Cellular radiotelephone system with remotely programmed mobile stations
First Claim
1. A method of operating a cellular telecommunications system to manage mobile identification number (MIN) programming stored in mobile stations, to manage signalling between one or more land stations and said mobile stations, and to manage the transfer of user information to and from said mobile stations, said method comprising the steps of:
- communicating between a land station and a mobile station using one of either a digital data mode or an analog audio mode;
operating said land station in cooperation with said mobile station so that said digital data mode is used to communicate both signalling and said MIN programming; and
operating said land station in cooperation with said mobile station so that said analog audio mode is used to communicate said user information.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cellular radiotelephone system (10) includes mobile stations (28) which may be remotely programmed from a customer activation system (12) to effect activation and other programming needs. Mobile stations (28) are manufactured in a blank form that causes them to operate only in an inactive state. During activation, information describing the mobile station'"'"'s electronic serial number (ESN) is collected along with area of use information. A mobile identification number (MIN) is assigned in response to the area of use information. A page message is directed to the mobile station operating in its inactive state, but the page message references the mobile station'"'"'s ESN. While inactive, the mobile station (28) detects pages directed to its ESN. A remote programming session is then performed wherein digital user-specific programming data, including the newly assigned MIN, are transferred to the mobile station (28) over a voice channel using a control channel protocol (80).
117 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of operating a cellular telecommunications system to manage mobile identification number (MIN) programming stored in mobile stations, to manage signalling between one or more land stations and said mobile stations, and to manage the transfer of user information to and from said mobile stations, said method comprising the steps of:
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communicating between a land station and a mobile station using one of either a digital data mode or an analog audio mode; operating said land station in cooperation with said mobile station so that said digital data mode is used to communicate both signalling and said MIN programming; and operating said land station in cooperation with said mobile station so that said analog audio mode is used to communicate said user information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of operating a cellular telecommunications system to manage user-specific programming stored in a mobile station having an electronic serial number (ESN) stored therein which uniquely identifies said mobile station, said user-specific programming including a mobile identification number (MIN), said MIN being a telephone number assigned to said mobile station so that said mobile station operates in an inactive state wherein said mobile station does not have a valid MIN but has an ESN and in an active state wherein said mobile station has a valid MIN, said method comprising the steps of:
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communicating between said land station and said mobile station using one of either a digital data mode or an analog audio mode; operating said land station in cooperation with said mobile station so that said digital data mode is used to communicate both signaling and said user-specific programming; operating said land station in cooperation with said mobile station so that said analog audio mode is used to communicate said user information; using said MIN to signal calls directed to said mobile station when said mobile station operates in said active state; and using said ESN to signal calls directed to said mobile station when said mobile station operates in said inactive state.
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9. A method of activating a cellular mobile station from a location remote to said mobile station, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing, in said mobile station, data describing a location-independent identifying code for said mobile station; receiving page signalling messages at said mobile station; evaluating said page signalling messages to detect a page which references said location-independent identifying code; and engaging, in response to said page, in a remote programming session in which user-specific programming is received at and stored in said mobile station. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In a cellular radio telecommunications system which activates mobile stations from locations remote to said mobile stations, a mobile station comprising:
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a memory having a first storage location containing data describing a location-independent identifying code for said mobile station, and additional storage locations; a receiver configured to receive digital data; a transmitter configured to transmit digital data; and a controller coupled to said memory, receiver, and transmitter, said controller being configured to evaluate a page message which references said location-independent identifying code and to engage in a remote programming session in which user-specific programming is received at said mobile station and stored in said additional storage locations. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification