METHOD FOR ADMINISTERING THE AUTHORIZATION OF MOBILE TELEPHONES WITHOUT A SIM CARD

• US 20110136470A1
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Inventors: Kurz, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,238,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for administering the authorization of at least one mobile telephone (5) relative to a mobile communications network (8), wherein the mobile telephone (5) is design for near-field communication (7) and in case a mobile radio card (6) is not present in the mobile telephone (5), the authorization thereof takes place by an external device (1) having one or more mobile radio card(s) (10) and a device (3) for near-field communication (7) with said mobile telephone (5), and wherein near-field communication (7) takes place between the external device (1) and the mobile telephone (5) for authorizing, and a connection is permitted to be established to the mobile communications network (8) after successful authorization by the external device (5).

Claims

1. A method of administering authorization of at least one mobile telephone with respect to a mobile-communication network in which the mobile telephone is capable of communication through a near-field link, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an external device with at least one mobile-radio card and with a device for near-field communication with the mobile phone;

configuring the mobile phone such that it can only establish a connection with the mobile-communication network when authorized by the external device through the near-field link;

before authorization, registering the mobile phone in the external device; and

if a mobile-radio card is not present in the mobile telephone,

checking through the near-field link if the mobile phone is registered in the external device and if the mobile phone is registered, effecting through the near-field link authorization of the mobile telephone and establishment of a logging on and connection to the mobile-communication network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the near-field communication takes place by RFID.

3. The method according to claim 1claim 1 wherein the external device has a passive RFID device and the mobile telephone has an active RFID device for the near-field communication.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein in the near-field communication, the external device forms a server and the mobile telephone a client.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of

associating the mobile telephone with an identifier by means of which it is identified by the external device.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

if the mobile telephone holds a mobile-radio card, effecting the authorization by the external device (1).

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the near-field communication is encrypted and/or password-protected.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the external device administers the authorization of at least two mobile telephones registered with the external device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein in the event of a communication request of a mobile telephone or in the event of an incoming communication event, a test of the authorization of the corresponding mobile telephone and a test for existing active connections of the registered mobile telephones is effected.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the set-up of the communication connection takes place, when using only one mobile-radio card in the external device, only when no registered mobile telephone has an active connection or, with several registered mobile telephones using several mobile-radio cards, an additional active connection is possible.

13. A system for carrying out the method according to claim 1, comprising at least one mobile telephone for communication via a mobile-communication network with a near-field communication device and an external device with a near-field communication device and one or more mobile-radio cards, the near-field communication devices of the mobile telephone and external device being capable of transmitting and receiving authorization data.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the near-field communication device in the external device is a passive RFID device and the near-field communication device in the mobile telephone is an active RFID device.

15. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the communication established by authorization is two-way communication.

6. (canceled)

9. (canceled)