초록 ▼

A mobile communication terminal device such as a cellular telephone is provided with a preliminary identifier stored in memory. The identifier allows access to a cellular network for verification and provides essentially unique identification by the network, but is insufficient to allow further use

A mobile communication terminal device such as a cellular telephone is provided with a preliminary identifier stored in memory. The identifier allows access to a cellular network for verification and provides essentially unique identification by the network, but is insufficient to allow further use of the network. During verification, the identifier is analyzed by a cellular network processor and a determination is made whether the cellular telephone should have restricted access to the network. Upon favorable completion of the identifier analysis, a signal may be transmitted to the cellular telephone that allows the cellular telephone to have less restricted access to the network.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of controlling access by a wireless terminal to a wireless link available from a communications service provider, said method comprising:receiving from a wireless terminal an identifier transmitted, at least in part, on the wireless link, wherein the identifier includes first and second

1. A method of controlling access by a wireless terminal to a wireless link available from a communications service provider, said method comprising:receiving from a wireless terminal an identifier transmitted, at least in part, on the wireless link, wherein the identifier includes first and second numbers, the first number including a serial number that is permanently associated with the wireless terminal; analyzing the identifier to determine whether the second number transmitted by the wireless terminal is a preliminary identifier, the preliminary identifier providing the wireless terminal restricted access to the wireless link, and if the second number is a preliminary identifier, analyzing a customer data record using the first and second numbers to determine whether the wireless terminal should continue to have restricted access to the wireless link; and transmitting, upon favorable completion of said analyzing step, a signal to the wireless terminal so that the wireless terminal transmits a replacement identifier the next time the wireless terminal transmits an identifier, the replacement identifier allowing the wireless terminal to have less restricted access to the wireless link than the preliminary identifier.