User Equipment Missed Call Duration Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods are inadequate in detecting and preventing Wangiri fraud, which tricks users into calling premium services by ending calls before they can be answered, leading to unintended charges.

Innovation Solution

A method and User Equipment (UE) that determine the duration of a missed call, flagging it as potentially fraudulent if below a threshold, and transmitting this information to a network node to prevent further calls to the fraudulent number.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the call duration threshold is set to detect fraudulent missed calls, then the detection accuracy improves, but false positives increase causing legitimate short calls to be blocked

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefraud detection accuracyVSAvoidlegitimate call delivery
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent dynamically adjusts the call duration threshold parameter based on multiple factors including call type, user behavior patterns, and historical data. Instead of using a fixed threshold that causes false positives, the system modifies the threshold parameter adaptively to maintain detection accuracy while minimizing blocking of legitimate calls.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where user responses to flagged calls (whether they were actually fraudulent or legitimate) are used to refine future detection decisions. This feedback loop allows the system to learn from past decisions and adjust its threshold application to reduce false positives while maintaining fraud detection effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If the UE monitors and analyzes call duration for every missed call, then fraud detection capability improves, but device power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefraud detection capabilityVSAvoiddevice power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial monitoring by selectively analyzing call duration only for calls matching specific fraud patterns or from high-risk number categories, rather than monitoring every missed call. This partial action approach maintains fraud detection capability for suspicious calls while significantly reducing the energy overhead of universal monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments the call monitoring process into different levels: basic duration recording for all calls (low power), detailed analysis for suspicious patterns (medium power), and comprehensive monitoring only for confirmed high-risk scenarios (high power). This segmentation allows the device to maintain detection capability while managing power consumption based on actual risk levels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Loss of energy

If the system blocks calls to numbers identified as potentially fraudulent, then financial loss from Wangiri fraud is reduced, but users may be unable to reach legitimate premium services

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefinancial loss preventionVSAvoidservice accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis and flagging of potentially fraudulent numbers before blocking calls to them. By identifying suspicious patterns and flagging numbers for review before implementing blocks, the system prevents financial loss from confirmed fraud while providing an opportunity to verify legitimate premium services and avoid false blocking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary verification mechanism where flagged numbers are subjected to additional checks (such as network verification, user confirmation, or pattern analysis) before being blocked. This intermediary step acts as a mediator between fraud prevention and service accessibility, allowing legitimate premium services to pass through while blocking actual fraud.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3871435B1Method and user equipment for detecting a potentially fraudulent call
Publication Date: 2023.10.11 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP3871435B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3871435B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3871435B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method and a User Equipment, UE (120) for detecting that the UE has received a fraudulent missed call, e.g. from a non-legitimate device (150). When receiving a missed call which is ended before a user of the UE has answered the incoming call, the UE determines the duration of the missed call, and indicates, e.g. to a user of the UE, the 5 duration of the missed call. The missed call may be determined as potentially fraudulent if the duration of the missed call is below or equal to a predetermined threshold.