Stolen UE Subscription Deactivation for User Data Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current procedures for handling stolen or lost mobile devices (UEs) are inefficient, consuming resources and failing to protect user data, providing a poor user experience, and involving law enforcement in identifying bad actors.

Innovation Solution

A system that deactivates stolen UEs by updating their network subscriptions based on a lost or stolen status, using enhanced interfaces and features like quarantine slices and honeypot services to limit access and exposure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If current procedures are used to handle stolen UEs, then law enforcement can identify bad actors, but computing and networking resources are consumed and user data protection is delayed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser data protectionVSAvoidcomputing and networking resources

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by proactively detecting stolen UEs through abnormal behavior patterns (location changes, device modifications, unauthorized access attempts) and immediately deactivating them before data theft can occur. This prevents the need for lengthy law enforcement investigation processes and conserves resources by stopping threats early in their lifecycle

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by implementing automated detection and response mechanisms that operate without human intervention. The network automatically monitors UE behavior, identifies stolen devices through anomaly detection, and deactivates them through automated workflows, eliminating the need for manual law enforcement involvement in each case and significantly reducing computing and networking resource consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If stolen UEs are monitored to identify bad actors, then law enforcement can investigate data theft, but unauthorized access to user data remains a risk

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser data protectionVSAvoidunauthorized access to user data

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by preemptively deactivating stolen UEs upon detection of abnormal behavior patterns. This counter-action occurs before bad actors can exploit the stolen devices to access user data or financial accounts, neutralizing the threat before harm can be executed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The system extracts the harmful element by isolating and deactivating the stolen UE from the network, separating it from the ecosystem of user data and services. This extraction prevents the stolen device from interacting with or accessing protected resources while maintaining the integrity of the broader system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If manual procedures are used to deactivate stolen UEs, then accuracy in identifying stolen devices can be maintained, but response time is delayed and user experience deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestolen UE identification accuracyVSAvoidresponse time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service through automated detection workflows that continuously monitor UE behavior patterns and automatically identify stolen devices based on predefined criteria such as abnormal location changes, device modifications, and unauthorized access attempts. This automation maintains high identification accuracy while eliminating manual processing delays

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs feedback mechanisms where detection results from monitoring UE behavior are immediately fed into the deactivation workflow. This closed-loop feedback system ensures that identification accuracy is maintained through continuous verification while enabling rapid response by eliminating manual review steps between detection and deactivation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Productivity

If stolen UEs remain active on the network, then network resources are utilized, but security risks and data theft opportunities increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork resource utilizationVSAvoidsecurity risks

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies dynamics by implementing conditional deactivation based on real-time UE behavior analysis. UEs are dynamically evaluated against security criteria, and their network access rights are adjusted accordingly - stolen UEs are deactivated while legitimate UEs maintain full access. This dynamic approach optimizes network resource utilization by preserving productivity for authorized devices while eliminating security risks from compromised devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12557003B2Systems and methods for deactivating stolen user equipment and a session for the stolen user equipment

Publication Date: 2026.02.17 VERIZON PATENT & LICENSING INC

AI summary

A network device may receive, from an equipment identity register, a status of a user equipment and a notification indicating that the user equipment is lost or stolen, and may provide, to a unified data management component, a subscription request that includes the status of the user equipment. The network device may receive, from the unified data management component, a subscription for the user equipment based on the subscription request and based on the status of the user equipment, and may provide, to the user equipment, a command to cause the user equipment to update a configuration of the user equipment based on the subscription.