Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Security or fraud prevention
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-12
2001-09-04
Wolfe, Willis R. (Department: 3747)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Security or fraud prevention
C455S433000, C380S029000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06285871
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a method of preventing cellular telephone fraud, and more specifically to a method of preventing cellular phone fraud using a pre-authorization technique for subscriber roaming privileges.
2. Description of Related Art
Cellular telephones combine the mobility of the radio link and the world-wide land telephone network to provide a communication link to any other telephone in the world. However, as cellular phones have become more prevalent throughout the country, fraud has become a major problem. Cellular fraud robs service providers of hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Like all crimes, there are several varieties of cellular fraud, including “cloning.” Cloning fraud, which occurs when a legitimate subscriber's mobile identification number/electronic serial number (MIN/ESN) combination is used for illegal purposes, is among the most sophisticated and difficult forms of fraud to prevent. Often, the pirate will use simple electronic devices to “capture” the legitimate MIN/ESN combination during its transmission by radio frequency (RF). In these cases, the legitimate subscriber often does not know fraud is being committed with his or her MIN/ESN combination until they receive their bill. This is currently the most popular method of gaining illegal access to a cellular system, because the legitimacy of the stolen MIN/ESN combinations makes cloning difficult to catch.
Often, cloning fraud occurs outside of the home area of the subscriber. Once the MIN/ESN information has been cloned, the MIN/ESN combination is valid for access to the cellular telephone system anywhere. Roamer fraud is committed by a local thief using a MIN/ESN imported from another service area, and thus not representing a true roaming subscriber. The exploited MIN/ESN is usually gathered through the use of a MIN/ESN reader in a home service area for the cellular phone.
There are certain steps that can be taken to prevent cloning fraud. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,230 discloses a “challenge-response” system, wherein the cellular system “challenges” a cellular phone subscriber prior to granting access. The subscriber must manually “respond” to the challenge by entering a Personal Identification Number (PIN) or other code that is then verified against a centralized database maintained by the cellular system. However, this method is not attractive to most subscribers since it requires additional work and inconvenience.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,294 discloses a technique that encrypts a PIN that is permanently programmed into the cellular phone, wherein the PIN is automatically transmitted to the cellular network during call setup. However, this method is expensive to implement, and is still subject to cloning, since the cloner need not discriminate between encrypted and unencrypted PINs to merely repeat a sequence of numbers observed being transmitting to the cellular system.
Call pattern monitoring is another method used to prevent cellular phone fraud. This method works because most subscribers call only a specific set of phone numbers. When a call for a subscriber falls outside of that usual group, a challenge-response action can be initiated by the service provider. However, for new subscribers who have no previous calling history, or for subscribers who have a wide range of calling patterns, this method is ineffective.
It can be seen, then, that there is a need for more effective techniques for preventing cellular phone fraud. Furthermore, such techniques must be easy and inexpensive to implement, and must not put unacceptable demands on subscribers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, and to overcome other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present invention discloses a powerful and highly productive method for preventing roaming fraud. The present invention uses different levels of roaming privileges for individual subscribers. The present invention also provides a method for authenticating subscribers when the subscriber initiates a call in a foreign service area that exceeds their roaming privileges.
One object of the present invention is to prevent cellular fraud by use of authentication techniques for roaming subscribers. Another object of the present invention is to make the authentication technique as convenient and inexpensive to the subscribers as possible.
These and various other advantages and features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described specific examples of an apparatus in accordance with the invention.
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Cellco Partnership
Gates & Cooper LLP
Wolfe Willis R.
LandOfFree
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