Systems and methods for communication protection

Abstract

A communications system and method is provided to reliably protect communication systems, such as mobile phone systems, from unauthorized use, as well as to make the interception of wireless communication more difficult. Specifically, the static wireless phone number or other similar identifiers are not used for identification and authorization during communication between the mobile unit and a base station. Instead, a set of private identifiers is determined and is known only to the phone company and the base stations controlling the mobile phone calls. These private identifiers allow dynamic and continual updating of the mobile phone and base station directories with current valid identifiers that are used for communication between the devices.

1 . A communications system comprising:
 at least one mobile unit identifier that identifies a communications device; and   at least one updateable identifier, wherein the updateable identifier is used in communications with the communications device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one account management system that maintains a correlation between the at least one mobile unit identifier and the at least one updatable identifier. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a security system that detects unauthorized communications. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one account management system that updates the at least one updateable identifier. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one security system that is capable of at least one of encrypting and decrypting a portion of the communications between the communications device and another device. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the communications device is at least one of a mobile phone, a pager, a mobile communications device and a wireless modem. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one base station that is at least one of a cellular tower, a satellite and a relay station. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a central control that is at least one of a portion of a communications system, a telecommunications system and a satellite communications system. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one current number identification table and at least one next number identification table. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein a current number identification and a next number identification are exchanged with the communications device based on the at least one current number identification table and the at least one next number identification table, respectively. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one updateable identifier replaces the at least one mobile unit identifier. 
     
     
         12 . A communications method comprising:
 receiving at least one mobile unit identifier that identifies a communications device; and   determining at least one updateable identifier, wherein the updateable identifier is used in communications with the communications device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising maintaining a correlation between the at least one mobile unit identifier and the at least one updatable identifier. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising detecting unauthorized communications. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising updating the at least one updateable identifier. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one of encrypting and decrypting a portion of the communications between the communications device and another device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the communications device is at least one of a mobile phone, a pager, a mobile communications device and a wireless modem. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the communications device communicates with a base station that is at least one of a cellular tower, a satellite and a relay station. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the communications device communicates with a central control that is at least one of a portion of a communications system, a telecommunications system and a satellite communications system. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising determining at least one current number identification table and at least one next number identification table. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein a current number identification and a next number identification are exchanged with the communications device based on the at least one current number identification table and the at least one next number identification table, respectively. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising replacing the at least one updateable identifier with the at least one mobile unit identifier. 
     
     
         23 . An information storage media comprising:
 information that replaces at least one mobile unit identifier that identifies a communications device with at least one updateable identifier, wherein the updateable identifier is used in communications with the communications device.