Updating technique for downloading new system identification (SID) list into a handset
First Claim
1. A system for downloading data to radio telephone subscriber units, said system comprising:
- (a) control means for updating at least one system identifier list of preferred service providers for use by said radio telephone subscriber units and generating a version number corresponding to the at least one system identifier list;
(b) means for broadcasting said version number to said radio telephone subscriber units over a radio telephone control frequency;
(c) means in each of said radio telephone subscriber units for receiving said version number;
(d) means in each of said radio telephone subscriber units for comparing said received version number to a version number previously stored in each of said radio telephone subscriber units; and
(e) means in each of said radio telephone subscriber units for initiating and receiving a download of said at least one system identifier list from said broadcast means if said received version number and said previously stored version number fail to match.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cellular telephone system is upgraded by modifying subscriber units for selective service provider acquisition during roaming. Priority of acquisition is given to those service providers associated with the home service provider. These preferred service providers are identified by System Identification (SIDs) numbers. A roaming subscriber unit will tune to control frequencies to identify all of the system providers operating in a physical area to which the subscriber has roamed. The SIDs of those system providers available are compared to a preferred SID list contained within the subscriber unit. Selection is made based upon a priority of those system providers having arrangements with the home system provider. The SID lists in the subscriber units are modified based upon a version number for each update on the SID list.
414 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A system for downloading data to radio telephone subscriber units, said system comprising:
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(a) control means for updating at least one system identifier list of preferred service providers for use by said radio telephone subscriber units and generating a version number corresponding to the at least one system identifier list; (b) means for broadcasting said version number to said radio telephone subscriber units over a radio telephone control frequency; (c) means in each of said radio telephone subscriber units for receiving said version number; (d) means in each of said radio telephone subscriber units for comparing said received version number to a version number previously stored in each of said radio telephone subscriber units; and (e) means in each of said radio telephone subscriber units for initiating and receiving a download of said at least one system identifier list from said broadcast means if said received version number and said previously stored version number fail to match. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for downloading data to radio telephone subscriber units, said system comprising:
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(a) control means for updating a system identifier list of preferred service providers for use by said radio telephone subscriber units and for generating a version number corresponding to said system identifier list; (b) means for broadcasting said version number over a radio telephone frequency; (c) means for downloading said system identifier list to said radio telephone subscriber units within range of said means for downloading; and (d) means for sequentially addressing each of said radio telephone subscriber units in range of said means for downloading system identifier list, and for initiating download of said system identifier list to said radio telephone subscriber units. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of downloading data to radio telephone subscriber units, comprising:
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(a) generating a data list having a System Identification Number (SID) list of preferred service providers and a version number corresponding to said data list; (b) broadcasting said version number to at least one of said radio telephone subscriber units over a radio telephone control frequency; (c) comparing a received version number to a pre-stored version number in said at least one radio telephone subscriber unit; and
if the pre-stored version number does not correspond to said received version number,(d) downloading said data list from a cellular base station into the at least one radio telephone subscriber unit in response to a download signal from said subscriber unit. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A wireless telephone subscriber unit for use in a communication system having a plurality of frequencies divided into a plurality of available frequency bands, the wireless telephone subscriber unit comprising:
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a first memory storing a list of system identifiers of preferred wireless telephone service providers and a corresponding version number; a receiver for receiving a version number of an updated list of system identifiers over a wireless telephone central frequency; a second memory storing the received version number; and a processor comparing the received version number and the version number of the stored list, the processor initiating, in response to a comparison in which the version numbers fail to match, a download of said undated list from a mobile telephone switching office, and storing the received version number and the updated list downloaded to the wireless telephone subscriber unit into the first memory. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A system having wireless communication with wireless telephone subscriber units, the system comprising:
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a central controller generating a first system identifier list of preferred wireless telephone service providers and a first version number corresponding to the first system identifier list; at least one wireless transmitter transmitting the first version number; and at least one wireless telephone subscriber unit comprising; (a) a wireless transceiver receiving said first version number over a wireless telephone control frequency; (b) a nonvolatile memory storing a second prioritized system identifier list and a corresponding second version number; and (c) a processor outputting a download request to said central controller in response to a comparison between the first and second version numbers that fails to match, the processor storing in the nonvolatile memory the first system identifier list and the corresponding first version number upon reception by the subscriber unit from the central controller in response to said comparison. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A system having wireless communication with wireless telephone subscriber units, the system comprising:
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a central controller generating a first system identifier list of preferred wireless telephone service providers and a first version number corresponding to the first system identifier list; at least one wireless transmitter transmitting the first version number; and at least one wireless telephone subscriber unit comprising; (a) a wireless receiver receiving said first version number; (b) a nonvolatile memory storing a second prioritized system identifier list and a corresponding second version number; and (c) a processor outputting a download request in response to a comparison between the first and second version numbers, the processor storing in the nonvolatile memory the first system identifier list and the corresponding first version number upon reception by the subscriber unit from the central controller in response to said comparison, and wherein the first system identifier list is a prioritized list of the preferred wireless telephone service providers and wherein priority is based on contractual considerations.
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32. A method of downloading a system identification number (SID) list of preferred service providers to a radio telephone subscriber unit, comprising:
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generating a preferred SID list and a version number corresponding to said preferred SID list at a mobile telephone switching office (MTSO); broadcasting said version number to said subscriber unit over a radio telephone control frequency; comparing the said version number to a pre-stored version number in said subscriber unit, and signaling the MTSO to download the preferred SID list when the compared version numbers do not match; downloading said preferred SID list from said MTSO in response to a download signal from said subscriber unit; and receiving said SID list in said subscriber unit. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
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Specification