Portable transceiver and ESN transfer system therefor

• US 5,535,436 A
• Filed: 02/13/1995
• Issued: 07/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshida, Ikio, Ishigami, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/387,384
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 458/54.1, 458/56.1, 458/86, 458/89, 458/90, 458/186.1, 458/89.1, 458/88, 458/186.2, 458/151.4, 379/58, 379/59, 379/61, 379/62, 379/63, 379/93, 379/355, 455/275, 455/277.1, 455/330, 455/77, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/825.44, 340/33.1
• US Class Current: 455/551
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/727 Identification code transfer arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A portable transceiver and an ESN transfer system for a car telephone system. The ESN and the MSN, which are manufacturer-controlled numbers, are stored in an EEPROM mounted on the panel of the portable transceiver. When the panel on which the EEPROM is mounted is to be replaced, only the ESN is transferred to the EEPROM of the new panel. Upon completion of the ESN transfer, the ESN in the EEPROM of the replaced panel is rewritten to data, which would make its specific part, such as the manufacturer'"'"'s ID number, to be judged "incorrect". No ESN whose specific part is "incorrect" can be transferred. The ESN transfer unit, connected to a connector provided in the casing of the portable transceiver, performs said ESN transfer.

Claims

1. A portable transceiver comprising:

antenna means for converting a radio frequency signal received from a base station of a cellular telephone system into a receive signal and converting a transmit signal to be transmitted to said base station into a radio frequency signal;

radio frequency signal processing means having a receiving portion for receiving and processing said receive signal, a transmitting portion for generating said transmit signal, and a diplexer connected to said antenna means for separating and combining said receive and transmit signals;

control and operation means for processing calls and controlling communication to and from said base station by writing a first electronic serial number (ESN), predetermined so as to enable said base station to identify said portable transceiver, into and reading it out of an EEPROM for storing said ESN, and controlling said radio frequency signal processing means; and

an external connector terminal to be connected to an ESN transfer apparatus so that, when said portable transceiver is a first transceiver to be replaced with a second transceiver on account of trouble occurring in part of said first transceiver and said first ESN is judged correct by said ESN transfer apparatus, said first ESN can be transferred to an EEPROM of said second transceiver without having to physically remove said EEPROM'"'"'s from the respective first and second transceiver;

wherein said ESN transfer apparatus comprises rewriting means for modifying said first ESN to provide an incorrect version of said first ESN; and

wherein, after said first ESN is properly transferred to said EEPROM of said second transceiver, said control and operations means of said first transceiver is responsive to said rewriting means to store said incorrect version of said first ESN in said EEPROM of said first transceiver;

whereby attempts to transfer said incorrect version of said first ESN from said EEPROM of said first transceiver are inhibited by said ESN transfer apparatus.

2. A portable transceiver, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

external antenna connecting means and antenna switch means housed in a casing so that, when said portable transceiver is carried on a vehicle, an external antenna installed on the vehicle can be connected in place of said antenna means to said radio frequency signal processing means;

telephone transmitter means for supplying speech signals to be transmitted to said transmitting portion; and

telephone receiver means for receiving speech signals from said receiving portion.

3. A portable transceiver, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a specific part of said ESN is a manufacturer'"'"'s ID number for identifying the manufacturer of said transceiver.

4. A portable transceiver, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a unique manufacturer'"'"'s serial number (MSN), not to be transferred to the EEPROM of said second transceiver, is stored in the EEPROM of the first transceiver.

5. An electronic serial number (ESN) transfer system comprising:

first and second portable transceivers each constituting a mobile unit of a car telephone system; and

an electronic serial number (ESN) transfer unit;

wherein;

each of said first and second portable transceivers comprises;

first antenna means for converting a radio frequency signal sent out from a base station of said car telephone system into a receive signal and converting a transmit signal into a radio frequency signal to be transmitted to said base station;

first radio frequency signal processing means further comprising a receiving portion for receiving and processing said receive signal, a transmitting portion for generating said transmit signal, and a diplexer for separating and combining said receive signal and said transmit signal;

control and operation means comprising an EEPROM for storing a manufacturer'"'"'s serial number (MSN), having a unique content, and an ESN to be used by said base station for identifying each portable transceiver;

a logic control circuit for reading and writing the ESN and controlling calls and communication to and from said base station by controlling said radio frequency signal processing means; and

external connector means housed in a casing and connected to said control and operating means to constitute an interface with external units; and

wherein;

said ESN transfer unit comprises ESN reading means for reading the ESN out of said EEPROM of said first portable transceiver via said external connector means of said first portable transceiver;

judging means for judging whether or not an ESN transfer of said ESN read out by said ESN reading means is enabled;

transfer means for transferring, only when it is judged that said ESN transfer is enabled, said ESN, read out by said ESN reading means, to said EEPROM of said second portable transceiver via said external connector means of said second portable transceiver, and rewriting a content of said ESN stored in said EEPROM of said second portable transceiver to that of said ESN read out of said EEPROM of said first portable transceiver; and

rewriting means for rewriting, when it is judged that said ESN transfer is enabled, the ESN, stored in said EEPROM of said first portable transceiver, to a content which is to be judged that said ESN transfer is inhibited.

6. An ESN transfer system, as claimed in claim 5, wherein each ESN includes a manufacturer'"'"'s ID number as a specific part.

7. An ESN transfer system, as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of said first and second portable transceivers further comprises external antenna connecting means and antenna switch means housed in a casing so that, when each portable transceiver is carried on a vehicle, an external antenna installed on the vehicle can be connected in place of said antenna means to said radio frequency signal processing means;

telephone transmitter means for supplying speech signals to be transmitted to said transmitting portion; and

telephone receiver means for receiving speech signals from said receiving portion.

