Cellular Device MSISDN Discovery for Emergency Location Reporting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cellular devices with prepaid SIMs or those not attached to a cellular contract are often unaware of their assigned MSISDN, hindering the ability to support services like AML services that rely on unique phone numbers for identifying and locating the device during emergency calls.
Innovation Solution
Cellular devices initiate an auto-discovery process by transmitting discovery SMS messages to a discovery system, which identifies and returns the associated MSISDN, which is then stored for use in AML services, or the discovery system integrates with AML services to map device IDs to MSISDNs for accurate location reporting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If cellular devices with prepaid SIMs or devices not attached to a cellular contract are used, then device portability and service flexibility are improved, but the device cannot access its assigned MSISDN information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a discovery system as an intermediary between the cellular device and the network. When a device needs to discover its MSISDN, it sends a discovery SMS message to the discovery system, which then returns the MSISDN information. This intermediary resolves the contradiction by providing MSISDN access without requiring the device to be attached to a cellular contract.
2Reliability
If the MSISDN is not exposed to the cellular device, then network security and control are improved, but the device cannot support services like AML that require MSISDN for identification and location reporting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables devices to perform preliminary MSISDN discovery before needing to support AML services. By proactively obtaining and storing MSISDN information through the discovery system, the device prepares in advance, allowing it to later support AML services and other services that require MSISDN without compromising network control.
3Loss of information
If the device initiates an auto-discovery process by transmitting SMS messages, then MSISDN information can be obtained, but additional network traffic and processing overhead are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service discovery mechanism where the device autonomously initiates the MSISDN discovery process by transmitting discovery SMS messages and processing the responses. This self-service approach resolves the contradiction by enabling the device to obtain necessary information independently without requiring complex network-side configuration or manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for discovering an MSISDN of a cellular device, comprising detecting an activation event of the cellular device with a SIM associated with an MSISDN not exposed to the cellular device, transmitting one or more discovery Short Message Service (SMS) messages to a discovery system configured to transmit back to the cellular device one or more response SMS messages comprising the MSISDN identified for the discovery SMS message(s), receiving the response SMS message(s), and storing the MSISDN extracted from the response SMS message(s). The cellular device includes the stored MSISDN and a location of the cellular device in one or more Advanced Mobile Location (AML) messages transmitted by the cellular device to an AML service when initiating an emergency call.