Systems, methods and devices for deriving subscriber and device identifiers in a communication network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016295398-A1
Application number	US-201514672920-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2015
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A network monitoring node receives one or more data messages regarding User Equipment (UE) from one or more network interfaces for a communication session in the communication network continuously in real-time, determines a subscriber identification (ID) associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE, and determines an equipment identification (ID) associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE. The network monitoring node further receives a base-key associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE, derives a decryption key from the base-key, decrypts a temporary ID associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE based on the decryption key, maps the temporary ID with the subscriber ID for the UE, and the subscriber ID with the equipment ID for the UE, and assigns data messages for all further communication sessions to the UE based on the mapping. The Subscriber ID and Equipment ID are preferably assigned to all further communication sessions for that UE. It updates the mapping when changes to the temporary ID or equipment ID occur.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for subscriber mapping in a communication network in real time continuously, comprising:
receiving, by a network monitoring node(s), one or more data messages regarding User Equipment (UE) from one or more network interfaces for a communication session in the communication network; determining, by the network monitoring node, a subscriber identification (ID) associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE; determining, by the network monitoring node, an equipment identification (ID) associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE; receiving, by the network monitoring node, a base-key associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE; decrypting, by the network monitoring node, a temporary ID associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE based on the base-key; mapping, by the network monitoring node, the temporary ID with the subscriber ID for the UE, and the subscriber ID with the equipment ID for the UE; assigning, by the network monitoring node, data messages for the communication session to the UE based on the mapping; and assigning, by the network monitoring node, the subscriber ID and the equipment ID to further communication sessions associated with the UE.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more network interfaces comprises two network interfaces, wherein determining the subscriber ID associated with the UE further comprises determining the subscriber ID associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE from a first network interface; wherein determining the equipment ID associated with the UE further comprises determining an encrypted equipment ID associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE from a second network interface and decrypting the equipment ID associated with the UE based on the base-key such that a mapping of IMSI to IMEI is created using messages from at least one of the first and second network interfaces; and wherein an SlAP interface can replace a RRC interface when both the SlAP and RRC interfaces tunnel through interested NAS messages.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
assigning, by the network monitoring node, data messages exchanged in the communication network for a subsequent communication session to the UE based on the mapping and wherein functionality of an EIR node is integrated with a HSS node.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deriving, by the network monitoring node, at least one decryption key from the base-key, and wherein, decrypting the temporary ID associated with the UE further comprises decrypting the temporary ID associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE based on the at least one decryption key.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the base-key is a Access Security Mgmt. Entity Key (K asme ) and wherein the decryption key includes at least one of a Non-Access Stratum Encryption Key (K NASenc ) and a Non-Access Stratum Integrity Protection Key (K NASint ).

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the temporary ID is a Globally Unique Temporary ID (GUTI).

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the subscriber ID is an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), and the equipment ID is an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI).

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data messages received from the one or more network interfaces include Diameter messages exchanged on a network interface disposed between a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) node and a Mobile Management Entity (MME) node.

9 . The method of claim 8 ,
wherein the network interface disposed between the HSS node and the MME node is a first network interface, wherein the Diameter messages are exchanged on a first network interface between the HSS node and the MME node, and wherein determining the equipment ID associated with the UE comprises determining the equipment ID associated with the UE from one or more Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages exchanged on a second network interface disposed between the UE and one or more evolved Node Bs (eNBs) wherein a mapping is created of IMSI to IMEI using at least one of the first and second network interfaces.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the temporary ID is a Globally Unique Mobility Management Entity Identifier (GUTI), the method further comprising:
receiving, by the network monitoring node, one or more data messages regarding User Equipment (UE) from the one or more network interfaces for a subsequent communication session in the communication network, the one or more data messages indicating a Shortened Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identification (T-IMSI) associated with the UE; and constructing, by the network monitoring node, the GUTI based on the S-TMSI, and wherein mapping the temporary ID with the subscriber ID for the UE comprises mapping at least one of the S-TMSI and the GUTI with the IMSI.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the network monitoring node, an updated temporary ID associated with the UE issued for the UE from one or more data messages regarding the UE from the one or more network interfaces; and wherein mapping the temporary ID with the subscriber ID for the UE further comprises mapping the updated temporary ID with the subscriber ID for the UE.

12 . An network monitoring apparatus, comprising:
one or more network tap interfaces adapted to receive messages exchanged between nodes in a communication network; a processor adapted to execute one or more processes; and a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to:
receive one or more data messages regarding User Equipment (UE) from one or more network interfaces for a communication session in the communication network;
determine a subscriber identification (ID) associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE;
determine an equipment identification (ID) associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE;
receive a base-key associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE;
decrypt a temporary ID associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE based on the base-key;
map the temporary ID with the subscriber ID for the UE, and the subscriber ID with the equipment ID for the UE; and
assign data messages for the communication session to the UE based on the mapping.

13 . The network monitoring apparatus of claim 12 ,
wherein the one or more network interfaces comprises two network interfaces, wherein the process to determine the subscriber ID associated with the UE is further operable to determine the subscriber ID associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE from a first network interface, and wherein the process to determine the equipment ID associated with the UE is further operable to determine an encrypted equipment ID associated with the UE from the one or more data messages regarding the UE from a second network interface and decrypt the equipment ID associated with the UE based on the base-key wherein a mapping is created of IMSI to IMEI using at least one of the first and second network interfaces.

14 . The network monitoring apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the process, when executed by the processor is further operable to:
assign data messages exchanged in the communication network for a subsequent communication session to the UE based on the ma

Assignees

• Tektronix Inc

Inventors

• Ketheesan Kanapathipillai
• Suresh Kiran B

Classifications

• H04W8/205

  Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier · CPC title

• H04W4/12 Primary

  Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements · CPC title

• H04W8/26 Primary

  Network addressing or numbering for mobility support · CPC title

• H04W12/04

  Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] · CPC title

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title