Enforcing PRL Restrictions via Network Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile devices struggle to accurately enforce Preferred Roaming List (PRL) restrictions, leading to inappropriate network usage due to compromised PRLs, malware, or systematic failures, resulting in excessive costs for high-speed data services while roaming.
Innovation Solution
A data session registrar system verifies the selected network against a list of permitted and prohibited networks maintained remotely, preventing unauthorized network access by comparing the selected network's System Identification Code (SID) to the user device's PRL, ensuring only authorized networks are used for voice or data services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If mobile devices autonomously enforce PRL restrictions using locally stored PRL data, then device autonomy and response speed are improved, but reliability deteriorates due to compromised PRLs, malware, or systematic failures leading to inappropriate network usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network entity (such as a home location register or service routing entity) as an intermediary between the mobile device and the network. This intermediary verifies whether selected networks are appropriate by comparing the device's PRL data with network information, thereby centralizing the enforcement logic to ensure reliable PRL restriction enforcement while allowing devices to operate autonomously with locally stored PRL data.
2Device complexity
If PRL restrictions are enforced through local device validation only, then device complexity is minimized, but manufacturing precision deteriorates as devices cannot accurately enforce restrictions against unauthorized networks
Solution Approach 1:
The network entity acts as an intermediary that performs the precise comparison between the device's PRL data and network information. This allows the mobile device to remain relatively simple while the network infrastructure handles the complex validation logic, achieving both low device complexity and high enforcement precision through centralized verification.
3Reliability
If centralized network validation is implemented to improve PRL restriction accuracy, then network control and reliability are improved, but device operation speed deteriorates due to additional verification steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having mobile devices store PRL data locally in advance and perform initial network selection based on this pre-stored data. The centralized network entity then performs verification in the background, allowing the device to operate quickly based on local data while the network ensures reliability through subsequent validation checks.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for facilitating enforcement of PRL restrictions are provided. The method includes receiving a registration request from a user device. The registration request includes a device identifier that identifies the user device and a network identifier that identifies a network selected for use. The device identifier is used to reference a list of networks permitted for use or prohibited for use by the user device. Thereafter, it is determined that the network selected for use by the user device is unauthorized based on a comparison of the network identifier that identifies the network selected for use to the list of networks permitted or prohibited for use by the user device. Based on the determination that the network selected for use by the user device is unauthorized, the user device is prevented from utilizing the selected network for voice or data services.