Patent US6832082B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6832082B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Initialization of handsets in a multi-line wireless phone system for secure communications
Assignee: Thomson Licensing SAS
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Filing: 1998-09-01
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Granted: 2004-12-14
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Expires: 2018-09-01
Abstract
Abstract A wireless telephone system, having one or more wireless handsets and a base unit. Each handset has a handset transceiver, and the base unit has a base transceiver and a handset docking station, which has a wired interface. The base unit digitally communicates over an RF channel with a handset via its handset transceiver only if the handset has previously been initialized by the base unit. The handset is initialized via the wired interface when it is physically docked in the docking station.
Inventors
- 👤 Kumar Ramaswamy
- 👤 Paul Gothard Knutson
- 👤 Maneck Behram Kapadia
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 10:55
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M1/00; H04M1/66; H04M1/72; H04M1/725; H04M1/727; H04M1/68
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
A wireless telephone system, comprising: (a) one or more wireless handsets, each handset comprising a handset transceiver; and (b) a base unit comprising: (1) a handset docking station having a wired interface; (2) means for initializing the handset via the wired interface, when the handset is physically docked in the docking station, by reading from the handset a unique handset security code based on but not the same as a unique handset serial number permanently stored in the handset and storing the unique handset security code locally to the base unit; and (3) a base transceiver for communicating over a channel with each handset via its handset transceiver only if the base unit determines, upon receipt of the handset security code for said handset from the handset, that the handset has previously been initialized by the base unit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
138 words
A wireless telephone system, comprising: (a) one or more wireless handsets, each handset comprising a handset transceiver; and (b) a base unit comprising: (1) a handset docking station having a wired interface; (2) means for initializing the handset via the wired interface, when the handset is physically docked in the docking station, by reading from the handset a unique handset security code based on but not the same as a unique handset serial number permanently stored in the handset and storing the unique handset security code locally to the base unit; and (3) a base transceiver for communicating over a channel with each handset via its handset transceiver only if the base unit determines, upon receipt of the handset security code for said handset from the handset, that the handset has previously been initialized by the base unit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
63 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein: the means for initializing further comprises means for providing to the handset a unique base unit security code based on a unique base unit serial number; and the base transceiver is for communicating with a given handset only if the handset provides to the base unit the base unit security code and the handset security code.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
58 words
The system of claim 2 , wherein: the base unit comprises means for determining whether the battery of the handset physically docked in the docking station has a voltage below a threshold level, wherein the means for initializing comprises means for waiting until after the battery voltage has been recharged above the threshold level before initializing the handset.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
96 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein: the base transceiver comprises means for a time-division multiple access (TDMA) link with each handset via the handset transceiver in accordance with a TDMA epoch allocating exclusive audio packet time slots to each handset; the means for initializing further comprises means for providing to the handset an exclusive audio packet slot number corresponding to its audio packet time slot; and the base transceiver is for communicating with a given handset only if the handset provides to the base unit the handset security code and the audio packet slot number.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
75 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein: the base unit and handset each comprise means for scrambling digital communications between the base transceiver and the handset in accordance with a scrambler seed unique to the handset that must be known to both the base transceiver and the handset; and the means for initializing further comprises means for providing to the handset and for storing locally to the base unit the scrambler seed for the handset.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein: each handset is battery powered by a rechargeable battery; and the docking station comprises a charging means for recharging the battery of a handset physically docked in the docking station.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the handset and base unit comprises means for exchanging initialization messages during the initialization in accordance with a message format comprising a plurality of fields.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
132 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the base unit and the handset each comprise means for scrambling digital communications between the base transceiver and the handset in accordance with a scrambler seed unique to the handset that must be known to both the base transceiver and the handset, the base unit and the handset each comprise a memory device for storing the scrambler seed, the handset comprises the means for receiving the scrambler seed from a user of the handset when the handset is being initialized for storage in the memory device of the handset, and said means for initializing comprises means for reading the scrambler seed provided by the user of the handset from the memory device of the handset for storage in the memory device of the base unit.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
162 words
A method for providing communication between a base unit of a wireless telephone system and on or more wireless handsets of the system, the base unit comprising a base transceiver and handset docking station having a wired interface, each handset comprising a handset transceiver, a method characterized by the steps of: (a) initializing a handset via the wired interface, when the handset is physically docked in the docking station, by reading from the handset a unique handset security code based on but not the same as a unique handset serial number permanently stored in the handset and storing the unique handset security code locally to the base unit; and (b) conducting digital communications, over an RF channel, between the base unit and the handset via the base unit and handset transceivers, respectively, only if the base unit determines, upon receipt of the handset security code for said handset from the handset, that the handset has previously been initialized by the base unit.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
162 words
A method for providing communication between a base unit of a wireless telephone system and on or more wireless handsets of the system, the base unit comprising a base transceiver and handset docking station having a wired interface, each handset comprising a handset transceiver, a method characterized by the steps of: (a) initializing a handset via the wired interface, when the handset is physically docked in the docking station, by reading from the handset a unique handset security code based on but not the same as a unique handset serial number permanently stored in the handset and storing the unique handset security code locally to the base unit; and (b) conducting digital communications, over an RF channel, between the base unit and the handset via the base unit and handset transceivers, respectively, only if the base unit determines, upon receipt of the handset security code for said handset from the handset, that the handset has previously been initialized by the base unit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
134 words
The method of claim 9 , wherein the base unit and the handset each comprise a memory device and means for scrambling digital communications between the base transceiver and the handset in accordance with a scrambler seed unique to the handset that must be known to both the base transceiver and the handset, and the method further comprises the steps of: receiving, by the handset, the scrambler seed from a user of the handset when the handset is being initialized; and storing the scrambler seed in the memory device of the handset, wherein said initializing step comprises the step of reading the scrambler seed provided by the user of the handset from the handset, and the method further comprises the step of storing the scrambler seed in the memory device of the base unit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
140 words
A base unit for communication with one or more wireless handsets, each handset comprising a handset transceiver, comprising: (a) a handset docking station having a wired interface, the base unit characterized by further comprising: (b) means for initializing the handset via the wired inter face, when the handset is physically docked in the docking station, by reading from the handset a unique handset security code based on but not the same as a unique handset serial number permanently stored in the handset and storing the unique handset security code locally to the base unit; and a base transceiver for communicating over a channel with each handset via its handset transceiver only if the base unit determines, upon receipt of the handset security code for said handset form the handset, that the handset has previously been initialized by the base unit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
140 words
A base unit for communication with one or more wireless handsets, each handset comprising a handset transceiver, comprising: (a) a handset docking station having a wired interface, the base unit characterized by further comprising: (b) means for initializing the handset via the wired inter face, when the handset is physically docked in the docking station, by reading from the handset a unique handset security code based on but not the same as a unique handset serial number permanently stored in the handset and storing the unique handset security code locally to the base unit; and a base transceiver for communicating over a channel with each handset via its handset transceiver only if the base unit determines, upon receipt of the handset security code for said handset form the handset, that the handset has previously been initialized by the base unit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
133 words
The base unit of claim 11 , wherein the base unit and the handset each comprise means for scrambling digital communications between the base transceiver and the handset in accordance with a scrambler seed unique to the handset that must be known to both the base transceiver and the handset, the base unit and the handset each comprise a memory device for storing the scrambler seed, the handset comprises the means for receiving the scrambler seed from a user of the handset when the handset is being initialized for storage in the memory device of the handset, and said means for initializing comprising means for reading the scrambler seed provided by the user of the handset from the memory device of the handset for storage in the memory device of the base unit.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-12-14 | 2008-06-14 | 2008-12-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-12-14 | 2012-06-14 | 2012-12-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-12-14 | 2016-06-14 | 2016-12-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |