GB2248364A - Radio telephone with service interface - Google Patents

Abstract

An arrangement for enabling service test calls to be made on a radio telephone (2) whereby the service company and not the subscriber is billed for the test calls. The arrangement comprises a service interface module (1) which can be coupled to a telephone (2) during servicing. The service interface module includes a number assignment module (NAM) (16) containing a special service telephone number. This service telephone number is transferred to the telephone (2) when the service interface module is connected thereto and the telephone adopts this service telephone number in favour of its own inherent identity. When the service interface module is disconnected the telephone resumes its inherent telephone number stored in local NAM (7). <IMAGE>

Description

RADIO TELEPHONE WITH SERVICE INTERFACE MODULE This invention relates to a radio telephone arrangement comprising a radio telephone, particularly but not exclusively a cellular radio telephone, in combination with a service interface module.

Cellular radio telephones fall into two main categories, namely mobiles and hand portables, although there is also an intermediate category known as transportables. As the name implies, a hand portable telephone is relatively lightweight and small in size and operates from an internal, rechargeable battery pack so that it may readily be carried around by the user. A mobile telephone, on the other hand, is permanently installed in a vehicle and operates from the vehicle's own (higher voltage) power supply.

Conventionally, each cellular telephone - whether mobile or hand portable - has its own unique telephone number by which it may be accessed from other cellular telephones or fixed-wire conventional telephones. The full telephone number together with an electronic serial number (ESN) is stored in a memory, e.g. a ROM, PROM or RAM known in the art as a 'number assignment module' (NAM) coupled to the control circuits, usually a microprocessor, of the cellular telephone. In the case of mobile telephones the NAM is traditionally contained in the so-called transceiver unit located in a convenient (usually concealed) place separate and remote from the handset, the handset being connected to the transceiver unit.

It is noted that the terms 'number assignment module' and 'NAM' as used herein encompass any memory means, not necessarily modular in form, nor dedicated to the NAM function, in which information pertaining to the identity of the telephone, specifically for example the telephone number and the ESN, is stored.

U.S. Patent No. 4,677,653 and U.S. Patent No. 4,734,928 disclose an adapter for a cellular mobile telephone which converts the telephone to have any one of several different telephone numbers selected manually by the user. The adapter is provided with a plurality of number assignment modules (i.e. NAMs) in the form of respective ROMs, each storing a unique telephone number. The ROMs (or NAMs) are mounted on a main circuit board in a housing separate from the telephone unit. Each NAM is connected to a multi-position switch so that a selected one of the NAMs may be coupled to the microprocessor of the telephone to change the telephone number. These U.S.Patents essentially extend the concept of a cellular telephone having its own unique telephone number by teaching that each telephone may indeed be adapted to have several unique numbers, any one of which may be active (all the others being dormant) at any one time and the user would have a different billing account for each number. Although the same principle could also be applied to hand portable telephones, the overriding doctrine remains to provide cellular telephones with exclusive telephone numbers, that is to say each telephone either has its own individual telephone number or a unique set of telephone numbers exclusive to that particular telephone.

Our UK patent application GB-A-2229340 and corresponding European patent application EP-A-0,378,450 relate to a radio telephone system comprising two radio telephones each having their own unique identities (e.g. telephone number and ESN), wherein one of the telephones (the so-called "host" telephone) assumes the identity of the other when the two telephones are intercoupled. European patent application EP-A-0,310,876 also concerns the concept of identity transfer between two distinct radios.

When existing cellular telephones are serviced the service engineer will often need to make and/or receive a special call in order to test the telephone apparatus. Since the engineer is under normal conditions constrained to use the inherent telephone number of the apparatus being serviced the test call will inevitably be charged to the subscriber's own account. This is clearly an undesirable situation, but there has so far not been available any straightforward solution to this problem of charging test calls to the subscriber.

According to the present invention there is provided a radio telephone arrangement comprising a radio telephone including first memory means for storing a first number identifying the radio telephone, a service interface module comprising second memory means for storing a second identifying number, and means for intercoupling the service interface module and the radio telephone and for permitting data indicative of the second identifying number to be transferred to the radio telephone whereby the radio telephone assumes automatically the second identifying number when the service interface module is coupled to the radio telephone.

Thus a service engineer may be provided with a service interface module containing a special identifying number (e.g. telephone number, ESN) belonging not to the subscriber but to the service company. By coupling the service interface module to the telephone to be serviced the telephone may adopt (e.g. automatically) the special identifying number(s) of the service interface module. The engineer can then make and receive calls using the special service identification number(s) and the cost of the calls will therefore be charged to the service company's account.

In a preferred embodiment the service identification number(s) is (are) downloaded into re-programmable memory means present in the radio telephone.

