MXPA96005918A - Activation system by the user for red celu - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates, in general, to a data transmission system and to a method that can be used to interconnect a cellular telephone with an activation computer for programming said cellular telephone.

Description

ACTIVATION SYSTEM BY THE USER FOR CELLULAR NETWORK TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates in general to a data transmission system and to a method that can be used to make interconnection between a cell phone and an activation computer for the programming of a cellular telephone BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of the telephone cellular in the United States has increased dramatically in recent years. When cell phones were introduced for the first time, these were mainly large units installed in vehicles, sold through specialized distributors and small stores specializing in the installation and activation of cell phones. However, in recent years compact units have become commonplace. mobile carriers and cellular service providers and other retailers - have replaced specialized distributors and installers as the preferred source of purchase. Because these portable compact units are sold in areas that are served by local service providers that have different and sometimes conflicting activation requirements, these units are typically received at the merchant's store at REF: 23564 retail without the necessary information for their activation. The information necessary for the activation is usually programmed after the purchase and authorization by the bearer of the telephone, in the cell phone in order to activate it. Typically, this information includes a telephone number or mobile station identification (MSID) that is installed in the cell phone memory by the wholesale merchant. In most domestic systems, the MSID complies with a format designated as MIN standard, which is defined in IS-136, EIA-553, etc. In other systems. the MSID may be, for example, the international mobile station identification (IMSI) format, as defined in ITU Recommendation E.212. In any case, the local carrier also includes some information from the cell phone unit itself, which identifies the particular cell unit to the local carrier equipment, in order to perform the correct service (specific selection protocol of the cell unit manufacturer). ) and the correct invoicing (the cost of 11amadas account). Some cellular service providers have required that any prospective customer bring the cell phone unit, after purchasing it, to an authorized service center for activation. Because such a procedure is problematic and expensive for the consumer. as well as for the provider (due to a delay in the start date of the service), other service providers have developed techniques to activate the telephone unit at the place of sale. Since wholesale suppliers concentrate on selling a cell phone to the consumer, and because the time of the sales staff preferably deals with making as many sales as possible to the consumers, the suppliers prefer to minimize the time related to the activation. of each cell phone unit after the sale. Disadvantageously, the activation of the cell phone unit is usually performed manually by the supplier's technician or even by the sales employee, with the help of a manual through the cell phone's keypad. A correct sequence of numbers and codes must be entered in order to program the cell phone. A small error can cause a service failure, make the cell unit inoperable or even damage it. Despite the need for accuracy and knowledge to perform the activation process, many of the individuals in charge of carrying out this process are not trained or are not familiar with the appropriate process. Currently, a significant percentage of the programming failures of the post-sale ivation, cause the consumer to return to the place of purchase to reprogram the unit, not only with the loss of time of the unit, but also with the inconvenience of having returned and occupied time while the unit is programmed again. Recognizing the aforementioned shortcomings, in US Patent No. 5,297,191 entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOTELY PROGRAMMING A WIRELESS TELEPHONE SET (METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOTELY PROGRAMMING A WIRELESS TELEPHONE UNIT) and issued to I Gerszberg on March 22, 1994, were has proposed to provide a cellular phone with a tone signal receiver to allow remote charging of an assigned MSID in a memory circuit only for reading This load is achieved, in one embodiment, by bridging the receiver placed in a channel of memory. non-blocking wireless voice communication, established between the suscpptor unit and a service representative, to allow remote entry of subscriber-specific programming and wireless service authorization data in the suscpptor telephone unit, either by a service representative, or by an automated activation computer. If this technique desirably saves the sales representative the task of programming the cell phone unit, it does not provide a sufficient number of non-blocking voice communication channels to accumulate the expected volume of new subscribers. Accordingly, there is a need for a wireless programming method of telephone units, in a way that provides fast, reliable and economically telephone service to new or existing consumers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The above need is satisfied in an illustrative embodiment, wherein a manufacturing process of a cellular phone comprises the steps of assembling a memory, a processor, a receiver and a transmitter, and storing an identifier in the memory. Essentially, the identifier allows access to a cellular network for verification and essentially provides unique identification by the network, but is not sufficient to allow additional use of the network. A verification process of a cellular phone constructed in accordance with the illustrative process, comprises the steps of receiving, from the wireless telephone unit, an identifier that is transmitted at least in part in a cellular network and analyzing the transmitted identifier to determine if the cell phone must have restricted access to the network. The verification process also includes, upon favorable completion of the determination step, a stage of transmitting a signal to the cell phone, where the transmitted signal allows the cell phone to have less restricted access to the network. The present invention not only greatly reduces the time needed to program or activate the unit, but also ensures a correct exchange of activation programming information by the automated process, thus eliminating programming errors. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood with reference to the following detailed description and drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a mobile terminal device for communication, for example, a cellular telephone, programmed with a preliminary identifier and other information necessary to obtain a restricted access to a cellular network, in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for evaluating a mobile communication terminal device, such as the device illustrated in Figure 1, for less restricted access in accordance with the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to Figure 1, there is shown, in the form of a functional block diagram, a mobile communications terminal device, which, for purposes of illustrative example only, is configured as a portable cellular telephone unit 10 , with elements for remote programming on a voice channel of a cellular telephone network. Such a telephone unit is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,297,191, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. As seen in Figure 1, the cellular telephone unit 10, in one embodiment, comprises a portion of radio transceiver 12, which includes a radio frequency receiver / transmitter 14 coupled with an antenna 16 and adapted to receive and transmit signals to and from a base station, for example a mobile cell site, or another wireless telephone. Coupled with the receiver / transmitter 14, through, for example, a bidirectional message connection cable 18, there is a processor 20 capable of receiving and processing message-type signals from the system. Also coupled to the receiver / transmitter 14, through, for example, another bidirectional cable 22. there is a processor 24 adapted to process data signals, as well as audio signals originated or received in the cordless telephone 10. The audio signals and The data present on the cable 22 are those signals going to or deriving from the antenna 16. Although two individual processors 20 and 24 are shown and described in Figure 1, those skilled in the art will readily observe that a only processor to perform both functions and that the illustrated configuration is presented only for example purposes. In the radio transceiver 12, a controller 26 is coupled to the message processor 20 and the audio processor 24, via a collective conductor 28, which is also coupled to the receiver / transmitter 14. An interface or interconnect circuit of the telephone handset. voice 30interconnects the audio processor 24 with a slim phone 32. According to an illustrative embodiment, between the voice handset interface 30 and the radio transceiver 12 there is a mode switch 34, which in turn, is coupled to a receiver of signals 36. The latter is coupled, via the connecting cable 38, to the controller of the transceiver 26. As will be explained in more detail below, the mode switch 34 diverts the signals received on the antenna 16 and presents in the output of the connection cable 40 of the audio processor 24 to the signal receiver 36 during remote programming. The signal receiver 36 can be selected from known commercially available receivers, such as, for example, the 4-bit Hitachi HD404678 microprocessor with an integral DTMF receiver. In the case where the programming signals coming out of the audio processor 24 and presented in the connection cable 40 are in digital form, other digital elements are used. For example, the signal receiver 36 couples such digital signals to the controller 26, wherein an internal controller processing unit 42 directs such digital information to be stored in a memory circuit in the controller 26, such as. for example, a memory only for permanent reading 44. Alternatively, if the programming information received on the antenna 16 is in the form of a sequence of tone signals, the receiver 36 (which in such a case would be a tone signal receiver) would connect such signals to an analog converter. to digital 46, such as that located within the controller 26. The digital output signals generated by the converter 46, would then be stored in the memory circuit 44 under the control of the processing unit 42. Essentially, all the units of cell phone shipped by a manufacturer contain, in the co memory or programmable memory circuit 44, identical test data, together with a serial number (hereinafter referred to as ESN) unique to each respective unit. If desired, an external I / O connector can be provided to the 1/0 interface (not shown) of the CPU 42, to facilitate individual programming of each terminal device. However, in this regard, those skilled in the art will note that the external 1/0 connector can be omitted if all the factory programming of the EEPROM 44 is performed before installation. In any case, the CPU 42 is configured to receive and analyze ESN data and other test data fed to its I / O interface during initial factory programming, and then to write it to the SRG storage region of the EEPROM 44. As noted above. in conventional practice a mobile communication terminal device, such as a cell phone unit 10, would typically be shipped from the factory to the distributor's store without all the information necessary to access a cellular network. Before the new unit can fully interact with a network selected by the provider, sufficient information must be presented to the network, to facilitate identification, authentication and billing. In accordance with the present invention. the newly purchased cell phone unit or the mobile communication terminal device 10, is programmed with sufficient information to provide, at least initially, restricted access to such a network. Advantageously, this information can be programmed in the factory automatically, which makes wholesale merchant resources available for more productive use. As noted above, essentially all cell phones shipped by a manufacturer contain the same test data in the memory. This test data, which includes any activation information needed to obtain or simulate an access to a cellular network during a factory test operation, they are eventually overwritten with the actual activation. Therefore, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that all these telephones, if not programmed, would appear identical to the network after their initial activation. Consequently, an attempt to activate one such telephone while another is being switched on in the same vicinity, could cause substantial difficulties during an attempt to air properly to program any such telephone. In short, the network would either program them both, or it would be unable to complete the programming because it is finding an apparent redundancy. In accordance with the manufacturing processes of the present invention, conflicts of the aforementioned type are avoided by inserting, in the factory or at a convenient location, a preliminary or provisional identification in the memory of the mobile communications terminal device. Essentially, this preliminary identification is selected to provide an identification to a particular device which is, when used, unlikely to cause redundancy. By way of illustrative example, a cell phone manufacturer could use a series of 10,000 MSID numbers having, for example, a MIN, IMSI, or other format that can be used currently or subsequently adopted, to be inserted into telephones during the manufacture and repeat the sequence after emptying. The resulting probability that two telephones residing in the same geographical area had the same identification (due to the repeated use of the same series of 10, 000 numbers), is extremely small. Therefore, by using a limiting identification number inserted into the telephone at the time of manufacture, it avoids previously unrecognized difficulties associated with air programming. By way of illustrative example, the cell phone manufacturer may assign the aforementioned PMSID in a completely random manner. As in the previous example, the probability that two telephones residing in the same geographical area would have the same identification would be remote. Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown a flow chart illustrating a process for providing a mobile communication terminal device having a preliminary identifier with less restricted access to a cellular network selected by the provider, after verification of in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. When selling a device such as device 10 to a consumer (block 50), the retailer notifies the selected cellular service provider of the buyer's identity, credit information - if required by the provider at that time, as well as the ESN and the preliminary MSID of the unit sold (block 52). Alternatively, the consumer may be asked to provide this information at the time of the initial programming session, not at the place of sale. The user attempts to use the cellular network for the first time by pressing the mode switch key (block 54). In response to the call signal, the ESN is sent to a base station in the form of data, together with the PMSID (preliminary mobile station identification) described above (block 56). In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of Figure 2, the transmitted data are received at the base station and evaluated to determine if there is a match or not between the combination of the ESN and the PMSID and a corresponding combination registered previously (decision block 58). If so, the process proceeds from decision block 58 to decision block 60 to determine whether the PMSID and / or any other preliminary identification information are compatible with the network selected by the provider. If the PMSID and other preliminary identification information are compatible with the network selected by the provider, this is retained (block 62). Otherwise, an instruction is transmitted by the network provider to overwrite the PMSID data with an appropriate MSID newly assigned to the unit (block 64). Service authorization codes, for example, can be received from the central computer of the service provider (not shown) in the form of channel tone signals that can be converted to authorization keys to be stored in the phone's memory. Regardless of the decision made in block 60, now the new service client (block 66) obtains less restricted access to the network selected by the provider. That is, the new customer is now able to complete a phone call to some desired location using the cellular network of the service provider. However, if there is no match between the combination of the ESN and the PMSID and the customer data previously stored in block 58, the prospective consumer may be asked for information either by an agent in person or by an automated voice system. (block 68), which can be accepted or rejected by the service provider's network (block 70). In this regard, it should be noted that even if the ESN and the PMSID correspond to the stored customer data, it may be desirable to request certain information from the prospective consumer, to compare it with the stored customer data, to verify the identity of the person making the call before passing the operation of the process to block 60.

