Mobility Registration SoR Verification for Secure Network Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 5G wireless communication systems fail to ensure that user equipment (UE) receives and verifies steering of roaming (SoR) information during mobility registration, leading to potential selection of low-priority or fraudulent networks, as current protocols do not mandate SoR checks during mobility registrations, especially when UE initially registers in a visited public land mobile network (VPLMN).
Innovation Solution
The UE is configured to expect and verify SoR information during initial and mobility registrations, with the home public land mobile network (HPLMN) ensuring delivery of SoR information through extended UE context information and secure mechanisms, allowing the UE to prioritize high-priority networks and avoid fraudulent ones by maintaining an indicator for mobility registration and performing integrity checks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE performs mobility registration without verifying SoR information, then the registration process is faster and simpler, but the UE may select low-priority or fraudulent networks reducing security
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by requiring the UE to verify SoR information before completing the mobility registration process. The UE checks whether the target PLMN is indicated in the stored SoR list before finalizing registration, preventing selection of fraudulent networks while maintaining a relatively simple procedural framework.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by having the UE continuously monitor and verify whether the current registered PLMN matches the preferred PLMNs indicated in the SoR information. This feedback mechanism ensures the UE maintains registration with high-priority networks and can detect when it has been redirected to low-priority or fraudulent networks.
2Reliability
If the UE verifies SoR information during mobility registration, then the UE can avoid fraudulent networks, but the registration process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces time loss by performing SoR verification as a preliminary check before completing registration. The UE compares the target PLMN against the stored SoR list in advance, allowing for quick validation without requiring complex real-time verification procedures during the actual registration process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a lightweight verification mechanism that compares PLMN identifiers against a stored list, which is a simple, fast operation that does not require extensive computational resources or time-consuming procedures, analogous to using a simple checklist rather than a complex verification system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the HPLMN provides SoR information to the UE, then the UE can be steered to preferred networks, but the protocol complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential SoR verification function from the complex mobility management protocol, isolating it as a separate, simple comparison operation between the current PLMN and the stored preferred PLMN list. This extraction allows the HPLMN to provide steering information while keeping the UE's protocol implementation relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the stored SoR list as an intermediary that mediates between the HPLMN's steering preferences and the UE's network selection decisions. This intermediary structure allows the HPLMN to control roaming behavior without requiring complex real-time communication protocols between the HPLMN and UE during mobility events.
4Reliability
If the UE stores and checks SoR information, then the UE can prioritize high-priority networks, but the UE memory and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a minimal storage approach by maintaining only a list of preferred PLMN identifiers in the UE, which is a small, lightweight data structure requiring minimal memory. This is analogous to using a simple checklist rather than a comprehensive database, providing security verification with minimal resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential SoR verification data (preferred PLMN list) from the complete SoR information set, storing only what is necessary for verification. This extraction minimizes storage requirements while maintaining the core security function of preventing registration with fraudulent networks.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods provide steering of roaming (SoR) information during a user equipment (UE) mobility registration process. In other systems and methods, instead of triggering mobility and periodic registration, a UE performs initial registration until a valid SoR is received in a visited country or network as long as a subscriber identification module (SIM) or a universal SIM (USIM) of the UE indicates that the UE is expected to receive SoR information due to initial registration in a visited public land mobile network (VPLMN).