Cellular phone handset SIM card reader and method for testing and updating a cellular phone handset memory

• US 6,400,965 B1
• Filed: 07/13/1999
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Phillips, John Charles, Peele, James Calvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): West, Lewis G.
• Application Number:
  US09/351,805
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556, 455/557, 455/558, 379/357.01, 379/357.05, 379/357.02, 235/492, 235/440, 235/441, 235/451, 235/375, 235/380
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

An improved SIM card reader with at least one reader data contact that is connected, typically through a control unit, to a memory, through which reader data contact predetermined software update data may be transmitted for storage in the memory of a mobile telecommunication device. The SIM card reader may be integral to the mobile communication device. In a preferred embodiment, the SIM card reader receives an improved SIM card having a card data contact that cooperatively engages with the reader data contact to electrically couple the reader data contact and the card data contact, thereby to provide a data path through which software update data may be transmitted for storage in the memory of a mobile telecommunication device. The at least one reader data contact may be used to “flash” the memory of a mobile telecommunication device with software updates, for instance. Additional reader data contacts may be implemented for testing functions, such as, for instance, Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), transmission power confirmation, VCO Frequency confirmation, and power level.

Claims

1. A SIM card reader device through which an electronic component of a mobile communication device may be tested, wherein the SIM card reader device has SIM reader normal mode contacts that electronically couple with SIM card normal mode contacts of the SIM card when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader device, comprising:

at least one SIM reader test mode contact in the SIM card reader device that is separate from the SIM reader normal mode contacts of the SIM card reader;

at least one SIM card test mode contact in the SIM card that is separate from the SIM card normal mode contacts of the SIM card, said at least one SIM card test mode contact being electronically coupled with said at least one SIM reader test mode contact when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader device; and

whereby the electronic component of the mobile communication device may be tested by transmitting data through said at least one SIM card test mode contact to the electronic component when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader device.

2. The SIM card reader device of claim 1, wherein the electronic component is an electronic memory and said at least one SIM reader test mode contact is electronically coupled with said electronic memory of the mobile communication device.

3. The SIM card reader device of claim 2, whereby the electronic memory may be re-flashed by transmitting update data through said at least one SIM card test mode contact to the memory when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader device.

4. The SIM card reader device of claim 1, further comprising:

switching means coupling said at least one SIM reader test mode contact in the SIM card reader device to said at least one SIM card test contact in the SIM card, for switching the SIM card reader device from a normal operating mode to a test mode, and from said test mode to said normal operating mode.

5. The SIM card reader device of claim 4, wherein said switching means comprises at least one multiplexer.

6. The SIM card reader device of claim 2, further comprising:

switching means coupling said at least one SIM reader test mode contact in the SIM card reader device to said at least one SIM card test contact in the SIM card, for switching the SIM card reader device from a normal operating mode to a test mode, and from said test mode to said normal operating mode.

7. The SIM card reader device of claim 6, wherein said switching means comprises at least one multiplexer.

8. The SIM card reader device of claim 3, further comprising:

switching means coupling said at least one SIM reader test mode contact in the SIM card reader device to said at least one SIM card test contact in the SIM card, for switching the SIM card reader device from a normal operating mode to a test mode, and from said test mode to said normal operating mode.

9. The SIM card reader device of claim 8, wherein said switching means comprises at least one multiplexer.

10. A mobile communication device having a memory that is capable of being re-flashed through a SIM card reader of the mobile communication device, wherein the SIM card reader has SIM reader normal mode contacts that electronically couple with SIM card normal mode contacts of the SIM card when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader, the mobile communication device comprising:

at least one SIM reader test mode contact in the SIM card reader that is separate from the SIM reader normal mode contacts of the SIM card reader, said at least one SIM reader test mode contact being electronically coupled with the memory;

at least one SIM card test mode contact in the SIM card that is separate from the SIM card normal mode contacts of the SIM card, said at least one SIM card test mode contact being electronically coupled with said at least one SIM reader test mode contact when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader; and

whereby the memory may be re-flashed by transmitting update data through said at least one SIM card test mode contact to the memory when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 10, further comprising:

switching means coupling said at least one SIM reader test mode contact in the SIM card reader to said at least one SIM card test contact in the SIM card, for switching the SIM card reader from a normal operating mode to a test mode, and from said test mode to said normal operating mode.

