Checking the access right of a subscriber equipment

Details Checking the access right of a subscriber equipment Checking the access right of a subscriber equipment

1997-06-20

2000-07-18

To, Doris H.

Telecommunications

Radiotelephone system

Security or fraud prevention

455422, 455433, 455435, 380 23, H04K 100

Patent

active

060919469

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a radio system in which subscribers and terminals are not permanently connected, and more particularly, to terminal equipment and subscriber identity modules, for example, SIM cards (SIM=Subscriber Identity Modules), within these networks. Such systems include, for example, cellular networks comprising phones wherein a subscriber is identified by a subscriber-specific subscriber identity module provided in the phones. The GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) system represents one example of such a cellular communication system. Another example is the TETRA (Trans-European Trunked Radio) mobile communication system. The TETRA mobile communication system, in turn, represents an example of the PMR (Private Mobile Radio) mobile communication system. The present invention also relates to a method for checking the access right of a subscriber equipment in a mobile communication system.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The subscriber identity module, such as a SIM card, is subscriber specific, which means that subscriber equipment, i.e., the actual radio devices, are not confined to a specific subscriber. The subscriber identity module, such as a SIM card or a GSM card, is a functional card or a smart card which is placed in the mobile equipment and contains information required to identify a subscriber and to encrypt radio traffic. In this application, a subscriber identity module, such as a SIM card, refers to a functional card that can be removed from a mobile equipment and by means of which a subscriber is able to use a card controlled mobile equipment.
Consequently, the user does not need a mobile equipment of his own, only a subscriber identity module issued to him by the operator of the mobile communication system. Such a subscriber identity module can be, for example, a SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module), which is, in a way, a phone card by means of which the subscriber can make (and receive) calls from any mobile equipment of the system.
As the subscriber identity module, a smart card can be used which has approximately the same dimensions as most credit cards. An alternative implementation of a SIM card in hand-held phones is a plug-in-SIM. A plug-in-SIM is a coin-sized part containing the electronics of a credit card sized SIM card and is placed in a phone so that the user is not able to replace it with ease. The phone may also have an incorporated plug-in-SIM and a card reader. If the card reader contains a card, the phone is identified based on the external card. Otherwise, the phone is identified based on the incorporated plug-in-SIM. In this application, the term subscriber identity module, such as a SIM card, refers to both the plug-in-SIM and the smart card SIM.
On a general level, the function of a SIM card is specified in the GSM recommendation 02.17, Subscriber Identity Modules, ETSI, of the GSM mobile communication system. It defines the terms associated with a SIM card, sets the requirements for the security of a SIM card, sets the functions of the highest level, and defines the tasks for the network operator and the information to be stored in a SIM card. It also specifies the minimum requirements for a SIM card of a user interface of a phone, such as a mobile equipment, concerning, for example, the input and change of a user's Personal Identification Number (PIN).
In addition, the GSM recommendation 11.11, SIM Application Protocol, ETSI, defines more specifically the issues specified by the aforementioned GSM recommendation 02.17 by defining the protocols between a SIM card and a mobile equipment (ME =Mobile Equipment), the contents and length of the data fields of the SIM card, and matters related to mechanical and electrical connections. The GSM recommendation 11.11 is a documentation based on which engineers are expected to be able to provide the software and hardware implementation of a SIM interface.
As far as mobile communication systems are concerned, it is known that the mobile subscriber has an identity by means of

REFERENCES:
patent: 5537474 (1996-07-01), Brown et al.
patent: 5748720 (1998-05-01), Loder
patent: 5839063 (1998-11-01), Lee
patent: 5854976 (1998-12-01), Garcia Aguilera et al.
European Telecommunication Standard, Final Draft pr ETS300 509, May 1994 European digital cellular telecommunications system (phase 2); subscriber identity modules (SIM) functional characteristics 9GSM 02.17) p. 3-15.
European Telecommunication Standard, Final Draft pr ETS 300 608, Nov. 1994European Digital Cellular Telecommunications System (Phase 2); Specification of the Substriber Identity Module-Mobile Equipment (SIM-ME) Interface 9GSM 11.11) pp. 4-93.
The GSM System, Network Management. The Traffic within the Network can be minimised by storing in the visited MSC/VLR the IMEI of the equipmentt in use with a given SIM, in order to interrogate the IIR less often, pp. 588-591,Michel Mouly et al.

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