Topographic fraud detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9544625-B2
Application number	US-201514700931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2015
Priority date	Aug 18, 2010
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

Methods and systems to detect topographic fraud are provided herein. The system includes a processor; and a memory in communication with the processor, the memory for storing a plurality of instructions for directing the processor to determine a current geographic location for a device based on polling data, determine a geographic radius within which the device is to be operated, and determine whether the device's current geographic location is outside of the geographic radius.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system to detect topographic fraud, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing a plurality of instructions for directing the processor to:
send a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) query to a device;
receive an acknowledgement message from the device in response to the SNMP query, wherein the acknowledgement message includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the device;
determine a current geographic location for the device based on the MAC address received in response to the SNMP query;
determine a geographic radius within which the device is to be operated; and
determine whether the current geographic location is outside of the geographic radius.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a billing database, coupled to the processor, configured to store a billing address associated with the device,
wherein the memory is configured to store instructions to direct the processor to determine the geographic radius based on the billing address associated with the device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured to store instructions to direct the processor to determine the current geographic location based on a port that the device reports in on.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions to direct the processor to identify the device based on the MAC address.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the geographic radius for the device is based on a port that the device is assigned to report in on, and
wherein the port is based on a billing address associated with the device and the MAC address.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the geographic radius includes one or more nodes that are coupled to a port assigned to the device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured to store instructions to direct the processor to compare an assigned port associated with a billing address of the device and a port that the device reports in on to determine whether the current geographic location is outside of the geographic radius.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions to direct the processor to add the device to a list of devices whose current geographic location is outside of their respective geographic radius when the current geographic location is outside of the geographic radius.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS), coupled to the processor, configured to poll the device to generate the acknowledgement message.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a cable modem.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions to direct the processor to send a signal to power down the device when the current geographic location is outside of the geographic radius.

12. A method to detect topographic fraud, comprising:
sending a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) query to a device;
receiving an acknowledgement message from the device in response to the SNMP query, wherein the acknowledgement message includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the device;
determining a current geographic location for the device based on the MAC address received in response to the SNMP query sent to the device;
determining a geographic radius within which the device is to be operated; and
determining whether the current geographic location of the device is outside of the geographic radius.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
storing a billing address associated with the device; and
determining the geographic radius based on the billing address associated with the device.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining the current geographic location based on a port of a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) that the device reports in on.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
identifying the device based on the MAC address.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the geographic radius is based on a port that the device is assigned to report in on, and
wherein the port is based on a billing address associated with the device and the MAC address.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the geographic radius includes one or more nodes that are coupled to a port assigned to the device.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the determining whether the current geographic location of the device is outside of the geographic radius comprises:
comparing an assigned port associated with a billing address of the device and a port that the device reports in on.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
adding the device to a list of devices whose current geographic location is outside of their respective geographic radius when the current geographic location is outside of the geographic radius.

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
sending a signal to power down the device when the current geographic location is outside of the geographic radius.

Assignees

• Csc Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Sellers Michael
• Zito Robert

Classifications

• H04N21/42676

  for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem · CPC title

• H04N21/2543

  Billing {, e.g. for subscription services (payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21)} · CPC title

• H04N21/25841 Primary

  involving the geographical location of the client (retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00) · CPC title

• H04N21/2585

  Generation of a revocation list, e.g. of client devices involved in piracy acts · CPC title

• H04N21/24

  Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests {(monitoring of server performance or load G06F11/34; arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/12)} · CPC title