WO2006006191A1

WO2006006191A1 - A mobile telephone system used to protect user privacy and mobile telephone compatible with such technology

Info

Publication number: WO2006006191A1
Application number: PCT/IT2005/000382
Authority: WO
Inventors: Maurizio Bianchetti
Original assignee: Gest.I.Tel. S.R.L.; Telit S.R.L.
Priority date: 2004-07-09
Filing date: 2005-07-05
Publication date: 2006-01-19
Also published as: ITMC20040091A1; EP1787485A1

Abstract

The present invention refers to a mobile telephone system used to protect user privacy by preventing the provider’s telephone exchange from identifying the geographical position of the user with the mobile telephone in stand-by mode. Another purpose of the present invention is the mobile telephone compatible with the aforementioned innovative technology. The mobile telephone comprises a receiver for activating a transceiver or a transmitter in case of an incoming call.

Description

A mobile telephone system used to protect user privacy and mobile telephone compatible with such technology.

The present patent application for industrial invention refers to a mobile telephone system used to protect user privacy, as well as to the mobile telephone compatible with this technology.

As it is known, mobile telephone network providers need to detect users on the territory at any time; this is the only way they can establish immediate communication with calling parties.

Continuous territorial identification of users is a fundamental need of all network providers in order to choose the best route for each call in the network of repeaters located on the territory and reach the called user. Practically speaking, the continuous territorial identification of each user is obtained by means of a small transceiver provided on all mobile telephones, which operates when while the telephone is switched on, including when the telephone is not engaged in a conversion and is in stand¬ by mode. The transceiver is in constant contact with the provider's telephone exchange based on a bi-directional communication that involves reception- transmission of data used to instantaneously identify each mobile user on the territory.

Continuous communication between the telephone exchange and each mobile user guarantees the immediate updating of the user's geographical identification data; immediate updating is a necessary condition for the provider in order to detect the mobile user and choose the best route for incoming calls.

The efficacy of this operating logical principle is not under discussion; however, the presence of a considerable inconvenience must be noted.

In particular, the continuous exchange of identification data between the provider's telephone exchange and mobile users is stored by the provider, who is required to keep this data over time by the law.

By analyzing the provider's memory and the identification data exchanged between the telephone exchange and the mobile users, the movements of each user on the territory over a specific lapse of time can be identified in detail.

The possibility of identifying the movements of mobile users is a great inconvenience of traditional mobile telephone systems, it being an intolerable infringement of personal privacy rights.

In this perspective, the only way the user can avoid geographical identification is by switching the mobile telephone off, with the great inconvenience of not being able to receive incoming calls.

The purpose of the system of the invention is to protect the privacy of mobile telephone users, preventing the geographical identification of telephones when they are in stand-by mode. The non-identification of mobile telephones, however, is obtained in such a way that the mobile user can be informed immediately about an incoming call routed by the telephone provider, with the possibility of establishing the relevant communication.

Thanks to the system of the invention, a mobile telephone in stand-by mode can be considered as active only for the owner, and not for the provider, who is no longer able to identify the user geographically.

According to the system of the invention, in addition to the traditional transceiver, the mobile telephone is equipped with a supplementary autonomous radio receiver that operates on a fixed frequency or a frequency band used by the provider to send a call code for each specific user, without the possibility of establishing a telephone conversation.

The frequency band used by the additional radio receiver can be the frequency band normally used for telephone communication as well as a different frequency band used for other services, such as satellite broadcasting, digital sound or television broadcasting (DAB or DVB).

The additional radio receiver is operated continuously, including when the mobile telephone is in stand-by mode, without allowing to identify the mobile user on the territory.

This is guaranteed by the fact that the radio receiver is only enabled to receive the call notice from the telephone provider, without sending any data to the provider. Unlike traditional systems, according to the new system of the invention, the traditional transceiver is automatically switched off at the end of the telephone conversation, thus interrupting the communication between user and telephone exchange that allows for the continuous geographical identification of the mobile user. For a better understanding of the operating logical principle of the system of the invention, it must be noted that, in case of an incoming call to a mobile user included in the corresponding network, the telephone provider sends a call code to the called user, which is received by the additional radio receiver and interpreted as a notice of incoming call. Once the additional radio receiver has recognised the call code, it generates an acoustic and/or luminous signal to inform the user.

