Vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone

• US 20090111544A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morrissey, Michael P., Mathur, Mohit
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.900
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0247 for microphones or earphones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0005 Dashboard
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/001 Vehicle control means, e.g. steering-wheel or column
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone including a chipset located in the vehicle for communicating with at least one of a plurality of wireless service provider networks; an multimode antenna in communication with the chipset for communicating with a wireless base antenna of at least one of the plurality of wireless service provider networks; at least one medium port for receiving a removable medium, the removable medium containing at least one of access numbers, access codes, and access authentication numbers of at least one of the plurality of wireless service provider networks.

Claims

1. A vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone comprising:

a chipset located in said vehicle for communicating with at least one of a plurality of wireless service provider networks;

an multimode antenna in communication with said chipset for communicating with a wireless base antenna of at least one of said plurality of wireless service provider networks;

at least one medium port for receiving a removable medium, said removable medium containing at least one of access numbers, access codes, and access authentication numbers of at least one of said plurality of wireless service provider networks.

2. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 1 further comprising:

a microphone in communication with said chipset for receiving voice dialing commands.

3. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 1 further comprising:

a speaker located in said vehicle in communication with said chipset for transmitting voice signals.

4. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 1 further comprising:

a wireless personal area network in communication with said chipset for enabling hands-free communication to said Vehicular Multimode Cellular/PCS Phone.

5. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 1 wherein said chipset comprises:

a multimode DSP modem in communication with a digital/analog transceiver for converting analog voice signals to digital signals and digital signals to analog voice signals.

6. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 1 wherein said chipset further comprises:

a processor in communication with a memory for processing and storing said at least one of access numbers, access codes, access authentication numbers, Mobile Station Identification Code (“

MISD”

), Mobile Identification Number (“

MIN”

), International Mobile Subscriber Identity (“

IMSI”

), firmware, network lock codes, country lock codes, service provider lock codes, 32 bit Electronic Serial Number (“

ESN”

), integrated circuit card ID (“

ICCID”

), IMSI, authentication key, local area identity, operator-specific emergency number, short message service center number, service provider name, and service dialing numbers.

7. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 1 further comprising:

a voice recognition interface in communication with said chipset for interpreting voice commands into at least one of analog and digital signals.

8. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 1 further comprising:

a steering wheel having at least one of voice dialing button, call answer button, Bluetooth®

system button, and call hang-up button for operating said Vehicular Multimode Cellular/PCS Phone.

9. A method for accessing a wireless network from a vehicle-based communications device comprising:

acquiring access information for at least one wireless network;

downloading said access information to said vehicle;

transmitting a request to said wireless network for access to said at least one wireless network;

comparing, responsive to receiving said transmitted request, said request to a database of known subscribers of said wireless network; and

providing, responsive to said compared request, to said vehicle-based communications device said access to said wireless network

10. The method for accessing a wireless network of claim 9 wherein said providing further comprises:

generating a first signal response number from a combination of a random number and an authorization number associated with said compared database and said request.

11. The method for accessing a wireless network of claim 10 wherein said providing further comprises:

transmitting said first signal response number to said vehicle-based communications device.

12. The method for accessing a wireless network of claim 11 wherein said providing further comprises:

generating a second signal response number by said vehicle-based communications device by signing said first signal response number with at least one of an authentication number and an encryption key of said vehicle-based communications device.

13. The method for accessing a wireless network of claim 9 wherein said acquiring comprises:

receiving from said wireless network at least one of access numbers, access codes, access authentication numbers, Mobile Station Identification Code (“

MISD”

), Mobile Identification Number (“

MIN”

), International Mobile Subscriber Identity (“

IMSI”

), firmware, network lock codes, country lock codes, service provider lock codes, 32 bit Electronic Serial Number (“

ESN”

), integrated circuit card ID (“

ICCID”

), IMSI, authentication key, local area identity, operator-specific emergency number, short message service center number, service provider name, and service dialing numbers

14. The method for accessing a wireless network of claim 9 wherein said acquiring comprises:

storing on a removable medium said access information.

15. The method for accessing a wireless network of claim 9 wherein said acquiring further comprises:

storing said access information to one of said at least one wireless networks not associated with the original vehicle-based communications device as installed by a vehicle manufacturer.

16. The method for accessing a wireless network of claim 14 wherein said downloading further comprises:

transferring said access information from said removable medium to said vehicle-based communications device.

17. The method for accessing a wireless network of claim 9 further comprising:

providing on a steering wheel located in said vehicle at least one of one of voice dialing button, call answer button, Bluetooth®

system button, and call hang-up button for operating said vehicle-based communications device.

18. A vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone comprising:

means for acquiring access information for at least one wireless network;

means for downloading said access information to said vehicle;

means for transmitting a request to said wireless network for access to said at least one wireless network;

means for comparing, responsive to receiving said transmitted request, said request to a database of known subscribers of said wireless network; and

means for providing, responsive to said compared request, to said vehicle-based communications device said access to said wireless network

19. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 18 wherein said means for providing further comprises:

means for generating a first signal response number from a combination of a random number and an authorization number associated with said compared database and said request.

20. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 19 wherein said means for providing further comprises:

means for transmitting said first signal response number to said vehicle-based communications device.

21. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 20 wherein said means for providing further comprises:

means for generating a second signal response number by said vehicle-based communications device by signing said first signal response number with at least one of an authentication number and an encryption key of said vehicle-based communications device.

22. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 18 wherein said means for acquiring comprises:

means for receiving from said wireless network at least one of access numbers, access codes, access authentication numbers, Mobile Station Identification Code (“

MISD”

), Mobile Identification Number (“

MIN”

), International Mobile Subscriber Identity (“

IMSI”

), firmware, network lock codes, country lock codes, service provider lock codes, 32 bit Electronic Serial Number (“

ESN”

), integrated circuit card ID (“

ICCID”

), IMSI, authentication key, local area identity, operator-specific emergency number, short message service center number, service provider name, and service dialing numbers

23. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 18 wherein said means for acquiring comprises:

means for storing on a removable medium said access information.

24. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 18 wherein said means for acquiring further comprises:

means for storing said access information to one of said at least one wireless networks not associated with the original vehicle-based communications device as installed by a vehicle manufacturer.

25. The vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone of claim 23 wherein said means for downloading further comprises:

means for transferring said access information from said removable medium to said vehicle-based communications device.