Apparatus and method for operating a cellular or portable telephone

• US 6,125,273 A
• Filed: 04/08/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ironworks Patents LLC, Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Harumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WYCHE, MYRON
• Application Number:
  US09/057,391
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/418, 455/419, 455/550
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A technique for activating a cellular or portable telephone includes a circuit for transmitting and receiving signals, a controller for the transmitting and receiving circuit, and a display device, e.g., liquid crystal display. A service program stored in a memory is accessible through a first code and a second code. The first code permits access to portions of the service program, and the second code permits access to fewer portions of the service program. The second code is generated based upon data associated with the telephone, e.g., a serial number and/or the first code. The service program is prevented from being accessed through the second code after the second code is used once. The portions of the service program that are accessible through the second code may be a subset of the portions of the service program that are accessible through the first code, and the portions of the service program that are accessible through the second code may include a routine for storing or setting the telephone number assigned to the apparatus.

Claims

1. A telephone, comprising:

a display device;

a keypad;

a transmitting and receiving circuit;

a controller for the transmitting and receiving circuit, the controller being connected to receive input signals from the keypad and to supply output signals to the display device;

a memory for the controller, the memory containing a service program accessible selectably through a master lock code and a one-time lock code, the master lock code permitting access to selected portions of the service program and the one-time lock code usable only once to permit access to a subset of said selected portions of the service program;

wherein a serial number is uniquely associated with said telephone and the one-time lock code is generated based upon the serial number and the master lock code.

2. The telephone of claim 1, wherein the service program permits the one-time lock code to be reset when the service program is accessed through the master lock code.

3. The telephone of claim 1, wherein the service program permits a telephone number for said telephone to be set when the service program is accessed through the one-time lock code.

4. The telephone of claim 1, wherein the subset of said selected portions of the service program accessible through the one-time lock code includes a routine for storing a telephone number for said telephone and the memory includes locations for storing the telephone number for said telephone.

5. The telephone of claim 4, wherein a dummy number is associated with said telephone and the service program checks the memory locations for storing the telephone number to determine whether the stored number matches the dummy number.

6. The telephone of claim 5, wherein the one-time lock code is generated and compared to a code entered by a user when the stored number matches the dummy number.

7. The telephone of claim 5, wherein the service program permits the one-time lock code to be reset by changing the telephone number stored in the memory locations to the dummy number.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

means for transmitting and receiving signals;

control means for controlling said transmitting and receiving means;

display means for displaying information, said display means being connected to said control means;

memory means for storing a service program, said memory means being connected to said control means, the service program being accessible through a first code and a second code, the first code permitting access to portions of the service program and the second code usable only once to permit access to fewer portions of the service program;

means for generating the second code based upon numerical data associated with said apparatus; and

means for preventing the service program from being accessed through the second code after the second code is used once.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the numerical data associated with said apparatus is a serial number.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the numerical data associated with said apparatus is the first code.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for generating the second code generates the second code based upon a serial number and the first code.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the numerical data associated with said apparatus is stored in said memory means.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the portions of the service program accessible through the second code are a subset of the portions of the service program accessible through the first code.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the portions of the service program accessible through the second code include a routine for storing a telephone number associated with said apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising means for permitting a telephone number for said apparatus to be set when the service program is accessed through the second code.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said memory means includes storage locations for storing the telephone number for said apparatus, wherein the service program checks said storage locations to determine whether a dummy number is stored in said storage locations, and wherein the service program generates the second code and compares the second code to a code entered by a user if the dummy number is stored in said storage locations.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the dummy number in said storage locations is replaceable with the telephone number for said apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the telephone number in said storage locations is replaceable with the dummy number when the service program is accessed through the first code, thereby effectively resetting the second code.

19. A method for operating a telephone having a memory containing a service program, said method comprising the steps of:

permitting portions of the service program to be accessed through a first code;

permitting fewer portions of the service program to be accessed through a second code which is usually only once;

generating the second code based upon numerical data associated with said telephone; and

preventing the service program from being accessed through the second code after the second code is used once.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the numerical data associated with said telephone is a serial number.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the numerical data associated with said telephone is the first code.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of generating the second code includes generating the second code based upon a serial number and the first code.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the numerical data associated with said telephone is stored in said memory.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of allowing the second code to be reset when the service program is accessed through the first code.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the portions of the service program accessible through the second code are a subset of the portions of the service program accessible through the first code.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the portions of the service program accessible through the second code include a routine for storing a telephone number for said telephone.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of permitting a telephone number for said telephone to be set when the service program is accessed through the second code.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said memory includes storage locations for storing the telephone number for said telephone, further comprising the steps of checking said storage locations to determine whether a dummy number is stored in said storage locations, generating the second code if the dummy number is stored in said storage locations, and comparing the second code to a code entered by a user if the dummy number is stored in said storage locations.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of permitting the dummy number in said storage locations to be replaced with the telephone number for said telephone.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of permitting the telephone number in said storage locations to be replaced with the dummy number when the service program is accessed through the first code, thereby effectively resetting the second code.