Arrangement system and method relating to telecommunications access and control

• US 6,049,712 A
• Filed: 12/15/1997
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Optis Cellular Technology LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Wallinder, Soren
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US08/990,371
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/410, 455/461, 455/403, 455/411, 379/93.02, 379/93.03, 379/283, 379/361, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications

Abstract

An arrangement relating to telecommunication access and control. An arrangement is provided at least for providing access information for protected subscriptions to at least one telecommunications system which requires the giving of access code information. The arrangement comprises a portable telecommunications unit which includes processing devices, storing devices and loudspeaker devices. The existing processing devices, storing and loudspeaker devices of the portable telecommunications unit are used for transmitting at least DTMF-coded access code information to a communications arrangement to provide access to a number of telecommunications systems.

Claims

1. A portable telecommunications unit providing access information for a number of protected subscriptions to at least one communications system wherein the giving of access code information is required, comprising storing means for storing at least access code information coded in DTMF, loudspeaker means, and processing means,

wherein existing processing means, and loudspeaker means of said portable telecommunications unit are used for transmitting at least said DTMF-coded access code information to at least one fixed communications arrangement of said at least one communications system and of a network supported by said communications system,

wherein the telecommunications unit further comprises activation means for a number of subscriptions to more than one communications system and/or telecommunication service and the activation of said activation means results in transmission of the access code information for providing a user with access to a selected communications system/telecommunication service,

wherein DTMF-coded access number information for providing access from a plurality of different countries to at least one communication system/service are stored in the portable telecommunications unit,

wherein processing means are provided for linking information about which is the country from which access is wanted to the relevant, stored access number and upon activation the relevant DTMF-coded access number is transmitted,

wherein the portable telecommunications unit comprises localizing means for detecting in which country the portable telecommunications unit is and localizing information is linked to the processing means and the relevant access number is transmitted automatically when activating an activation key for transmitting access number information,

wherein user interaction means are provided for enabling the user to activate the relevant access code information, and

wherein DTMF-coded access number information can be provided and transmitted independently of whether radio contact can be established or not and independently of whether the user is a subscriber to the communications system, the localization information function of which is used, or not.

2. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 1, wherein the arrangement is a fixed station.

3. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 1, wherein the activation means comprises a number of keys.

4. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 1, wherein one communications system comprises a universal personal telecommunications mobility support network including cellular communication systems, fixed communication systems etc.

5. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 4, wherein the access code information comprises network access number and authentication information.

6. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 5, wherein the access code information comprises network access number, and personal user identification number.

7. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 5, wherein authentication is effected internally in a Service Control Point (SCP) of the universal personal telecommunications system.

8. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 5, wherein authentication is provided externally in at least one of an authentication center communicating with a service control point and a combined switching service control point of a universal telecommunications system.

9. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 2, wherein it further provides for controlling telecommunications and the portable telecommunications unit includes a display on which a user menu is presented when access successfully has been provided.

10. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 9, wherein the user menu comprises a voice menu interface for user interaction and on the menu a number of alternatives are given such as making outgoing calls, registering the location for incoming calls, modification or checking of service profile etc.

11. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 10, wherein the menu comprises a graphical menu.

12. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 10, wherein the menu comprises a voice menu.

13. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 10, wherein the menu is a combined graphic and voice menu.

14. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 10, wherein the menu is provided on a card.

15. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 1, wherein the activation means at least comprises first activation means which when activated transmits, coded in DTMF, the access information to a fixed arrangement via which the access information is requested by e.g. a database or a service or a private network.

16. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 15, the activation means comprises first activation means for a first mode of access and second activation means for a second mode of access, said first and second modes forming alternative modes.

17. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 16, wherein the first access mode provides for simplified access, in which all access information is sent without requiring intermediate user interaction and the second access mode is used for protected access to a subscription communications system, some user interaction being required to transmit all the access information.

18. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 1, wherein the telecommunication unit comprises a cordless telephone.

19. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 1, wherein the arrangement comprises a cellular telephone.

20. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 18, wherein the portable telecommunications unit includes a card reader device for UPT-cards.

21. The portable telecommunication unit of claim 1, wherein the portable telecommunications unit comprises a paging unit.

22. A system for providing a user with protected access to a telecommunications system supporting personal mobility wherein access to a subscription is provided through transmission of access number and authentication information coded in DTMF via a fixed telecommunications unit, wherein the system comprises

a number of portable telecommunication units, which comprise storing means in which at least authentication information for at least one subscription is stored, processing means and loudspeaker means and wherein existing processing means and loudspeaker means of the portable telecommunication unit are used for transmitting at least the authentication information to an arbitrary fixed telecommunications unit,

wherein the telecommunications system includes at least one of a cellular network, a fixed network and a private networks, supporting Universal Personal Telecommunications (UPT) and the authentication information is provided to a UPT database, access being enabled to a plurality of communication systems and/or services and independently of whether the user is a subscriber to the communications system;

and access number information can be provided and transmitted independently of whether radio contact can be established or not; and

localizing information for identifying a country which the portable telecommunication unit is in is used, or not.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein a portable telecommunication unit, when activated, emits a DTMF-coded personal identification number code and personal user identity code to an UPT-database requesting said codes via the fixed telephone.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein when protected access successfully has been provided, a service menu is shown on the portable telecommunication unit providing for user interaction and controlling capability.

25. A method for providing user access to and/or controlling ability of telecommunications supporting personal mobility in a number of networks such as one or more of a cellular network(s), fixed network(s) and business network(s) wherein for user access the giving of access code information comprising an access number and an authentication number is required the method comprising the steps of:

in a portable telecommunications unit, storing the access number information for personal mobility user access,

storing user authentication information,

coding in processing means of the portable telecommunications unit the access number information and the authentication number information into DTMF-coded signal(s),

activating said portable telecommunications unit, said activation resulting in retrieval of said access number information and/or authentications number information,

placing loudspeaker means of the portable telecommunications unit close to a fixed telecommunications unit,

emitting said DTMF-coded information to the fixed telecommunications unit,

storing access code information for more than one communication system/service,

via user interaction means selecting to which system/service access is wanted, and

emitting the relevant access code information.

wherein access code information can be provided and transmitted independently of whether contact can be established or not and independently of whether the user is a subscriber to the system/service and localizing information for identifying a country which the portable telecommunications unit is in is used, or not.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

storing in the portable telecommunications unit the access number information that is required to provide access from a plurality of different countries,

automatically or manually indicating from which country access is wanted,

linking said indication of country to the relevant stored access code information, and

transmitting the relevant access code information

wherein the user activates retrieval of the relevant access code information.