Portable cellular phone system, and portable cellular phone terminal device, and information transmitting center used in same system

• US 8,005,464 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Miyauchi, Nobuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard; Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEIBER, SHANTELL LAKETA
• Application Number:
  US11/222,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20060058043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,174 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141-4144, 455/558, 455/559, 455/557, 455/565, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A portable cellular phone system and a portable cellular phone device, with separate communication and an accessory services is structured such that the cellular phone provider can control the use of an accessory function, based upon a customer'"'"'s use of the communication services. The portable cellular phone device accessory function and information as to whether use of the accessory function by the device is restricted.

Claims

1. A portable cellular phone terminal device having a communication function for communicating via a network through a use of portable cellular phone services provided by a portable cellular phone service provider and an accessory function in addition to the communication function, the portable cellular phone terminal device comprising:

a restriction information storage section for storing the accessory function and presence/absence information concerning whether utilization of the accessory function by the device itself is restricted;

a restriction-lifting information storage section for storing the accessory function and a restriction-lifting condition for lifting restrictions on utilizing the accessory function based on a contract term as results of the use of the portable cellular phone services, the contract term being defined as a period of time during which a user of the device is under contract with the portable cellular phone service provider;

a reading section for reading ID information from a storage media that stores ID information containing information required for connection to the network and is configured to be detachable;

a writing section for writing information about the contract term as results of the use of the portable cellular phone services to the storage media;

a restriction information writing section for updating the restriction information storage section based on the contract term as results of the use of the portable cellular phone services written to the storage media; and

a control section for restricting utilization of the accessory function based on whether the utilization is restricted by referencing the restriction information storage section if the communication is impossible by use of the ID information.

2. The portable cellular phone terminal device according to claim 1, wherein when the storage media is newly attached, the restriction information writing section updates the restriction information storage section based on the contract term as results of the use of the portable cellular phone services written to the storage media.

3. An information transmitting center for transmitting based on a contract term as results of a use of portable cellular phone services to a portable cellular phone terminal device having a communication function for communicating via a network through a use of portable cellular phone services provided by a portable cellular phone service provider and an accessory function in addition to the communication function, the information transmitting center comprising:

a center-side receiving section for receiving ID information from the portable cellular phone terminal device;

a user information storage section for storing the ID information and the results of the use of the portable cellular phone services associated with the ID information;

a transmission section for transmitting the results of the use of the portable cellular phone services to the portable cellular phone terminal device by referencing the user information storage section based on the ID information received by the center-side receiving section, and

wherein the portable cellular phone terminal device comprising;

a restriction information storage section for storing the accessory function and presence/absence information concerning whether utilization of the accessory function by the device itself is restricted;

a restriction-lifting information storage section for storing the accessory function and a restriction-lifting condition for lifting restrictions on utilizing the accessory function based on the contract term as results of the use of the portable cellular phone services, the contract term being defined as a period of time during which a user of the device is under contract with the portable cellular phone service provider;

a reading section for reading the ID information from a storage media that stores ID information containing information required for connection to the network and is configured to be detachable;

a writing section for writing information about results of the use of the portable cellular phone services to the storage media;

a restriction information writing section for updating the restriction information storage section based on the contract term as results of the use of the portable cellular phone services written to the storage media and a control section for restricting utilization of the accessory function based on whether the utilization is restricted by referencing the restriction information storage section if the communication is impossible by use of the ID information.

4. A portable cellular phone system comprising:

a portable cellular phone terminal device having a communication function for communicating via a network through a use of portable cellular phone services provided by a portable cellular phone service provider and an accessory function in addition to the communication function, the portable cellular phone terminal device comprising;

a restriction information storage section for storing the accessory function and presence/absence information concerning whether utilization of the accessory function by the device itself is restricted;

a restriction-lifting information storage section for storing the accessory function and a restriction-lifting condition for lifting restrictions on utilizing the accessory function based on a contract term as results of the use of the portable cellular phone services, the contract term being defined as a period of time during which a user of the device is under contract with the portable cellular phone service provider;

a reading section for reading ID information from a storage media that stores ID information containing information required for connection to the network and is configured to be detachable;

a writing section for writing information about results of the use of the portable cellular phone services to the storage media;

a restriction information writing section for updating the restriction information storage section based on the contract term as results of the use of the portable cellular phone services written to the storage media

a control section for restricting utilization of the accessory function based on whether the utilization is restricted by referencing the restriction information storage section if the communication is impossible by use of the ID information; and

an information transmitting center comprising;

a center-side receiving section for receiving ID information from the portable cellular phone terminal device;

a user information storage section for storing the ID information and the results of the use of the portable cellular phone services associated with the ID information;

a transmission section for transmitting the results of the use of the portable cellular phone services to the portable cellular phone terminal device by referencing the user information storage section based on the ID information received by the center-side receiving section.