System and method for providing detection of signaling-only engagements in a telecommunication network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9313339-B2
Application number	US-201514807208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2015
Priority date	Aug 2, 2012
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A network server may be configured to prevent user equipment (UE) from communicating payload information across a telecommunication network without paying for the access or use of the network. This may be accomplished by the network server receiving signaling information relating to the UE from a first network component, receiving data plane information relating to the UE from a second network component, using the received information to determine a ratio between the number of signaling-only connections and the average monthly revenue associated with the user equipment device, determining whether the UE is a signaling-only device based on the ratio, and performing a responsive operation when it is determined that the user equipment device is a signaling-only device. The responsive operation may include applying a policy or charging rule to the signaling communications of the UE when it is determined that the UE is a signaling-only device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of preventing a user equipment device from communicating payload information in a telecommunication network without sufficiently paying for use of the telecommunication network, the method comprising:
receiving in a processor signaling information relating to the user equipment device from a first network component in the telecommunication network;
receiving data plane information relating to the user equipment device from a second network component in the telecommunication network;
using the received signaling information and the received data plane information to determine a number of times that the user equipment device established signaling-only connections within a time period;
determining an average amount of revenue associated with the user equipment device and the time period;
using the received signaling information to determine whether the user equipment device is a signaling-only device that uses signaling communications to circumvent paying for the use of the telecommunication network based on a ratio between the number of times that the user equipment device established signaling-only connections within the time period and the determined average amount of revenue; and
performing a responsive operation in response to determining that the user equipment device is a signaling-only device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the received signaling information to determine whether the user equipment device is a signaling-only device that uses signaling communications to circumvent paying for the use of the telecommunication network further comprises:
determining whether signaling information includes a signaling communication message that includes information that is not consistent with a signaling communication message type associated with the signaling communication message.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the received signaling information to determine whether the user equipment device is a signaling-only device that uses signaling communications to circumvent paying for the use of the telecommunication network further comprises:
determining whether signaling information includes payload information.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the received signaling information to determine a communication group of the user equipment device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
receiving data plane information for the communication group comprises receiving data plane information for a second user equipment device in the communication group; and
determining whether the user equipment device is a signaling-only device based on the received signaling information and the received data plane information comprises determining whether the user equipment device is a signaling-only device based on signaling information associated with the user equipment device and data plane information associated with the second user equipment device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the responsive operation comprises:
applying one of a policy rule and a charging rule to signaling communications of the user equipment device in response to determining that the user equipment device is a signaling-only device.

7. A server computing device, comprising:
a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
receiving signaling information relating to a user equipment device from a first network component in a telecommunication network;
receiving data plane information relating to the user equipment device from a second network component in the telecommunication network;
using the received signaling information and the received data plane information to determine a number of times that the user equipment device established signaling-only connections within a time period;
determining an average amount of revenue associated with the user equipment device and the time period;
using the received signaling information to determine whether the user equipment device is a signaling-only device that uses signaling communications to circumvent paying for the use of the telecommunication network based on a ratio between the number of times that the user equipment device established signaling-only connections within the time period and the determined average amount of revenue; and
performing a responsive operation in response to determining that the user equipment device is a signaling-only device.

8. The server computing device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that using the received signaling information to determine whether the user equipment device is a signaling-only device that uses signaling communications to circumvent paying for the use of the telecommunication network further comprises:
determining whether signaling information includes a signaling communication message that includes information that is not consistent with a signaling communication message type associated with the signaling communication message.

9. The server computing device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that using the received signaling information to determine whether the user equipment device is a signaling-only device that uses signaling communications to circumvent paying for the use of the telecommunication network further comprises:
determining whether signaling information includes payload information.

10. The server computing device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising using the received signaling information to determine a communication group of the user equipment device.

11. The server computing device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that:
receiving data plane information for the communication group comprises receiving data plane information for a second user equipment device in the communication group; and
determining whether the user equipment device is a signaling-only device based on the received signaling information and the received data plane information comprises determining whether the user equipment device is a signaling-only device based on signaling information associated with the user equipment device and data plane information associated with the second user equipment device.

12. The server computing device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that performing the responsive operation comprises:
applying one of a policy rule and a charging rule to signaling communications of the user equipment device in response to determining that the user equipment device is a signaling-only device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving signaling information relating to a user equipment device from a first network component in a telecommunication network;
receiving data plane information relating to the user equipment device from a second network component in the telecommunication network;
using the received signaling information and the received data plane information to determine a number of times that the user equipment device established signaling-only connections within a time period;
determining an average amount of revenue associated with the user equipment device and the time period;
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Assignees

• Openet Telecom Ltd
• Openet Telecom Ltd

Inventors

• Lehane Bart

Classifications

• H04W4/24 Primary

  Accounting or billing · CPC title

• H04W24/02

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H04W4/70

  Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] · CPC title

• H04M15/24

  preventing metering of tax-free calls to certain lines, e.g. to fire or ambulance stations · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title