FR2838909A1 - Portable telecommunications terminal having external container/calculator/electrical circuit and closed electrical circuit series set with push opening switch starting calculator. - Google Patents

Abstract

The portable telecommunications terminal (1) has an external container (2) and calculator (3). There is an electrical circuit (6). There is a closed electrical circuit set in series with a zone (23) of a male conductor element (22) contacting the conductor wall (13,14) of a push opening switch and starting the calculator.

Description

wired established during the establishment step (60).

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  The invention relates to the field of telecommunications and more particularly to portable terminals equipped with a processor for communicating remotely. Currently, portable telecommunication terminals include a start-up application, better known by the English name boot, which is launched automatically when the terminal is started up. This application is one of the different programs implemented by the terminal processor. The boot includes a certain number of instructions in particular to initialize the various components of the terminal such as the screen. Among these instructions, there are some whose function is to display a message on the screen to invite the user to enter a personal code called "PIN code" in the case of a GSM terminal, short for English terms. Saxons Global System for Mobile communication, and "password" in the case of a PDA terminal, abbreviation of the Anglo-Saxon terms Personal Digital Assistant. Generally, after trots successive seizures of a code which does not correspond to that memorized in a memory of the terminal, the terminal passes into a blind state; the terminal's functionality is no longer available to the user. To get out of this blind state, you have to perform a special intervention that a normal user cannot carry out. When the user has successfully entered his personal code, the functionality of the terminal is fully available to him. An attacker who steals the terminal can then use it freely. To partially limit the damage suffered by the terminal holder, certain operators regularly send SMS-type messages, an abbreviation of the English words Short Message System, to the terminal flies from the moment the owner signals to the operator theft from his terminal. Although these messages can disrupt the use of the terminal, they do not prevent its use. To improve this situation, a solution consists in detecting by the processor any prolonged absence of use of the terminal to place the terminal in a standby state and to automatically launch the instructions whose function consists in displaying a message on the screen to invite the user has to enter a personal code for activating a key on the keyboard or an area of the screen. Although this solution greatly reduces the risk that a thief could use a stolen terminal for a long time, it has the disadvantages of being costly in time.

  of computation and especially to appear tedious to the legitimate user.

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  Also, the invention relates to a portable terminal which makes it possible to improve the protection of this terminal against fraudulent use following a robbery

  all by remedying the disadvantages of prior art.

  A terminal according to the invention comprises: - an external casing, - a computer, - a through cavity outside the casing, - a female element held in the cavity, of defined shape delimited by at least two walls each having at mo ins a conductive area and forming a chamber intended to receive a male element through the through cavity, the wind walls electrically insulated from each other by an insulating piece of shape adapted to the shape of the two walls, the shapes of each of male and female elements cooperate with each other to maintain in a locked position the male element in the chamber after a pressure greater than a determined threshold has been exerted on this male element during its introduction, the male element comprises at least one conductive area in contact with each of the conductive areas of the walls when the male element is in the locked position, - an electrical circuit closed by the installation, via the z one conductor of the male element, of the two conductive zones of the walls and, open when the conductive zone of the male element is no longer in contact with the two conductive zones of the walls, the opening of the electrical circuit triggers a

  computer start-up application.

  - The user of the terminal hooks the male element to a personal effect which he carries on him, preferably as soon as the terminal is started. During the robbery of the terminal, the male element separates from the female element due to the force exerted by the thief which is greater than the holding force which exists between the male element and the female element . The separation between the male element and the female element causes the opening of the electrical circuit due to the break in contact between the respective conductive areas of the two elements. Opening the electrical circuit triggers the boot instructions, the function of which is to display a message on the screen to invite the user to enter a personal code. According to an alternative, opening the electrical circuit can trigger the boot instructions, the function of which is to place the terminal in a standby state, provided that the output of this state is made

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  only by launching the boot instructions, the function of which is to

  display a message on the screen to invite the user to enter a personal code.

