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`[11] Patent Number:
`United States Patent
`[19]
`5,913,175
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`[45] Date of Patent:
`Jun. 15, 1999
`Pinault
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`U5005913175A
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`[54] METHOD OF MAKING THE USE OF A
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`TERMINAL OF A CELLULAR MOBILE
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`RADIO SYSTEM MORE SECURE, AND
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`CORRESPONDING TERMINAL AND USER
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`CARD
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`[75]
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`Inventor: Francis Pinault, Bois Colombes,
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`France
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`[73] Assignee: Alcatel Mobile Phones, Paris, France
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`[21] Appl. No.: 08/777,734
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`Filed:
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`[22]
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`Dec. 20, 1996
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`Foreign Application Priority Data
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`[FR]
`France ................................... 95 15283
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`[51]
`Int. Cl.6 ................................................ H04Q 7/32
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`[52] US. Cl.
`455/558, 455/410, 455/411
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`[58] Field of Search ................................. 455/410, 411,
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`455/557, 558; 379/114, 143, 357; 235/380,
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`382, 380/21, 28, 30, 23, 3
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`[30]
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`Dec. 21, 1995
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`[56]
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`References Cited
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`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`
`
`4,736,419
`4/1988 Roe ........................................... 380/23
`
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`
`
`5,390,252
`2/1995 Suzuki et al.
`.. 455/411
`
`
`
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`
`
`5,444,764
`8/1995 Galecki
`.......
`.. 455/558
`
`
`
`
`
`
`5,600,708
`2/1997 Meche et al.
`.. 455/411
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`5,604,787
`2/1997 Kotzin et al.
`.. 455/558
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`5,617,470
`4/1997 Depasquale
`.. 379/114
`
`
`
`
`
`5,661,806
`8/1997 Nevoux et al.
`380/25
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`5,675,607 10/1997 Alesio et al.
`.. 379/114
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`4/1998 Gallant et al.
`.. 455/558
`5,742,910
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`5/1998 Loder ......
`.. 455/407
`5,748,720
`
`
`
`
`
`6/1998 Mooney et a .
`........................ 455/558
`5,761,624
`
`
`
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`
`
`
`
`.
`
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`
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`
`2/1989 European Pat. 01f. .
`03 01 740 A2
`
`
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`
`
`
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`
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`
`
`
`
`
`.l. K. Omura, “A computer dial access system based on
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`publicikey techniques”, IEEE Communications Magazine,
`
`
`
`
`
`Jul. 1987, vol. 25, No. 7, Jul. 1987, ISSN 016376804, pp.
`
`
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`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`73—79.
`
`
`
`
`Primary Examiner—Dwayne D. Bost
`
`
`
`Assistant Examiner—Jean A. Gelin
`
`
`
`
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Sughnle, Miou, Zinn, Macpeak
`
`
`
`
`
`
`& Seas, PLLC
`
`
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
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`Aterminal of a cellular mobile radio system cooperates with
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`a user card and is able to operate in at least two separate
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`operating modes, namely a normal mode in which it can be
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`used with any user card and a locked mode in which it can
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`be used only with the user card to which it is locked, the
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`latter constituting a linked user card. To make use of the
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`terminal more secure,
`first
`locking data is stored in a
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`memory area of the linked user card and, in the locked mode,
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`the method includes a phase of authentication by the termi-
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`nal of the user card With which it is cooperating. In the
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`authentication phase second locking data is calculated in the
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`terminal from the intermediate data read in a memory area
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`accessible to the terminal using a calculation function spe-
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`cific to the terminal, and the first and second locking data is
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`compared in the terminal and use of the terminal is autho—
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`rized only in the event of equality, that is to say if the user
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`card with which the terminal is cooperating is authenticated
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`as the linked user card.
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`21 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets
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`lofl3
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`SAMSUNG EXHIBIT 1007
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`1 of 13
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`SAMSUNG EXHIBIT 1007
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`US. Patent
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`Jun. 15, 1999
`
`Sheet 1 0f 5
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`5,913,175
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`
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`MANUFACTURE
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`NORMAL MODE
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`LOCKED MODE
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`Fig. 5
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`20f13
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`AUTHENTICATE LINK
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`US. Patent
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`Jun. 15, 1999
`
`Sheet 2 of 5
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`5,913,175
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`T Q
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`CU
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`D1-
` Fig. 2A
`
`USER CARD
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`TERMINAL
`) E30i©
`USER CARD
`
`m
`
`Fig. 28
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`CU
`
`D1-©
`
`Fig. 3A USERCARD
`®
`
`T
`
`Dil::1
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`TERMINAL
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`TERMINAL
`Q)
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`©
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`_,
`Fig. 4A USERCARD
`o. [:1
`DI' —
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`CU
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`T TERMINAL
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`USER CARD
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`3of13
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`US. Patent
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`Jun. 15, 1999
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`Sheet 3 of5
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`5,913,175
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`NORMAL MODE
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`LOCKINGCODE? ‘6
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`CREATE LINK
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`62
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`10
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`ELIMINATE
`PREVIOUS LINK
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`AUTHENTICATE LINK
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`LOCKED MODE
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`BLOCK TERMINAL
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`UNBLOCK TERMINAL
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`Wm
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`YES
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`64
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`Fig. 6
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`4of13
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`US. Patent
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`Jun. 15, 1999
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`Sheet 4 of5
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`5,913,175
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`50f13
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`US. Patent
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`Jun. 15,1999
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`Sheet 5 0f 5
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`5,913,175
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`T1 FIRST TERMINAL
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`T2 SECOND TERMINAL
`
`{sie'éfifiu'fi """"""""""
`:ENHANCER
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`W/A
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`TERMINAL
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`Fig. 11
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`111
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`6of13
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`5,913,175
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`1
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`METHOD OF MAKING THE USE OFA
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`TERMINAL OF A CELLULAR MOBILE
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`RADIO SYSTEM MORE SECURE, AND
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`CORRESPONDING TERMINAL AND USER
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`CARD
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`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`1. Field of the Invention
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`The field of the invention is that of cellular mobile radio
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`systems with terminals (also called mobile stations). In the
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`field of cellular mobile radio, European standards include
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`the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications)
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`standard, covering public mobile radio systems operating in
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`the 900 MHz band.
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`To be more precise, the invention concerns a method of
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`making the use of a terminal of a cellular mobile radio
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`system more secure. The method of the invention can be
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`used in a GSM system, but is not exclusive to that system.
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`2. Description of the Prior Art
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`A cellular mobile radio system is implemented within a
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`network of geographical cells through which the mobile
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`stations (or terminals) travel. A base station is associated
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`with each cell and a mobile station communicates through
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`the base station of the cell in which it is located.
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`The expression mobile station or terminal (both of which
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`are used interchangeably in this description) refer to the
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`physical equipment employed by the user of the network to
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`access the telecommunication services offered. There are
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`various types of terminals, such as vehicle-mounted, por-
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`table and hand-portable terminals.
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`they generally have to
`When a user uses a terminal,
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`connect a user card that they retain in order for the latter to
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`communicate their subscriber number to the terminal. In the
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`case of the GSM system, the user card that the user must
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`connect to the terminal is a removable memory card called
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`the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), which communicates
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`to the terminal the user’s International Mobile Subscriber
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`Identity (IMSI) number.
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`In other words, all of the personalized information con-
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`cerning the subscriber is stored on the user card (or SIM
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`card). Thus, in the general case, any terminal can be used
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`with any user card.
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`An authentication mechanism prevents unauthorized use
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`of the identity of a network subscriber.
`It must not be
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`possible for a person knowing only the identity (or IMSI) of
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`a subscriber to pass themselves off as that subscriber to the
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`network. To this end, the user card also contains an indi-
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`vidual authentication key and an authentication algorithm.
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`After the subscriber has identified himself or herself,
`the
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`network can therefore check their identity and break off the
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`procedure if the authentication procedure fails.
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`Subscribers may inform the network operator or manager
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`that their card has been lost or stolen. This means that any
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`attempt by a third party to use their user card can be detected
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`and barred at system level.
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`The operator often offers an additional degree of protec—
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`tion of the user card. For this, a Personal Identity Number
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`(PIN) is stored on the user card. Subscribers are asked to
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`enter their PIN code on the keypad of the terminal each time
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`the card is inserted into the terminal or each time that the
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`terminal is switched on, This prevents anyone using a lost or
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`stolen user card if they do not know the PIN code associated
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`with that user card.
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`Although in the early days of cellular mobile radio
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`systems various means of protecting user cards against
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`2
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`unauthorized use were proposed, as explained above, the
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`same cannot be said in respect to protection of the terminals.
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`First generation terminals do not have any particular pro-
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`tection against unauthorized use. Consequently, a lost or
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`stolen terminal can be used by anyone holding a valid user
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`card. The network verifies the validity of the user card but
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`not that of the terminal. In protection terms, the terminal can
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`therefore be classified as “passive”.
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`Each terminal of a cellular mobile radio system is a costly
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`device, Whether the cost is met by the subscriber or by the
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`operator. There is therefore an obvious benefit in attempting
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`to make its use more secure, in particular in the event of loss
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`of theft.
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`Making the use of a terminal more secure generally
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`consists in proposing, in addition to the normal operating
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`mode, a so-called locked mode in which the terminal can be
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`used only with a user card with which it is “locked”, called
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`the linked user card. In other words, a link is established
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`between the terminal and a particular user card (the linked
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`user card).
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`One technique for implementing a locked mode of this
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`kind is described in patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,846, assigned
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`to NOKIA MOBILE PHONES LTD. The method described
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`in the above patent includes a phase of creating a terminal/
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`user card link and a phase of verifying the terminal/user card
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`link.
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`In the link creation phase, the terminal reads the user
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`identification data stored on the user card and stores it in its
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`memory.
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`During the link verification phase the terminal reads the
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`user identification data stored on the user card with which it
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`is cooperating and compares it with that stored in its memory
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`during the link creation phase, authorizing operation of the
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`terminal or not according to whether the data read and that
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`stored are identical or not.
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`This prior art technique therefore prevents a terminal
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`being used with a user card other than that with which it has
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`been locked. This prevents unauthorized use of a terminal
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`lost or stolen without its linked user card. This contributes to
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`reducing the number of terminal thefts.
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`Note that even if the terminal is lost or stolen with its
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`linked user card, it can be used only with the latter. As
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`already explained, the subscriber can tell the operator that
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`their user card has been lost or stolen, so that its use can be
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`barred at system level. Stealing the terminal is therefore of
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`no benefit in this case either.
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`This prior art technique of making the use of a terminal
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`more secure nevertheless has at least two major drawbacks.
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`Firstly, it does not totally eliminate all risks of unautho-
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`rized use of the terminal. The terminal/user card link is based
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`on the storage in the memory of the terminal of the user
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`identification data (read by the terminal from the user card
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`during the link creation phase). There is nothing to stop a
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`person directly modifying the content of the terminal
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`memory in order to modify the existing locking link. In this
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`the identification data of the linked user card is
`case,
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`replaced in the terminal memory with new identification
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`data from another user card. In this way, although it is in the
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`locked mode, unauthorized use of the terminal is possible
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`since it sees the other user card as that with which it is
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`linked.
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`Moreover, this prior art technique is generally combined
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`with protection by requiring subscribers to enter their PIN
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`code each time their user card is inserted into the terminal or
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`each time the latter is switched on. Entering the PIN code
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`can become a nuisance if it has to be carried out many times
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`a day. For this reason, some subscribers leave their terminal
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`switched on in order to avoid having to enter their PIN code
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`several times. Then, even if the locked mode is selected,
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`stealing the terminal when it is switched on and cooperating
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`with its linked user card enables a person to access the
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`services of the network until this is barred at system level
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`after the subscriber has reported the loss of theft of their user
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`card. It must be remembered that, in respect of the use of
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`stolen terminals, there is no barring procedure at system
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`level equivalent to that which exists for stolen user cards.
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`One objective of the invention is to overcome these
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`drawbacks of the prior art.
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`To be more precise, one objective of the present invention
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`is to provide a method of making the use of a cellular mobile
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`radio system terminal more secure that completely elimi-
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`nates all risk of unauthorized use of the terminal.
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`An additional objective of the invention is to provide a
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`method of the above kind that does not require users to enter
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`their PIN code each time they insert their user card into the
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`terminal or each time they switch the latter on.
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`Afurther object of the invention is to provide a method of
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`the above kind that offers not only the advantages offered by
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`the prior art method described in patent US. Pat. No.
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`4,868,846, referred to above, but has additional advantages
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`that cannot be offered by the prior art method.
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`In other words, one objective of the invention is to
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`provide a method of the above kind which, like the prior art
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`method, allows operation in locked mode in which the
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`terminal can be used only with a particular user card.
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`Afurther objective of the invention is to provide a method
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`of the above kind which allows a terminal to be left switched
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`on with its user card inside it but which nevertheless
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`prevents unauthorized use of the terminal, which is not
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`possible with the prior art method.
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`A further objective of the invention is to provide a method
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`of the above kind enabling local or remote blocking (total
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`prohibition of operation) or unblocking (authorization of
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`operation in locked mode) of a terminal.
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`Another objective of the invention is to provide a method
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`of the above kind enabling a subscriber having more than
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`one terminal for the same subscription to have at all times at
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`least one terminal providing various “passive reception”
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`functions (answering machine type operation), such as
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`incoming call storage.
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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`These various objectives, and others that will emerge
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`hereinafter, are achieved in accordance with the invention by
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`a method of making the use of a terminal of a cellular mobile
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`radio system more secure, said terminal being of the type
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`adapted to cooperate with a user card and being able to
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`operate in at least two separate operating modes, namely a
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`normal mode in which it can be used with any user card and
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`a locked mode in which it can be used only with the user
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`card to which it is locked, constituting a linked user card,
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`wherein first locking data is stored in a memory area of
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`said linked user card,
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`and, in said locked mode, the method includes a phase of
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`authentication by said terminal of the user card with which
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`it is cooperating, said authentication phase including the
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`following steps:
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`second locking data is calculated in said terminal from
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`said intermediate data read in a memory area accessible to
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`said terminal using a calculation function specific to said
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`terminal, and
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`Lil
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`8of13
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`4
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`said first and second locking data is compared in said
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`terminal and use of said terminal is authorized only in the
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`event of equality, that is to say if said user card with which
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`said terminal is cooperating is authenticated as said linked
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`user card.
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`The general principle of the invention is to establish a link
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`between a terminal and a user card by storing locking data
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`on the user card (called the linked user card). This principle
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`is fundamentally different from that proposed in the previ-
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`ously mentioned patent US. Pat. No. 4,868,846. Although
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`the prior art principle also establishes a link between the
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`terminal and a user card, it is based on storing locking data
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`in the terminal (and not on the linked user card).
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`In this way the method of the invention enables operation
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`in locked mode in which the terminal can be used only with
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`the linked user card.
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`Moreover, it totally eliminates all risks of unauthorized
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`use of the terminal. It is therefore free of the vulnerability of
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`the prior art method. The terminal/user card link is
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`dependent, firstly, on first data stored on the linked user card
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`and, secondly, on a calculation function specific to the
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`terminal. Under no circumstances can an unauthorized user
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`discover this calculation function as it is not accessible in
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`read mode. Moreover, unless the linked user card is stolen
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`with the terminal, the unauthorized user does not know the
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`first data stored either. Consequently, the unauthorized user
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`cannot modify a user card in their possession so that the
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`terminal sees the latter as the user card to which it is linked.
