Location-aware security validation for network device setup

Inventor: Savitha Venkata Rao (Sammamish, WA)

Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.

H04W12/63 H04W12/08 H04W60/00

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12707272
App. No.: 18/969,217
Granted: Aug 11, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

The solution enhances the security of new wireless device setups is enhanced by the verification of the geographic location of the new device upon network attachment against the one or more known subscriber locations, or locations associated with the network subscriber that is expected or intended to be operating the new device. These locations can include a home address recorded in subscriber profile information stored by the telecommunications network, for example. If a mismatch is detected, a security alert is sent to the network subscriber's current wireless device, enabling confirmation whether it is the network subscriber that is attempting to use and set up the new device.

Claims (39)

1 . A system implemented by a telecommunications network for enhancing security of new wireless device setup, comprising:

at least one hardware processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

determining that a new wireless device has attached to the telecommunications network based on a comparison of a hardware device identifier provided by the new wireless device against known device identifiers stored in a database, wherein the new wireless device is expected to be delivered to a network subscriber of the telecommunications network;

in connection with a network registration process for the new wireless device, obtaining a geographic location associated with the new wireless device at a time that the new wireless device attached to the telecommunications network;

comparing the geographic location to a home location associated with the network subscriber to which the new wireless device is expected to be delivered, the home location being indicated in a subscriber profile record associated with the network subscriber; and

in response to a determination that the home location does not match the geographic location, causing a security alert to be provided at a current wireless device associated with the network subscriber, wherein the current wireless device is connected to the telecommunications network and identified via a subscriber identity associated with the network subscriber.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to receiving a particular security response from the current wireless device, adding the hardware device identifier provided by the new wireless device to a blacklist.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise, prior to the new wireless device attaching to the telecommunications network, storing a record of the new wireless device being sent to the home location associated with the network subscriber, and wherein the network subscriber to which the new wireless device is expected to be delivered is identified via the record using the hardware device identifier provided by the new wireless device.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the geographic location is a cell site area associated with a network node to which the new wireless device has attached.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise comparing the geographic location associated with the new wireless device attaching to the telecommunications network to a current location of the current wireless device associated with the network subscriber, and wherein the security alert is transmitted further in response to the determination that the geographic location and the current location do not match.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the new wireless device is an eSIM-configured device.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the security alert being provided at the current wireless device is configured to enable a particular security response indicating that the new wireless device is in possession of an intended recipient and enabling the network registration process for the new wireless device to continue.

8 . A method for enhancing security with a telecommunications network, comprising:

determining, by at least one processor, that a new wireless device has attached to a radio access network (RAN) component of the telecommunications network based on a comparison of a hardware device identifier provided by the new wireless device against known device identifiers stored in a database, wherein the new wireless device is expected to be delivered to a network subscriber of the telecommunications network;

obtaining, by the at least one processor from the radio access network (RAN) component of the telecommunications network, a geographic location associated with the new wireless device at a time that the new wireless device attached to the RAN component of the telecommunications network;

comparing the geographic location to an expected delivery location for the new wireless device; and

in response to a determination that the geographic location does not correspond to the expected delivery location, causing a security alert to be provided at one or more current wireless devices associated with the network subscriber and having been connected to the telecommunications network.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the expected delivery location is a home location that is indicated within a subscriber profile record associated with the network subscriber.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

in response to receiving a particular security response to the security alert, adding the hardware device identifier provided by the new wireless device to a blacklist.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

identifying the network subscriber to which the new wireless device is expected to be delivered based on referencing the hardware device identifier provided by the new wireless device against a set of delivery records generated by a network operator for the telecommunications network.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the geographic location is obtained based on a cell site location associated with a network node to which the new wireless device has attached.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the new wireless device is an eSIM-configured device.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the security alert being provided at the one or more current wireless devices is configured to enable a particular security response indicating that the new wireless device is in possession of the network subscriber and enabling a network registration process for the new wireless device to continue.

15 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

determining that a new wireless device has attached to a telecommunications network based on a comparison of a hardware device identifier provided by the new wireless device against known device identifiers stored in a database, wherein the new wireless device is expected to be delivered to a network subscriber of the telecommunications network;

obtaining a geographic location associated with the new wireless device at a time that the new wireless device attached to the telecommunications network;

comparing the geographic location to an expected delivery location for the new wireless device; and

16 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the expected delivery location is a home location that is indicated within a subscriber profile record associated with the network subscriber.

17 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to receiving a particular security response to the security alert, adding the hardware device identifier provided by the new wireless device to a blacklist.

18 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

19 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the geographic location is obtained based on a cell site location associated with a network node to which the new wireless device has attached.

20 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the security alert being provided at the one or more current wireless devices is configured to enable a particular security response indicating that the new wireless device is in possession of the network subscriber and enabling a network registration process for the new wireless device to continue.