Topology Hiding Node for Visited Network Security

The patent introduces a Topology Hiding Node (THN) as an intermediary entity between the visited network and the home network. The THN acts as a mediator that receives location update requests from the visited network, processes them, and forwards appropriate requests to the home network. This intermediary layer prevents the home network from directly accessing the internal topology and structure of the visited network, thereby hiding the topology while still enabling mobility management functionality.

The patent implements a virtual identity mechanism where the THN creates and manages virtual identities that represent real system entities. Instead of using real identities (such as actual MME identifiers) in communications between the visited and home networks, the THN uses virtual identity placeholders. These virtual identities are copies or representations that maintain the functional accuracy of communication while preventing exposure of the real network topology and entity identities.

The patent segments the network communication into distinct functional layers: the visited network layer, the topology hiding layer (THN), and the home network layer. Each layer operates independently with specific responsibilities. The THN layer is specifically designed to handle the topology hiding function while allowing the visited network layer to continue providing services to user equipment without modification. This segmentation enables topology protection to be applied selectively without impacting the versatility of visited network services.