Mobile terminal having conditional blocking of outgoing call requests

• US 6,463,276 B1
• Filed: 12/05/1997
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Jonsson, Björn Erik Rutger
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US08/985,538
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 455/565, 455/410, 455/411, 455/418, 379/200, 379/199, 379/189, 379/356, 379/359
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/677 Preventing the dialling or sending of predetermined telephone numbers or selected types of telephone numbers, e.g. long distance numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for preventing the fraudulent access of a mobile terminal is disclosed. The mobile terminal includes a user profile defining particular behaviors which are allowed by the mobile station in response to the initiation of certain types of calls. Control logic associated with the user profile determines, in response to the initiation of a telephone call, if the behavior required by the requested telephone call would comprise an allowed behavior as defined by the user profile. The control logic then grants or denies continuation of the call based upon this comparison.

Claims

1. A mobile station capable of calling any telephone number, comprising;

a ten digit user interface for receiving input to initiate a call to any entered telephone number;

a first user profile defining allowed behavior for the mobile station at a first physical location and a second user profile defining allowed behavior for the mobile station at a second physical location, wherein the first or second user profile is selected responsive to a user provided input;

a predefined action profile within the mobile terminal containing a user definable required action;

a controller for determining if initiation of the call to the entered telephone number comprises an allowed behavior by the mobile station, for initiating the call if initiation of the call conforms to the allowed behavior and for accessing the predefined action profile to determine the required action if the request for the call connection is not in accordance with the allowed behavior defined by the predefined user first and second profile.

2. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein the allowed behavior comprises a list of predefined telephone numbers which may be called without entering an access code.

3. The mobile station of claim 2 wherein the first and second user profile further includes means for enabling modification of the list of predefined telephone numbers upon entry of an access code.

4. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein the allowed behavior comprises a list of most recently called telephone numbers which may be called without entering an access code.

5. The mobile station of claim 4 wherein the first and second user profile further includes means for storing the entered telephone number in the list of most recently called telephone numbers.

6. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein the controller further requests entry of an access code if the initiation of the call to the entered telephone number does not comprise allowed behavior and for determining a validity of an entered access code.

7. The mobile system of claim 1 further including means for altering the allowed behavior of the user profile.

8. A mobile station, comprising:

a user interface for receiving input to initiate a call to an entered telephone number;

a first user profile defining allowed behavior for the mobile station at a first physical location and a second user profile defining allowed behavior for the mobile station at a second physical location, wherein the first or second user profile is selected responsive to a user provided input;

a controller for determining if initiation of the call to the entered telephone number comprises an allowed behavior by the mobile station for initiating the call if initiation of the call conforms to the allowed behavior and for accessing a predefined action profile within the mobile terminal to determine a required action if the request for call connection is not in accordance with the allowed behavior defined by the predefined user profile;

means for altering the allowed behavior of the user profile; and

wherein the controller further requests entry of an access code if the initiation of the call to the entered telephone number does not comprise allowed behavior and for determining a validity of an entered access code.

9. The mobile station of claim 8 wherein the allowed behavior comprises a list of predefined telephone numbers.

10. The mobile station of claim 8 wherein the allowed behavior comprises a list of most recently called telephone numbers.

11. The mobile station of claim 10 wherein the user profile further includes means for storing the entered telephone number.

12. A mobile station, comprising;

a ten digit user interface for receiving input to initiate a call;

a first user profile defining allowed behavior for the mobile station at a first physical location and a second user profile defining allowed behavior for the mobile station at a second physical location, wherein the first or second user profile is selected responsive to a user provided input;

a controller for determining if initiation of the call to the entered telephone number comprises an allowed behavior by the mobile station, for initiating the call if initiation of the call conforms to the allowed behavior.

13. A method for automatic control of a mobile terminal, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for communications access from a user of the mobile terminal;

accessing a predefined user profile containing a first user profile defining allowed behavior for the mobile station at a first physical location and a second user profile defining allowed behavior for the mobile station at a second physical location located at the mobile terminal to determine a type of the request for communication access;

accessing a predefined action profile located at the mobile terminal to determine an automatic terminal control action corresponding with the type of requested communication access, wherein said automatic terminal control action does not comprise blocking the requests for communications access until a identifier is received; and

granting communications access according to the automatic terminal control action.

14. The method of claim 13, further including the steps of:

connecting to a predefined node; and

downloading from said predefined node, the user profile and the action profile.