Apparatus and method for remotely initiating operation of a cellular telephone

• US 5,485,505 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 01/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BellSouth Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Guidotti, Richard A., Norman, Daniel P., Saitta, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/482,800
• Time in Patent Office: 223 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/428, 379/91, 379/112
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/903 Password
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/909 Alternatives
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/914 Programmable telephone component

Abstract

An apparatus for activating a cellular telephone (10) within a cellular telecommunications network. A PCMCIA card (62) interacts with a controller (50) to display required programming information and questions. A user of the cellular telephone (10) inputs responses to questions on a display (90). The user responses are transmitted to a system administrator at a customer activation center via a mobile telephone switching office in the cellular telecommunications network. The system administrator provides any necessary information for activating the cellular telephone (10). In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a personal computer is connected to cellular telephone (10) and the PCMCIA card (62) is connected to the personal computer. Information for the user may be shown on either the display (90) of the cellular telephone (10) or on a display of the personal computer. The user may input information and responses to questions via a user input device provided as part of the display (90) or as part of the personal computer. User input is provided to the cellular telephone (10) to activate and program the cellular telephone for operation on the cellular telecommunications network.

Claims

1. A cellular telephone for use in a cellular telecommunications network of the type having a customer activation center (CAC), said cellular telephone comprising:

a memory device, said memory device containing first operating instructions which cause a display of first prompts to a user of said cellular telephone, said first prompts being for said user to provide a user name, a user address, and a user credit card number, said memory device further containing second operating instructions which cause a display of second prompts to said user, said second prompts being for instructing said user how to program a valid mobile identification number (MIN) into said cellular telephone, said memory device further containing a dummy MIN for said cellular telephone;

a display for providing said first prompts and said second prompts to said user of said cellular telephone;

an input device for accepting first responses from said user to said first prompts and second responses from said user to said second prompts;

a radio frequency (RF) transmitter for sending said first responses and said dummy MIN to said CAC;

an RF receiver for receiving said valid MIN for said cellular telephone from said CAC; and

a controller connected to said memory device, connected to said input device, connected to said display, connected to said RF receiver and connected to said RF transmitter, for causing said display to provide said first prompts to said user in response to said first operating instructions, for accepting said first responses from said input device, for causing said RF transmitter to send said dummy MIN and said first responses to said CAC, for receiving said valid MIN from said RF receiver, for causing said display to provide said valid MIN to said user, for causing said display to provide said second prompts to said user in response to said second operating instructions, and responsive to said second responses for programming said valid MIN into said cellular telephone.

2. The cellular telephone of claim 1 wherein said first prompts are further for said user to provide a user signature, said input device comprises a signature capture device and wherein said controller further accepts said user signature from said signature capture device and causes said RF transmitter to send said user signature to said CAC.

3. The cellular telephone of claim 1 wherein said memory device is a personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) card.

4. The cellular telephone of claim 1 wherein said display is a video screen.

5. A method for programming a cellular telephone for operation on a cellular telecommunications network of the type having a customer activation center (CAC), said cellular telephone comprising a memory device, a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, said method comprising the steps of:

retrieving from said memory device first operating instructions which cause a display of first prompts to a user of said cellular telephone, said first prompts being for said user to provide a user name, a user address, and a user credit card number;

displaying said first prompts to a user of said cellular telephone;

accepting first responses to said first prompts from said user;

retrieving from said memory, device a dummy mobile identification number (MIN) for said cellular telephone;

sending said dummy MIN and said first responses to said first prompts to said CAC using said RF transmitter of said cellular telephone;

using said RF receiver of said cellular telephone to receive from said CAC a valid MIN for said cellular telephone;

providing said valid MIN to said user;

retrieving from said memory device second operating instructions which cause a display of second prompts to said user, said second prompts being for instructing said user how to program said valid MIN into said cellular telephone;

accepting second responses to said second prompts from said user; and

responding to said second responses by programming said valid MIN into said cellular telephone.

6. A cellular telephone for use in a cellular telecommunications network of the type having a customer activation center (CAC), and for use with a personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) card, said PCMCIA card containing first operating instructions which cause a display of first prompts to a user of said cellular telephone, said first prompts being for said user to provide a user name, a user address, and a user credit card number, said PCMCIA card further containing second operating instructions which cause a display of second prompts to said user, said second prompts being for instructing said user how to program a valid mobile identification number (MIN) into said cellular telephone, said PCMCIA card further containing a dummy MIN for said cellular telephone, said cellular telephone comprising:

a connector for receiving said PCMCIA card;

a display for providing said first prompts and said second prompts to said user of said cellular telephone;

an input device for accepting first responses from said user to said first prompts and second responses from said user to said second prompts;

a radio frequency (RF) transmitter for sending said first responses and said dummy MIN to said CAC;

an RF receiver for receiving said valid MIN for said cellular telephone from said CAC; and

a controller connected to said PCMCIA card through said connector, connected to said display, connected to said input device, connected to said RF receiver and connected to said RF transmitter, for causing said display to provide said first prompts to said user in response to said first operating instructions, for accepting said first responses from said input device, for causing said RF transmitter to send said dummy MIN and said first responses to said CAC, for receiving said valid MIN from said RF receiver, for causing said display to provide said valid MIN to said user, for causing said display to provide said second prompts to said user in response to said second operating instructions, and responsive to said second responses for programming said valid MIN into said cellular telephone.

7. The cellular telephone of claim 6 wherein said first prompts are further for said user to provide a user signature, said input device comprises a signature capture device, and wherein said controller further accepts said user signature from said signature capture device and causes said RF transmitter to send said user signature to said CAC.