System and Method for Disabling CDMA Network Services for Unauthorized Mobile Devices

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority benefit under 35 USC 119(e) to U.S. provisional application serial number 61/586,977 filed Jan. 16, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

No federal government funds were used in researching or developing this invention.

NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

[para 1] This invention relates to components and methods for registering and disabling electronic mobile devices in a CDMA telecommunications network, and particularly relating to equipment identity registers.

Background of the Invention [para 2] Governments around the world have placed requirements on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators to implement Equipment Identity Register (EIR) functionality equivalent to that which is currently available in Global System for Mobile (GSM) networks. This functionality is desirable as it provides security within the network to prevent unauthorized, stolen, or spoofed handsets or devices from obtaining network access for both voice and data. This is of high concern to

governments globally as both criminal and terrorist organizations in the execution of their operations have historically used these devices. There is, therefore, an urgent need to implement an effective solution to identify these unauthorized handsets, prevent their usage, and protect the operator's network from them.

[para 3] The basic principle behind an EIR is that it is network element that contains a database of the serial numbers that are associated with devices. Each serial number is classified as whitelisted, greylisted, or blacklisted. When a device registers on an EIR-equipped network, the network sends the serial number of the device (in addition to subscriber related information if so enabled) to the EIR, which then returns the device classification to the network, which determines whether or not access should be granted. EIR functionality and its interaction with the associated network elements in a GSM network are fully documented in specifications developed by the 3 ^rd Generation Partnership Project (3 GPP), the primary standards body for the GSM community.

[para 4] An analogous set of comprehensive standards does not exist for CDMA networks since, historically, the CDMA network has had no need for this type of functionality. Therefore, neither CDMA mobile devices nor CDMA network elements support protocols or methods to enable EIR use within the network. In traditional CDMA business models (as seen with U.S. CDMA operators), the operator controlled the distribution of handsets and CDMA devices did not use Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards like their GSM counterparts. Without a removable SIM card, the subscriber's identity (or telephone number) was directly coupled to the device. In SIM environments, the subscriber information resides on the card, and the card can be easily removed from one device and placed in another. With the advent of SIM-based CDMA handsets, the direct coupling between subscriber identity and device is lost, creating a situation where subscribers can migrate from one device to another by simply removing their SIM card from one device and inserting it into another. This enables anonymous criminal activity since pre-paid SIM cards can be easily obtained through retail channels and a stolen device can be paired with the card and used without detection by the network,

[para 5] A CDMA based SIM card is also known as a Removable User Identity Module (RUIM).

Because the primary network identifier of the subscriber is the identification number associated with the subscriber's RUIM card, i.e. its RUIM ID, it is the identifier that is sent across the network for authentication. The network can use the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) as well, as this parameter is also linked to RUIM card. To properly identify both the subscriber and the equipment, the serial number of the device must be sent along with that of the RUIM (or the IMSI associated with the RUIM). The serial number may be in the form of an Electronic Serial Number (ESN), or Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID), depending on the device. ESNs are 32 bit serial numbers that have been exhausted and consequently replaced by MEIDs, which are 56 bit serial numbers, in newer devices. For the purposes of this document, ESN, MEID, and device serial number are synonymous.

Unfortunately, the current CDMA standards do not fully support the transport of these identifiers back to the network core, which includes the EIR; as such, there is no method to capture this data and make intelligent network decisions based on that data. In other words, a paradigm for supporting EIR functionality does not exist in the CDMA realm.

[para 6] The lack of a solution for detecting and disabling devices on a CDMA network has created a problem for network operators, many of whom face government mandates to support device detection and disablement for device deemed stolen with severe penalties for not doing so..

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[para 7] Accordingly, to address one or more of the shortcomings in the prior art and existing products, there is provided in one preferred embodiment a method for controlling access to a CDMA

telecommunication network, comprising the steps of: (i) receiving a request from a mobile device to connect to the CDMA network, the request including a device identifier comprising a CDMA triplet; (ii) registering the device on the CDMA network and sending the mobile device a request to disable the user interface; (iii) receiving an authorization request from the mobile device via Short Message Service (SMS) bearer to perform a database lookup in an EIR, the request including a device identifier comprising a CDMA triplet; and, (iv) determining whether the device identifier is listed in the database as blacklisted, greylisted, or whitelisted; and where the device identifier is listed in the database as white-listed sending a response to the mobile device to re-enable the user interface; and where the device identifier is listed in the database as greylisted sending a response to the mobile device to perform discretionary actions defined by the operator policy as configured in and enforced by the Subscriber Management Gateway; and where the device identifier is listed in the database as blacklisted sending a response to the mobile device to keep the mobile device in a disabled state for a defined period of time and sending a notification to a Subscriber Management Gateway, which will interact with appropriate network elements and systems to disable network services for the mobile device except for emergency calls.

