Over the air locking of user identity modules for mobile telephones
First Claim
1. A mobile communications network comprising at least one central base switching network and a plurality of remote mobile terminals containing circuits for transmitting and receiving electronic signals, each of said remote mobile terminals including a user identity module (UIM) containing personalized user data for controlling the transmission of signals therefrom,wherein said central base switching network includes means for transmitting data signals to a selected remote mobile terminal for selectively locking said selected remote mobile terminal to said included UIM and said included UIM to said selected remote mobile terminal, thereby selectively preventing operation of said selected remote mobile terminal with any other of said UIMs and operation of said included UIM with any other of said remote mobile terminals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile telephone network in which user identify module (UIM) locking is activated automatically by the network via signalling over the base station to mobile telephone common air interface. The telephone network periodically or regularly queries the Internal Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of the mobile telephone being used by subscribers on the system, If the IMEI of a mobile telephone is found on a `stolen list` the network may then command the mobile station to activate UIM locking by messaging to and from the mobile telephone over the air interface to activate the UIM locking function using a transmitted bit pattern.
149 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A mobile communications network comprising at least one central base switching network and a plurality of remote mobile terminals containing circuits for transmitting and receiving electronic signals, each of said remote mobile terminals including a user identity module (UIM) containing personalized user data for controlling the transmission of signals therefrom,
wherein said central base switching network includes means for transmitting data signals to a selected remote mobile terminal for selectively locking said selected remote mobile terminal to said included UIM and said included UIM to said selected remote mobile terminal, thereby selectively preventing operation of said selected remote mobile terminal with any other of said UIMs and operation of said included UIM with any other of said remote mobile terminals.
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10. A method for locking a selected remote mobile terminal of a mobile communications network having at least one central base switching network and a plurality of remote mobile terminals containing circuits for transmitting and receiving electronic signals, each of said remote mobile terminals including a user identity module (UIM) containing personalized user data for controlling the transmission of signals therefrom, comprising the steps of:
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step 1. transmitting data signals from said central base switching network to a UIM of a selected remote mobile terminal step 2. receiving said data signals transmitted from said central base switching network and selectively locking said selected mobile remote terminal to said included UIM, and said included UIM to said selected remote mobile terminal, thereby preventing operation of said selected remote mobile terminal with any other UIMs and operation of said included UIM with any other of said remote mobile terminals. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification