Means and method for preventing unauthorized use of a mobile phone

• US 6,993,322 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2003
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philip Kirby, Wendy Kirby
• Original Assignee: Philip Kirby, Wendy Kirby
• Inventors: Kirby, Wendy, Kirby, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B.
• Application Number:
  US10/613,942
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/575.8, 455/90.3, 455/410, 455/411, 455/345, 455/351, 379/433.01, 379/433.11, 379/434, 379/441, 379/445
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/667 Preventing unauthorised calls from a telephone set H04M1/677 takes precedence

Abstract

A locking system and method automatically lock a mobile phone in a manner that significantly reduces or eliminates unauthorized use of a mobile phone. The system includes a key lock which must have a key connected to the lock in order to move the lock from a locked condition to an unlocked condition and a power source switch that automatically de-activates the mobile phone whenever a power source of the phone is removed from the phone. The key lock must be moved into an unlocked condition in order to manually activate the phone after it has been de-activated, and the key must also be connected to the lock in order to manually de-activate the phone after the phone has been activated.

Claims

1. In combination:

a) a mobile phone which includes

(1) a housing,

(2) a power source in said housing,

(3) operational circuitry in said housing; and

(4) an on/off switch on the housing and electrically connected to said operational circuitry and to said power source to activate said operational circuitry when said on/off switch is in an on condition and to de-activate said operational circuitry when said on/off switch is in an off condition; and

b) a locking system on said mobile phone which includes

(1) a-lock connected to the on/off switch, the lock moving between a locked condition and an unlocked condition, the lock including elements which prevent the on/off switch from changing between the on condition and the off condition or between the off condition and the on condition when the lock is in the locked condition and which permit the on/off switch to change between the on condition and the off condition or between the off condition and the on condition when the lock is in the unlocked condition,

(2) a key which is associated with the lock,

(3) elements in the key and in the lock which prevent the lock from changing from the locked condition to the unlocked condition when the key is not connected to the lock and which permit the lock to change from the locked condition to the unlocked condition when the key is connected to the lock,

(4) a power source connecting switch connecting the power source to the housing, the power source connecting switch also being connected to the on/off switch, the power source connecting switch including elements that automatically move the on/off switch into the off condition whenever the power source is removed from the housing, the on/off switch being movable from the off condition to the on condition only when the lock is in the unlocked condition whereby after the on/off switch is automatically moved into the off condition by removal of the power source from the housing, the key must be connected to the lock and the lock moved into the unlocked condition to permit the on/off switch to be moved back into the on condition.

2. A method of protecting a mobile phone against unauthorized use comprising:

a) providing an on/off switch on a mobile phone and activating the mobile phone when the on/off switch is in an on condition and deactivating the mobile phone when the on/off switch is in an off condition;

b) providing operational circuitry in the mobile phone;

c) providing a power source in the mobile phone;

d) electrically connecting the power source to the operational circuitry when the on/off switch is in the on condition and disconnecting the operational circuitry from the power source when the on/off switch is in the off condition;

e) automatically moving the on/off switch into the off condition whenever the power source is removed from the mobile phone;

f) providing a lock and connecting the lock to the on/off switch, the lock being changeable between a locked condition and an unlocked condition;

g) disabling the on/off switch and preventing the on/off switch from moving either into the on condition from the off condition or into the off condition from the on condition when the lock is in the locked condition whereby if the on/off switch is in the off condition and the lock is in the locked condition the on/off switch cannot be changed into the on condition until the lock is changed to the unlocked condition from the locked condition and if the on/off switch is in the on condition and the lock is in the locked condition the on/off switch cannot be moved into the off condition until the lock is changed to the unlocked condition from the locked condition;

h) enabling the on/off switch and permitting the on/off switch to move into either or both the on condition and/or the off condition when the lock is in the unlocked condition;

i) providing a key and permitting the lock to change from the locked condition to the unlocked condition when the key is connected to the lock;

j) requiring the key to be connected to the lock to change the lock from the locked condition to the unlocked condition and from the unlocked condition to the locked condition whereby if the on/off switch is in the on condition and the lock is in the locked condition and the key is not connected to the lock the on/off switch cannot be moved into the off condition until the key is connected to the lock and the lock moved to the unlocked condition and if the on/off switch is in the off condition and the lock is in the locked condition and the key is not connected to the lock the on/off switch cannot be moved to the on condition until the key is connected to the lock and the lock moved to the unlocked condition;

k) connecting the key with the lock and placing the lock in the unlocked condition;

l) after connecting the key with the lock and placing the lock in the unlocked condition, placing the on/off switch into the on condition, the mobile phone being activated while the on/off switch is in the on condition;

m) changing the lock into the locked condition and disconnecting the key from the lock while the mobile phone is activated with the on/off switch in the on condition;

n) after the key has been disconnected from the lock, re-connecting the key to the lock while the mobile phone is activated;

o) after the key is re-connected to the lock with the mobile phone activated, changing the lock to the unlocked condition and changing the on/off switch to the off condition, the mobile phone being de-activated when the on/off switch is in the off condition; and

p) after placing the on/off switch in the off condition, moving the lock into the locked condition and disconnecting the key from the lock.