[para 8] In another preferred embodiment, there is provided a feature for wherein the CDMA triplet is:

(i) Identification number of a Removable User Identity Module (RUIM ID); (ii) International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI); and (iii) and Electronic Serial Number or Mobile Equipment Identifier (ESN or MEID).

[para 9] In another preferred embodiment, there is provided a feature wherein the steps of disabling the mobile device are handled by a RUIM software application resident on the device RUIM card,

[para 10] In another preferred embodiment, there is provided an aspect wherein the Subscriber Management Gateway controls the interaction with the network elements and systems by (i) reconfiguring the CDMA network to reroute all calls to customer service except emergency calls and

(ii) reconfiguring the CDMA network to reroute all SMS messages to a Stub SMSC that is co-resident with the EIR to ensure that control messages from the mobile device are still received in the event that SMS services are disabled since SMS is used as the bearer channel.

[para 11] In another preferred embodiment, there is provided an additional step of re-enabling the user interface after the period of time configured in the authorization response from the EIR for a blacklisted device expires, wherein the user interface becomes enabled, and allows the subscriber access to the device with limited service functionality, said limited service functionality limited by the operator policy as configured in and enforced by the Subscriber Management Gateway,

[para 12] In another preferred embodiment, there is provided a method for controlling access to a CDMA telecommunication network, comprising the steps of: (i) receiving a request from a mobile device to connect to the CDMA network, the request including a device identifier comprising a CDMA triplet, wherein the CDMA triplet is: (i) RUIM ID; (ii) IMSI; and (iii) and ESN or MEID; (ii) registering the device on the CDMA network and sending the mobile device a request to disable the user interface, wherein disabling the mobile device is handled by a RUIM software application resident on the device RUIM card; (iii) receiving an authorization request from the mobile device via Short Message Service (SMS) bearer to perform a database lookup in an EIR, the request including a device identifier comprising a CDMA triplet; (iv) determining whether the device identifier is listed in the database; and where the device identifier is listed in the database sending a response to the mobile device to re-enable the user interface; and where the device identifier is not listed in the database sending a response to the mobile device to keep the mobile device in a disabled state for a defined period of time and sending a notification to a Subscriber Management Gateway, which will interact with appropriate network elements and systems to disable network services for the mobile device except for emergency calls; wherein disabling the mobile device and sending the notification to the Subscriber Management gateway are handled by a RUIM software application resident on the device RUIM card; wherein the Subscriber Management Gateway controls the interaction with the network elements and systems by (i) reconfiguring the CDMA network to reroute all calls to customer service except emergency calls and (ii) reconfiguring the CDMA network to reroute all SMS messages to a Stub SMSC that is co-resident with the EIR to ensure that control messages from the mobile device are still received in the event that SMS services are disabled since SMS is used as the bearer channel; and, (v) re-enabling the user interface after the period of time configured in the authorization response from the EIR for a blacklisted device expires, and when the user interface becomes enabled, allowing the subscriber access to the device with limited service functionality, said limited service functionality limited by the operator policy as configured in and enforced by the Subscriber Management Gateway, [para 13] In another preferred embodiment, there is provided a communication system operable in accordance with any of methods described and/or claimed herein.

[para 14] In another preferred embodiment, there is provided a RUIM card for a CDMA

telecommunication mobil device wherein said RUIM card having a software application resident on the device RUIM card programmed to (i) send, receive, and process mobile communications to and from a CDMA telecommunications network to provide for disabling the device user interface, (ii) sending and receiving requests from the mobile device via Short Message Service (SMS) bearers to perform database lookups of device identifiers in an EIR, and (iii) re-enabling the user interface after a pre- configured period of time expires and only allowing the subscriber access to the device with limited service functionality as received from the Subscriber Management Gateway,

[para 15] In another preferred embodiment, there is provided a RUIM card for a CDMA

telecommunication mobile device wherein said RUIM card having a software application resident on the device RUIM card is programmed to be operable in a method for controlling access to a CDMA telecommunication network, comprising the steps of (i) receiving a request from a mobile device to connect to the CDMA network, the request including a device identifier comprising a CDMA triplet; (ii) registering the device on the CDMA network and sending the mobile device a request to disable the user interface; (iii) receiving an authorization request from the mobile device via Short Message Service (SMS) bearer to perform a database lookup in an EIR, the request including a device identifier comprising a CDMA triplet; and (iv) determining whether the device identifier is listed in the database as blacklisted, greylisted, or whitelisted; and where the device identifier is listed in the database as white-listed sending a response to the mobile device to re-enable the user interface; and where the device identifier is listed in the database as greylisted sending a response to the mobile device to perform discretionary actions defined by the operator policy as configured in and enforced by the Subscriber Management Gateway; and where the device identifier is listed in the database as blacklisted sending a response to the mobile device to keep the mobile device in a disabled state for a defined period of time and sending a notification to a Subscriber Management Gateway, which will interact with appropriate network elements and systems to disable network services for the mobile device except for emergency calls.

[para 16] In another preferred embodiment, there is provided a RUIM card for a CDMA

telecommunication mobile device wherein the CDMA triplet is: (i) RUIM ID; (ii) IMSI; and (iii) and ESN or MEID.

[para 17] In another preferred embodiment, there is provided a RUIM card for a CDMA

telecommunication mobile device, wherein the steps of disabling the mobile device are handled by a RUIM software application resident on the device RUIM card. [para 18] In another preferred embodiment, there is provided a RUIM card for a CDMA

telecommunication mobile device of claim 9, further comprising wherein the Subscriber Management Gateway controls the interaction of the mobile device and RUIM card with the telecommunication network elements and systems by (i) reconfiguring the CDMA network to reroute all calls to customer service except emergency calls and (ii) reconfiguring the CDMA network to reroute all SMS messages to a Stub SMSC that is co-resident with the EIR to ensure that control messages from the mobile device are still received in the event that SMS services are disabled since SMS is used as the bearer channel, [para 19] In another preferred embodiment, there is provided a RUIM card for a CDMA

telecommunication mobile device wherein the RUIM card re-enables the user interface after the period of time configured in the authorization response from the EIR for a blacklisted device expires, wherein the user interface becomes enabled, and the RUIM card allows the subscriber access to the device with limited service functionality, said limited service functionality limited by the operator policy as configured in and enforced by the Subscriber Management Gateway.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[para 20] Figure 1. is a network diagram. It shows the mobile device, which includes an installed software application, referred to as the Access Control Module (ACM), on its SIM card. The ACM communicates via the Access Network to the Equipment Identity Register (EIR), which includes four sub components - the network interface, the registry, the stub SMSC, and the subscriber management gateway. The subscriber management gateway interacts with various network elements, depending on the implementation, to control subscribers' network and service capabilities. This call flow diagram is displaying the network end points for the communications - intermediate transport elements are not displayed.

[para 21] Figure 2. is a call flow diagram. It illustrates the communication between the various system components during a normal authorization process for a valid, whitelisted mobile device. This call flow diagram is displaying the network end points for the communications - intermediate transport elements are not displayed. [para 22] Figure 3. is a call flow diagram. It illustrates the communication between the various system components during the authorization process for a newly blacklisted mobile device. This call flow diagram is displaying the network end points for the communications - intermediate transport elements are not displayed.

[para 23] Figure 4. is a call flow diagram. It illustrates the communication between the various system components during the authorization process for a mobile device that is already in a blacklisted state. This call flow diagram is displaying the network end points for the communications - intermediate transport elements are not displayed.

