Mobile communication apparatus having anti-theft and auto-notification functions

• US 9,160,830 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Jain, Anku, Kumar, Amit, Tu, Guan-Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US11/609,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20070082705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,227 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/410, 455/411, 455/406, 455/356.2, 455/435.2, 455/552.1, 455/555, 380/248, 705/67, 379/357.01, 370/235, 370/236
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile communication apparatus comprises a first SIM card, an anti-theft control circuit, a transmission control circuit, and a security module. The first SIM card is engaged with the mobile communication apparatus and has corresponding first identification information. The anti-theft control circuit has a SIM-card-detection module and an information management module. The SIM-card-detection module is used for detecting whether the first SIM card is replaced by a second SIM card and generating a corresponding detection result. The information management module is used for storing the corresponding first identification information, predetermined contact information, and a user personal database. The transmission control circuit is used for transmitting data and/or signals. The security module provides a data security class. When the SIM-card-detection module generates the detection result, the transmission control circuit will send a notice signal according to the predetermined contact information, and when the security module receives the detection result, a data security procedure in the security module is enabled to protect the data in the user personal database according to the set data security class.

Claims

1. A mobile communication apparatus comprising:

an anti-theft control circuit comprising;

a SIM-card-detection module detecting whether a first SIM card is replaced by a second SIM card; and

an information management module storing a predetermined user contact information, and a user personal database comprising at least one of a phonebook database, a schedule database, and an e-mail database;

a transmission control circuit transmitting data and signal;

wherein if the SIM-cared-detection module detects that the first SIM card is replaced by the second SIM card, the transmission control circuit sends out, according to the predetermined user contact information, personal data of an original owner stored in the phonebook database, the schedule database, or the e-mail database of the information management module when the first SIM card is not yet replaced by the second SIM card,

thereby enabling the original owner to get back the personal data of the phonebook database, the schedule database, or the e-mail database stored in the information management module when the first SIM card is not yet replaced by the second SIM card, wherein the predetermined user contact information is contact information predetermined by the original owner; and

a security module, wherein after the personal data are sent out, the security module waits for a confirmation signal to confirm that the record or records have been transmitted according to the predetermined user contact information successfully.

2. The mobile communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user contact information is an e-mail address;

and wherein the transmission control circuit sends out an e-mail comprising the record or records of the phonebook database, the schedule database, or the e-mail database to the e-mail address when detecting the first SIM card is replaced by a second SIM card by the SIM-card-detection module.

3. The mobile communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information management module stores first identification information corresponding to the first SIM card, and the SIM-card-detection module comprises:

a detector getting second identification information from the second SIM card; and

a comparator for comparing the second identification information with the prestored first identification information;

wherein the SIM-card-detection module detects that the first SIM card is replaced by the second SIM card when the second identification information is different from the first identification information.

4. The mobile communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein if the security module does not receive the confirmation signal in a predetermined period, the security module repetitiously sends out the record or records until the confirmation signal is received.

5. The mobile communication apparatus of claim 1, the transmission control circuit comprises:

a carrier control module for selecting one available carrier from a plurality of carriers for transmitting the record or records; and

a data transmission module for selecting a corresponding data transmission application program for transmitting the record or records according to the carrier that has been selected;

wherein the carrier control module selects the carrier based upon the size of the record or records to be transmitted.

6. The mobile communication apparatus of claim 5, wherein the carriers are provided in a communication system, and the communication system is one of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), WCDMA and CDMA2000;

and wherein the data transmission application program is one of an e-mail application program, a short message service (SMS) application program, and a multimedia message service (MMS) application program.

7. The mobile communication apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first and second identification information is international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) or Integrated Circuit Card Identification (ICCID) codes, wherein the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) is a unique number associated with mobile communication apparatus within a communication system, and the Integrated Circuit Card Identification (ICCID) codes are digit numbers physically printed on a SIM card.

12. The mobile communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information management module comprises an IMSI code, contact information, and a user personal database.

8. A method for protecting personal data applied in a mobile communication apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a predetermined user contact information, and a user personal database comprising at least one of a phonebook database, a schedule database, and an e-mail database, which are stored in the mobile communication apparatus;

detecting whether a first SIM card is replaced by a second SIM card; and

if it is detected that the first SIM card is replaced by the second SIM card, sending out, according to the predetermined user contact information, personal data of an original owner stored in the phonebook database, the schedule database, or the e-mail database of the mobile communication apparatus when the first SIM card is not yet replaced by the second SIM card,

thereby enabling the original owner to get back the personal data of the phonebook database, the schedule database, or the e-mail database stored in the mobile communication apparatus when the first SIM card is not yet replaced by the second SIM card, wherein the predetermined user contact information is contact information predetermined by the original owner,

waiting by a security module, after the personal data are sent out, for a confirmation signal to confirm that the personal data have been transmitted according to the predetermined user contact information successfully.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the detection step further comprises:

providing first identification information corresponding to the first SIM card, which is stored in the mobile communication apparatus;

getting second identification information from the second SIM card;

comparing the second identification information with the first identification information; and

detecting that the first SIM card is replaced by the second SIM card when the second identification information is different from the first identification information.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first SIM card is associated with a phone number serving as the predetermined user contact information;

and wherein the sending step further comprises when the detection result is generated, the mobile communication apparatus dial the phone number for sending out the record or records of the phonebook database, the schedule database, or the e-mail database to an electronic user-apparatus corresponding to the phone number automatically.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising, when and after the record or records of the phonebook database, the schedule database, or the e-mail database are transmitted, deleting all record or records being transmitted.