Patent · US Expired

Wireless terminal and wireless telecommunications system adapted to prevent the theft of wireless service

US5983093A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
3References
42Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 6, 1997
Grant dateNov 9, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 6, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W12/06
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A wireless terminal and wireless telecommunications system are disclosed that prevent a thief of a wireless terminal from using the stolen wireless terminal to steal wireless service. A PIN is stored in the wireless terminal and the wireless terminal itself checks that a candidate PIN matches the stored PIN before the wireless terminal will initiate a call or will establish an incoming call. Thereafter, however, the user is permitted to call that telephone number or to receive a call from that telephone number without having to enter a candidate PIN again. In the wireless telecommunications system, a PIN is stored in a subscriber database for each user. The subscriber database also contains a history list of the telephone numbers that each user has previously called or received calls from. When the user first attempts to call a telephone number from which a received call has not been established, the wireless telecommunications system requires the user to enter a candidate PIN that matches the stored PIN before the call is established. Thereafter, the user is permitted to call that telephone number or receive a call from that telephone number without having to enter a candidate PIN…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.