Method and apparatus for transferring information to a device in a communication system

• US 5,604,787 A
• Filed: 10/07/1994
• Issued: 02/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bonta, Jeffrey D., Kotzin, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chernoff, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US08/320,017
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/61, 379/62, 379/91, 379/357, 379/144, 379/131, 379/192, 340/825.34, 340/825.44, 340/825.33, 364/130, 364/140, 364/141, 364/143, 364/145, 235/380
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• 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 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A smart card (100) is equipped with an internal time-of-day clock and calendar (106). Between the smart card (100) and a subscriber unit (209, 300), into which it is inserted, there is a communication of the subscriber'"'"'s identity and a negotiated agreement for how long the subscriber unit (209, 300) is to maintain the transferred identity. For that duration of time, the subscriber unit (209, 300) is enabled with the subscriber'"'"'s identity, and the smart card is essentially "dumb," and therefore unusable until that duration has elapsed.

Claims

1. A portable smart card, comprising:

a controller;

a memory coupled to the controller; and

a time device, wherein the controller controls operation of the smart card, the controller to transfer a secure subscriber unit identity stored in the smart card to a communication device for a time period negotiated by the controller, to control the smart card to make the secure subscriber unit identity not available from the smart card for use by an other device during the negotiated time period, and to make the secure subscriber identity available to the other device during other time periods, whereby the controller automatically prevents transfer of the secure subscriber unit identity to the other device for use during the negotiated time period and the secure subscriber unit identity is automatically made available for transfer from the smart card for use at times other than the negotiated time period.

2. The portable smart card as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller automatically controls the smart card to be unable to transfer the secure subscriber unit identity at the beginning of the negotiated time period and automatically reactivates the smart card to enable transfer of the secure subscriber unit identity at the end of the negotiated time period.

3. The portable smart card as defined in claim 1, wherein the time device provides time and date information, and the controller to transfer the secure subscriber unit identity to a second device for use by the second device at a negotiated time on a particular date, and the controller to automatically prevent secure subscriber unit identity availability during said negotiated time on said particular date.

4. The portable smart card as defined in claim 3, wherein the smart card stores a plurality of negotiated time periods during which the secure subscriber unit identity will not be able to transfer the secure subscriber unit identity.

5. The portable smart card as defined in claim 3, wherein the time device is a time and date clock.

6. The portable smart card as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is a microprocessor.

7. In combination, a portable radio frequency communication device and a portable subscriber unit identity module,

the portable radio frequency communication device comprising a card reader and storing a subscriber unit identity;

and

the smart card comprising a controller, a memory and a time device, the controller transferring a secure subscriber unit identity to the portable radio frequency device for a time period negotiated between the portable radio frequency device and the controller;

wherein the smart card deactivates secure subscriber unit identity availability during the negotiated time period and allows availability for use during other time periods, and the portable communication device adopts the secure subscriber unit identity at the beginning of the negotiated time period and deletes the secure subscriber unit identity upon the termination of the negotiated time period, whereby the portable radio communication device operates with the secure subscriber unit identity when the card is removed therefrom during the negotiated time period and the secure subscriber unit identity is available for a plurality of devices only one device at a time.

8. A method of temporarily transferring a secure subscriber unit identity from a portable smart card to a communication device for a predetermined time period, the method comprising the steps of:

transferring the secure subscriber unit identity from the smart card to the communication device for a determined time period so that the smart card can be removed from the communication device without the communication device losing the subscriber unit identity during the determined time period;

automatically preventing availability of the secure subscriber unit identity of the smart card for use by an other device during the determined time period and automatically allowing availability after the determined time period; and

deleting the subscriber unit identity from the communication device at the end of the determined time period.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, further including the steps of disabling availability of the secure subscriber unit identity from the smart card at the beginning of the determined time period and automatically reactivating the secure subscriber unit identity availability in the smart card at the end of the determined time period.