  Thus, the tear-away flight results in a mechanical separation between the terminal and an accessory which remains attached to a personal effect of the user. This mechanical separation is translated within the terminal by an electrical discontinuity which automatically triggers the boot application which remains awaiting the entry of a code; access to the terminal's functionality can only be done after entering the correct code. Theft from the terminal no longer allows the thief to use the terminal without

knowledge of code.

  According to a particular embodiment of a terminal according to the invention, the interruption of the electrical circuit triggers the reinitialization of the portable telecommunication terminal. Reinitialization means the deletion of any personal configuration made by the user on his portable terminal. Some terminals allow the terminal owner to deactivate the boot instructions involved in entering a personal code. It is therefore tempting for the user to omit the step of entering a code, a step which hampers his own use of his terminal. In this case, after theft from the terminal, the thief has full access to the functions of the terminal even after going into standby. A terminal according to the invention advantageously makes it possible to avoid the disastrous consequences of a flight to

  despite the personal configuration previously carried out by the user.

  The invention further relates to a male element of specific shape intended to be introduced, through the through cavity, into the chamber delimited by the walls of the female element fixed in the through cavity of the portable telecommunication terminal. according to the preceding object. The shape of the male element cooperates with the shape of the female element to maintain in a locked position the male element in the chamber after a pressure greater than a determined threshold has been exerted on this male element during its introduction . The male element comprises at least one conductive zone in contact with the two conductive zones of the female element when the male element is in the locked position. The male element also comprises an eyecup situated in a part of the male element which remains accessible when this element

  is in the locked position in the female element.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear during the

  description which follows of particular examples of realization of the invention. The description

  is made with reference to the following annexed figures given by way of nonlimiting examples.

  Figure 1 is a schematic view of a portable terminal according to the invention.

  Figure 2 is a diagram of a female element equipping a terminal according to the invention.

  Figure 3 is a diagram of a male element according to the invention.

  Figure 4 is a diagram of the 'male element of Figure 3 intro dun' in ['element

terminal 1 female.

  The portable terminal according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 corresponds to a mobile telephone. In the context of the invention, a portable terminal designates any portable device fitted with telecommunication means which allow a user to establish a remote communication. A non-exhaustive list of such a device is given below: laptop, WAP mobile phone (Wireless Application Protocol in English) or UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System in English), smartphone, personal assistant (or PDA in Anglo-Saxon language), each equipped with an operating system (or OS for Operating System in Anglo-Saxon language) such as Windows CE, PalmOS, Linux. The portable terminal 1 includes an external housing 2, a computer 3, a cavity

  4 through the outside of the case, a female element 5, an electrical circuit 6.

  The terminal 1 also comprises the usual elements such as a screen 7 and a

  keyboard 8 as well as an antenna 9 and a transmission / reception chain.

  The case 2 exterior is known per se; every mobile phone includes one.

  The computer 3 has a certain intelligence in the sense that it drives the screen 9 and the keyboard 8 and in particular controls the signals transmitted and received by the antenna 9. The computer 3 is usually associated with a memory in which wind stored instructions. These instructions are executed by the computer which translates them into signals; these signals provide in particular the functions of piloting the interfaces of the terminal and of controlling the exchange of information between the interfaces and the resources of the terminal. Depending on the type of portable terminal and the type of subscription, the user has access to various services, the most well-known of which are currently sending or receiving SMS type messages (short for Short Message System terms), access to voicemail, reception of electronic mail. Calling each of these services launches a software application which includes a number of instructions. These software applications can be configured and sold separately from the terminal. The terminal also includes functions which take place locally at the terminal such as the function for entering a code r I

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  which are part of the basic configuration of the terminal. In a basic version, the terminal includes at least one boot application called "boot". This application includes the first instructions that the computer executes when the terminal is started up. Generally, the boot initializes the terminal to allow the user nominal use, that is to say according to the basic configuration. Thus, after starting and running the boot, the computer launches the application of

  entering a personal code; the terminal remains pending entry of the code.

  The cavity 4 is a housing which opens to the outside of the housing. The shape of the cavity is typically cylindrical and of a reduced diameter. According to a particular embodiment, the cavity has dimensions adapted to the dimensions of a female audio jack 3.5. Such a cavity is known in itself because it is common to find a telephone

  mobile equipped with a female audio jack 3.5 kept in such a cavity.

  The female element 5 is of determined shape. This form illustrated in FIG. 2 is delimited by at least two walls 10, 11 which form a chamber 12 intended to receive a male element by means of the through cavity. Each wall 10, 11 comprises at least one electrically insulated conductive zone 13, 14 one of

  - the other by an insulating piece 15 of shape adapted to the shape of the two walls 10, 11.

  According to the example chosen and illustrated by FIG. 2, the determined form of the element 5

  female is such that the two walls form a neck 16.

  The female element is typically a female audio jack. Depending on the space available in the terminal, it is a 3.5 jack, or a smaller jack. The element

  female is fixed in the cavity according to current techniques.

  The electrical circuit 6 comprises a power supply 17 and elements 18, 19, 20, 21 for connecting the power supply 17 to the walls of the female element. According to a typical embodiment, a conductive zone 14 of one of the walls is connected to the cold point of the power supply 17 and the conductive zone 13 of the other walls is connected to the hot spot by means of an electronic component 21, an AND gate for example. More precisely, one of the two inputs of the door is connected to the hot spot, the second input is connected to the conductive zone and is brought back to the hot point by a return resistor. In this configuration, the electric circuit 6 is open and the

  AND gate output provides a signal equivalent to the value of the hot spot.

  The supply 17 is either a secondary supply or the main supply of the terminal. In the first case, the interruption of the electrical circuit is detected by the computer. The computer triggers itself a starter application but in

  taking into account the personal configuration previously carried out by the user.

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  Such a boot application can be referred to as software boot.

  Thus, the user who has configured his terminal to deactivate the input application

  a personal code takes the risk that the thief will be able to use his terminal.

  In the second case, cutting the electrical circuit is synonymous with cutting the main supply. Restarting the terminal requires the introduction of a male element into the terminal to close the main power supply. The restarting of the terminal triggers in this case a boot qualified as hardware, the computer executes the boot instructions according to the basic configuration: all personal configuration is erased. The boot automatically launches the instructions for entering a personal code. According to a variant, the personal configuration can be kept, in an EPROM memory for example, except as regards the

  deactivation of the code entry function.

  Figure 3 is a diagram of a male element 22 according to the invention. The male element 22 is of determined shape and intended to be introduced into the chamber delimited by the walls of the female element previously described. The shape of the male element cooperates with the shape of the female element to maintain the male element in a locked position in the chamber after a pressure greater than a determined threshold has been exerted on this element mile during its introduction . The extraction force is of the same order of magnitude as the previous pressing force. The male element 22 comprises at least one conductive zone 23 in contact with each of the two conductive zones of the female element when the male element is in the blocked position and an insulating zone 24. According to the example selected and illustrated in FIG. 3, the insulating zone 24 has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the conductive zone 23. The male element 22 further includes an eyelet 25 located in a part of the 22 mile element which remains accessible when this element is in the locked position in the female element. This eyelet 25 allows for example to attach a loop extended by a cord itself terminated in a bracelet that the user wears on the wrist. Other forms can be used in place of the bracelet such as a carabiner, an unwinder with a blocking

limit switch.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram of the male element 22 of FIG. 3 intro of a clans of the female element of the terminal of FIG. 1. The terminal is represented in a very incomplete manner in the form of a section of the housing. 2 and this only in an area adjacent to the through cavity 4. To introduce the male element 22 into the female element 5, the user exerts a slight pressure of an order of magnitude equivalent to that of the pressure exerted during the introduction of a male jack into a female jack. according to