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`It is clear that, in the manner that is known in itself, if the
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`linked user card is stolen with the terminal the subscriber can
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`advise the network operator or manager so that use of their
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`user card can be barred at system level.
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`The method of the invention offers operation in locked
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`mode that is sufficiently secure for the user not to need to
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`enter their PIN code again each time that they insert their
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`user card into the terminal or each time that they switch it on.
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`Said authentication phase is advantageously effected:
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`each time the terminal is switched on, and/or
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`each time the user card cooperating with the terminal is
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`changed.
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`The authentication phase can advantageously be repeated
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`in accordance with a predetermined strategy, for example at
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`predetermined time intervals, regular or otherwise.
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`Said calculation function specific to the terminal is pref—
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`erably an encryption function using a predetermined algo—
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`rithm and said first and second locking data are preferably
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`encrypted using this encryption function.
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`This makes the use of the terminal even more secure.
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`In a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the step
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`of storing first locking data in a memory area of the linked
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`user card is effected during preliminary personalization of
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`said linked user card.
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`This preliminary personalization is carried out during
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`fabrication of the user card, for example, during commis-
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`sioning of the user card (by the manufacturer, operator or
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`distributor) or during the putting together of a personalized
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`system comprising the terminal and its user card. In other
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`words, the user card is personalized either in the factory or
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`by a distributor. In so far as its operation in locked mode is
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`concerned, the user card is therefore linked to a particular
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`terminal as soon as it is personalized, this terminal being the
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`one whose specific calculation function calculates, from
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`intermediate data, second locking data identical to the first
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`locking data stored on the linked user card. In other words,
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`the user card can be locked only to this particular terminal.
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`8 of 13
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`5
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`In a second preferred embodiment of the invention, the
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`step of storing first locking data in a memory area of the
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`linked user card is effected on each change from the normal
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`mode to the locked mode, new first data to be stored being
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`calculated in the terminal from said intermediate data by
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`said calculation function specific to said terminal.
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`In this case,
`the user card is not linked to a terminal
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`beforehand and can therefore be locked to any terminal. It is
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`only on changing from the normal mode to the locked mode
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`that the link with the terminal is created (so that the terminal
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`is that with which the user card is cooperating).
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`On each change from the locked mode to the normal
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`mode, the content of the memory area of the previously
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`linked user card in which the first locking data is stored is
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`advantageously modified, at
`least
`in part,
`to delete the
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`authentication link between the terminal and the previously
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`linked user card.
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`This makes it certain that before the next change to the
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`locked mode there is no user card linked to the terminal. In
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`other words,
`in normal mode no user card holds in its
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`memory any trace of an earlier link with the terminal, and
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`this applies even to the user card that was previously locked
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`to the terminal.
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`In said locked mode, the terminal can advantageously be
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`used with at least one other user card, referred hereinafter as
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`the other linked user card, in a multi-user session starting
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`after a multi-user code has been transmitted to the terminal
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`and ending either when said other linked user card is no
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`longer cooperating with the terminal or when the terminal is
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`switched off and then switched on again.
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`In this case, the terminal operates in the locked mode with
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`either of the two linked user cards. When the multi-user
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`session allowing the use of a second linked user card
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`terminates,
`the system reverts to the link between the
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`terminal and the first linked user card. The linked user card
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`with which the terminal cooperates can therefore be replaced
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`by another user card without it being necessary to go through
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`the normal mode. Consequently,
`the use of the terminal
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`remains totally secure, even if there are two linked user
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`cards, rather than only one.
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`Said intermediate data is preferably stored in a memory
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`area of the terminal.
