Receiver having an individual selective call function and a security function for preventing unauthorized use of the receiver

• US 5,430,892 A
• Filed: 01/14/1994
• Issued: 07/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Motegi, Takamasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/181,450
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 455/38.1, 455/68, 455/88, 455/89, 455/186.1, 455/345, 455/38.2, 455/183.1, 455/183.2, 455/344, 379/57, 379/62, 340/311.1, 340/825.44, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/825.5, 340/542
• US Class Current: 340/7.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/16 the keys or algorithms being changed during operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7385 Programmable or microprocessor-controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers

Abstract

A receiver with an individual selective call function includes a ROM for storing an individual selection number in which a secret number of the receiver is registered. A data control unit compares a secret number registered in its own memory and the secret number registered in the individual selection number ROM of the receiver, and when they are not equal, the read/write operation of the individual selection number ROM is disabled.

Claims

1. A receiver device having an individual selective call function, said device comprising:

receiver means, having a memory storing a secret number, for performing a selective receiving operation;

data control means for reading and writing data from and to said memory of said receiver means; and

communication means having serial circuits for inputting and outputting said data to and from said data control means and for placing said receiver means in mutual communication with a memory writer, wherein;

said secret number is a number initially registered into said memory which is subsequently updatable by a user by writing with said data control means,

said data control means is enabled to write a new secret number to said memory when (i) said secret number and a number entered into said memory writer are equal and said data control means is enabled to write a new secret number to said memory when (ii) said secret number and said number entered into said memory writer are not equal but said secret number equals said number initially registered into said memory, and otherwise said data control means is disabled when said secret number and said number entered into said memory writer are not equal and said secret number is not equal to said number initially registered into said memory.

2. A receiver device having an individual selective call function according to claim 1 wherein reading of at least some of said data in addition to said secret number of the memory in addition to writing of the new secret number are enabled when the secret number of the receiver means and the number entered into the memory writer are equal.

3. A receiver device having an individual selective call function according to claim 1 further comprising alarm means for generating an alarm when the secret number and the number entered into the memory writer are not equal.

4. A receiver device having an individual selective call function according to claim 1, wherein said memory writer includes input means for inputting said number entered into said memory writer and display means for displaying the operation of said memory writer.

5. A receiver having an individual selective call function according to claim 1 wherein the receiver means includes a receiving local oscillation frequency synthesizer for selectively receiving a plurality of frequencies.

6. A pager system comprising:

(a) a receiver having an individual selective call function comprising;

receiver means, having a memory storing a secret number, for performing a selective receiving operation,

data control means for reading and writing data from and to said memory of said receiver means,

first communication means having a first serial circuit for inputting and outputting said data to and from said data control means;

(b) a memory writer comprising;

input means for entering an input number,

a control unit for receiving said input number,

second communication means having a second serial circuit for inputting and outputting data to and from said control unit;

said first and second communication means selectively placing said receiver and said memory writer in and out of mutual communication with each other;

wherein;

said secret number is a number initially registered into said memory and subsequently updatable by a user by writing with said data control means,

when said receiver and said memory writer are placed in mutual communication with each other, said receiver transmits said secret number, over said first and second communication means, to said memory writer and said control unit of said memory writer compares said secret number with said input number and (i) said control unit transmits, over said first and second communication means, an enablement signal for said data control means to write a new secret number to said memory when (1) said secret number and said input number are equal and an enablement signal for said data control means to write a new secret number to said memory when (2) said secret number is not equal to said input number but said secret number equals said number initially registered into said memory and (ii) otherwise said control unit transmits, over said first and second communication means, a disablement signal for said data control means when said secret number and said input number are not equal and said secret number is not equal to said number initially registered into said memory.

7. A pager system according to claim 6, wherein said memory of said receiver further stores an anti-coincidence count number, said control unit of said memory writer issues a signal, over said first and second communication means, to count down said anti-coincidence count number each time said input means enters an input number which is not equal to said secret number, and said control unit does not issue said disablement signal until said anti-coincidence count is equal to zero.