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  the example selected and illustrated in FIG. 4, the insulating zone 24 of the male 22 element retains this element 22 in the female element 5 abutting on the neck 16 of the female element 5. When the male element 22 is in the locked position in the female element 5, the conductive zone 23 of the male element is in contact with the two conductive zones 13, 14 of the female element 5; the electrical circuit is closed. During a robbery the terminal, the thief seizes this terminal generally brutally. During pulling out, the male part is subjected to a restoring force exerted by the cord which stops the maintenance of the male element in the female element. When the restoring force exceeds the extraction force, the male part is extracted from the female element; the thief escapes with the terminal, the user keeps

  ['male element at the end of the cord. After extraction, the electrical circuit is open.

  The opening of the circuit triggers the boot of the computer which blocks the terminal in a waiting state for entering a personal code. The thief can no longer use terminal a

less to know this code.

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Claims (9)

  1. Terminal (1) portable telecommuting comprising: - an external casing (2), - a computer (3), - a cavity (4) opening outside the casing (2), - a female element (5) held in the cavity (4), of defined shape delimited by at least two walls (10,11) each having at least one conductive zone (13, 14) and forming a chamber (12) intended to receive a male element (22) by the intermediate of the opening cavity (4), the walls (10, 11) are electrically isolated from each other by an insulating piece (15) of form adapted to the shape of the two walls (10, 11), the shapes of each of the elements (22, 5) male and female cooperate with each other to maintain in a locked position the element (22) male in the chamber (12) after a pressure greater than a determined threshold has been exerted on this element (22) male during its introduction, the male element (22) comprises at least one conductive zone (23) in contact with each of the conductive zones (13, 14) s walls (10, 11) when the male element (22) is in the locked position, characterized in that it further comprises: - an electric circuit (6) closed by the setting up, by means of the conductive zone (23) of the male element (22), of the two conductive zones (13, 14) of the walls (10, 11 d and, open when the conductive zone (23) of the male element (22) does not is no longer in contact with the two conductive zones (13, 14) of the walls (10, 11), the opening of the electrical circuit triggers a starting application of the computer (3).   2. portable telecommunication terminal (1) according to claim 1, in which   [The starter application resets the portable telecommunication terminal (l).   3. portable telecommunication terminal (1) according to claim 2, in which the electrical circuit (6) is the main supply circuit of the portable terminal (1). telecommunications.   4. portable telecommunication terminal (1) according to one of claims l to 3,   wherein the female element (5) has the form of a female audio jack connector. 9 2838909   5. portable telecommunication terminal (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, consist of a mobile phone.   S 6. portable telecommunication terminal (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4,   consist of a personal assistant.   7. portable telecommunication terminal (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, consist of a microcomputer.   8. Male element (22) of determined shape intended to be introduced, through a cavity (4) emerging from a portable telecommunications terminal (1), into a chamber (12) delimited by walls (10 , 11) of a female element (5) of determined shape fixed in the opening cavity (4), the two walls (10,11) of the female element (5) each having at least one zone (13, 14) conductive and being electrically insulated from each other by an insulating piece (15) of shape adapted to the shape of the two walls (10, 11), the shape of the male element (22) cooperating with the shape of the element (5) female to maintain in a locked position the male element (22) in the chamber (12) after a pressure greater than a determined threshold has been exerted on this male element (22) during its introduction, [the element (22) ) male comprising at least one conductive zone (23) in contact with the two conductive zones (13, 14) of the female element (5) when the male element (22) is in position blocked, characterized in that it comprises: - an eyelet (25) located in a part of the male element (22) which remains accessible   when this element (22) is in the locked position in the element (5) female.   9. Male element (22) according to claim 8 wherein the non-accessible part, when the male element (22) is in the locked position in the female element (5), at the   form of a male audio jack connector.