[para 24] Figure 5. is a call flow diagram. It illustrates the communication between the various system components during the authorization process for a mobile device that had been previously blacklisted but is reattempting to access the network after being whitelisted. This call flow diagram is displaying the network end points for the communications - intermediate transport elements are not displayed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[para 25] The present invention provides a system and method for identifying a mobile device in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network and disabling network services for any device deemed "blacklisted" by a mobile network operator. The term "blacklisted" refers to the industry standard term for an unregistered or unauthorized device that is not allowed to access network resources. The term "greylisted" refers to the industry standard term of a device that is not blacklisted but is subject to discretionary or limited functions or conditions or parameters as determined by the particular network operator. The term "whitelisted" refers to the industry standard term for a device that is registered or authorized to access network resources. In addition, the invention ensures that the device's user interface is disabled, preventing use until approval is obtained for allowing network access or confirmation is received that the appropriate network services are disabled for a forbidden device. These are achieved as follows:

(1)A software application resident on the device Removeable User Identity Module (RUIM) card disables the user interface on the device after the device registers on the network so no services can be used by the subscriber. (2) The software application then sends an authorization request to an EIR which contains the triplet: (i) Identification number of the Removeable User Identity Module (RUIM ID); (ii)

International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI); and (iii) and Electronic Serial Number or Mobile Equipment Identifier (ESN or MEID) (i.e. the CDMA triplet). The message is sent over a Short Message Service (SMS) bearer.

(3) The EIR will perform a database lookup on the device serial number to determine its classification. If the device is not blacklisted, the EIR will send a response to the device which re- enables the user interface, allowing the subscriber to utilize network services. If blacklisted, the EIR will send a response to the device, instructing the RUIM software application to keep the device in a disabled state for a defined period of time based on a parameter in the response. The EIR will also send a notification to a Subscriber Management Gateway, which will interact with the appropriate network elements and systems to disable network services for the specific subscriber. The SMG will also reconfigure the network so that all calls (except emergency calls) are rerouted to customer service and all SMS message are rerouted to a Stub SMSC that is co-resident with the EIR. This ensures that control messages from the RUIM software application are still received even in the event that SMS services have been disabled since SMS is used as the bearer channel.

(4) When the period of time configured in the authorization response from the EIR for a blacklisted device expires, the user interface will become enabled, allowing the subscriber access to the device, but with service functionality limited by the operator policy as configured in and enforced by the Subscriber Management Gateway.

[para 26] A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 illustrates the end-to-end system of the invention. A mobile station is shown which utilizes an RUIM card to store subscriber specific information for identification and network authentication. Excess memory on the RUIM card may be used to store software applications that run on a mobile device. As a part of the invention, the RUIM stores a software application called the Access Control Module (ACM). The ACM application communicates directly with the mobile device and is able to gather information from the device as well as issue commands to the device to control its behavior. In addition, the ACM can use the device's wireless radio to communicate over the network. Interaction between the ACM and network elements takes place over the access network using SMS as the bearer. As shown in Figure 1 , the ACM communicates bi-directionally with the EIR and the Stub SMSC. The EIR communicates with the registry database to perform status lookups for individual devices and also communicates with subscriber management gateway if network

configuration changes are required based on the subscribers' status. Based on the subscriber status, the SMG will communicate with other network elements and systems to enable or disable network services. The network interface from the SMG is implementation dependent as many wireless network operators have different systems and methods for disabling and enabling services,

[para 27] The following description of Figures 2-5 illustrates the interaction and behavior of each of the components and the desired outcome based on the subscriber status. In each case, the ACM is idle until the device attempts to register on the network. Registration is a process by which the device identifies itself to the network and provides location, status, and other characteristics. There are twelve forms of registration methods are described in detail in Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) standard TIA-2000.5-D. Several of these registration types are device-initiated, including power-up , power-down, timer-based, distance based, zone based, and parameter change registrations. Power-up registrations occur under various circumstances, including initial power-up, but also when an RUIM card is inserted into a powered-on mobile device.

