WO2017217873A1 - System and method for disabling mobile telephones of all communication networks of mobile telephone operating companies - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for disabling any mobile telephone of the networks of any mobile operating company in a determined zone (region or country), by relating the IMEI code of the mobile telephone to an NFC tag by means of information encryption, in such a way that the information stored in the NFC tag cannot be copied or cloned. The system for disabling mobile telephones interacts with the databases of the operating companies and the regulatory entity of the zone to prevent a mobile telephone that has been blocked in the network of an operating company from being used in the network of any other operating company. The system according to the invention is not restricted for the technology of any mobile telephone given that the IMEI code of mobile telephones is unique on a global level. If a mobile telephone has NFC technology it can download the application of the system according to the invention and disable any other mobile telephone, provided that the NFC tag of the latter is brought close to the mobile telephone while the application is activated. However, the telephones that do not have NFC technology will not have the capacity to disable any mobile telephones. Generally, the mobile telephones which have registered NFC tags can be disabled when their NFC tags are read by an RFID reader specially designed for this purpose, and which are connected to the system from the corresponding operating company of each mobile telephone. All the mobile telephones with a registered NFC tag in the database of the regulatory entity of the zone are protected from being used improperly by unauthorised persons. In the event of a user losing the NFC tag of their cell phone, the system can generate a duplicate of said NFC tag without placing the security of the data stored in the lost NFC tag at risk.

Description

 CONFIGURED SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISABLING MOBILE PHONES OF ALL COMMUNICATION NETWORKS OF MOBILE TELEPHONE OPERATING COMPANIES

I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a system and method for disabling mobile phones simply and safely.

II. STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE (BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION)

An RFID Tag, in Spanish "RFID tag", is a small device, which can be attached or incorporated into a product, animal or person. They contain antennas to allow them to receive and respond to requests by radio frequency from an RFID transmitter / receiver.

NFC (Near Field Communication) technology is being used more frequently through NFC tags (NFC tags). Most of the latest models of mobile phones called "smartphones" or smartphones already come with NFC support, although most people do not benefit from this technology. Until now its use has been limited to mobile payment and advertising. NFC tags can be small stickers that contain a small NFC chip without power. Depending on how the label is programmed, you can change various settings or launch applications and perform certain actions just by approaching the phone. For this, the NFC tag needs a small amount of energy that it takes from smartphones and sends and stores the information.

In a certain area (region or country) it is possible that there is one or more mobile operating companies that offer different mobile phones and They have a network with various telephone numbers, and some of these devices can use more than one SIM card. These companies are supervised by the corresponding regulatory entity in the area, which has the information of all users who use mobile networks and IMEI codes of all mobile phones that are activated by these companies.

The IMEI code (International Mobile Station Equipment Identity) is a USSD code pre-recorded on GSM mobile phones. This code identifies the device exclusively worldwide, and is transmitted by the device to the network when connected to it. This means, among other things, that the operator records who and from where the call is made (SIM), and also from what telephone terminal was made. The operating company can use the IMEI to verify the status of the device through its respective database.

The IMEI allows functions such as the blocking of mobile terminals in the event of theft, for which the IMEI of the mobile phone must simply be notified to the telephone operator to proceed with its blocking and thus communication from that device can be prevented by blocking calls. It is also possible to release a locked mobile phone for use with a new mobile operator from the IMEI code, regardless of the brand or model. The IMEI of a device is usually printed on the back of the device, under the battery, in the case of devices that contain an internal battery it can be found on the back on the bottom of the device in small numbers, in some cases it can also reach be in the port where the SIM card (chip) is inserted. You can also dial the following USSD code * # 06 # to appear on the device screen.

The SIM card (acronym for Subscriber Identity Module in English) is a detachable smart card used in mobile phones and HSPA or LTE modems that connect to the USB port. SIM cards securely store the subscriber's service key used to identify themselves to the network, so that it is possible to change the line from one terminal to another simply by changing the card. The use of the SIM card is mandatory in the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications, English Global System for Mobile Communications) networks.

Currently, the usual technique for blocking a mobile phone is to inform the corresponding operating company of the telephone number of the telephone about the need to block the equipment, for which, the name of the user and their respective identification document are indicated. Then, the operator suspends the line of said number by blocking the SIM card and reports to the regulatory entity the IMEI code number of the blocked equipment; in this way, it is registered that this mobile phone must not be used with another telephone number in any other telephone operator.

The drawback of the technique explained above is that there is a possibility that the IMEI code will be cloned, copied and unlocked from the database of the operating company and from the database of the regulatory entity by unauthorized persons. This is because some of the encryption processes currently used are not strong enough to avoid it. Encryption or encryption of files is a procedure that makes the data of a document or any file completely illegible. In this way, the file becomes virtually unusable for a user who is not authorized to read it, since even if he has intercepted or copied it, he cannot read or view it.

US patent US9323696 describes a data security system that includes providing a unique identification of a first system to a second system; copy the unique identification on the second system by the first system; and unlock a memory in the first system or the second system only when the unique identifications in the first system and the second system are the same.

US patent US6314283 describes the blocking of a subsidized cell phone that ensures that a cell phone sold to an end user at a price subsidized by a mobile phone operator is activated only in the network of the operator administering the grant. , and not in a competitor's network. A secure operator code, specific and known by the carrier of the subsidy operator, is programmed into the cell phone by the phone manufacturer. The phone is programmed and sent by the manufacturer in a locked state, which prevents the programming of the NAM (number assignment module) of the cell phone without first entering a valid unlock code or a valid code to remove the lock At the time of activation of the telephone and programming of the NAM, the telephone's ESN (electronic serial number) is entered into the support computer system, which uses the ESN code and the support to execute a lock code algorithm It issues an unlock code and a lock to remove the code. At the vehicle's choice, either the code for the end user that will be entered into the telephone is administered. The phone then executes the same lock code algorithm, using the operator code programmed at the time of manufacture, and its own ESN, to calculate the unlock code and the delete lock code. If the code entered by the user matches the unlock code, NAM programming is allowed to proceed only once, and if the number entered matches the deletion lock code, the phone deletes the entire lock code.

III. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A system for disabling mobile phones from the network of any operating company is described by relating the IMEI code and the information stored in an electronic device called an NFC tag. Too the UHF tag, the HF tag and the LF tag can be used; the NFC tag being preferably used.

The system includes:

 - A database of the operating company;

 - A database of the regulatory entity;

 - A wireless interconnection system;

 - At least one display of the operating company;

 - At least one display of the regulatory entity;

 - A server of the operating company;

 - A server of the regulatory entity;

 - A software that allows the capture of RFID tag data, preferably NFC, which is developed in three operating systems, these are: Microsoft Windows, Android System, and IOS (Apple). This software has remote connectivity via web environment and cellular network;

 - An RFID reader, preferably NFC, which allows reading RFID tags, preferably NFC. These tags support all NFC protocols, such as: NFC standard ISO / IEC 14443-3 type A tag, NFC standard ISO / IEC 14443-3 type B tag, FeliCa JIS X standard NFC tag

6319-4, among others;

 - An RFID tag, preferably NFC, that has storage capacity large enough to support the IMEI code and an additional encryption encoding of at least 32 characters;

 - A mobile phone, of any brand, from a manufacturer that considers within the equipment, the ability to read NFC tags, with at least a certain NFC protocol, such as: NFC standard ISO / IEC 14443-3 type A tag, NFC standard ISO / IEC 14443-3 type B tag, standard NFC tag FeliCa JIS X 6319-4, among others.

The method for enabling / disabling proposed by the invention is that the system connects, via wireless connection, the records of mobile phones from the database of the mobile operating company and the regulatory entity; in such a way that when a mobile phone is disabled by an operator it is also disabled from all the networks of all the operators in the area (region or country) and cannot be misused.

To disable a mobile phone, the operator associates the IMEI of that phone with an NFC tag through computer encryption. Then, the NFC tag is given to the telephone user, which is the key to blocking or disabling the mobile phone, for which there are two ways of doing so.

For the first way to disable a mobile phone, it is necessary for the user to approach a network service center provided with a proposed system of the invention by carrying an NFC tag, which is read with an RFID reader. Radio frequency identification) to be validated in the database of the system of the invention and thus disabling said telephone. If the NFC tag is not available, the NFC tag code can be searched for in the system of the invention related to the IMEI of the mobile phone and it is disabled in the system database.

The center of the network of the system to disable mobile phones of the network of any mobile operating company can be a customer service center of the operating companies, a shopping center in which the proposed system of the invention is installed or any place where attention is provided to the public is chosen by the operators and / or the regulatory entity.

The second way to disable a mobile phone is for the user to bring the NFC tag corresponding to that phone to another mobile phone with NFC technology at a distance of 2 millimeters to 5 millimeters and have a special application activated for this purpose; said application is part of the proposed system of the invention. IV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments of the invention and should not be construed as limiting its scope; The invention may admit other equally effective embodiments.

FIGURE 1. It is a scheme of a system to disable mobile phones from the network of any operating company in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 2. It is a scheme of one of the ways for the user of a mobile phone to disable said equipment from another mobile phone using an NFC tag.

FIGURE 3. The process for generating an NFC tag is described.

FIGURE 4. The process for disabling mobile phones is described, so that they cannot be reused in any of the mobile operator networks, by means of the relationship of the NFC tag and the IMEI code.

V. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION (DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION) According to the figures shown, and according to the numbering adopted, an example of a preferred embodiment of the invention can be observed therein, which comprises the elements that are described in detail below. As shown in FIGURE 1 and FIGURE 2, the proposed system of the invention for disabling mobile phones of all networks of the operating companies of a certain area (region or country) is described 1. The proposed system of the invention connect the company database operator 2 and the database of the regulatory entity 3 in the area through a wireless connection system 4.

The proposed system 1 of the invention relates the IMEI of each mobile phone 8 to a single electronic device called the NFC tag 9.

To make the entry of information and disable mobile phones, the operating company 2 and the regulatory entity 3, have a display 5 (which can be a computer screen or a touch screen) and a server 7; Additionally, operator 2 also has an RIFD 6 reader to read the NFC 9 tag. The information entered by operator 2 enters the database of the regulatory entity 3.

FIGURE 3 shows the process of generating a new NFC tag or generating a duplicate of an NFC tag 10. In order for this process 10 to start 11, the mobile phone user must approach a call center of the corresponding operating company 2 to be attended by an operator of the same. The operator performs the validation of the IMEI and the user's identity document in the database of the operating company 12 and determines whether the IMEI corresponds to a newly acquired mobile phone 13 or to a mobile phone with time of use 14.

If the telephone is new 13, the operator records the user's identity document, the IMEI code of the mobile telephone and the operator in the system database 1; then the proposed system of the invention proceeds to encrypt the IMEI code relating to the internal code of an NFC tag 16; Next, the NFC tag is generated by storing the user information in said NFC tag and being put into active status in system 17 and updating the databases of the operating company and the regulatory entity, then its respective tag is delivered to the user NFC 20 thereby ending this process 10. If the mobile phone already has a time of use 14, the operator checks in the system database if the user has already registered an NFC tag 18. If the user does not have an NFC tag, the operator must record the information of the user in the system database 15, then the system encrypts the IMEI 16 and generates the corresponding NFC tag in active state in the system for the mobile phone in question 17 and updating the databases of the operating company and the entity Finally, the operator delivers the NFC tag to the user 20 at the end of the process 10. But if the user has already registered an NFC tag, a duplicate of that tag is made, for which the operator performs the IMEI validation of the phone mobile in question and the user's identity document in the system database 19; In this case two situations can occur, the first is that the validation is correct and then the system encrypts the IMEI 16 and generates the corresponding NFC tag in active state in the system for said mobile phone 17 and updating the databases of the operating company and the regulatory entity, and finally the operator delivers the NFC tag to! user 20; The second situation is that the validation is incorrect in which case the process of generating an NFC tag 10 is completed.

To disable a mobile phone 21, the user of said equipment can do so by two methods. The first method is shown in FIGURE 2, so that the user must bring his NFC tag 9 to another mobile phone 8 that has the application of the system 1 of the invention activated. This approach only disables the mobile phone related to said NFC tag 9, therefore, it is important that no other NFC tag approaches mobile phone 8 while the application is activated. This is recorded in the system database 1 by changing the status of the NFC tag from active to locked, and is updated in the database of the operating company 2 and the regulatory entity 3 via wireless connection 4.

The second method for the user to disable a certain mobile phone is to approach a service center of the proposed system of the invention, wherein an operator will proceed to disable the mobile phone 21 as shown in FIGURE 4.

According to FIGURE 4, the process for disabling a mobile phone 21, the operator starts the process 21 in two different ways, as the case may be. The first case is when the user presents his identification document and his NFC tag 23, then the operator approaches the NFC tag 9 to the RFID reader 6 to validate in the system database the identity document and the NFC tag of the mobile phone in question 25. Then, the system of the invention 1 automatically verifies the amount of SIM cards that the mobile phone can use 28. The second case is when the user only presents his identification document 24, then the operator enters the platform of the system 1 to query and validate said identification document 26, then the operator enters the telephone number indicated by the user and the system automatically locates the NFC tag of the mobile phone 27 and recognizes the amount of SIM cards that said mobile phone can use 28 .

If the mobile phone can only use a SIM card, the system automatically changes the status of the NFC tag from active to locked 31, then the system disables the IMEI of that mobile phone from all networks of the operating companies in zone 32 being updated the databases of the operating companies and the regulatory entity via wireless connection 4, then the operator suspends the telephone number line of the mobile phone 33 until the user decides to lift the suspension, which concludes 34 the process 21.

But, if the phone can use two or more SIM cards, the system of the invention automatically selects the phone number corresponding to the operator company of the operator 29 (system 1 does not allow the operator to select phone numbers of other operators), then the system 1 automatically deletes all phone numbers not related to the NFC tag 30, then the system automatically changes the status of the NFC tag from active to locked 31, then the system of the invention disables the IMEI of said mobile telephone of all the networks of the operating companies of the zone 32 updating the databases of the operating companies and of the regulatory entity by means of wireless connection 4, then, the operator suspends the line of the telephone number of the mobile telephone 33 until the user decides to lift the suspension, which ends the process 21.

Other modifications and alternative embodiments of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art seen from this description. It will be recognized, therefore, that the present invention is not limited only to be used in mobile phones. Consequently, this description is to be interpreted as illustrative only and it is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art, how to carry out the invention.

