Process for clearing a SIM card

• US 6,484,026 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1999
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Terrestrial Comms LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hägebarth, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B.
• Application Number:
  US09/442,244
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/410, 455/411, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/550, 455/551, 455/558, 455/575
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for clearing a mobile telephone Subscribe-identify Module (SIM) card for a mobile telephone customer for a set performance parameter or for changing a performance parameter for which the SIM card is cleared. To accelerate the clearance of SIM cards, the invention proposes a process characterized by the following steps:

selecting a communications network via a terminal,

establishing a connection to the communications network,

determining the customer'"'"'s identity,

going through a computer-assisted dialog that comprises at least the determination of the card number of the SIM card,

transmitting the customer'"'"'s identity and the card number of the SIM card to a mobile telephone network operator via a data transmission connection, and

entering the transmitted data in a database of the network operator.

Claims

1. A process to clear a mobile telephone Subscribe-Identify Module (SIM) card for a mobile telephone customer for a performance parameter, the process comprising:

dialing a communications network by the customer via a terminal;

establishing a connection to the communications network;

determining the customer'"'"'s identity;

executing a computer-assisted dialog that comprises at least the determination of the card number of the SIM card;

transmitting data including the customer'"'"'s identity, the card number of the SIM card and the performance parameter to a mobile telephone network operator via a data transmission connection;

entering the transmitted data into a database of the network operator; and

assigning a mobile telephone number for the mobile telephone to the SIM card after said transmitting of the data.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein a central component for controlling specific network functions in the communications network is dialed via the terminal and a connection to the central component is established.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein at least one of (1) the identity of the customer is determined in the central component, (2) the computer-assisted dialog is executed in the central component, and (3) the identity of the customer, the card number of the SIM card and the performance parameter are transmitted from the central component to the mobile telephone network operator.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the customer manually transmits the customer'"'"'s identity via the connection to the communications network.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the identification number of the terminal is automatically transmitted via the connection to the communications network, and wherein the central component of the communications network determines the customer'"'"'s identity from the identification number.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the customer manually transmits the card number of the SIM card via the connection to the communications network.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the card number of the SIM card is automatically transmitted via the connection to the communications network.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the customer carries out the computer-assisted dialog using one of voice commands, and a Dial Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) method.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein at least one query to verify the identity of the customer is carried out in the context of the computer-assisted dialog.

10. The process according to claim 1, wherein at least one query to determine the performance parameter is carried out in the context of the computer-assisted dialog.

11. The process according to claim 1, wherein the customer is informed of the successful clearance of the SIM card or the successful change of the performance parameter via one of (1) a short message service (SMS) message, and (2) electronic mail (e-mail).

12. The process according to claim 11, wherein the performance parameter entered into the database is transmitted to the customer in the message.

13. A device for performing a process to clear a mobile telephone Subscribe-Identify Module (SIM) card for a mobile telephone customer for a performance parameter, whereby the device can be dialed by the customer via a terminal, the device comprising:

means for establishing a connection from the terminal to the device;

means for determining the customer'"'"'s identity;

means for executing a computer-assisted dialog that comprises at least the determination of the card number of the SIM card;

means for transmitting data including the customer'"'"'s identity, the card number of the SIM card and the performance parameter to a mobile telephone network operator via a data transmission connection;

means for entering the transmitted data into the database of the network operator; and

means for assigning a mobile telephone number for the mobile telephone to the SIM card after the data has been transmitted to the mobile telephone network.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the device is a communications network having a central component for controlling specific network functions.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the means for determining the customer'"'"'s identity is the central component of the communications network.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein the means for going through a computer-assisted dialog is the central component of the communications network.

17. The device according to claim 14, wherein the means for determining the customer'"'"'s identity receives information via the connection, which information the customer provides and transmits to the device via the connection.

18. The device according to claim 14, wherein the means for determining the customer'"'"'s identity receives an identification number of the terminal via the connection and determines the customer'"'"'s identity from the identification number. of the communications network.

19. The device according to claim 15, wherein the terminal is a telephone.

20. The device according to claim 15, wherein the terminal is a computer.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the computer is part of a computer network.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the computer network is a worldwide data transmission and information network.

23. The device according to claim 13, wherein the means for going through the computer-assisted dialog includes means for controlling the dialog through one of voice and a Dial Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) method.

24. The device according to claim 13, wherein the means for going through the computer-assisted dialog includes means for verifying the customer'"'"'s identity.

25. The device according to claim 13, wherein the means for going through the computer-assisted dialog includes means for determining a performance parameter.

26. The device according to claim 13, wherein the device has means for informing the customer of the successful clearance of the SIM card or the successful changing of a performance parameter by one of a Short Message Service (SMS) message, and electronic mail (e-mail).