Portable cellular phone system, and portable cellular phone terminal device, and information transmitting center used in same system

• US 20060058043A1
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Miyauchi, Nobuaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.400
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A portable cellular phone terminal device having a communication function for communicating via a network through a use of portable cellular phone services provided by a portable cellular phone service provider and an accessory function in addition to the communication function, the portable cellular phone terminal device including: a restriction information storage section for storing the accessory function and presence/absence information concerning whether utilization of the accessory function by the device itself is restricted; a receiving section for receiving, via the network from an information transmitting center managed by the portable cellular phone service provider, restriction-lifting information for informing the device itself of a lifting of restrictions on utilizing the accessory function, based on results of the use of the portable cellular phone services; a control section for restricting utilization of the accessory function based on the presence/absence information read from the restriction information storage section, in a case that the communication function cannot be utilized; and a restriction information writing section for updating the presence/absence information stored in the restriction information storage section, when the receiving section has received the restriction-lifting information, or when the control section has restricted utilization of the accessory function.

Claims

1. A portable cellular phone terminal device having a communication function for communicating via a network through a use of portable cellular phone services provided by a portable cellular phone service provider and an accessory function in addition to the communication function, the portable cellular phone terminal device comprising:

a restriction information storage section for storing the accessory function and presence/absence information concerning whether utilization of the accessory function by the device itself is restricted;

a receiving section for receiving, via the network from an information transmitting center managed by the portable cellular phone service provider, restriction-lifting information for informing the device itself of a lifting of restrictions on utilizing the accessory function, based on results of the use of the portable cellular phone services;

a control section for restricting utilization of the accessory function based on the presence/absence information read from the restriction information storage section, in a case that the communication function cannot be utilized; and

a restriction information writing section for updating the presence/absence information stored in the restriction information storage section, when the receiving section has received the restriction-lifting information, or when the control section has restricted utilization of the accessory function.

2. The portable cellular phone terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an ID information storage section for storing ID information that contains information required for connection to the network; and

a reading section for reading the ID information from the ID information storage section,

wherein the control section restricts utilization of the accessory function based on whether the utilization is restricted by referencing the restriction information storage section if the communication is impossible by use of the ID information.

3. A portable cellular phone terminal device having a communication function for communicating via a network through a use of portable cellular phone services provided by a portable cellular phone service provider and an accessory function in addition to the communication function, the portable cellular phone terminal device comprising:

a restriction information storage section for storing the accessory function and presence/absence information concerning whether utilization of the accessory function by the device itself is restricted;

a restriction-lifting information storage section for storing the accessory function and a restriction-lifting condition for lifting restrictions on utilizing the accessory function based on results of the use of the portable cellular phone services;

a restriction information writing section for updating the presence/absence information stored in the restriction information storage section, based on results of the use of the portable cellular phone services by referencing the restriction-lifting information storage section; and

a control section for restricting utilization of the accessory function based on the presence/absence information read from the restriction information storage section, in a case that the communication function cannot be utilized.

4. The portable cellular phone terminal device according to claim 3, further comprising a receiving section for receiving information about results of the use of the portable cellular phone services via the network from an information transmitting center managed by the portable cellular phone service provider, wherein the restriction information writing section updates the restriction information storage section based on the results of the use of the portable cellular phone services received by the receiving section from the information transmitting center.

5. The portable cellular phone terminal device according to claim 3, further comprising:

an ID information storage section for storing ID information that contains information required for connection to the network; and

a reading section for reading the ID information from the ID information storage section,

wherein the control section restricts utilization of the accessory function based on whether the utilization is restricted by referencing the restriction information storage section if the communication is impossible by use of the ID information.

6. The portable cellular phone terminal device according to claim 3, further comprising a reading section for reading the ID information from a storage media that stores ID information containing information required for connection to the network and is configured to be detachable, wherein the control section restricts utilization of the accessory function based on whether the utilization is restricted by referencing the restriction information storage section if the communication is impossible by use of the ID information.

7. The portable cellular phone terminal device according to claim 6, further comprising a writing section for writing information about results of the use of the portable cellular phone services to the storage media, wherein the restriction information writing section updates the restriction information storage section based on results of the use of the portable cellular phone services written to the storage media.

8. The portable cellular phone terminal device according to claim 7, wherein when the storage media is newly attached, the restriction information writing section updates the restriction information storage section based on results of the use of the portable cellular phone services written to the storage media.