Alternatively, however, the radio telephone may be arranged to read the special service identify information directly from the service interface module whenever the telephone is coupled thereto.

In a preferred embodiment the identity of the service interface module suppresses the inherent identity of the telephone when the service interface module is coupled thereto. To this end means are also included for detecting when the service interface module and the radio telephone are intercoupled. Furthermore, the radio telephone comprises control circuitry to which the first memory means are coupled, and switching means responsive to the detecting means which disconnect the first memory means from the control circuitry when the service interface module is coupled to the radio telephone. The switching means may be arranged to disconnect the re-programmable memory means of the radio telephone and to reconnect the first memory means when the service interface module is not coupled to the radio telephone.Thus the telephone will resume its own identity when the service interface module is not coupled thereto.

Suitably the service interface module also includes a re-programmable memory, i.e. a buffer into which data indicative of the first number stored in the first memory means is transferred (e.g. automatically) when the service interface module is coupled to the radio telephone. Downloading the telephone identifying number(s) into the service interface module in this way enables the data to be restored in case any information stored in the first memory means in the telephone is lost or damaged during servicing.

In a particular embodiment the radio telephone may comprise further memory means for storing variable information such as abbreviated dialling codes or frequently used telephone numbers entered by the subscriber. This variable data may also be downloaded (automatically) from the telephone to the same or different buffer memory in the service module as was used for the identifying number(s).

The service interface module may also include other service functions. To this end the service interface module may comprise a keyboard for remotely controlling the radio telephone when the service interface module is coupled thereto. The service interface module may also be provided with a visual display, such as a liquid crystal display, for indicating various items of information pertaining to the operation of the radio telephone arrangement.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: the single Figure illustrates schematically a cellular radio telephone and service interface module in accordance with the invention.

In the Figure there is shown schematically a service interface module 1 connected to a hand portable cellular radio telephone 2.

As is conventional, the portable telephone 2 comprises a transceiver with RF circuits 13 connected to an external antenna 18 and coupled to a microprocessor 6.

The telephone 2 includes all the other functions conventionally found in a cellular telephone. Since these aspects of the telephone are not directly relevant to the instant invention no further details will be given here, except to say that the microprocessor 6 is employed to control all the basic functions of the telephone.

The portable telephone has its own inherent telephone number and ESN stored in NAM 7. The NAM 7 is coupled to the microprocessor 6 via a switch 12a.

The telephone 2 also has a random access memory or RAM 20 coupled to microprocessor 6. Variable data may be entered into RAM 20 by the user, e.g. abbreviated dialling codes, frequently dialled telephone numbers or other data.

The portable telephone has an external connector 3, e.g. an 18 pin socket, known per se, to which the microprocessor 6 is coupled by an internal data link 24.

The service interface module 1 comprises a housing 15 containing its own microprocessor 4 and a NAM 16 coupled thereto containing a special service telephone number and ESN belonging to the service company (as opposed to the subscriber). The microprocessor 4 is coupled by an internal data link 27 to an external connector 8, e.g. an 18 pin socket, in the housing 15 of the module 1.

The service interface module 1 in this embodiment also comprise a display, e.g. a liquid crystal display 19, and a keypad 5 on the front of the module housing. The display 19 is coupled to and regulated by the microprocessor in conventional manner. The keypad, also coupled to the microprocessor 4, essentially comprises two sets of keys, namely alpha-numeric keys associated with alpha-numeric data especially for dialling telephone numbers, but also (optionally for manually entering alphanumeric data, and a set of function keys for actuating various predetermined service-related functions or operations.

The service interface module 1 and telephone 2 are coupled together by a electrically conductive data link cable 9 having plugs 10 and 11 at opposite ends which mate with sockets 3 and 8 in the telephone and service interface module respectively. A detector 14 coupled to the socket 3 and to the microprocessor 6 within the telephone 2 detects when the service interface module is connected and sends an appropriate signal to the microprocessor 6. In practice the detector need not be a distinct device since the detection function may be carried out by the microprocessor itself.

When the detector 14 indicates to the microprocessor 6 that the coupling is present the data stored in NAM 16 in the service interface module 1 is downloaded automatically under the control of the respective microprocessors into a re-programmable memory 22 coupled via switch 12b to the microprocessor 6 in the telephone.

Before this data transfer commences or after it has been completed the data stored in NAM 7 in the telephone 1 is downloaded automatically under the control of the respective microprocessors into a re-programmable buffer memory 21 coupled to the microprocessor 4 in the service interface module. This is a precautionary measure which enables the telephone NAM data to be recovered from the buffer 21 in the event that any information in the telephone NAM 7 itself is lost or damaged during servicing.