12. The SIM card reader device of claim 11, wherein said switching means comprises at least one multiplexer.

13. A mobile communication device having an electronic component that is capable of being tested through a SIM card reader of the mobile communication device, wherein the SIM card reader has SIM reader normal mode contacts that electronically couple with SIM card normal mode contacts of the SIM card when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader, the mobile communication device comprising:

at least one SIM reader test mode contact in the SIM card reader that is separate from the SIM reader normal mode contacts of the SIM card reader;

at least one SIM card test mode contact in the SIM card that is separate from the SIM card normal mode contacts of the SIM card, said at least one SIM card test mode contact being electronically coupled with said at least one SIM reader test mode contact when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader; and

whereby the electronic component of the mobile communication device may be tested by transmitting data through said at least one SIM card test mode contact to the electronic component when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the electronic component is an electronic memory and said at least one SIM reader test mode contact is electronically coupled with said electronic memory of the mobile communication device.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 14, whereby the electronic memory may be re-flashed by transmitting update data through said at least one SIM card test mode contact to the memory when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 13, further comprising:

switching means coupling said at least one SIM reader test mode contact in the SIM card reader to said at least one SIM card test contact in the SIM card, for switching the SIM card reader from a normal operating mode to a test mode, and from said test mode to said normal operating mode.

17. The SIM card reader device of claim 16, wherein said switching means comprises at least one multiplexer.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 14, further comprising:

switching means coupling said at least one SIM reader test mode contact in the SIM card reader to said at least one SIM card test contact in the SIM card, for switching the SIM card reader from a normal operating mode to a test mode, and from said test mode to said normal operating mode.

19. The SIM card reader device of claim 18, wherein said switching means comprises at least one multiplexer.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 15, further comprising:

switching means coupling said at least one SIM reader test mode contact in the SIM card reader to said at least one SIM card test contact in the SIM card, for switching the SIM card reader from a normal operating mode to a test mode, and from said test mode to said normal operating mode.

21. The mobile communication device of claim 20, wherein said switching means comprises at least one multiplexer.

22. A SIM card reader device and SIM card combination, comprising:

at least one normal mode reader contact in each of the SIM card reader device and the SIM card, through which operational data may be transmitted during a normal mode when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader device; and

at least one test mode reader contact in each of the SIM card reader device and the SIM card, through which update data may be transmitted during a test mode when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader.

23. The SIM card reader device and SIM card combination of claim 22, wherein said at least one test mode reader contact in the SIM card reader device is electrically coupled to an electronic component of a mobile communication device.

24. The SIM card reader device and SIM card combination of claim 23, wherein said electronic component is an electronic memory.

25. The SIM card reader device and SIM card combination of claim 24, wherein said electronic memory may be re-flashed by transmitting update data through said at least one test mode reader contact in the SIM card reader device.

26. The SIM card reader device and SIM card combination of claim 23, further comprising:

switching means coupling said at least one test mode reader contact in each of the SIM card reader device and the SIM card, for switching the SIM card reader device from a normal operating mode to a test mode, and from said test mode to said normal operating mode.

27. The SIM card reader device and SIM card combination of claim 26, wherein said switching means comprises at least one multiplexer.

28. A method of re-flashing a memory of a mobile communication device through a SIM card reader that receives a SIM card having SIM card contacts, wherein the SIM card reader has SIM reader contacts that electronically couple with the SIM card contacts when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing at least one SIM reader data contact in the SIM card reader that is separate from the SIM reader contacts of the SIM card reader, said at least one SIM reader data contact being electronically coupled with the memory;

(b) providing at least one SIM card data contact in the SIM card that is separate from the SIM card contacts of the SIM card, said at least one SIM card data contact being electronically coupled with said at least one SIM reader data contact when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader; and

(c) transmitting memory update data through said at least one SIM card data contact to the memory when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader.

29. A method of testing an electronic component of a mobile communication device through a SIM card reader of the mobile communication device, wherein the SIM card reader has SIM reader normal mode contacts that electronically couple with SIM card normal mode contacts of the SIM card when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing at least one SIM reader test mode contact in the SIM card reader that is separate from the SIM reader normal mode contacts of the SIM card reader;

(b) providing at least one SIM card test mode contact in the SIM card that is separate from the SIM card normal mode contacts of the SIM card, said at least one SIM card test mode contact being electronically coupled with said at least one SIM reader test mode contact when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader; and

(c) transmitting data through said at least one SIM card test mode contact to the electronic component when the SIM card is received by the SIM card reader.