[para 28] Figure 2 is a call flow diagram that illustrates the communication between the various system components during a normal authorization process for a valid, whitelisted mobile device. The mobile station (MS), or "mobile device", first registers on the network by communicating with the HLR. After the device receives the registration response from the HLR, the mobile station informs the ACM that the registration is successful. The ACM acknowledges the information from the mobile station, then immediately follows the acknowledgement with a "Hold" command to the mobile station. The mobile station reacts to the Hold command by locking down the device, i.e. not accepting any user input. This prevents the device from making calls, sending text messages, or using data services until the verification of the device is completed. The ACM then sends an authorization request to the EIR over SMS. The SMSC routes the AuthRequest from the device to the EIR. The AuthRequest contains information about the subscriber and the device including serial number in the form of a Mobile Equipment ID (MEID) or Electronic Serial Number (ESN) based on the vintage of the device, the RUIM ID from the RUIM card, the IMSI M from the RUIM card, which identifies the subscriber, and some other optional parameters, like device make and model, if available. The critical parameters are the serial number (ESN or MEID), the RUIM ID, and the IMSI, since the serial number uniquely identifies the device and the RUIM ID or IMSI uniquely identify the subscriber. Both IMSI-M and IMSI-T are contemplated as within the scope of the invention, and use of IMSI broadly refers to one or the other, as used herein. Depending on the network operator, either IS95A (IMSI M) or IS95B (IMSI T) is used. The device serial number and the two subscriber numbers, as three values, are commonly referred to as the "triplet" by those skilled in the art. The EIR decodes the SMS and uses the QueryEquipmentState command to query the registry (database) for the device status based on the serial number. Since the device is on the whitelist, i.e. the device is in good standing, the registry returns a QueryResponse, informing the EIR that the customer is permitted network access. The EIR informs the subscriber management gateway that the subscriber should be enabled. The SMG queries the registry to ensure that the subscriber profile is in an enabled state. The registry responds to the SMG with a confirmation that the subscriber is in the desired state so the SMG takes no network action before informing the EIR that the subscriber is approved and it may proceed. The EIR encodes an SMS message containing status back to the ACM via the SMSC. The message contains a timer parameter informing the ACM how many seconds it should wait before releasing the device from Hold status. Since the device is approved, the timer parameter is set to zero by the EIR. The ACM then releases the hold on the device immediately, allowing the user to access the keypad and user interface, and permitting use of voice text and data services.

[para 29] Figure 3 is a call flow diagram that illustrates the communication between the various system components during the authorization process for a newly blacklisted mobile device. As a precondition, a subscriber has informed the mobile operator that their device has been stolen and the operator has updated the registry to reflect that the subscriber's device, identified by MEID or ESN, is now blacklisted. As with the case described in Figure 2, the mobile station (MS) first registers on the network by communicating with the HLR. After the device receives the registration response from the HLR, the mobile station informs the ACM that the registration is successful. The ACM acknowledges the information from the mobile station, then immediately follows the acknowledgement with a "Hold" command to the mobile station. The mobile station reacts to the Hold command by locking down the device. The ACM then sends an authorization request containing the triplet to the EIR over SMS. The EIR decodes the SMS and uses the QueryEquipmentState command to query the registry (database) for the device status based on the serial number. Since the device is on the blacklist, i.e. the device is forbidden, the registry returns a QueryResponse, informing the EIR that the customer should be denied network access. The EIR informs the subscriber management gateway that the subscriber should be disabled. The SMG queries the registry to ensure that the subscriber profile is in a disabled state and registry responds that the subscriber still has normal network access. The SMG takes action by reaching out to the appropriate network elements (depending on the operator-specific implementation) and updating their configuration(s) to ensure that the subscribers' voice, text, and data services are disabled. Routing configurations are also changed by the SMG so (optionally) any call attempts are routed to customer service. In addition, SMS routing is changed to ensure that any future SMS messages from the device are routed to the Stub SMSC. This is critical since the ACM-EIR

communication link uses SMS and it must be kept intact despite subscriber generated messaging being disabled in the network. After the SMG completes the network configuration updates, it informs the registry that the subscriber is currently in Hotline mode, meaning that all services except emergency calls have been disabled. The registry performs the record update and acknowledges the change back to the SMG. The SMG then informs the EIR that it has completed all network and registry updates and that the device's status is now 'Not Authorized', or blacklisted. The EIR encodes and an SMS message containing status back to the ACM via the SMSC. In this case, the timer parameter is set to a non-zero number to ensure that the ACM waits for a period of time that will ensure that the SMG-initiated configuration changes to network have ample time to propagate and become active. After the operator- specific wait time is completed, the ACM releases the hold on the device, allowing the user to access the keypad and user interface. While the user has access to the device keyboard and user interface, all services are disabled except emergency voice services and customer service access. Any outgoing calls will typically be routed to customer service and any text messages will be routed to the Stub SMSC, which can be configured to automatically respond to the device with an explanation of the device state as well as a customer service number.