Of course, it should be noted that since the present invention has been described with reference to illustrative modalities, those skilled in the art can devise other arrangements. For example, while the methods described use discrete devices, these devices can be implemented using one or more appropriately programmed processors, special purpose integrated circuits, digital processors or a similar or hybrid counterpart of any of these devices.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention. Having described the invention as an antecedent, what is contained in the following is claimed as property.

Claims (8)

1. A process for verifying a mobile communications terminal device, characterized in that the process comprises: receiving from the terminal device an identifier transmitted, at least in part, in a cellular network, the terminal device having restricted access to the network; analyze the identifier to determine if the terminal device should continue to have restricted access to the network; and transmit, after a favorable conclusion of the analysis stage, a signal to the terminal device that allows it to have less restricted access to the network.

The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal device is a cellular telephone and wherein the identifier received during the reception stage includes a first and second numbers, each being essentially unique to the cellular telephone.

3. The process according to claim 2, characterized in that the first number is a mobile identification number (MIN) format.

4. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the analysis step comprises accessing or having access to a data record of the client, associated with the identifier.

5. The process according to claim 4, characterized in that the analysis stage further comprises transmitting signals that represent requirements to the terminal device, where the requirements require that a prospective consumer of the cellular network services provide data to compare them with the data stored in the customer's data record.

6. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the signal transmitted during the transmission stage is indicative of a replacement indicator to be stored in a memory of the terminal device, where the replacement identifier is recognized by the cellular network. to be entitled to such less restricted access.

7. The process according to claim 6, characterized in that the signal transmitted during the transmission step further indicates an instruction to overwrite on the identifier, the replacement identifier.

8. A process for manufacturing a cell phone, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: assembling a memory. a processor, a receiver and a transmitter, and store in the memory a preliminary identifier. defining the preliminary identifier a substantially unique identification and allowing initial access to a cellular network for verification, but being insufficient to allow an additional use of the network.