US5485505A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and method for remotely initiating operation of a cellular telephone
Assignee: AT&T Delaware Intellectual Property Inc
•
Filing: 1995-06-07
•
Granted: 1996-01-16
•
Expires: 2015-06-07
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for activating a cellular telephone (10) within a cellular telecommunications network. A PCMCIA card (62) interacts with a controller (50) to display required programming information and questions. A user of the cellular telephone (10) inputs responses to questions on a display (90). The user responses are transmitted to a system administrator at a customer activation center via a mobile telephone switching office in the cellular telecommunications network. The system administrator provides any necessary information for activating the cellular telephone (10). In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a personal computer is connected to cellular telephone (10) and the PCMCIA card (62) is connected to the personal computer. Information for the user may be shown on either the display (90) of the cellular telephone (10) or on a display of the personal computer. The user may input information and responses to questions via a user input device provided as part of the display (90) or as part of the personal computer. User input is provided to the cellular telephone (10) to activate and program the cellular telephone for operation on the cellular telecommunications network.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel P. Norman
- 👤 Richard A. Guidotti
- 👤 David A. Saitta
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 08:31
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W8/00; H04W8/26; H04W8/265; H04W92/00; H04W92/16; H04W92/18; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S379/00; Y10S379/903; Y10S379/909; Y10S379/914
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
321 words
A cellular telephone for use in a cellular telecommunications network of the type having a customer activation center (CAC), said cellular telephone comprising: a memory device, said memory device containing first operating instructions which cause a display of first prompts to a user of said cellular telephone, said first prompts being for said user to provide a user name, a user address, and a user credit card number, said memory device further containing second operating instructions which cause a display of second prompts to said user, said second prompts being for instructing said user how to program a valid mobile identification number (MIN) into said cellular telephone, said memory device further containing a dummy MIN for said cellular telephone; a display for providing said first prompts and said second prompts to said user of said cellular telephone; an input device for accepting first responses from said user to said first prompts and second responses from said user to said second prompts; a radio frequency (RF) transmitter for sending said first responses and said dummy MIN to said CAC; an RF receiver for receiving said valid MIN for said cellular telephone from said CAC; and a controller connected to said memory device, connected to said input device, connected to said display, connected to said RF receiver and connected to said RF transmitter, for causing said display to provide said first prompts to said user in response to said first operating instructions, for accepting said first responses from said input device, for causing said RF transmitter to send said dummy MIN and said first responses to said CAC, for receiving said valid MIN from said RF receiver, for causing said display to provide said valid MIN to said user, for causing said display to provide said second prompts to said user in response to said second operating instructions, and responsive to said second responses for programming said valid MIN into said cellular telephone.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
321 words
A cellular telephone for use in a cellular telecommunications network of the type having a customer activation center (CAC), said cellular telephone comprising: a memory device, said memory device containing first operating instructions which cause a display of first prompts to a user of said cellular telephone, said first prompts being for said user to provide a user name, a user address, and a user credit card number, said memory device further containing second operating instructions which cause a display of second prompts to said user, said second prompts being for instructing said user how to program a valid mobile identification number (MIN) into said cellular telephone, said memory device further containing a dummy MIN for said cellular telephone; a display for providing said first prompts and said second prompts to said user of said cellular telephone; an input device for accepting first responses from said user to said first prompts and second responses from said user to said second prompts; a radio frequency (RF) transmitter for sending said first responses and said dummy MIN to said CAC; an RF receiver for receiving said valid MIN for said cellular telephone from said CAC; and a controller connected to said memory device, connected to said input device, connected to said display, connected to said RF receiver and connected to said RF transmitter, for causing said display to provide said first prompts to said user in response to said first operating instructions, for accepting said first responses from said input device, for causing said RF transmitter to send said dummy MIN and said first responses to said CAC, for receiving said valid MIN from said RF receiver, for causing said display to provide said valid MIN to said user, for causing said display to provide said second prompts to said user in response to said second operating instructions, and responsive to said second responses for programming said valid MIN into said cellular telephone.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
The cellular telephone of claim 1 wherein said first prompts are further for said user to provide a user signature, said input device comprises a signature capture device and wherein said controller further accepts said user signature from said signature capture device and causes said RF transmitter to send said user signature to said CAC.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The cellular telephone of claim 1 wherein said memory device is a personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) card.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The cellular telephone of claim 1 wherein said display is a video screen.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
235 words
A method for programming a cellular telephone for operation on a cellular telecommunications network of the type having a customer activation center (CAC), said cellular telephone comprising a memory device, a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, said method comprising the steps of: retrieving from said memory device first operating instructions which cause a display of first prompts to a user of said cellular telephone, said first prompts being for said user to provide a user name, a user address, and a user credit card number; displaying said first prompts to a user of said cellular telephone; accepting first responses to said first prompts from said user; retrieving from said memory, device a dummy mobile identification number (MIN) for said cellular telephone; sending said dummy MIN and said first responses to said first prompts to said CAC using said RF transmitter of said cellular telephone; using said RF receiver of said cellular telephone to receive from said CAC a valid MIN for said cellular telephone; providing said valid MIN to said user; retrieving from said memory device second operating instructions which cause a display of second prompts to said user, said second prompts being for instructing said user how to program said valid MIN into said cellular telephone; accepting second responses to said second prompts from said user; and responding to said second responses by programming said valid MIN into said cellular telephone.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
235 words
A method for programming a cellular telephone for operation on a cellular telecommunications network of the type having a customer activation center (CAC), said cellular telephone comprising a memory device, a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, said method comprising the steps of: retrieving from said memory device first operating instructions which cause a display of first prompts to a user of said cellular telephone, said first prompts being for said user to provide a user name, a user address, and a user credit card number; displaying said first prompts to a user of said cellular telephone; accepting first responses to said first prompts from said user; retrieving from said memory, device a dummy mobile identification number (MIN) for said cellular telephone; sending said dummy MIN and said first responses to said first prompts to said CAC using said RF transmitter of said cellular telephone; using said RF receiver of said cellular telephone to receive from said CAC a valid MIN for said cellular telephone; providing said valid MIN to said user; retrieving from said memory device second operating instructions which cause a display of second prompts to said user, said second prompts being for instructing said user how to program said valid MIN into said cellular telephone; accepting second responses to said second prompts from said user; and responding to said second responses by programming said valid MIN into said cellular telephone.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
341 words
A cellular telephone for use in a cellular telecommunications network of the type having a customer activation center (CAC), and for use with a personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) card, said PCMCIA card containing first operating instructions which cause a display of first prompts to a user of said cellular telephone, said first prompts being for said user to provide a user name, a user address, and a user credit card number, said PCMCIA card further containing second operating instructions which cause a display of second prompts to said user, said second prompts being for instructing said user how to program a valid mobile identification number (MIN) into said cellular telephone, said PCMCIA card further containing a dummy MIN for said cellular telephone, said cellular telephone comprising: a connector for receiving said PCMCIA card; a display for providing said first prompts and said second prompts to said user of said cellular telephone; an input device for accepting first responses from said user to said first prompts and second responses from said user to said second prompts; a radio frequency (RF) transmitter for sending said first responses and said dummy MIN to said CAC; an RF receiver for receiving said valid MIN for said cellular telephone from said CAC; and a controller connected to said PCMCIA card through said connector, connected to said display, connected to said input device, connected to said RF receiver and connected to said RF transmitter, for causing said display to provide said first prompts to said user in response to said first operating instructions, for accepting said first responses from said input device, for causing said RF transmitter to send said dummy MIN and said first responses to said CAC, for receiving said valid MIN from said RF receiver, for causing said display to provide said valid MIN to said user, for causing said display to provide said second prompts to said user in response to said second operating instructions, and responsive to said second responses for programming said valid MIN into said cellular telephone.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
341 words
A cellular telephone for use in a cellular telecommunications network of the type having a customer activation center (CAC), and for use with a personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) card, said PCMCIA card containing first operating instructions which cause a display of first prompts to a user of said cellular telephone, said first prompts being for said user to provide a user name, a user address, and a user credit card number, said PCMCIA card further containing second operating instructions which cause a display of second prompts to said user, said second prompts being for instructing said user how to program a valid mobile identification number (MIN) into said cellular telephone, said PCMCIA card further containing a dummy MIN for said cellular telephone, said cellular telephone comprising: a connector for receiving said PCMCIA card; a display for providing said first prompts and said second prompts to said user of said cellular telephone; an input device for accepting first responses from said user to said first prompts and second responses from said user to said second prompts; a radio frequency (RF) transmitter for sending said first responses and said dummy MIN to said CAC; an RF receiver for receiving said valid MIN for said cellular telephone from said CAC; and a controller connected to said PCMCIA card through said connector, connected to said display, connected to said input device, connected to said RF receiver and connected to said RF transmitter, for causing said display to provide said first prompts to said user in response to said first operating instructions, for accepting said first responses from said input device, for causing said RF transmitter to send said dummy MIN and said first responses to said CAC, for receiving said valid MIN from said RF receiver, for causing said display to provide said valid MIN to said user, for causing said display to provide said second prompts to said user in response to said second operating instructions, and responsive to said second responses for programming said valid MIN into said cellular telephone.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
55 words
The cellular telephone of claim 6 wherein said first prompts are further for said user to provide a user signature, said input device comprises a signature capture device, and wherein said controller further accepts said user signature from said signature capture device and causes said RF transmitter to send said user signature to said CAC.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4122304A
Cited
EP0048563A1
Cited
US4463971A
Cited
US4616108A
Cited
US4640986A
Cited
US4639550A
Cited
US4748655A
Cited
US4752949A
Cited
US4672377A
Cited
US4822990A
Cited
US4849617A
Cited
US4805211A
Cited
US4868846A
Cited
US4811377A
Cited
EP0301573A2
Cited
US5127050A
Cited
EP0365200A2
Cited
US4958368A
Cited
US4931991A
Cited
US4965821A
Cited
US5155860A
Cited
US5062132A
Cited
US4951308A
Cited
US5086513A
Cited
US5128981A
Cited
US5020090A
Cited
US5020091A
Cited
US5046082A
Cited
US5109403A
Cited
US5046085A
Cited
US5301223A
Cited
WO1991018468A1
Cited
US5353334A
Cited
US5115463A
Cited
GB2249459A
Cited
US5091942A
Cited
US5297192A
Cited
US5220593A
Cited
US5195133A
Cited
WO1993016550A1
Cited
US5183404A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-01-15 | 1999-07-17 | 2000-01-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-01-15 | 2003-07-17 | 2004-01-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-01-15 | 2007-07-17 | 2008-01-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |