Method of providing a subscription lock to a radiotelephone system

Claim 1

In a radiotelephone system, a radiotelephone having a subscription lock, the subscription lock having a predetermined range of valid international mobile subscriber identifications (IMSIs), a predetermined subsidy flag personal identification number (PIN) and responsive to a subscriber providing a subscriber identification module (SIM) card containing an IMSI, a method of providing the subscription lock comprising the steps of: comparing the SIM card IMSI to the permanent range of valid IMSIs; comparing, responsive to failing to provide a SIM card containing an IMSI within the predetermined range of valid IMSIs, a user input subsidy flag PIN to the predetermined subsidy flag PIN; restricting access to the radiotelephone system responsive to the user input subsidy flag PIN failing to equal the predetermined subsidy flag PIN; and accessing the radiotelephone system using the SIM card IMSI.

Claim 3

A method of controlling access of a radiotelephone in a radiotelephone system, the radiotelephone having a subscriber identification module (SIM) card containing a international mobile subscriber identification (IMSI), the method comprising the steps of: a) setting a value of a Personal Identification Number retry counter to 5; b) setting a value of an unlock counter to 5; c) setting a subsidy range of valid IMSIs; d) setting a PIN register to a predetermined PIN value; e) setting a subsidy flag to a predetermined state chosen from a group consisting of an active state and an inactive state; f) comparing the state of the subsidy flag to the active state; g) comparing, responsive to the subsidy flag in the active state, the value of the PIN retry counter to zero; h) checking, responsive to the PIN retry counter not equal to zero, if the IMSI falls within the subsidy range of valid IMSIs; i) requesting, responsive to the IMSI falling outside the subsidy range of valid IMSIs, a user to enter a PIN; j) comparing the PIN to the predetermined PIN value; k) setting, responsive to the PIN equaling the predetermined PIN value, the subsidy flag equal to 0; k) decrementing, responsive to the step j determining the PIN is not equal to the predetermined PIN value, the value of the PIN retry counter; l) comparing the value of the PIN retry counter to zero; m) repeating, responsive the value of the PIN retry counter not equal to zero, steps i-k, the invention being characterized in the step of; n) restricting, responsive to the value of the PIN retry counter equal to zero, a registration of the radiotelephone in the radiotelephone system o) registering the radiotelephone in the radiotelephone system using the IMSI of the SIM card.

Claim 4

A method of controlling access of a radiotelephone in a radiotelephone system, the radiotelephone having a subscriber identification module (SIM) card containing a international mobile subscriber identification (IMSI), the method comprising the steps of: a) setting a value of a Personal Identification Number retry counter to 5; b) setting a value of an unlock counter to 5; c) setting a subsidy range of valid IMSIs; d) setting a PIN register to a predetermined PIN value; e) setting a subsidy flag to a predetermined state chosen from a group consisting of an active state and an inactive state; f) comparing the state of the subsidy flag to the active state; g) comparing, responsive to the subsidy flag in the active state, the value of the PIN retry counter to zero; h) checking, responsive to the PIN retry counter not equal to zero, if the IMSI falls within the subsidy range of valid IMSIs; i) requesting, responsive to the IMSI falling outside the subsidy range of valid IMSIs, a user to enter a PIN; j) comparing the PIN to the predetermined PIN value; k) setting, responsive to the PIN equaling the predetermined PIN value, the subsidy flag equal to 0; k) decrementing, responsive to the step j determining the PIN is not equal to the predetermined PIN value, the value of the PIN retry counter; l) comparing the value of the PIN retry counter to zero; m) repeating, responsive the value of the PIN retry counter not equal to zero, steps i-k, the invention being characterized in the step of; n) restricting, responsive to the value of the PIN retry counter equal to zero, a registration of the radiotelephone in the radiotelephone system o) registering the radiotelephone in the radiotelephone system using the IMSI of the SIM card.

Claim 7

A method of controlling access to a radiotelephone system, the radiotelephone system including a radiotelephone having a plurality of predetermined valid identification numbers and a predetermined valid subsidy flag personal identification number (PIN), the method executed in the radiotelephone and comprising the steps of: accepting a subscriber identification module (SIM) card, the SIM card containing a first identification number; comparing the first identification number to the plurality of predetermined valid identification numbers; requesting, responsive to the step of comparing resulting in the first identification number not equal to the plurality of predetermined valid identification numbers, a user to enter a user personal identification number (PIN); comparing the user PIN to the predetermined valid subsidy flag PIN: restricting, responsive to the user PIN not equaling the predetermined valid subsidy flag, a registration of the radiotelephone in the radiotelephone system: and registering the radiotelephone in the radiotelephone system using the first identification number.

Claim 8

A method of controlling access to a radiotelephone system, the radiotelephone system including a radiotelephone having a plurality of predetermined valid identification numbers and a predetermined valid subsidy flag personal identification number (PIN), the method executed in the radiotelephone and comprising the steps of: accepting a subscriber identification module (SIM) card, the SIM card containing a first identification number; comparing the first identification number to the plurality of predetermined valid identification numbers; requesting, responsive to the step of comparing resulting in the first identification number not equal to the plurality of predetermined valid identification numbers, a user to enter a user personal identification number (PIN); comparing the user PIN to the predetermined valid subsidy flag PIN: restricting, responsive to the user PIN not equaling the predetermined valid subsidy flag, a registration of the radiotelephone in the radiotelephone system: and registering the radiotelephone in the radiotelephone system using the first identification number.