Radio telephone system allowing exchange of call setup parameters between associated or commonly owned mobile devices

• US 7,603,107 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ratert, Matthias, Hiltunen, Miska Jyri Juhana
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLLIDAY, JAIME MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US10/476,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20040142684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,724 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 455/502, 455/550.1, 455/11.1, 455/41.2, 455/411, 455/431, 455/569.1, 455/414.1, 455/410, 455/403, 455/422.1, 455/432.3
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0471 Key exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A communication system includes first and second radiotelephones capable of communicating with a telecommunications network. The second radiotelephone is capable of remotely acquiring at least some of the identification information of the first radiotelephone and is further capable of acquiring connection parameters from the first radiotelephone. The communication parameters may include information relating to any of: the strongest radio channel; available frequency bands; and radio channels in use. The acquired parameters are applied to effect a connection to the network, without going through channel searching procedures. This overcomes the need to physically transfer subscriber identification modules (SIMs).

Claims

1. A communication system comprising first and second radiotelephones configured to communicate with a telecommunications network, the first radiotelephone comprising identification information, the second radiotelephone being configured to acquire at least some of the identification information of the first radiotelephone from the first radiotelephone, wherein the second radiotelephone, when in a passive state in which there is no connection to the telecommunications network, is further configured to acquire connection parameters from the first radiotelephone when the first radio telephone is in an active state in which there is a connection to the telecommunications network, wherein the connection parameters include information relating to any of:

the strongest radio channel and radio channels in use, and further configured to re-use the acquired connection parameters when the state of the second radiotelephone has changed from the passive state to an active state by effecting a connection between the second radio telephone and the telecommunications network, avoiding channel searching procedures, wherein the connection parameters are usable by the first radio telephone, when the first radiotelephone is in the active state to effect a connection between the first radio telephone and the telecommunications network before the connection parameters are re-usable by the second radio telephone, when the first radiotelephone is in the passive state and the second radiotelephone is in the active state, to effect a connection between the second radio telephone and the telecommunications network, wherein the first radiotelephone is configured to, prior to the second radiotelephone acquiring information from the first radiotelephone, send a hold request to the telecommunications network enabling the first radiotelephone to change from the active state to a passive state, wherein the first radiotelephone and the second radiotelephone are not simultaneously connected to the telecommunications network using the same identification information.

2. A communications system according to claim 1, wherein the connection parameters provide information relating to the connection of the first radiotelephone to the telecommunications network.

3. A communications system according to claim 1, wherein the second radiotelephone further comprises a memory for storing the acquired connection parameters.

4. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the identification information is contained in a subscriber identification module.

5. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the identification information is contained in a number assignment module.

6. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first radiotelephone is configured to receive a hold request code from the telecommunications network.

7. The communications system of claim 6, wherein the second radiotelephone is configured to acquire the hold request code.

8. The communications system of claim 7, wherein the second radiotelephone is configured to transmit the acquired hold request code to the network, thereby effecting a connection to the telecommunications network.

9. The communications system of claim 1, configured to be used with a system in accordance with the global system for mobile communications standard.

10. The communications system of claim 1, configured to be used with a system in accordance with the general radio packet services standard.

11. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the acquisition of the parameters is effected over a low power radio frequency connection.

12. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the acquisition of the parameters is effected over a Bluetooth connection.

13. A radiotelephone for use with the communications system of claim 1.

14. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the first radio telephone is connected to the telecommunications network.

15. A method comprising:

transferring to a first radiotelephone from a second radiotelephone at least some identification information contained in the second radiotelephone for use in connecting the first radiotelephone to a network;

further transferring to the first radiotelephone from the second radiotelephone, when the first radiotelephone is in a passive state in which there is no connection to the telecommunications network, connection parameters stored in the second radiotelephone when the second radiotelephone is in an active state in which there is a connection to the telecommunications network, wherein the connection parameters include information relating to any of;

the strongest radio channel; and

radio channels in use;

re-using the transferred connection parameters to connect the first radiotelephone to the telecommunications network when the state of the first radiotelephone has changed from the passive state to an active state, avoiding channel searching procedures wherein the connection parameters are usable by the second radio telephone when the second radiotelephone is in the active state to effect a connection between the second radio telephone and the telecommunications network before the connection parameters are transferred to the first radio telephone to effect a connection between the first radio telephone and the telecommunications network, further comprising sending from the second radiotelephone, a hold request to the telecommunications network enabling the second radiotelephone to change from the active state to a passive state, wherein the first radiotelephone and the second radiotelephone are not simultaneously connected to the telecommunications network using the same identification information.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the connection parameters provide information relating to the connection of the second radiotelephone to the telecommunications network.

17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising storing the transferred connection parameters at the first radiotelephone.

18. A method according to claim 15, further comprising receiving, at the second radiotelephone, a hold request code from the telecommunications network.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising acquiring, at the first radiotelephone, the hold request code.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising transmitting, from the first radiotelephone, the acquired hold request code to the network, thereby effect a connection to the telecommunications network.