8. An ESN transfer system, as claimed in claim 7, wherein said ESN transfer unit comprises an operation portion for instructing said ESN reading means to transfer said read-out ESN.

9. An ESN transfer system, as claimed in claim 5, wherein each said control and operation means further comprises:

a keyboard connected to said logic control circuit to enable the user of each portable transceiver to enter a control signal;

LCD display means for displaying characters and signs under the control of said logic control circuit; and

interface circuit means for interfacing said logic control circuit with said external connector means.

10. An ESN transfer system, as claimed in claim 5, wherein a connection between said external connector means and said ESN reading means and a connection between said external connector means and said transfer means are provided by a serial bus each.

11. An ESN transfer system, as claimed in claim 5, wherein said ESN transfer unit comprises:

first memory means for temporarily storing said read-out ESN as a first ESN; and

second memory means for storing in advance said specific part of said first ESN, which is to be judged correct and wherein;

said judging means checks the specific part of the first ESN stored in said first memory means with said specific part of said first ESN stored in advance in said second memory means, which is to be judged correct, and judges whether or not the specific part of said first ESN stored in said first memory means is correct.

12. An electronic serial number (ESN) transfer unit comprising:

ESN reading means for reading, via a first external connector housed in the casing of a first portable transceiver in a car telephone system, a first ESN stored in a first EEPROM mounted on said first portable transceiver and used for identifying said portable transceiver;

judging means for judging whether or not an ESN transfer of a specific part of said first ESN read out by said ESN reading means is enabled;

transfer means for transferring, only when the specific part of said first ESN is judged correct, said first ESN read out by said ESN reading means to a second EEPROM in a second portable transceiver in said car telephone system via a second external connector housed in the casing of said second portable transceiver; and

rewriting means for rewriting, when the ESN transfer of the specific part of said first ESN is judged enabled, the specific part of the first ESN stored in said first EEPROM to a content which is to be judged that the ESN transfer is inhibited.

15. An ESN transfer unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the connection between said first external connector and said ESN reading means and that between said second external connector and said transfer means are provided by a serial bus each.

13. An ESN transfer unit, as claimed in claim 13, further comprising an operation portion for instructing said ESN reading means to transfer said first ESN.

14. An ESN transfer unit, as claimed in claim 13, further comprising first memory means for temporarily storing said read-out first ESN;

and

second memory means for storing in advance said specific part of said first ESN, which is to be judged correct;

wherein;

said judging means checks the specific part of the first ESN stored in said first memory means with said specific part of said first ESN stored in advance in said second memory means, which is to be judged correct, and judges whether or not the specific part of said first ESN stored in said first memory means is correct.

16. An electronic serial number (ESN) transfer unit for transferring a first ESN, stored in a first EEPROM of a first portable transceiver in a car telephone system and used for identifying the transceiver, to a second EEPROM of a second portable transceiver in said car telephone system, comprising:

input/output interface means respectively connected, via first and second external connectors housed in casings of said first and second portable transceivers, to logic control circuits of said first and second portable transceivers, said circuits respectively containing said first and second EEPROMs, and respectively interfacing with said first and second portable transceivers, and

CPU means having ESN reading means for reading out said first ESN from said first EEPROM via said input/output interface means and said first external connector;

judging means for judging whether or not an ESN transfer of a specific part of said first ESN read out by said ESN reading means is enabled;

transfer means for transferring, if the ESN transfer of the specific part of said first ESN is judged enabled, said first ESN read out by said ESN reading means to said second EEPROM via said input/output interface means and said second external connector; and

rewriting means for rewriting, if the ESN transfer of the specific part of said first ESN is judged enabled, the specific part of the first ESN stored in said first EEPROM to a content to be judged that the ESN transfer is inhibited via said input/output interface means and said first external connector.

17. An ESN transfer unit, as claimed in claim 16, further comprising an operation portion for instructing said ESN reading means to transfer said first ESN.

18. An ESN transfer unit, as claimed in claim 17, further comprising first memory means for temporarily storing said read-out first ESN, and

second memory means for storing in advance said specific part of said first ESN, which is to be judged correct, wherein:

said judging means checks the specific part of the first ESN stored in said first memory means with said specific part of said first ESN stored in advance in said second memory means, which is to be judged correct, and judges whether or not the specific part of said first ESN stored in said first memory means is correct.

19. An electronic serial number (ESN) transfer system comprising

first and second portable transceivers, and

an ESN transfer unit;

wherein each of said first and said second portable transceivers comprises, respectively;

an antenna switch,

a radio section communicating through said antenna switch,

a control and operation circuit using said radio section to process calls, and comprising (1) an EEPROM storing a unique respective ESN, and (2) a logic control circuit for reading from and writing to said EEPROM, and

an external connector terminal for connecting said control and operation circuit to said ESN transfer unit;

wherein said ESN transfer unit comprises;

external connectors for connecting to said respective external connector terminal of each of said first and second portable transceivers,

ESN reading means for reading said respective ESN of said first portable transceiver, via said respective operation and control circuit of said first portable transceiver, to provide an ESN to be judged,

judging means for determining whether said ESN to be judged is correct or incorrect,

transfer means for performing a transfer of said respective ESN of said first portable transceiver, via said respective operation and control circuit of said second portable transceiver, to said respective EEPROM of said second portable transceiver, and

rewriting means for rewriting said respective ESN of said first portable transceiver to provide an incorrect ESN;

wherein when said judging means indicates that said ESN to be judged is correct, said transfer means performs said transfer, said rewriting means provides said incorrect ESN, and said incorrect ESN is stored in said respective EEPROM of said first portable transceiver; and

wherein when said judging means indicates that said ESN to be judged is incorrect, said transfer means does not perform said transfer.