Method for controlling activation of mobile station, and mobile station using the method

• US 6,263,214 B1
• Filed: 06/26/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Yazaki, Hidetoshi, Kanto, Hiroshi, Hirakodama, Isao, Chiba, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US09/091,881
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435, 455/558, 455/410, 455/411, 455/418
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A subscriber information storing module is fixedly and internally housed within a mobile station, which is provided with an interface which permits an IC card storing subscriber information to be loaded. When a power supply is turned on, if a module is not loaded into the interface, subscriber information in the internally housed module is used to perform an activation processing for the mobile station. When an IC card is loaded into the interface, an examination is made to see if the subscriber number of the IC card and the subscriber number of the mobile station coincide, and if they coincide, the internally housed module is disabled, and subscriber information of the IC card is used.

Claims

1. A mobile station which uses subscriber information to achieve a radio communication with a base station, comprising:

a subscriber information storing module fixedly and internally housed therein;

an interface into which an IC card storing subscriber information is detachably loaded;

control means responsive to the absence of an IC card loaded into the interface after a power supply is turned on for enabling a communication using the subscriber information in the subscriber information module and responsive to the presence of an IC card loaded into the interface for determining if a subscriber number in the subscriber information of the IC card coincides a subscriber number in the subscriber information within the module, permanently disabling the module if they coincide and enabling a communication using the subscriber information of the IC card;

and memory means for holding the subscriber information which is used in an activation processing.

2. A mobile station according to claim 1, further comprising a used IC card memory into which the distinct number of a used IC card is written, the IC card being provided with an IC card number memory which maintains the IC card distinct number, the control means including means for determining if the IC card distinct number read from the IC card number memory of the IC card coincides with the IC card distinct number which is stored in the used IC card memory, means for using the subscriber information which was used previously and has been stored in the memory means to enable a communication if the determining means determines that the IC card distinct numbers coincide, means operative to read the subscriber information of the IC card to update the entire subscriber information in the memory means and to use the updated subscriber information to enable a communication if the determining means determines that the IC card distinct numbers do not coincide, and means for writing the mobile station distinct number which is stored in the mobile station number memory into the used mobile station number memory of the IC card.

3. A mobile station according to claim 1 in which the IC card is provided with an IC card number memory which maintains the IC card distinct number and a used mobile station memory which updates and maintains the mobile station distinct number of a mobile station being used and in which the mobile station is provided with a used IC card memory which updates and maintains the distinct number of an IC card being used and a mobile station number memory which maintains the mobile station distinct number of the mobile station;

said control means comprising

means for determining if the IC card distinct number read from the IC card number memory coincides with the distinct number of an IC card which was used previously and has been stored in the used IC card memory and determining if the mobile station distinct number read from the used mobile station memory of the IC card coincides with the mobile station distinct number which is stored in the mobile station number memory,

means for using the subscriber information which was used previously and has been stored in the memory means to enable a communication in the event the determining means determines that the IC card distinct numbers coincide and the mobile station distinct numbers coincide,

means for reading variable information of the subscriber information of the IC card to update variable information in the subscriber information in the memory means, using the updated subscriber information to enable a communication, and writing the mobile station distinct number which is stored in the mobile station number memory into the used mobile station number memory of the IC card in the event the determining means determines that the IC card distinct numbers coincide while the mobile station distinct numbers do not coincide,

and means for reading the subscriber information of the IC card to update information in the memory means, using the updated subscriber information to enable a communication, updating the used IC card memory with the IC card distinct number which is read from the IC card number memory of the IC card, and updating the used mobile station number memory of the IC card with the mobile station distinct number which is stored in the mobile station number memory in the event the determining means determines that the IC card distinct numbers do not coincide.

4. A mobile station according to claim 1 in which the control means comprises means for transmitting a location registration request based on the subscriber information which was used in a set-up, determining if a location registration accept signal or a location registration reject signal based on an authentication NG signal has been received, and disabling the module if the location registration reject signal based on the authentication NG has been received.