21. A method according to claim 15 for use in accordance with the global system for mobile communications standard.

22. A method according to claim 15 for use in accordance with the general radio packet service standard.

23. A communication system comprising first and second radiotelephones configured to communicate with a telecommunications network, the first radiotelephone comprising identification information, the second radiotelephone being configured to acquire at least some of the identification information of the first radiotelephone from the first radio telephone, while the first radio telephone has a connection to a telecommunications network, defined by connection parameters, wherein the second radiotelephone, when in a passive state in which there is no connection to the telecommunications network is further configured to acquire the connection parameters from the first radiotelephone when the first radiotelephone is in an active state in which there is a connection to the telecommunications network, and re-use the acquired connection parameters when the state of the second radiotelephone has changed from the passive state to an active state by effecting a connection between the second radio telephone and the telecommunications network, wherein the first radiotelephone is configured to, prior to the second radiotelephone acquiring information from the first radiotelephone, send a hold request to the telecommunications network enabling the first radiotelephone to change from the active state to a passive state, wherein the first radiotelephone and the second radiotelephone are not simultaneously connected to the telecommunications network using the same identification information.

24. The communications system of claim 23, wherein the first radio telephone is connected to the telecommunications network.

25. A radio telephone comprising:

means for acquiring at least some identification information contained in another radiotelephone for re-use in connecting the radiotelephone to a telecommunications network;

means for when the radiotelephone is in a passive state in which there is no connection to the telecommunications network, further acquiring connection parameters stored in the another radiotelephone when the another radiotelephone is in an active state in which there is a connection to the telecommunications network, wherein the connection parameters are usable by the another radio telephone to effect a connection between the another radio telephone and the telecommunications network, wherein the connection parameters include information relating to any of;

the strongest radio channel; and

radio channels in use;

means for re-using the acquired connection parameters when the state of the radiotelephone has changed from the passive state to an active state by connecting the radiotelephone to the telecommunications network, avoiding channel searching procedures, wherein the another radiotelephone is configured to, prior to the radiotelephone acquiring information from the another radiotelephone, send a hold request to the telecommunications network enabling the another radiotelephone to change from the active state to a passive state, wherein the radiotelephone and the another radiotelephone are not simultaneously connected to the telecommunications network using the same identification information.

26. A radio telephone comprising:

identification information and connection parameters used in connecting the radiotelephone to a telecommunications network, wherein the connection parameters include information relating to any of;

the strongest radio channel; and

radio channels in use; and

means for transferring identification information and further means for transferring connection parameters, when the radiotelephone is in an active state in which there is a connection to the telecommunications network, directly to another radiotelephone when the another radio telephone is in a passive state in which there is no connection to the telecommunications network for re-use in connecting the another radiotelephone to the telecommunications network when the state of the another radiotelephone has changed from the passive state to an active state, wherein the radiotelephone is configured to prior to transferring information to the another radiotelephone, sending a hold request to the telecommunications network enabling the first radiotelephone to change from the active state to a passive state, wherein the first radiotelephone and the second radiotelephone are not simultaneously connected to the telecommunications network using the same identification information.

27. A radio telephone comprising:

a receiver configured to acquire at least some identification information contained in another radiotelephone for re-use in connecting the radiotelephone to a telecommunications network;

the receiver further configured, when the radiotelephone is in a passive state in which there is no connection to the telecommunications network, to acquire connection parameters stored in the another radiotelephone when the other radio telephone is in an active state in which there is a connection to the telecommunication network, wherein the connection parameters are usable by the another radio telephone to effect a connection between the another radio telephone and the telecommunications network when the another radiotelephone in the active state, wherein the connection parameters include information relating to any of;

the strongest radio channel; and

radio channels in use;

a transceiver configured to re-use the acquired connection parameters, when the state of the radiotelephone has changed from the passive state to an active state by effecting a connection of the radiotelephone to the network, avoiding channel searching procedures wherein the another radiotelephone is configured to, prior to the receiver acquiring information from the another radiotelephone, send a hold request to the telecommunications network enabling the another radiotelephone to change from the active state to a passive state, wherein the another radiotelephone and the radiotelephone are not simultaneously connected to the telecommunications network using the same identification information.

28. communication system comprising first and second radiotelephones capable of communicating with a telecommunications network, the first radiotelephone comprising identification information, the second radiotelephone comprising means for acquiring at least some of the identification information of the first radiotelephone from the first radiotelephone, wherein the second radiotelephone when in a passive state in which there is no connection to the telecommunications network, further comprises means for acquiring connection parameters from the first radiotelephone when the first radiotelephone is in an active state in which there is a connection to the telecommunications network, wherein the connection parameters include information relating to any of:

the strongest radio channel and radio channels in use, and re-using the acquired connection parameters when the state of the second radiotelephone has changed from the passive state to an active state by effecting a connection between the second radiotelephone and the telecommunications network, avoiding channel searching procedures wherein the connection parameters are usable by the first radiotelephone when the first radiotelephone is in the active state, to effect a connection between the first radiotelephone and the telecommunications network before the connection parameters are re-usable by the second radio telephone to effect a connection between the second radiotelephone and the telecommunications network wherein the first radiotelephone comprises means for sending, prior to the second radiotelephone acquiring information from the first radiotelephone, a hold request to the network enabling the first radiotelephone to change from the active state to a passive state, wherein the first radiotelephone and the second radiotelephone are not simultaneously connected to the telecommunications network using the same identification information.

29. A communication system according to claim 28, wherein the second radiotelephone further comprises a memory for storing the acquired connection parameters.