Equipment and method for management of terminal identification number in communication system

• US 5,250,942 A
• Filed: 09/04/1991
• Issued: 10/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Yasunobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US07/754,312
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.3, 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 340/825.33, 340/825.52, 340/825.07, 379/165, 379/210, 379/211, 379/245, 379/246
• US Class Current: 340/9.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/005 with subscriber controlled access to an exchange line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/02 involving a common line for all parties

Abstract

Equipment for management of terminal identification numbers in a communication system, including a center and a plurality of terminals connected to the center. Identification numbers of respective terminals registered in advance are attached to data communicating between the center and the respective terminals. Each of the terminals comprises a terminal side memory means for registering the terminal identification numbers therein, initial identification numbers initially registered, means for communication with the center for effecting data communication with the center, terminal side registration means for erasing the initial identification numbers registered in the terminal side memory to register the new terminal identification numbers and the center into the terminal side memory, terminal side control means operative so that when an arbitrary one of the terminals is communicatably connected to the center, the control means delivers a predetermined registration request data to the means for communication with the center to allow the communication means to transmit it to the center.

Claims

1. A communication system, including a center and a plurality of terminals communicable with the center, identification numbers of the respective terminals being registered in advance in the center, data being communicated between the center and the respective terminals;

each of the terminals comprising;

(a) terminal side memory means for storing a determined identification number of the terminal registered therefor;

(b) terminal side communication means for effecting data communication with the center, the terminal side communication means transmitting to the center an initial identification number initially stored in the terminal side memory means, when the terminal operates initially, each proper initial identification number including a predetermined common code;

(c) input means for inputting an arbitrary number as a proposed identification number of the terminal, the proposed identification number being transmitted to the center through the terminal side communication means; and

(d) terminal side registration means for registering the proposed identification number as the determined identification number in the terminal side memory means only when a registration instruction data is received from the center by the terminal side communication means;

the center comprising;

(e) center side memory means for storing determined identification numbers of all the terminals registered therein;

(f) center side communication means for effecting data communication with the terminals;

(g) authorizing means for authorizing the registration of the proposed identification number on the condition that the initial identification number received from the terminal is in correspondence with a predetermined initial identification number which is commonly applied to all the terminals;

(h) overlap check means for checking whether or not the proposed identification number received from the terminal and the determined identification numbers of the other terminals previously registered in the center side memory means overlap with each other;

(i) center side registration means for registering the proposed identification number as the determined identification number of the terminal in the center side memory means only when the registration of the proposed identification number is authorized by the authorizing means and a check result indicative of no overlapping is obtained from the overlap check means; and

(j) center side control means for transmitting the registration instruction data to the terminal through the center side communication means only when the registration of the proposed identification number is authorized by the authorizing means and the check result indicative of no overlapping is obtained from the overlap check means, thereby permitting the terminal to register the proposed identification number in the terminal side memory means.

2. A communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the terminal side memory means and the center side memory means are comprised of electrically rewritable non-volatile semiconductor memories, respectively.

3. A communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the authorizing means includes a switch means, which is capable of authorizing only when the switch means is in the ON state.

4. A communication system as set forth in claim 1,

wherein a system identification number is further stored in the terminal side memory means;

wherein the terminal side communication means transmits the system identification number to the center in addition to the initial identification number, when the terminal operates initially; and

wherein the authorizing means is capable of authorizing only when the system identification number received from the terminal is in correspondence with a predetermined system identification number.

5. In a communication system in which terminal identification numbers registered in a center and terminals are attached to data communicated therebetween, a method for the management of registration of each terminal identification number comprising:

transmitting an initial identification number initially registered in one of the terminals, when the terminal operates initially;

inputting an arbitrary number into said one of the terminals as a proposed identification number of the terminal;

transmitting the inputted proposed identification number from the terminal to the center;

authorizing registration of the proposed identification number at the center only when the initial identification number received from the terminal is in correspondence with a predetermined number code commonly applied to all the terminals;

checking at the center to determine whether the proposed identification number transmitted from the terminal and identification numbers of the other terminals previously registered in the center overlap with each other; and

rewriting the identification number of the terminal previously registered in the center and in the terminal into the proposed identification number on the condition that the registration is authorized by the step of authorizing and that a checked result of no overlap is obtained by the step of checking.