Method and apparatus for fraud control in cellular telephone systems

{
  "publication_number": "US6185416B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Method and apparatus for fraud control in cellular telephone systems",
  "abstract": "A method and apparatus for fraud control in cellular telephone systems. Call records from a switch are scanned to identify a fraudulent cellular phone based on its behavior. An identifier, e.g., a radio frequency (RF) signature, representative of the fraudulent phone is stored in a control channel editor at a cell site. A database of identifiers may comprise a positive validation database storing the identifiers for all valid phones used in the cellular telephone system, or it may be a negative validation database storing the identifiers for known fraudulent phones. A control channel editor intercepts a call origination request transmitted by a phone, and a control processor compares one or more characteristics of the phone transmitting the call origination request to the database of identifiers. The control processor then prevents the call origination request from completing when the comparison indicates that the phone is fraudulent. The call origination request can be prevented from completing by (1) re-routing the call to a customer service or “fraud hot line” number, (2) interrupting the call origination request, (3) transmitting a “hang-up” message to the phone, (4) transmitting a “hang-up” message to the cell site, or (5) transmitting a “tear-down” message to a switch.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method of preventing fraudulent calls in a cellular telephone system, comprising the steps of: (a) generating a behavior profile for a cellular phone, wherein the behavior profile comprises one or more characteristics selected from a group comprising: (1) any calls by the cellular phone to a known phone number previously called by one or more other fraudulent cellular phones, and (2) any calls by the cellular phone to a known fraudulent cellular phone; (b) identifying the cellular phone as fraudulent based on the behavior profile and updating a validation database based on the identification; and (c) accessing the validation database during a call origination from the cellular phone and preventing the call from completing when the validation database indicates that the cellular phone is fraudulent.",
    "2. The method as set forth in claim 1 above, further comprising the steps of: scanning call records of the cellular telephone system to identify fraudulent cellular phones; extracting the characteristics of the fraudulent cellular phones from the scanned call records; generating one or more profiles of the fraudulent cellular phones from the extracted characteristics; and storing the generated profiles.",
    "3. An apparatus for preventing fraudulent calls in a cellular telephone system, comprising: (a) means for generating a behavior profile for a cellular phone, wherein the behavior profile comprises one or more characteristics selected from a group comprising: (1) any calls by the cellular phone to a known phone number previously called by one or more other fraudulent cellular phones, and (2) any calls by the cellular phone to a known fraudulent cellular phone; (b) means for identifying the cellular phone as fraudulent based on the behavior profile and updating a validation database based on the identification; and (c) means for accessing the validation database during a call origination from the cellular phone and preventing the call from completing when the validation database indicates that the cellular phone is fraudulent.",
    "4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 above, further comprising: means for scanning call records of the cellular telephone system to identify fraudulent cellular phones; means for extracting the characteristics of the fraudulent cellular phones from the scanned call records; means for generating one or more profiles of the fraudulent cellular phones from the extracted characteristics; and means for storing the generated profiles."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/389,348 filed Feb. 16, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,551, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/084,367 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,910, filed Jun. 29, 1993, and issued May 30, 1995.\n\n1. Field of the Invention\n\nThis invention relates in general to radio frequency (RF) communication systems, and in particular, to a method and apparatus for fraud control in cellular modible radiotelephone (CMR) and personal communications services (PCS) systems.\n\n2. Description of Related Art\n\nCellular 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.”\n\nCloning fraud, which occurs when a legitimate subscriber's 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 the bill.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04W 12/06",
    "H04M 15/00",
    "H04M 15/47",
    "H04M 2215/0148",
    "H04M 2215/32",
    "H04W 12/126"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H04M 15/00",
    "H04W 12/06",
    "H04W 12/12"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Cellco Partnership"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Ronald Steven Rudokas",
    "John Adam Storch",
    "David Leighton Daniels"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1996-05-30",
  "publication_date": "2001-02-06",
  "grant_date": "2001-02-06",
  "priority_date": "1993-06-29",
  "application_number": "US-65797496-A",
  "family_id": "22184508",
  "cited_by_count": 144,
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