When the service interface module 1 is coupled to the phone as indicated to the microprocessor 6 by the detector 14, switch 12a in response thereto is opened to isolate NAM 7, while switch 12b again in response to the detector 14 is closed to connect memory 22 to the microprocessor 6. Accordingly, for the duration of the intercoupling of the telephone and service interface module the inherent identity of the telephone (contained in NAM 7) is suppressed in favour of the identity transferred from the service interface module and stored within the telephone in memory 22. Thus the service engineer can make and receive calls using the telephone and the charges will be levied against the service company's account rather than the subscriber's.

In fact the service engineer can operate the telephone remotely using the keypad 5 on the service interface module 1 and appropriate messages are displayed on the display 19. As well as being able to dial numbers and perform regular user functions remotely from the service interface module keypad 5, special service functions may also be activated remotely from the module keypad. However, these aspects do not relate directly to the subject matter of the present invention and so no further details will be given here.

When the service interface module 1 is disconnected from the telephone 2 (i.e. after servicing has been completed) the switch 12a responding to the detector 14 reconnects NAM 7 to the microprocessor, while switch 12b disconnects the memory 22 so that the telephone resumes its own original inherent identity.

The same service interface module can of course be connected to any number of separate telephones for servicing and each telephone will automatically assume the identity transferred from the module for the duration of the connection. The service interface module is thus clearly a useful and flexible servicing tool.

It is noted here that switches 12a and 12b need not be distinct devices, but the switching operation may in fact be carried out by microprocessor 6.

In view of the foregoing description it will be evident that various modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. For example a service interface module in accordance with the invention may equally be used in conjunction with mobile and transportable radios as with portables. Furthermore, it is not necessary for the NAM data in the service interface module to be downloaded to the telephone. On the contrary, the telephone may be arranged to have direct read access to the service interface module NAM 16 when the service interface module is coupled to the telephone. Also, it is not necessary for data transfer to occur automatically when the service interface module is coupled to the telephone. Instead, it may for example be necessary for the service engineer to enter some information such as a personal identification number (PIN) on the keypad 5 of the service interface module to initiate data transfer. As regards the data link between the service interface module and the telephone this need not be a fixed-wire electrical link (as described), but may alternatively be an optical or radio link.

Finally, it is noted that the invention is not limited to cellular radio telephones, but applies equally to any radio telephone, for example the discrete area system known in the UK as CT2.

Claims (11)

1. A radio telephone arrangement comprising a radio telephone including first memory means for storing a first number identifying the radio telephone, a service interface module comprising second memory means for storing a second identifying number, and means for intercoupling the service interface module and the radio telephone and for permitting data indicative of the second identifying number to be transferred to the radio telephone whereby the radio telephone assumes automatically the second identifying number when the service interface module is coupled to the radio telephone.

2. A radio telephone arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radio telephone comprises re-programmable memory means for storing data indicative of the second identifying number.

3. A radio telephone arrangement as claimed-in claim 1 or claim 2, including means capable of detecting when the service interface module is coupled to the radio telephone, wherein the radio telephone comprises control circuitry to which the first memory means are coupled, and switching means responsive to the detecting means which disconnect the first memory means from the control circuitry when the service interface module is coupled to the radio telephone.

4. A radio telephone arrangement as claimed in claim 3, including switching means responsive to the detecting means which disconnect the re-programmable memory means of the radio telephone and reconnect the first memory means when the service interface module is not coupled to the radio telephone.

5. A radio telephone arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the service interface module comprises re-programmable memory means and means are provided for transferring data indicative of the first number from the radio telephone to the re-programmable memory means of the service interface module when the service interface module is coupled to the radio telephone.

6. A radio telephone arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the transferring means is adapted to transfer data indicative of the first number from the radio telephone to the re-programmable memory means of the service interface module automatically when the service interface module is coupled to the radio telephone.

7. A radio telephone arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the radio telephone comprises further memory means for storing variable information, and the service interface module comprises re-programmable memory means, and means are-provided for transferring data from the further memory means of the radio telephone to the re-programmable memory means of the service interface module when the service interface module is coupled to the radio telephone.

8. A radio telephone arrangement as claimed in claim 5 and claim 7, wherein the service interface module comprises common re-programmable memory means for storing data indicative of the first number from the first memory means and for storing data from the further memory means.

9. A radio telephone arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the service interface module comprises a keyboard for remotely controlling the radio telephone when the service interface module is coupled thereto.

10. A radio telephone arrangement as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the service interface module comprises visual display means for displaying variable information relating to the operation of the radio telephone arrangement.

11. A radio telephone arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.