9. An information transmitting center for transmitting restriction-lifting information to a portable cellular phone terminal device having a communication function for communicating via a network through a use of portable cellular phone services provided by a portable cellular phone service provider and an accessory function in addition to the communication function, the information transmitting center comprising:

a center-side receiving section for receiving ID information from the portable cellular phone terminal device;

a user information storage section for storing the ID information and results of the use of the portable cellular phone services associated with the ID information;

a restriction-lifting information storage section for storing a restriction-lifting condition for lifting restrictions on utilizing the accessory function based on results of the use of the portable cellular phone services and the accessory function associated with the accessory function; and

a transmission section for transmitting the restriction-lifting information to the portable cellular phone terminal device by referencing the user information storage section and the restriction-lifting information storage section based on the ID information received by the center-side receiving section, and

wherein the portable cellular phone terminal device comprising;

a restriction information storage section for storing the accessory function and presence/absence information concerning whether utilization of the accessory function by the device itself is restricted;

a terminal-side receiving section for receiving, via the network from the information transmitting center, the restriction-lifting information for informing the device itself of a lifting of restrictions on utilizing the accessory function, based on results of the use of the portable cellular phone services;

a control section for restricting utilization of the accessory function based on the presence/absence information read from the restriction information storage section, in a case that the communication function cannot be utilized; and

a restriction information writing section for updating the presence/absence information stored in the restriction information storage section, when the terminal-side receiving section has received the restriction-lifting information, or when the control section has restricted utilization of the accessory function.

10. An information transmitting center for transmitting based on results of a use of portable cellular phone services to a portable cellular phone terminal device having a communication function for communicating via a network through a use of portable cellular phone services provided by a portable cellular phone service provider and an accessory function in addition to the communication function, the information transmitting center comprising:

a center-side receiving section for receiving ID information from the portable cellular phone terminal device;

a user information storage section for storing the ID information and the results of the use of the portable cellular phone services associated with the ID information;

a transmission section for transmitting the results of the use of the portable cellular phone services to the portable cellular phone terminal device by referencing the user information storage section based on the ID information received by the center-side receiving section, and

wherein the portable cellular phone terminal device comprising;

a restriction information storage section for storing the accessory function and presence/absence information concerning whether utilization of the accessory function by the device itself is restricted;

a restriction-lifting information storage section for storing the accessory function and a restriction-lifting condition for lifting restrictions on utilizing the accessory function based on the results of the use of the portable cellular phone services;

a restriction information writing section for updating the presence/absence information stored in the restriction information storage section, based on the results of the use of the portable cellular phone services by referencing the restriction-lifting information storage section; and

a control section for restricting utilization of the accessory function based on the presence/absence information read from the restriction information storage section, in a case that the communication function cannot be utilized.

11. A portable cellular phone system comprising:

a portable cellular phone terminal device having a communication function for communicating via a network through a use of portable cellular phone services provided by a portable cellular phone service provider and an accessory function in addition to the communication function, the portable cellular phone terminal device comprising;

a restriction information storage section for storing the accessory function and presence/absence information concerning whether utilization of the accessory function by the device itself is restricted;

a terminal-side receiving section for receiving, via the network from an information transmitting center managed by the portable cellular phone service provider, restriction-lifting information for informing the device itself of a lifting of restrictions on utilizing the accessory function, based on results of the use of the portable cellular phone services;

a control section for restricting utilization of the accessory function based on the presence/absence information read from the restriction information storage section, in a case that the communication function cannot be utilized; and

a restriction information writing section for updating the presence/absence information stored in the restriction information storage section, when the terminal-side receiving section has received the restriction-lifting information, or when the control section has restricted utilization of the accessory function; and

an information transmitting center comprising;

a center-side receiving section for receiving ID information from the portable cellular phone terminal device;

a user information storage section for storing the ID information and results of the use of the portable cellular phone. services associated with the ID information;

a restriction-lifting information storage section for storing a restriction-lifting condition for lifting restrictions on utilizing the accessory function based on results of the use of the portable cellular phone services and the accessory function associated with the accessory function; and

a transmission section for transmitting the restriction-lifting information to the portable cellular phone terminal device by referencing the user information storage section and the restriction-lifting information storage section based on the ID information received by the center-side receiving section.

12. A portable cellular phone system comprising:

a portable cellular phone terminal device having a communication function for communicating via a network through a use of portable cellular phone services provided by a portable cellular phone service provider and an accessory function in addition to the communication function, the portable cellular phone terminal device comprising;

a restriction information storage section for storing the accessory function and presence/absence information concerning whether utilization of the accessory function by the device itself is restricted;

a restriction-lifting information storage section for storing the accessory function and a restriction-lifting condition for lifting restrictions on utilizing the accessory function based on results of the use of the portable cellular phone services;

a restriction information writing section for updating the presence/absence information stored in the restriction information storage section, based on results of the use of the portable cellular phone services by referencing the restriction-lifting information storage section; and

a control section for restricting utilization of the accessory function based on the presence/absence information read from the restriction information storage section, in a case that the communication function cannot be utilized; and

an information transmitting center the information transmitting center comprising;

a center-side receiving section for receiving ID information from the portable cellular phone terminal device;

a user information storage section for storing the ID information and the results of the use of the portable cellular phone services associated with the ID information;

a transmission section for transmitting the results of the use of the portable cellular phone services to the portable cellular phone terminal device by referencing the user information storage section based on the ID information received by the center-side receiving section.