Mobile Device TAC Database with Unified Manufacturer and Model IDs
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Solution Overview
Problem
The GSMA TAC database suffers from inconsistencies in manufacturer and model identifiers for mobile devices, leading to difficulties in accurately reconciling data such as dropped call rates and identifying security vulnerabilities across devices with the same model but different TACs.
Innovation Solution
An enhanced TAC database is generated by adding additional fields to store unified manufacturer and model identifiers, ensuring that records with the same manufacturer or model share the same further identifier, using mapping rules to standardize these fields.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual updates are performed by device manufacturers, then the database can be maintained and updated, but inconsistencies in manufacturer and model identifiers occur over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that automatically standardizes manufacturer and model identifiers before storing them in the database. This intermediary layer includes validation rules and normalization processes that ensure consistent formatting, preventing the inconsistencies that arise from direct manual updates by multiple manufacturers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the database automatically detects and flags identifier inconsistencies, then triggers correction processes. This feedback loop ensures that data quality is continuously monitored and maintained, preventing the accumulation of inconsistencies over time.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple TACs are used for the same device model, then more units can be identified, but data reconciliation becomes difficult due to inconsistent identifiers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal identifier structure that works across multiple TACs for the same device model. By standardizing the manufacturer and model identifier fields independently of the TAC, the system enables consistent data reconciliation across all TACs while maintaining the ability to identify a large number of devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the identifier structure into distinct components: TAC-specific portions and standardized manufacturer/model portions. This segmentation allows each component to serve its specific function while maintaining overall consistency, reducing the complexity of data reconciliation across multiple TACs.
3Loss of information
If different identifier formats are stored for the same manufacturer or model, then more specific information is captured, but searching and data matching become inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms various identifier formats into a standardized parameter structure during data ingestion. This parameter change process converts different manufacturer and model identifier formats into a unified format, preserving the essential information while enabling efficient searching and matching operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method comprising: generating an enhanced type allocation code (TAC) database based on an initial TAC database, wherein the initial TAC database comprises a plurality of records, wherein each record corresponds to a respective TAC for a respective set of mobile devices and comprises a first field for storing an identifier of the manufacturer of the respective set of mobile devices and a second field for storing an identifier of the model of the respective set of mobile devices, wherein said generating comprises: adding, to the records of the initial TAC database, one or more additional fields; and populating at least one of the one or more additional fields; wherein at least one of the one or more additional fields added to a record is a third field for storing a further identifier of the respective set of mobile devices, wherein said populating is arranged so that records having (a) identifiers, stored in their first field and corresponding to the same manufacturer and/or (b) identifiers, stored in their second field and corresponding to the same model, have the same further identifier stored in their third field.