Now the user can decide whether to switch on the transceiver provided on the mobile telephone, thus enabling connection with the telephone network and establishing the telephone conversation with the calling party. As an alternative, the telephone transceiver can be automatically switched on after the call code is recognised, by means of a switch connected with the additional radio receiver.

In any case, by sending the call code, the telephone provider simply informs the user that a third party is trying to establish a conversation with his/her mobile telephone.

Upon receiving a call code, the user can decide whether to keep the transceiver off, thus renouncing to answer the incoming call, and at the same time preventing the immediate territorial identification by the provider's telephone exchange. Alternatively, the user can decide to switch on the telephone transceiver to answer the incoming call, being aware that this will establish the telephone conversation and at the same time will allow the provider's telephone exchange to identify the user on the territory immediately.

Even in this case, the user's privacy would be more protected compared to traditional mobile telephone systems, since the switching on of the transceiver provided in a mobile telephone allows the provider's telephone exchange to identify the current position of the user, without being informed about the user's movements when the telephone is in stand-by mode.

For major clarity the description of the invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawing, which is intended for purposes of illustration only and not in a limiting sense, whereby:

- Figure 1 is a block diagram that shows the characteristics of the mobile telephone compatible with the mobile telephone system of the present invention and the dual capability of establishing a conversation with the provider's telephone exchange. - Figure 2 is a block diagram similar to Figure 1 , which refers to a second embodiment of the invention.

With reference to Figure 1 , the mobile telephone compatible with the system of the invention is characterized in that it is provided with an additional radio receiver (RXS-1) that operates on the frequency band normally used for telephone communications and also on different frequency bands as illustrated above.

The radio receiver (RXS-1) is provided with ON/OFF switch (2) and is connected by means of an on/off switch (I-3) with the traditional transceiver (RX TX - 4) provided in ordinary mobile telephones. The switching OFF of the switch (2) of the radio receiver (RXS-1) has the two following consequences: the radio receiver (RXS-1) is switched off and the switch (I-3) of the transceiver (RX TX 4) is switched ON.

When the additional radio receiver (RXS-1) is switched off, the traditional transceiver (RX TX 4) is switched on, thus allowing the provider to identify the geographical position of the mobile telephone.

In this situation, the telephone operates according to traditional modes, as if it was not provided with the additional radio receiver (RXS-1 ). When the switch (2) of the radio receiver (RXS-1) is switched ON, the switch (I-3) of the transceiver (RX TX 4) is switched OFF, thus preventing connection with the provider's network and avoiding the geographical identification of the mobile telephone. Assuming that the radio receiver (RXS-1 ) receives and recognizes a call code sent by the provider (G) while it is ON₁ the user can decide to switch on the transceiver (RX TX-4) by means of the switch (1-3) using a corresponding control (M).

In this way, the user can establish the telephone conversation with the calling party, thus allowing the provider to identify his/her geographical position.

Alternatively, the user can decide not to establish the conversation and therefore not to switch on the transceiver (RX TX 4), thus maintaining his/her "invisible" position for the telephone provider. Moreover, the recognition of the call code by the radio receiver (RXS-

1) can be interpreted as an automatic impulse to switch on the transceiver (RX TX 4) by means of the switch (I-3).

This possibility can be selected by the user from time to time by means of a suitable key (A). In this way, the user can decide to automatically switch on the transceiver (RX TX 4) when the radio receiver (RXS-1 ) recognises a call code, or to switch on the transceiver (RX TX 4) at the user's discretion after recognising the calling party that sent the call code.

The automatic activation of the transceiver (RX TX 4) causes the immediate identification of the user by the provider every time the user receives a call, without impairing the possibility for the user to remain "invisible" when the mobile telephone is in stand-by mode.

If the frequency band used to send the call code is the frequency band that is normally used for telephone communication, the functions of the additional radio receiver (RXS-1 ) can be performed by the radio receiver (RX-

1 ) of traditional mobile telephone that, in this case, operates according to the diagram illustrated in Figure 2. In this case:

Upon recognizing the call code, the radio receiver (RX-1 ) will switch ON the switch (I-3) (either in manual mode "A" or in automatic mode "B" at the user's discretion), thus switching the transmitter (TX-4) on and connecting it with the provider's network in order to identify, detect and connect the calling party.

