Wireless communications apparatus and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus for providing wireless network connectivity, comprising:
- an electronic communications device configured for wirelessly communicating with a wireless network;
a receptacle on said electronic communications device for receiving and establishing electrical connections with an identification chip configured for gaining access to said wireless network; and
means for preventing the unauthorized removal of an identification chip received in said receptacle.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless communication method and apparatus are described for increasing security for communication devices utilizing identification chips for accessing wireless networks and the associated billing for services. One aspect of the invention is an enhanced phone chip and a communications device adapted to engage the enhanced phone chip, which then cannot be installed or removed from the wireless communications device by unauthorized users. In one embodiment a security key mates to the identification chip and is utilized for installing and removing the enhanced phone chip. The security key preferably has a display upon which information about the communication device is displayed prior to removing the security key after installing the enhanced phone chip. Other aspects of the invention include wireless base station communication devices which support wired (dedicated and non-dedicated), and more preferably wireless extensions, while providing sharing of wireless network resources and interconnectivity between base station and extensions.
422 Citations
69 Claims
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1. An apparatus for providing wireless network connectivity, comprising:
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an electronic communications device configured for wirelessly communicating with a wireless network;
a receptacle on said electronic communications device for receiving and establishing electrical connections with an identification chip configured for gaining access to said wireless network; and
means for preventing the unauthorized removal of an identification chip received in said receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for providing wireless network connectivity, comprising:
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an electronic communications device configured for providing wireless connectivity through a wireless network;
an identification chip configured for retaining identification information for use in accessing said wireless network by said electronic communications device;
a receptacle in said electronic communications device for receiving and establishing electrical connections with said identification chip; and
an electromechanical lock configured for selectively retaining said identification chip within said receptacle to prevent unauthorized removal. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. In a wireless communications device for retaining an identification chip utilized for gaining access to a wireless network, the improvement comprising:
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at least one receptacle for receiving and establishing electrical connections with at least one identification chip containing information necessary for accessing a wireless network; and
an electromechanical lock configured for selectively retaining an identification chip within said receptacle to prevent unauthorized removal. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An apparatus for sharing wireless network connectivity between a plurality of extensions, comprising:
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a base station configured for providing wireless connectivity through a wireless network;
a plurality of receptacles in said base station configured for receiving and establishing electrical connections with identification chips that provide access to a wireless network;
a plurality of electromechanical locks configured for preventing unauthorized removal of identification chips from said plurality of receptacles;
means for communicating between said base station and a plurality of extensions; and
means for sharing wireless connectivity of said base station, within whose receptacles have been received at least one identification chip, with one or more of said plurality of extensions. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. An identification chip for a wireless communications device, comprising:
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a readable data memory containing information required for accessing a wireless network;
a housing into which said data memory is retained;
electrical connections on said readable data memory through which information in said data memory may be read by a wireless communications device into which the identification chip has been installed; and
means for being mechanically engaged by an electromechanical retention element within a wireless communications device to prevent unauthorized removal. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A method of activating a wireless communication device for accessing a wireless network, comprising:
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inserting the combination of phone chip and security key into a receptacle on a wireless communications device configured for accessing a wireless network based on identification information retained in said phone chip;
generating an alert and preventing engagement and use of said phone chip if it is not registered on the wireless communications device; and
engaging an electromechanical lock to prevent unauthorized removal of the phone chip. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69)
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Specification