IMS Application Server Malicious Communication Rejection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) networks lack an effective mechanism for malicious communication rejection, particularly for users with legacy terminals that do not possess an IMS client, and there is a need for a mechanism to manage and maintain a blacklist of malicious caller identities within the IMS network.

Innovation Solution

An application server within the IMS network stores a chronological history of incoming call identities and allows users to add these identities to a malicious connection rejection blacklist, using SIP messages with Supplementary Service Codes or XML MIME components to manage the blocking list, ensuring compatibility with both IMS clients and legacy terminals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an application server stores and manages connection history lists for malicious communication rejection, then the ability to reject malicious communications is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemalicious communication rejection capabilityVSAvoidapplication server structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The application server is designed to serve multiple functions: it manages connection history lists, maintains blacklist data, processes SIP messages for malicious communication rejection, and provides services to both IMS clients and legacy terminals. This multi-functionality consolidates what could be separate systems into a single versatile component, improving reliability while controlling complexity through functional integration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the system provides compatibility with both IMS clients and legacy terminals, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveterminal compatibilityVSAvoidinterface management
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The application server acts as an intermediary between the IMS network and various terminals (both IMS clients and legacy terminals). It receives SIP messages from different terminal types, processes them through a unified mechanism for malicious communication rejection, and returns appropriate responses. This intermediary role enables compatibility across diverse terminal types without requiring each terminal to implement complex IMS-specific functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If the application server maintains detailed connection history lists, then the measurement precision of caller identification is improved, but the loss of information increases due to storage requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecaller identity identificationVSAvoidstorage capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and stores only the essential information needed for malicious communication rejection: caller identities and their positions in connection history lists. Rather than storing complete call detail records or unnecessary metadata, the application server focuses on maintaining minimal viable data (caller IDs and temporal ordering), thereby achieving precise caller identification while minimizing storage resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2293512B1Malicious communication rejection
Publication Date: 2016.01.06 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP2293512B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2293512B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2293512B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An application server of an IP Multimedia Subsystem network for use in provisioning a service to a set of served users. The application server comprises a memory configured to store, for each of said served users, a calling party identity for each of a plurality of recently received incoming communication connection requests directed to the served user, the identities forming a connection history list ordered chronologically according to the time of the respective requests. The server further comprises a receiver for receiving from served users and/or from a gateway or gateways providing an interface between served users and the IP Multimedia Subsystem network, Session Initiation Protocol, SIP, messages each relating to a served user and containing a position within the connection history list for the served user, and a determining unit for determining, for each said message, the calling party identity at said position.