5. A method of controlling the activation of a mobile station, wherein said mobile station includes an internally housed module storing subscriber information, memory means holding subscriber information to be used and an interface into which an IC card storing subscriber information is loaded, and wherein the IC card is provided with an IC card number memory which maintains an IC card distinct number, the mobile station is provided with a used IC card memory which updates and maintains the distinct number of an IC card used, and the mobile station performs a radio communication with a base station using the subscriber information, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining if an IC card is loaded into the interface;

(b) in the event it is determined at step (a) that no IC card is loaded, using subscriber information in the module to enable a communication; and

(c) in the event it is determined at step (a) that an IC card is loaded;

(c-1) using subscriber information in the IC card to enable a communication by;

(c-1-1) determining if the IC card distinct number which is read from the IC card number memory coincides with the distinct number of the IC card which was used previously and has been stored in the used IC card memory,

(c-1-2) in the event the IC card distinct numbers coincide at step (c1-1), using the subscriber information which was used previously and has been stored in the memory means to enable a communication,

(c-1-3) in the event the IC card distinct numbers do not coincide at step (c-1-1), reading the subscriber information from the IC card to update information within the memory means and using the updated subscriber information to enable a communication,

(c-2) determining if the subscriber number of the IC card coincides with the subscriber number of the mobile station, and

(c-3) permanently disabling the module if the subscriber numbers coincide at step (c-2).

6. A method of controlling the activation of a mobile station according to claim 5 in which the step (b) includes the steps of:

(b-1) determining if subscriber information in the module is applicable,

(b-2) in the event it is determined at step (b-1) that the module subscriber information is applicable, using the subscriber information in the module to enable a communication,

(b-3) in the event it is determined at step (b-1) that the subscriber information in the module is not applicable, returning to step (a).

7. A method of controlling the activation of a mobile station, wherein the mobile station includes an internally housed module storing subscriber information, memory means holding subscriber information to be used, and an interface into which an IC card storing subscriber information is loaded, wherein the IC card is provided with an IC card number memory which maintains an IC card distinct number and a used mobile station memory which updates and maintains the mobile station distinct number of a used mobile station, and wherein the mobile station is provided with a used IC card memory which updates and maintains the distinct number of a used IC card and a mobile station distinct number memory which maintains the mobile station distinct number of the mobile station, and the mobile station performs a radio communication with a base station using the subscriber information, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining if an IC card is loaded into the interface;

(b) in the event it is determined at step (a) that no IC card is loaded, using subscriber information in the module to enable a communication; and

(c) in the event it is determined at step (a) that an IC card is loaded;

(c-1) using subscriber information in the IC card to enable a communication, by

(c-1-1) determining if the IC card distinct number read from the IC card number memory coincides with the distinct number of an IC card which was used previously and has been stored in the used IC card memory and determining if the mobile station distinct number read from the used mobile station memory of the IC card coincides with the mobile station distinct number which is stored in the mobile station distinct number memory,

(c-1-2) in the event the IC card distinct numbers coincide and the mobile station distinct numbers coincide at step (c-1-1), using the subscriber information which was used previously and has been stored in the memory means to enable a communication,

(c-1-3) in the event the IC card distinct numbers coincide while the mobile station distinct numbers do not coincide at step (c-1-1), reading variable information of the subscriber information of the IC card and using it to update variable information of the subscriber information in the memory means, using the updated subscriber information to enable a communication, and writing the mobile station distinct number stored in the mobile station number memory into the used mobile station number memory of the IC card, and

(c-1-4) in the event the IC card distinct numbers do not coincide at step (c-1-1), reading the subscriber information of the IC card and using it to update information within the memory means, using the updated subscriber information to enable a communication, updating the used IC card memory with the IC card distinct number read from the IC card number memory of the IC card, and updating the used mobile station number memory of the IC card with the mobile station distinct number which is stored in the mobile station number memory,

(c-2) determining if the subscriber number of the IC card coincides with the subscriber number of the mobile station, and

(c-3) permanently disabling the module if the subscriber numbers coincide at step (c-2).

8. A method of controlling the activation of a mobile station according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

(d) transmitting a location registration request on the basis of the subscriber information which is used in a set-up;

(e) determining if a location registration accept signal has been received or a location registration reject signal based on an authentication NG signal has been received; and

(f) in the event the location registration reject signal based on the authentication NG has been received, disabling the module.