Expandable, modular communications apparatus with interchangeable device authentication

• US 7,366,551 B1
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PROCON Incorporated (RCM Technologies Incorporated), Wireless Design Incorporated
• Original Assignee: DriveOK Incorporated (d.b.a. Vehiclepath) (Procon, Inc. /TN/)
• Inventors: Hartley, Joel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elcenko; Eric J
• Application Number:
  US10/971,377
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.1, 455/575.9, 455/573, 455/557, 455/552.1, 455/556.1, 455/511, 455/575.2, 455/418, 455/420, 455/411
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A communications apparatus including a communications device for wide area network communications and position location, as an example, and one or more interchangeable devices capable of interfacing with the communications device through a standard interface, is described. Also described is an apparatus and method for activating and authenticating the communications device/interchangeable device combinations, thereby providing device compatibility and security.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a standardized electronic interface;

an interchangeable device that comprises a device controller, a first memory bearing a first electronic serial number, and a connector adapted to mate with to the standardized electronic interface; and

a communications system that comprises a second memory bearing a second electronic serial number, a wireless wide area network terminal, and a control processor executing an authentication agent that is configured to transmit a report comprising the first electronic serial number and the second electronic serial number to an authentication administrator via the wireless wide area network terminal, and to receive, via the wireless wide area network terminal, an authorization command that directs the authentication agent to a) enable one or more authorized functions of the interchangeable device if the first and the second electronic serial numbers verified by the authentication administrator or b) inactivate the interchangeable device if the first and the second electronic serial numbers are not verified by the authentication administrator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless wide area network terminal is selected from the group consisting of cellular telephones and two-way pagers.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wireless wide area network terminal comprises a cellular telephone that comprises a removable battery, wherein the interchangeable device is adapted to replace the removable battery, and wherein the cellular telephone is powered by an external battery.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the external battery comprises a vehicle battery.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications system further comprises a power supply.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the power supply comprises a battery.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the battery comprises a vehicle battery.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications system further comprises a position locator.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the position locator comprises a global positioning system apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interchangeable device further comprises functional hardware for performing at least one chosen function.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one chosen function is selected from the group consisting of digital photography, car diagnostics, position location, equipment testing, hand-free communications, microcomputer capability, and display.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the authentication agent reads the first electronic serial number from the first memory and the second electronic serial number from the second memory when the apparatus is powered on and transmits the report if either the first electronic serial number or the second electronic serial numbers differ from their previous values.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an additional interchangeable device that comprises a position location device, an additional memory having a third electronic serial number, and an additional connector adapted to mate with the standardized electronic interface, the report further comprising the third electronic serial number.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the authentication administrator comprises a database of valid electronic serial numbers against which the first and the second electronic serial numbers are verified.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at an authentication administrator via a wireless wide area network connection, a report from an authentication agent on a communication system, the report comprising a first electronic serial number corresponding to the communication system and a second electronic serial number corresponding to an interchangeable device attached to the communication system;

comparing the first and the second electronic serial numbers with a database of electronic serial numbers; and

transmitting, to the communication system via the wireless wide area network, an authorization command that directs the authentication agent to a) enable one or more authorized functions of the interchangeable device if the first and the second electronic serial numbers are located in the database or b) inactivate the interchangeable device if the first and the second electronic serial numbers are not located in the database.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication system comprises a cellular telephone that comprises a removable battery, and wherein the interchangeable device is adapted to replace the removable battery.

17. A method comprising:

transmitting a report from an authentication agent executed on a communication system to an authentication administrator via a wireless wide area network terminal on the communication system, the report comprising a first electronic serial number read by the authentication agent from a first memory on the communication system and a second electronic serial number read by the authentication agent from a second memory on an interchangeable device attached to the communication system;

receiving, via the wireless wide area network terminal, an authorization command that directs the authorization agent to a) enable one or more authorized functions of the interchangeable device if the first and the second electronic serial numbers are verified by the authentication administrator or b) inactivate the interchangeable device if the first and the second electronic serial numbers are not verified by the authentication server.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication system comprises a cellular telephone that comprises a removable battery, and wherein the interchangeable device is adapted to replace the removable battery.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the authentication administrator comprises a database of valid electronic serial numbers against which the first and the second electronic serial numbers are verified.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the authentication agent reads the first electronic serial number from the first memory and the second electronic serial number from the second memory when the communication system is powered on and transmits the report if either the first electronic serial number or the second electronic serial numbers differ from their previous values.