Portable cellular phone system having automatic initialization

• US 20050170818A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evolving Systems Labs Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Telespree Communications (CCUR Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Segal, Alon, Netanel, Eran
• Granted Patent: US 7,274,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

A portable cellular phone system is provided, wherein matched sets of algorithmically generated communication units are generated, each defining an increment of authorized communication. One set is stored on a system server, i.e. a service provider, and the pre-paid set is available for use within a portable cellular phone. The portable cellular phone, which is normally non-activated, automatically contacts the system server upon selective activation by the user, to initiate a call (outgoing or incoming). A voice recognition system allows the user to place calls and/or receive calls. During a call, the portable cellular phone and the system server allow authorized access to communication, while the communication units are decremented at the system server and at the portable cellular phone. The portable cellular phone typically has either an internal energy supply and storage for the pre-paid communication units, or a removable airtime cartridge, typically containing an energy supply and either the ability to store or to generate a set of pre-paid single use airtime communication units.

Claims

1. A process, comprising the steps of:

establishing a plurality of initial wireless identification numbers and associated initial directory numbers;

establishing a plurality of wireless identification numbers and associated directory numbers;

providing a portable wireless phone comprising wireless phone circuitry, and initially identified with one of the initial wireless identification numbers and associated one of the initial directory numbers;

sending the initial wireless identification number from the portable wireless phone to a system server upon initial activation of the portable wireless phone;

sending an authorization message to the system server; and

assigning an available one of the wireless identification numbers and associated available one of the directory numbers to the portable wireless phone, based upon an appropriate authorization message.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sending an authentication challenge from the system server to the portable wireless phone; and

sending an authentication response from the portable wireless phone to the system server, based upon the authentication challenge;

wherein the assignment of the available one of the wireless identification numbers and associated available one of the directory numbers to the portable wireless phone is based upon an authentication response which is appropriate to the sent authentication challenge.

3. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sending a network authentication challenge from the portable wireless phone to the system server;

sending an network authentication response from the system server to the portable wireless phone, based upon the network authentication challenge; and

conditionally authenticating the system server by the portable wireless phone, based upon a received network authentication response which is appropriate to the sent network authentication challenge.

4. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sending the assigned available wireless identification number and associated directory number to the portable wireless phone.

5. The process of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

storing the sent assigned available wireless identification number and associated directory number at the portable wireless phone.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the established initial wireless identification numbers comprise any of airtime cartridge identifiers, wireless phone identifiers, and pager account numbers.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein wireless identification numbers comprise any of a directory number identifiers, wireless phone identifiers, and pager account numbers.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the sent authorization message comprises user based information, comprising any of user identification and credit card information.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein the user identification comprises numeric information.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein the numeric information comprises any of social security information, street address information, zip code information, home phone number information, and area code information.

11. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

entering user based information through the portable wireless phone.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the user based information is entered through the portable wireless phone by any of keypad entry and verbal entry.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein the portable wireless phone comprises an active service life of communication, the process further comprising the steps of:

reusing the assigned available wireless identification number and associated directory number at the end of the active service life of communication.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein the system server has a plurality of algorithmically generated sequential single use server communication units, each of the plurality of algorithmically generated single use sequential server communication units defining a discrete increment of authorized communication;

and wherein the portable wireless phone comprises an energy storage and an airtime cartridge, the airtime cartridge having an airtime cartridge identifier, and a plurality of algorithmically generated sequential pre-paid single use airtime communication units, each of the plurality of algorithmically generated pre-paid single use communication units matching corresponding of the each of the plurality of algorithmically generated sequential server communication units at the system server, each of the plurality of algorithmically generated pre-paid single use airtime communication units defining a discrete increment of authorized communication, each of the plurality of algorithmically generated pre-paid single use communication units having a unique identifier;

wherein the process further comprises the steps of;

sequentially transmitting one or more of the algorithmically generated pre-paid single use airtime communication units having the unique identifiers from the portable wireless phone during a communication session to the system server; and

matching the transmitted algorithmically generated pre-paid single use airtime communication units to the corresponding of the each of the plurality of algorithmically generated sequential single use server communication units at the system server, in which the system server allocates the defined discrete increment of authorized communication for the portable wireless phone during the communication session, based upon the matching of each of the corresponding algorithmically generated single use server communication units and the algorithmically generated pre-paid single use airtime communication units.

15. A communication system, comprising:

a system server;

a plurality of assignable wireless identification numbers and associated directory numbers;

a plurality of initial wireless identification numbers and associated initial directory numbers;

a portable wireless phone comprising wireless phone circuitry, and initially identified with one of the initial wireless identification numbers and associated one of the initial directory numbers;

means for transmitting the initial wireless identification number from the portable wireless phone to the system server upon initial activation of the portable wireless phone;

means for assigning an available one of the wireless identification numbers and associated available one of the directory numbers to the portable wireless phone, based upon an appropriate authorization message.

16. The communication system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for sending the assigned available wireless identification number and associated directory number to the portable wireless phone.

17. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the assigned available wireless identification number and associated directory number are stored at the portable wireless phone.

18. The communication system of claim 15, wherein the portable wireless phone comprises an active service life of communication, the system further comprising:

means for reusing the assigned available wireless identification number and associated directory number at the end of the active service life of communication.

19. The communication system of claim 18, wherein the reusing means of the assigned available wireless identification number and the associated directory number comprises:

a redesignation as available for the assigned available wireless identification number and for the associated directory number; and

a reassignment of the redesignated available wireless identification number and associated directory number.

20. The communication system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for sending an authorization message to the system server.

21. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the authorization message comprises user based information, comprising any of user identification and credit card information.

22. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the user identification comprises numeric information.

23. The communication system of claim 22, wherein the numeric information comprises any of social security information, street address information, zip code information, home phone number information, and area code information.

24. The communication system of claim 15, wherein the system server has a plurality of algorithmically generated sequential single use server communication units, each of the plurality of algorithmically generated single use sequential server communication units defining a discrete increment of authorized communication;

and

wherein the portable wireless phone further comprises an energy storage, and an airtime cartridge, the airtime cartridge having an airtime cartridge identifier, and a plurality of algorithmically generated sequential pre-paid single use airtime communication units, each of the plurality of algorithmically generated pre-paid single use communication units matching each of the corresponding plurality of algorithmically generated sequential server communication units at the system server, each of the plurality of algorithmically generated pre-paid single use airtime communication units defining a discrete increment of authorized communication, each of the plurality of algorithmically generated pre-paid single use communication units having a unique identifier;

whereby sequential transmission of one or more of the algorithmically generated pre-paid single use airtime communication units having unique identifiers from the portable wireless phone during a communication session to the system server is matched to the corresponding of the each of the plurality of algorithmically generated sequential single use server communication units at the system server, in which the system server allocates the defined discrete increment of authorized communication for the portable wireless phone during the communication session, based upon the matching of each of the corresponding algorithmically generated single use server communication units and the algorithmically generated pre-paid single use airtime communication units.