Network access control

• US 6,813,496 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2003
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Rantala, Tero, Numminen, Raili, Narvanen, Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, BRANDON J
• Application Number:
  US10/370,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20030125024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/434, 455/456, 455/410, 455/411, 455/517, 455/552.1, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]

Abstract

An access control system for controlling access by wireless terminals to a wireless telecommunications network, the access control system comprising: a database storing the identities of a set of wireless terminals belonging to the telecommunications network; a configurable store for storing a supplementary access value indicative of whether terminals that do not belong to the telecommunications network may access the network; and an access control unit for receiving an access request message indicating the identity of a wireless terminal and in response to that message accessing the database and/or the store to permit access by the wireless terminal to the wireless telecommunications network if: a. the identity of the wireless terminal is present in the database; or b. the supplementary access value indicates that terminals that do not belong to the telecommunications network may access the network.

Claims

1. An access control system for controlling access by wireless terminals to a wireless telecommunications network, the access control system comprising:

a database storing the identities of a set of wireless terminals belonging to the telecommunications network;

a configurable store configurable in two ways by use of a supplementary access value, the value being capable of being set in one way to indicate that terminals that do not belong to the telecommunications network may access the network and the value being capable of being set in another way to indicate that terminals that do not belong to the telecommunications network may not access the network; and

an access control unit for receiving an access request message indicating the identity of a wireless terminal and in response to that message accessing the database and/or the store to permit access by the wireless terminal to the wireless telecommunications network if;

a. the identity of the wireless terminal is present in the database;

or

b. the value is set to indicate that terminals that do not belong to the telecommunications network may access the network.

2. An access control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the access control unit is configured to, in order to permit access to the said network, send a reply to the access request message indicating that access to the said network is permitted.

3. An access control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the access control unit is configured to, if:

a. the identity of the wireless terminal is not present in the database; and

b. the supplementary access value indicates that terminals that do not belong to the telecommunications network may not access the said network;

send a reply to the access request message indicating that access to the said network is not permitted.

4. An access control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said network is operable according to the GSM standard or a derivative thereof.

5. An access control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the other wireless telecommunications network is operable according to the GSM standard or a derivative thereof.

6. An access control system according to claim 4,

wherein the said message to the other wireless telecommunications network indicating that access to the said network is not permitted is a location update reject message with location access not allowed.

7. An access control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said access is a location update access.

8. An access control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said identities of wireless terminals are IMSIs.

9. An access control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said telecommunications network is a cellular telephone system.

10. A method for controlling access by wireless terminals to a wireless telecommunications network having a database storing the identities of a set of wireless terminals belonging to the telecommunications network and a configurable store configurable in two ways by use of a supplementary access value, the value being capable of being set in one way to indicate that terminals that do not belong to the telecommunications network may access the network and the value being capable of being set in another way to indicate that terminals that do not belong to the telecommunications network may not access the network;

the method comprising;

receiving an access request message indicating the identity of a wireless terminal;

accessing the database to determine whether the identity of the wireless terminal is present in the database and/or accessing the supplementary access value to determine whether it indicates that terminals that do not belong to the telecommunications network may access the network; and

if the identity of the wireless terminal is present in the database, or the value is set to indicate that terminals that do not belong to the telecommunications network may access the network, transmitting a message to permit the wireless terminal access to the wireless telecommunications network.