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`In a first preferred embodiment, said intermediate data is
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`stored in a memory area of a user card with which the
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`terminal cooperates.
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`that combines the
`In a second preferred embodiment
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`previous two solutions, part of said intermediate data is
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`stored in a memory area of the terminal and the remainder
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`in a memory area of the user card with which the terminal
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`cooperates.
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`The step of storing the intermediate data is advanta-
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`geously effected:
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`during manufacture of the terminal, in the case of inter-
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`mediate data stored in a memory area of the terminal, and
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`during manufacture of the user card,
`in the case of
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`intermediate data stored in a memory area of the user card.
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`Changing the terminal from the normal mode to the
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`locked mode preferably requires the transmission to the
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`terminal of a predetermined locking/unlocking code and
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`changing the terminal from the locked mode to the normal
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`mode requires the transmission to the terminal of said
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`locking/unlocking code.
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`This makes use of the terminal even more secure.
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`Said locking/unlocking code is advantageously entered by
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`a user of the terminal through a keypad connected to the
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`terminal.
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`20
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`tom
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`90f13
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`6
`In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, in said
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`locked mode, the method further comprises:
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`a step of blocking of the terminal during which the content
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`of the memory area of the linked user card in which said first
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`locking data is stored is at least partially modified to render
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`the terminal unusable even if the user card with which it is
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`cooperating is the linked user card, and
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`a step of unblocking the terminal during which said first
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`locking data is rewritten into the memory area of the linked
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`user card to render the terminal usable again if the user card
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`with which it is cooperating is the linked user card.
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`Accordingly, when it is in the locked mode, the terminal
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`can be rendered unusable (complete blocking preventing
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`unauthorized use) without being switched off.
`In this
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`“switched on but blocked" condition,
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`implement various “passive reception” functions (answering
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`machine type operation), such as storing incoming calls.
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`Said blocking step is preferably effected when a blocking
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`command is transmitted to the terminal and said unblocking
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`step is preferably effected when an unblocking command is
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`transmitted to the terminal.
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`Accordingly, the method of the invention enables local or
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`remote blocking (total barring of operation) or unblocking
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`(authorization of operation in locked mode) of the terminal.
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`Said blocking and unblocking commands are advanta-
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`geously ignored by the terminal unless they are accompa-
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`nied by a predetermined blocking/unblocking code.
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`This makes use of the terminal even more secure.
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`Said blocldng and unblocking commands are preferably
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`transmitted to the terminal by means of a Short Messages
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`Service.
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`In a preferred embodiment, said blocking and unblocking
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`commands are transmitted to the terminal using a Data
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`Transmission Service.
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`In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said blocking
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`and unblocking commands are transmitted to said terminal,
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`constituting a first terminal, from another terminal, consti-
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`tuting a second terminal, and the user card with which said
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`second terminal cooperates and the user card with which
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`said first terminal cooperates correspond to the same sub—
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`scription.
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`Accordingly, the method of the invention enables a sub—
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`scriber having more than one terminal for the same sub—
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`scription to have at all times at least one terminal provide an
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`answering machine type service (for example to store
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`incoming calls).
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`The invention also concerns a terminal and a user card for
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`implementing the method as explained hereinabove.
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`The terminal of the invention includes means for making
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`its use more secure including:
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`first means for reading first locking data in a memory area
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`of said linked user card;
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`second means for reading intermediate data in a memory
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`area accessible to said terminal;
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`means for calculating second locking data from said
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`intermediate data using a calculation function specific to
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`said terminal;
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`means for comparing said first and second locking data;
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`and
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`selective authorization means allowing use of said termi-
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`nal only in the case of equality, that is to say if the user card
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`with which the terminal is cooperating is authenticated as
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`the linked user card.
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`The user card of the invention includes a memory area to
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`receive first locking data.
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`9 of 13
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`5,913,175
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`7
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`Other
`features and advantages of the invention will
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`emerge from a reading