the location of the unauthorized base station to generate a base station map.

14. The system as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

a call center in selective and operative communication with the vehicle or the mobile communications device, the call center including a computing system to receive the base station map from the in-vehicle controller or the application; and

computer-readable instructions being embodied on a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium and executable by the call center computing system, the computer-readable instructions including;

computer-readable instructions for generating a message identifying the unauthorized base station; and

computer-readable instructions for identifying at least one other vehicle or at least one other mobile communications device then-currently within proximity of the location of the unauthorized base station; and

the at least one other vehicle or the at least one other mobile communications device to receive the message from the call center.

15. A method for detecting an unauthorized base station, comprising:

scanning, by an in-vehicle controller of a vehicle, a cellular radio environment to identify an available base station;

detecting, by a signal detection unit in operative communication with the in-vehicle controller, a strength of a signal of the available base station;

comparing the detected signal strength with an expected signal strength range;

determining that the detected signal strength is out of the expected signal strength range;

categorizing the available base station as an unauthorized base station;

connecting to the unauthorized base station; and

while in connection with the unauthorized base station, determining, by the in-vehicle controller, a location of the unauthorized base station using a location of the vehicle,

transmitting invalid signal strength information to the unauthorized base station to entice the unauthorized base station to further reduce the signal strength out of the expected signal strength range, wherein the invalid signal strength information falsely informs the unauthorized base station that its emitted signal is higher than a power level of the signal actually transmitted by the unauthorized base station.