Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-26
2001-07-17
Maung, Nay (Department: 2681)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S435100, C455S410000, C455S411000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263214
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a mobile station which performs a communication with a base station using a module (such as IC card, for example) storing subscriber information and a method of controlling the activation thereof.
THE PRIOR ART
The prior art includes a type of mobile station in which a subscriber information storing module is fixedly mounted therein and another type in which the subscriber information storing module is loaded into the mobile station in a physically detachable manner. The mobile station of the former type which internally houses the subscriber information storing module is not provided with a loader which permits another subscriber information storing module to be loaded therein from the exterior in a removable manner. On the other hand, the mobile station of the latter type in which a subscriber information storing module is loaded for use is not fixedly provided with a subscriber information storing module. Thus, a conventional mobile station adopted only one type which is either one of the types for mounting a subscriber information storing module.
A mobile station which is useable with any of standard memory modules (a so-called smart card internally housing a processor function and hereafter referred to as IC card) intended for the same purpose of use, but having different configurations is disclosed in British Patent Publication GB2269512. With this scheme, a precedence is previously given to a plurality of loaders (loading slots), and of a plurality of IC cards loaded, subscriber information is read from the IC card in the loading slot having the highest precedence for use in achieving a communication. This permits a plurality of subscribers to use the same mobile station. However, the mobile station cannot be used unless an IC card is loaded. It would then be convenient to have a mobile station which is fixedly provided with a module storing subscriber information for a particular subscriber and which is provided with at least one IC card loader so that the mobile station is also useable with an IC card.
As recognized, a network control center has a subscriber information memory, which is arranged as shown in
FIG. 1
, for example, so that a subscriber information memory
30
stores, in a manner corresponding to each subscriber ID given in a column
31
a
, a mobile station number, an optional service and a location registration in columns
31
b
,
31
c
,
31
d
, respectively. In its useable condition (standby condition or power on condition), the mobile station makes a location registration request to the network control center if visited cell information in a control channel signal which is received from the base station differs from visited cell information which was received previously, and the control center can inform an incoming call to the mobile station by registering a cell which is currently visited by the mobile station. The location registration request signal transmitted by the mobile station includes a subscriber identification information (subscriber number or telephone number) and a mobile station number. Upon receiving the location registration request signal, the control center matches the mobile station number in the subscriber information memory
30
which corresponds to the subscriber number against the received mobile station number, and if they coincide, it registers the cell number which the base station receiving the location registration request signal belongs. Therefore, when one who wishes to use the mobile station (not always the same as the registered subscriber for the mobile station) loads his IC card into the mobile station, the subscriber information of that user is read from the IC card by the mobile station and is used by the latter, thereby enabling the charging for the utilization of the network by the user.
Since the IC card can be loaded into any mobile station for use, it is necessary for the network to regard the IC card as associated with a mobile station which performs a call-origination/termination under the subscriber number of the IC card and which is positioned at the mobile station into which it is loaded for use. Accordingly, when a subscriber registers the use of an IC card under contract, the control center assigns a subscriber number and a mobile station number to the IC card and registers with the subscriber information memory
30
in a manner corresponding to the subscriber number of that subscriber. Because a single subscriber number is not allowed to have a plurality of mobile station numbers assigned simultaneously, if subsequent to the registration of the use of a mobile station by a subscriber, a request for the registration of another IC card is made using the same subscriber number, the mobile station number of the mobile station which is registered with the subscriber information memory
30
in the control center is updated to the mobile station number of the IC card.
When a mobile station fixedly and internally houses a subscriber information module (hereafter simply referred to as module), the subscriber information of an owner of the mobile station is previously written into the module. The subscriber information is recorded in the subscriber information storing memory
30
of the network in a manner corresponding to the subscriber number. If a subscriber other than the owner of the mobile station loads his IC card into the mobile station, the mobile station is enabled for communication by using the subscriber information in the IC card.
In the event that the owner of the mobile station (subscriber) desires that an IC card can be used with an arbitrary mobile station to perform a communication, if the same subscriber information is written into the IC card as in the internally housed module, it follows that the same mobile station number is given to two entities, the mobile station and the IC card. If then the owner of the mobile station loads his IC card into another subscriber's mobile station, the control center then receives the location registration request based on the same subscriber information from two mobile stations. A difficulty then arises that the control center cannot distinguish between the two mobile stations.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method of controlling the activation of a mobile station which permits a plurality of subscribers to use a common mobile station by means of respective IC cards and which permits a particular subscriber such as the owner of the mobile station, for example, to use the mobile station by means of either the IC card or an internally housed module, and a mobile station which uses the method.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method of controlling the activation of a mobile station according to the invention comprises the steps of:
(a) determining if an IC card is loaded into an interface;
(b) in the event it is determined at step (a) that no IC card is loaded, using subscriber information in an internally housed module to enable a communication; and
(c) in the event it is determined at step (a) that an IC card is loaded;
(c-1) using subscriber information in the IC card to enable a communication,
(c-2) determining if the subscriber number of the IC card coincides the subscriber number of the mobile station, and
(c-3) disabling the module if the subscriber numbers coincide at step (c-2).
A mobile station according to the invention which uses subscriber information to achieve a radio communication with a base station comprises
a subscriber information storing module fixedly and internally housed therein;
an interface into which an IC card storing subscriber information is detachably loaded;
control means responsive to the absence of an IC card loaded into the interface after a power supply is turned on for enabling a communication using the subscriber information in the subscriber information module and responsive to the presence of an IC card loaded into the interface for determining if a subscriber number in the subscriber information of the IC card coincides a subscriber number in the subscribe
Chiba Kouji
Hirakodama Isao
Kanto Hiroshi
Yazaki Hidetoshi
Connolly Bove & Lodge & Hutz LLP
Gary Erika A.
Maung Nay
NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc.
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