It should be noted that the invention shown and described here should be taken as the presently preferred embodiment. Several changes can be made to implementations and architectures. For example, equivalent elements may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, and certain features of the invention may be used independently of the use of other features, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after have the benefit of this description of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS A system to disable mobile phones from all networks of operating companies in a certain area (region or country) by relating the IMEI code of mobile phones with RFID tags through the encryption process, which includes: - A database of the operating company; - A database of the regulatory entity; - A wireless interconnection system; - At least one viewer from the operating company; - At least one viewer from the regulatory entity; - A server from the operating company; - A server of the regulatory entity; - A software that allows the capture of data from the RFID tag, preferably NFC, which is developed in three operating systems, these are: Microsoft Windows, Android System, and IOS (Apple). This software has remote connectivity via web environment and cellular network; - An RFID reader, preferably NFC, that allows reading RFID tags, preferably NFC. These tags support all NFC protocols, such as: ISO/IEC 14443-3 type A standard NFC tag, ISO/IEC 14443-3 type B standard NFC tag, FeliCa JIS X 6319-4 standard NFC tag, among others; - An RFID tag, preferably NFC, that has a storage capacity large enough to support the IMEI code and an additional encryption encoding of at least 32 characters; - A mobile phone, of any brand, from a manufacturer that considers within the equipment the ability to read NFC tags, with at least a certain NFC protocol such as, for example: ISO/IEC 14443-3 type A standard NFC tag, ISO/IEC 14443-3 type B standard NFC tag, FeliCa JIS X 6319-4 standard NFC tag, among others. 2. A system for disabling mobile phones, according to claim 1, in which NFC tags, UHF tags, HF tags, and LF tags can be used for encryption of the IMEI of mobile phones. 3. A system for disabling mobile phones, according to claim 1 and 2, which connects the databases of the operating companies and the regulatory entity of a certain area via wireless connection. This system comprises two terminals: the first terminal represented by an RFID reader and the second terminal represented by a mobile phone with NFC technology. The first terminal can perform the functions of the second terminal. 4. A system for disabling mobile phones, according to claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein by bringing an NFC tag or any other type of RFID tag to a mobile phone, the mobile phone related to said RFID tag can be disabled. . 5. A system to disable mobile phones, according to claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, in which, if a phone is disabled, this information is updated in the databases of the operating companies and the regulatory entity. of the area through wireless connection in real time. 6. A system for disabling mobile phones, according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, wherein the system includes a developed application that can be downloaded to any mobile phone that has NFC technology in such a way that said mobile phone is capable of disabling any mobile phone whose IMEI has been linked to an RFID tag. 7. A system for disabling mobile phones, according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, which includes the ability to disable Any mobile phone that has an NFC tag related to its IMEI by reading it on an RFID reader that the operating companies have. 8. A system for disabling mobile phones, according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, in which a mobile phone can be disabled from the mobile networks of all operators in a certain area even when said mobile phone does not have NFC technology. 9. A system for disabling mobile phones, according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, in which the NFC tag can have any physical form according to the offer on the international market, of the operating company and taste of the mobile phone user. 10. A system for disabling mobile phones, according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, in which a user service center can be a customer service center. operating companies, a shopping center or any place established by the operating companies and/or by the regulatory entity. 11. A method of disabling mobile phones when the user has the NFC card, comprising: - Bring the NFC tag close to another mobile phone that has the application of the system of the invention activated, taking care that no other NFC tag approaches the mobile phone while the application is activated. - Automatically register to the system database by changing the NFC tag status from active to locked. - Update in the database of the operating company and the regulatory entity via wireless connection. 12. A method of disabling mobile phones when the user does not have the NFC card in his or her possession, comprising: Approach a care center of the proposed system of the invention. Present the user's identification document to the operator for entry to the system platform and validate said identification document. The operator enters the telephone number indicated by the user and the system automatically locates the NFC tag of the mobile phone and recognizes the number of SIM cards that said mobile phone can use. If the mobile phone can only use one SIM card, the system automatically changes the status of the NFC tag from active to blocked and disables the IMEI of said mobile phone from all the networks of the operating companies in the area. The databases of the operating companies and the regulatory entity are updated via wireless connection The operator suspends the mobile phone number line until the user decides to lift the suspension. If the phone can use two or more SIM cards, the system automatically selects the phone number corresponding to the operator's operating company, and automatically deletes all phone numbers not related to the NFC tag The system automatically changes the status of the NFC tag from active to blocked, disabling the IMEI of said mobile phone from all the networks of the operating companies in the area. Likewise, the databases of the operating companies and the regulatory entity are updated via wireless connection. The operator suspends the mobile phone number line until the user decides to lift the suspension.