Prepaid mobile subscriber identification card and method implemented thereby

• US 6,223,026 B1
• Filed: 02/13/1998
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Martschitsch, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Application Number:
  US09/023,077
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/409, 455/557, 455/558, 455/550, 379/144, 379/357
• US Class Current: 455/407
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• 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: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A subscriber identification SIM card for a mobile telephone comprises an advice of charge counter ACM indicating the amount corresponding to the communications carried out with the card. An EEPROM memory in the card includes a file ACMmax, indicating the maximum value of the advice of charge counter, and at least one file EF_FDN indicating at least one telephone number free of charge. The invention compares the amount indicated by the advice of charge counter with the maximum amount of the advice of charge counter and blocks calls according to the result supplied. However, the invention does not block calls intended for one or more predetermined numbers stored on the card. It is thus possible to call, for example, an emergency number or the number of a server to reload the card, in the case of a prepayment card, even after the credit on the card has been used up.

Claims

1. A subscriber identification memory card for telecommunications equipment comprising:

a processor controlled by a program stored in a memory on the card for carrying out a method comprising;

comparing the amount indicated by an advice of charge counter, corresponding to the communications effected with a SIM card, with a maximum amount stored on the card;

blocking calls made from the card if the amount of the counter is greater than or equal to the maximum amount; and

reloading the advice of charge counter by means of short messages transmitted by a server which can be called by means of a non-blocked number during said blocking operation,

wherein said blocking of calls does not relate to calls intended to one or more predetermined numbers stored on the card, and

said calls intended for one or more predetermined numbers are stored on the card in a file having no write access from the mobile terminal.

2. A memory card according to claim 1, wherein said method is carried out upon initialization of the card.

3. A subscriber identification memory card for telecommunications equipment, comprising:

an advice of charge counter indicating an amount corresponding to the communications effected with the card;

memory means including a file indicating a maximum value of the advice of charge counter and at least one file indicating at least one telephone number free of charge;

comparison means to compare said amount indicated by the advice of charge counter with said maximum value of the advice of charge counter;

blocking means to block calls according to the result supplied by the comparison means;

wherein said blocking means do not block calls intended for one or more predetermined numbers stored on the card;

said non-blocked calls are indicated in a file having no write access from the mobile terminal; and

said numbers stored in a file having no write access from the mobile terminal include at least the number of a server permitting the charge counter of the memory card to be loaded by means of short messages.

4. A memory card according to claim 3, further comprising a flag on the card indicating whether said comparison means must be activated upon initialization of the card.

5. A memory card according to claim 4, further comprising means for decrementation of the advice of charge counter by a value sufficient to permit the setup of calls from the card.

6. A memory card according to claim 5, further comprising a file storing a value permitting determination of the number of units by which the charge counter has been decremented during said decrementation step.

7. A telecommunications terminal containing a subscriber identification memory card according to claim 3 controlled by a method according to claim 8 and using registers and data stored on said memory card so as to affect the technical operation of said memory card and said telecommunications terminal.

8. A method to be implemented by a subscriber identification card for telecommunications equipment, said method comprising:

comparing the amount indicated by an advice of charge counter, corresponding to the communications effected with a SIM card, with a maximum amount stored on the card;

blocking calls made from the card if the amount of said counter is greater than or equal to said maximum amount; and

reloading the advice of charge counter by means of short messages transmitted by a server which can be called by means of a non-blocked number during said blocking operation,

wherein said blocking of calls does not relate to calls intended for one or more predetermined numbers stored on the card; and

said calls intended for one or more predetermined numbers are stored on the card in a file having no write access from the mobile terminal.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said method is executed during the initialization of the card.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said method comprises following previous tests:

test of a flag stored on the card and indicating whether this functionality is activated,

test of activation of the advice of charge function by means of the counter,

and in that the method is interrupted if the two tests are not passed.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein said method comprises a decrementation step after said blocking step, during which the advice of charge counter is decremented by a value sufficient to permit the setup of calls from the card.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein that a value permitting the determination of the number of units by which the charge counter was decremented during said decrementation step is stored on the card.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said advice of charge counter is incremented during said reloading by the number of units decremented during said decrementation step.

14. A method according to claim 8, wherein said method comprises an incrementation step, after said blocking step, during which the maximum value of the advice of charge counter is incremented by a value sufficient to permit calls to be established from the card.