Abstract: A method and apparatus for fraud control in cellular telephone systems. Call records from a switch are scanned to identify a fraudulent cellular phone based on its behavior. An identifier, e.g., a radio frequency (RF) signature, representative of the fraudulent phone is stored in a control channel editor at a cell site. A database of identifiers may comprise a positive validation database storing the identifiers for all valid phones used in the cellular telephone system, or it may be a negative validation database storing the identifiers for known fraudulent phones. A control channel editor intercepts a call origination request transmitted by a phone, and a control processor compares one or more characteristics of the phone transmitting the call origination request to the database of identifiers. The control processor then prevents the call origination request from completing when the comparison indicates that the phone is fraudulent.

Abstract: An Inbuilding Communications System for providing telephone communication to a first set of portable telephones located in a first area and to a second set of portable telephones located in a second area; the first set of portable telephones transmit and receive a first set of radio signals having a set of assigned frequencies; the second set of portable telephones transmit and receive a second set of signals having the same set of assigned frequencies; the first and second areas are separated by a structure which attenuates radio signals. A first set of at least two antennas is located inside the first area for communicating with the first set of portable telephones. The number of antennas and the position of each antenna in the first set of antennas are chosen such that the first set of radio signals is attenuated below a pre-determined level after passing through the structure.