Patent ID: 9439094
Filing Date: 2016-09-06
CPC Classification: H04L,H04W

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus for identifying a user plane identifier of a user device by a monitoring probe in communication with a first network device and a second network device, the apparatus comprising: first circuitry for monitoring the first network device for receipt of a first control plane message comprising a first control plane identifier and a user device identifier; second circuitry for monitoring, in response to receipt of the first control plane message, the second network device for receipt of a second control plane message comprising a second control plane identifier and a user plane identifier; a comparator for comparing, in response to receipt of the second control plane message, the first control plane identifier with the second control plane identifier in order to determine whether or not the first control plane identifier corresponds to the second control plane identifier; output circuitry for outputting, in response to a determination that the first control plane identifier corresponds to the second control plane identifier, the user plane identifier such that the user plane identifier is identified as the user plane identifier of the user device; said second circuitry for monitoring the second network device for receipt of a third control plane message comprising another user device identifier and a third control plane identifier; third circuitry for monitoring, in response to receipt of the third control plane message, a third network device for receipt of a fourth control plane message comprising a fourth control plane identifier and a first control plane parameter; a second comparator for comparing, in response to receipt of a fourth control plane message, the third control plane identifier with the fourth control plane identifier in order to determine whether or not the third control plane identifier corresponds to the fourth control plane identifier; said first circuitry for monitoring, in response to a determination that the third control plane identifier corresponds to the fourth control plane identifier, the first network device for receipt of a fifth control plane message comprising a sixth control plane message and a seventh control plane message; a third comparator for comparing, in response to receipt of a fifth control plane message, the first control plane parameter with the second control plane parameter in order to determine whether or not the first control plane parameter corresponds to the second control plane parameter; a fourth comparator for comparing, in response to a determination that the first control plane parameter corresponds to the second control plane parameter, the sixth control plane message with the first control plane identifier in order to determine whether or not the sixth control plane message corresponds to the first control plane identifier; and said output circuitry for outputting, in response to a determination that the sixth control plane message corresponds to the first control plane identifier, the other user device identifier such that the other user plane identifier is identified as the user plane identifier of the user device.