The mobile telephone will now operate in the traditional way during the conversation. In this case, the switch (2) will operate in ON/OFF mode to enable the mobile telephone both for the aforementioned procedure

(geographical identification only after the user's permission) (ON) and in the traditional mode (continuous geographical identification) (OFF).

Claims

1 ) A mobile telephone system characterised in that:

- the mobile telephone provider can send a recognition code for each specific user over radio waves, which is interpreted as a notice for an incoming call; it being provided that the code is broadcast over the frequency band normally used for telephone communication, as well as a different frequency band used for other services, such as satellite broadcasting, digital sound or television broadcasting (DAB or DVB);

- the recognition code is received and interpreted as a notice for incoming call by a radio receiver (RXS-1 or RX-1) provided in the mobile telephone of each user; it being provided that the switching on of the radio receiver (RXS-1 or RX-1 ) causes the switching off of the traditional transceiver (RX TX-4) or transmitter (TX-4) provided in the mobile telephone;

- after the recognition of the call code by the radio receiver (RXS-1 or RX1), signalled to the user by means of acoustic and/or luminous means, the transceiver (RX TX-4) or transmitter (TX-4) is switched on and connected with the provider's telephone network to establish the telephone conversation.

2) A system as defined in claim 1 , characterized in that, after the recognition of the call code by the radio receiver (RXS-1 or RX-1), the traditional transceiver (RX TX-4) or transmitter (TX-4) of the mobile telephone is switched on in automatic mode.

3) A system as defined in claim 1 , characterized in that, after the recognition of the call code by the radio receiver (RXS-1 or RX-1 ), the traditional radio transceiver (RX TX-4) or transmitter (TX-4) of the mobile telephone is switched on in manual mode following to a specific command given by the owner of the mobile telephone.

4) A mobile telephone compatible with the telephone system as defined in the aforementioned claims, characterized in that it is provided with a radio receiver (RXS-1 ) used to receive and decode recognition codes (i.e. incoming call codes) broadcast over radio waves by the telephone provider over a frequency band different from the frequency band that is normally used for telephone communication, as well as over a different frequency band used for other services, such as satellite broadcasting and digital sound or television broadcasting (DAB or DVB); it being provided that the radio receiver (RXS-1 ) is connected by means of a switch (I-3) with the traditional transceiver (RX TX-4) provided in ordinary mobile telephones, in such a way that the transceiver (RX TX-4) is automatically switched off in case of activation of the radio receiver (RXS-1 ) and then switched on every time the radio receiver (RXS-1 ) receives and recognises a call code. 5) A mobile telephone compatible with the telephone system as defined in the aforementioned claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is provided with a radio receiver (RXS-1 ) used to receive and decode recognition codes (i.e. incoming call codes) broadcast over radio waves by the telephone provider over the frequency band that is normally used for telephone communication; it being provided that the radio receiver (RX-1 ) is connected by means of a switch (I- 3) with the traditional transmitter (TX-4) provided in ordinary mobile telephones, in such a way that the transmitter (TX-4) is automatically switched off in case of activation of the radio receiver (RX-1 ) and then switched on every time the radio receiver (RX-1) receives and recognises a call code.

6) A telephone as defined in claims 4 and 5, characterized in that it is provided with a control (M) used by the user to enable the activation of the transceiver (RX TX-4) or transmitter (TX-4) after the recognition of a specific call code by the radio receiver (RXS-1 or RX-1 ). 7) A telephone as defined in claims 4 and 5, characterized in that it is provided with a control (A) that enables the automatic activation of the transceiver (RX TX-4) or transmitter (TX-4) after the recognition of a specific call code by the radio receiver (RXS-1 or RX-1). 8) A telephone as defined in one or more of the aforementioned claims 4 to 7, characterized in that it is provided with suitable acoustic and/or luminous means to inform the user of the recognition of a call code by the radio receiver (RXS-1 or RX-1). 9) A telephone as defined in one or more of the aforementioned claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the radio receiver (RXS-1 or RX-1) is provided with an ON/OFF switch (2).