Method and apparatus for controlling access to a communication system

• US 5,274,368 A
• Filed: 09/15/1992
• Issued: 12/28/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Breeden, Robert L., Muppidi, Prabhakar
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US07/945,995
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/825.32, 340/528, 379/59, 379/60, 379/62, 379/63
• US Class Current: 340/7.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13515 authentication, authorisation - fraud prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13532 mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

A communication system base site (300) receives a signal (400) representing a request from a communication unit (200) to access the communication system (100). The signal includes an identification code (402) and another code which represents when the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system (410). The base site (300) operates to process the identification code (402) to initially determine that the communication unit (200) should not be permitted access to the communication system (100). Additionally, the other code (410) is processed to determine whether the communication unit (200) was authorized to access the communication system (100) within a time interval. If so, the communication unit (200) is permitted to access the communication system.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to a communication system, comprising the base site steps of:

receiving a signal representing a request from a communication unit to access the communication system, the signal including at least an identification code and another code at least a portion of which represents when the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system;

processing at least the identification code to initially determine that the communication unit should not be permitted access to the communication system;

processing at least the other code to determine whether the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within a time interval; and

permitting access to the communication system when the base site determines that the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within the time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes the base site step of not permitting access to the communication system when the base site determines that the communication unit was not authorized to access the communication system within the time interval.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of not permitting access to the communication system includes the step of transmitting a disable signal to the communication unit to prohibit the communication unit from gaining access to the communication system.

4. The method of claim 3, which includes the communication unit step of receiving the disable signal from the base site.

5. The method of claim 4, which includes the communication unit step of storing an indication that the communication unit has been disabled.

6. The method of claim 2, which includes the base site step of storing information indicating that the communication unit has been disabled.

7. The method of claim 6, which includes the step of periodically transmitting the information indicating that the communication unit has been disabled to a central controller.

8. The method of claim 1, which includes the base site step of processing at least the identification code to determine billing information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of allowing communication includes the step of monitoring communication system usage by the communication unit.

10. The method of claim 1, which includes the step of periodically receiving information representing identification codes of communication units that are to be denied access to the communication system.

11. The method of claim 1, which includes the step of periodically receiving information representing identification codes of communication units that are to be disabled and denied access to the communication system.

12. The method of claim 1, which includes the step of not permitting access to the communication system when the signal representing a request to access the communication system contains an indication that the communication unit was previously disabled.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing at least the identification code to initially determine that the communication unit should not be permitted access to the communication system comprises correlating the identification code with one or more identification codes that are to be denied access or disabled.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing the other code comprises processing at least the other code to determine whether the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within a two day time interval.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of permitting access to the communication system when the base site determines that the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within the time interval.

16. The method of claim 1 including the communication unit step of:

transmitting the signal representing a request to access the communication system.

17. The method of claim 16, which includes the communication unit step of receiving an enabling code transmitted from the base site to authorize access to the communication system.

18. The method of claim 17, which includes the communication unit step of determining a time interval from receipt of the enabling code.

19. A method for controlling access to a communication system, comprising the base site steps of:

receiving a signal representing a request from a communication unit to access the communication system, the signal including at least an identification code and another code at least a portion of which represents when the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system;

processing at least the identification code to initially determine that the communication unit should not be permitted access to the communication system;

processing at least the other code to determine whether the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within a time interval;

permitting access to the communication system when the base site determines that the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within the time interval; and

not permitting access to the communication system and transmitting a disable signal to the communication unit to prohibit the communication unit from gaining subsequent access to the communication system when the base site determines that the communication unit was not authorized to access the communication system within the time interval.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of processing at least the identification code to initially determine that the communication unit should not be permitted access to the communication system comprises correlating the identification code with one or more identification codes that are to be denied access or disabled.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of processing the other code comprises processing at least the other code to determine whether the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within a two day time interval.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of permitting access to the communication system when the base site determines that the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within the time interval.

23. The method of claim 19, which includes the base site step of storing information indicating that the communication unit has been disabled and periodically transmitting the information indicating that the communication unit has been disabled to a central controller.

24. The method of claim 19, which includes the step of periodically receiving information representing identification codes of communication units that are to be disabled and denied access to the communication system.

25. The method of claim 19, which includes the step of not permitting access to the communication system when the signal representing a request to access the communication system contains an indication that the communication unit was previously disabled.

26. A method for controlling access to a communication system, comprising the base site steps of:

periodically receiving information representing identification codes of communication units that are to be disabled;

receiving a signal representing a request from a communication unit to access the communication system, the signal including at least an identification code and another code at least a portion of which represents when the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system;

processing at least the identification code to initially determine that the communication unit should not be permitted access to the communication system by correlating the identification code with one or more identification codes that are to be disabled;

processing at least the other code to determine whether the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within a two day time interval;

permitting access to the communication system when the base site determines that the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within the two day time interval;

not permitting access to the communication system and transmitting a disable signal to the communication unit to prohibit the communication unit from gaining subsequent access to the communication system when the base site determines that the communication unit was not authorized to access the communication system within the two day time interval; and

storing information indicating that the communication unit has been disabled and periodically transmitting the information indicating that the communication unit has been disabled to a central controller.

27. A communication system capable of controlling access thereto, comprising:

means for receiving a signal representing a request from a communication unit to access the communication system, the signal including at least an identification code and another code at least a portion of which represents when the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system;

means for processing at least the identification code to initially determine that the communication unit should not be permitted access to the communication system, and for processing at least the other code to determine whether the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within a time interval; and

means for permitting access to the communication system when the base site determines that the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within the time interval.

28. The communication system of claim 27, which includes a communication unit comprising:

means for receiving an enabling code to authorize access to a communication system; and

means for transmitting a signal representing a request to access the communication system, the signal including at least an identification code and another code at least a portion of which represents a time interval from when the communication unit was last authorized to access the communication system.

29. The communication system of claim 27, wherein the permitting means includes means for not permitting access to the communication system when the base site determines that the communication unit was not authorized to access the communication system within the time interval.

30. The communication system of claim 29, which includes means for transmitting a disable signal to the communication unit to prohibit the communication unit from gaining access to the communication system.

31. The communication system of claim 30, which includes means for storing information indicating that the communication unit has been disabled.

32. The communication system of claim 29, which includes means for periodically transmitting the information indicating that the communication unit has been disabled to a central controller.

33. The communication system of claim 29, which includes means for periodically receiving information representing identification codes of communication units that are to be disabled.

34. The communication system of claim 29, which includes means for not permitting access to the communication system when the signal representing a request to access the communication system contains an indication that the communication unit was previously disabled.

35. A communication system capable of controlling access thereto, comprising:

means for receiving a signal representing a request from a communication unit to access the communication system, the signal including at least an identification code and another code at least a portion of which represents when the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system;

means for processing at least the identification code to initially determine that the communication unit should not be permitted access to the communication system by correlating the identification code with one or more identification codes that are to be disabled, and for processing at least the other code to determine whether the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within a two day time interval;

means for permitting access to the communication system when the base site determines that the communication unit was authorized to access the communication system within the two day time interval, and for not permitting access to the communication system and transmitting a disable signal to the communication unit to prohibit the communication unit from gaining subsequent access to the communication system when the base site determines that the communication unit was not authorized to access the communication system within the two day time interval.