Inhibiting system traffic from unregistered mobile stations

A system for managing transmissions of a mobile wireless device in a wireless packet switched network having a plurality of transceivers each adapted for serving a discrete geographical area and for communicating with the mobile wireless device over a radio link, wherein the mobile wireless device is associated with a system switch, the system comprising:

• a first controller in communication with the plurality of transceivers and adapted for validating use of a mobile wireless device on the wireless packet switched network, the controller further adapted for dispatching a notification signal for placing the mobile wireless device in a first transmission mode responsive to a determination that the mobile wireless device is not valid for use on the wireless packet switched network;
• and
• a second controller coupled with the mobile wireless device and adapted to inhibit administrative transmissions from the mobile wireless device responsive to detecting a first transmission mode, wherein the administrative transmission functionality is restorable automatically.

A computer program for managing transmissions from a mobile wireless device in a wireless packet switched network, the computer program being embodied on a computer-readable medium, the program comprising:

• a first code segment for monitoring of a first transmission mode indicating that the mobile wireless device is not valid for use in the wireless packet switched network, wherein the first transmission mode restricts the mobile wireless device from transmitting user data packets;
• and
• a second code segment for activating a transmission inhibiting mode of operation for the mobile wireless device responsive to receipt of the notification signal, wherein administrative transmissions are inhibited subsequent to receiving a notification signal.

In a method of operating a wireless communication network for communicating with a mobile device, the network being configured and operated to examine the ESN of the mobile station to validate the mobile station, the network further being operated to block the mobile station from accessing user services in the event that the ESN of the mobile station is invalid, the improvement therein comprising:

• in addition to blocking the mobile station from accessing user services, blocking the mobile station from administrative communications with the network until a time interval has passed or until a criterion has been satisfied, whereby wasteful system traffic can be minimized.