[para 30] Figure 4 is a call flow diagram that illustrates the communication between the various system components during the authorization process for a mobile device that should be blacklisted upon registration but already in a blacklisted state. An example of this situation is when someone using a stolen device has been denied service and attempts to reconnect to the network by rebooting the device. After powering up, the mobile station (MS) first registers on the network by communicating with the HLR. After the device receives the registration response from the HLR, the mobile station informs the ACM that the registration is successful. The ACM acknowledges the information from the mobile station, then immediately follows the acknowledgement with a "Hold" command to the mobile station. The mobile station reacts to the Hold command by locking down the device, i.e. not accepting any user input. The ACM then sends an authorization request to the EIR over SMS. The SMSC routes the AuthRequest from the device to the EIR. The EIR decodes the SMS and uses the QueryEquipmentState command to query the registry (database) for the device status based on the serial number. Since the device is on the blacklist, the registry returns a QueryResponse, informing the EIR that the customer is in a denied state. The EIR informs the subscriber management gateway that the subscriber should be disabled. The SMG queries the registry to ensure that the subscriber profile is in an disabled state and not entitled to normal network access. The registry responds to the SMG with a confirmation that the subscriber is in the desired state [restricted] so the SMG takes no network action before informing the EIR that the subscriber is restricted. The EIR encodes an SMS message containing status back to the ACM via the SMSC. Since the device is not authorized but was already in a restricted state, the timer parameter is set to zero by the EIR. The ACM then releases the hold on the device immediately, allowing the user to access the keypad and user interface, but leaving the services disabled within the network.

[para 31] Figure 5 is a call flow diagram that illustrates the communication between the various system components during the authorization process for a mobile device that had been previously blacklisted but is reattempting to access the network after being whitelisted. An example of this situation is a subscriber that had reported their device stolen to the mobile network provider. The provider consequently had blacklisted the device and disabled network services. Then, the subscriber finds the device, which had been misplaced and prematurely reported as stolen. After the subscriber notifies the provider, the provider updates the status in the registry from blacklisted to whitelisted. Only after the subscriber device attempts to register on the network will all of the configuration updates needed to re- enable service propagate through the network. [para 32] The mobile station first registers on the network by communicating with the HLR. After the device receives the registration response from the HLR, the mobile station informs the ACM that the registration is successful. The ACM acknowledges the information from the mobile station, then immediately follows the acknowledgement with a "Hold" command to the mobile station. The mobile station reacts to the Hold command by locking down the device, i.e. not accepting any user input. This prevents the device from making calls, sending text messages, or using data services until the verification of the device is completed. The ACM then sends an authorization request to the EIR over SMS. The SMSC routes the AuthRequest from the device to the EIR. The EIR decodes the SMS and uses the QueryEquipmentState command to query the registry (database) for the device status based on the serial number. Since the device is on the whitelist, i.e. the device is in good standing, the registry returns a QueryResponse, informing the EIR that the customer is permitted network access. The EIR informs the subscriber management gateway that the subscriber should be enabled. The SMG queries the registry to ensure that the subscriber profile is in an enabled state. In this case, the subscriber is still restricted since the device had been earlier deemed stolen. The registry responds to the SMG with a notification that the subscriber is in the restricted state so the SMG knows that network services are currently disabled, but should not be. Detecting the discrepancy, the SMG must re-enable network services so it issues an EnableSubscriber command to the appropriate network elements. After receiving acknowledgement(s) from the network elements, it updates the registry status to reflect that the subscriber is no longer restricted, then informs the EIR that the subscriber is approved and it may proceed. The EIR encodes an SMS message containing status back to the ACM via the SMSC. The message contains a timer parameter informing the ACM how many seconds it should wait before releasing the device from Hold status. Since the device is approved, the timer parameter is set to zero by the EIR. The ACM then releases the hold on the device immediately, allowing the user to access the keypad and user interface, and permitting use of voice text and data services.

INCORPORATION AND EQUIVALENTS

[para 33] The references recited herein are incorporated herein in their entirety, particularly as they relate to teaching the level of ordinary skill in this art and for any disclosure necessary for the commoner understanding of the subject matter of the claimed invention. It will be clear to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the above embodiments may be altered or that insubstantial changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is determined by the scope of the following claims and their equitable Equivalents.