Telecommunications System

• US 20050026635A2
• Filed: 08/09/2002
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Technology Group Inter-Corporate Licensing Limited (Invesco Limited), RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: British Technology Group Inter-Corporate Limited
• Inventors: Dervan, Aden W., Timson, Anthony R., Michaels, Wayne D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,551,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure

In a telecommunications system such as a global mobile telephone network in which each subscriber unit includes a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM card), each SIM card has fixed memory locations, to which data can be addressed over the air. Some of the locations can not be overwritten from the subscriber unit but can be accessed therefrom on the entry of short simple codes, each associated with one of the locations. Further fixed memory locations can be read over the air only when the subscriber enters a personal identification number. Locking control files are used to control read/write access to the locations respectively.

Claims

1. A module for a subscriber unit in a telecommunications system, the subscriber unit including a transceiver operably connectable to said module, the telecommunications system having a host station, the transceiver operable to receive from the host station messages in a predetermined format and a read command message in the predetermined format and having a read command encoded in a specific format and embedded therein, said module comprising:

2. The module of claim 1 wherein said module is removably connectable to the transceiver.

3. The module of claim 1, wherein said memory location is a first memory location, and further including a second memory location, said second memory location having stored therein subscriber identity information.

4. A module for a subscriber unit in a telecommunications system, the subscriber unit including a transceiver operably connectable to said module, the telecommunications system having a host station, the transceiver operable to receive from the host station messages in a predetermined format and a write command message in the predetermined format, having a write command encoded in a specific format and embedded therein, and having an item of data included therein, said module comprising:

5. A module for a subscriber unit in a telecommunications system, the subscriber unit including a transceiver operably connectable to said module, the telecommunications system having a host station, the transceiver operable to receive from the host station messages in a predetermined format and a command message in the predetermined format having a command encoded in a specific format and embedded therein, said module comprising:

6. A circuit card for a subscriber unit in a telecommunications system, the subscriber unit including a transceiver operably connectable to said card, the telecommunications system having a host station, the transceiver operable to receive from the host station messages in a predetermined format and a command encoded in a specific format and embedded in a command message in the predetermined format, said card comprising:

7. The circuit card of claim 6, further including a memory location;

and wherein;

8. The circuit card of claim 6, further including a memory location;

and wherein;

9. A message for communication between a host station and a module in a mobile station, comprising:

10. The message of claim 9, wherein said command is selected from the group consisting of read, write, lock a memory location, unlock a memory location, and run.

11. The message of claim 9, wherein said specific format is a secure format.

12. The message of claim 11, wherein said secure format is an embedded command stream.

13. The message of claim 9, wherein said message body includes a data stream, said data stream disposed in said message body after said command.

14. A method for issuing a command to be executed in a processor of a module in a mobile subscriber unit forming a part of a telecommunications system that includes a host station, comprising:

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said embedding includes embedding a data stream, said data stream disposed in said message body after said command.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said outputting includes outputting said command message using a short message service.

17. A method for controlling a subscriber unit in a telecommunications system, the subscriber unit including a module and a transceiver operably connectable to the module, the telecommunications system having a host station, the transceiver operable to receive from the host station messages in a predetermined format and a command encoded in a specific format and embedded in a command message in the predetermined format, comprising:

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the module includes a memory location having stored therein an item of data and the command is a read command to retrieve the item of data, further comprising:

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the module includes a memory location, the command is a write command, and the message includes an item of data, further comprising writing the item of data to the memory location.

20. A mobile communications system, comprising:

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising an internetwork link coupled to the network and the interface to the mobile station.

22. The system of claim 21, the internetwork link having a switch.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the second message includes a command to produce an operation in the mobile station.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the second message includes a data item to be stored in the mobile station.

25. A module for use in a mobile communications transceiver, the module comprising:

26. The module of claim 25, wherein the filter is further configured to detect a read command from the transceiver, the processor and memory are further configured to read data from the memory based on the read command and output the data to the transceiver, and the transceiver is configured to output the data to a host station.

27. A message for communication between a host station and at least one mobile station comprising:

28. A telecommunications system, comprising:

29. A method for communicating, comprising:

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

31. The method of claim 30, wherein storing includes determining a location based on data in the file object.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

35. A method for communicating, comprising:

36. A method for operating a mobile station, comprising:

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising receiving a predetermined personal identification number from the user, wherein receiving the data item from the module is only performed if the predetermined personal identification number corresponds to the predetermined memory location.

39. A telecommunications system comprising:

40. A module removably coupleable to a subscriber unit in a telecommunications system, the module configured to receive a message from the subscriber unit, the message having first data in a first format and second data in a second format, the data in the second format including at least one of executable code, a write command, and a run command, the module further configured to detect the second format.

41. The module of claim 40, wherein the module is further configured to store the executable code based on the detected second format and the write command, the module further configured to process the executable code based in response to the run command.

42. A method for distributing executable code in a telecommunications system comprising transmitting executable code from a host station, the executable code in a first format, the executable code embedded in a message, the message in a second format.

43. A module for use in a telecommunications system having a host station configured to selectively output data in at least a first format and a second format, the data including a write command in the second format, and a subscriber unit coupleable to the host station:

44. The module of claim 43, wherein the data includes application data in the second format.

45. The module of claim 44, wherein the application data includes at least one telephone number in the second format.

46. The module of claim 44, wherein the application data includes at least one of a name and an address in the second format.

47. The module of claim 43, wherein the data includes at least one of personalization and re-personalization data in the second format.

48. The module of claim 43, wherein the module is further configured to store the data using a secure data protocol.

49. The module of claim 48, wherein the module is configured to output the data to at least one of the host station and a user of the subscriber unit using the secure data protocol.

50. A method for personalizing a subscriber unit, with personalization data transmitted from at least one host station, the personalization data in a special format, the personalization data embedded in a message, the message in a second format, the method comprising:

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising storing the personalization data in the module.

52. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

53. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

54. A method for telecommunications with subscriber units capable of detecting a command in a specific format distinct from a format used for other transmissions, comprising:

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising:

56. The method of claim 54 wherein the step of selecting is based on at least one cell.

57. The method of claim 54 wherein the step of selecting is based on roam status.

58. The method of claim 54 wherein the step of transmitting includes data having advertisement information.

59. The method of claim 54, further comprising:

60. A method for performing a commercial transaction using a subscriber unit, the subscriber unit including a user input device, a display, a memory, and a network interface, the method comprising:

61. The method of claim 60, further comprising:

62. A method for provisioning a smart card, comprising:

63. The method of claim 62, wherein the application code is in a specific format, the specific format being embedded in a standard message format, the specific format being distinguishable in the smart card from the standard message format.

64. The method of claim 62, wherein the step of transmitting includes transmitting the application code to a wireless link.

65. The method of claim 62, wherein the step of transmitting includes transmitting the application code to a wired link.

66. The method of claim 62, wherein the step of transmitting includes transmitting the application code to a secure link.

67. The method of claim 62, further comprising coupling the smart card to a point of sale machine.

68. The method of claim 62, further comprising:

69. An electronic module, comprising:

70. The electronic module of claim 69, wherein the memory is further configured to transmit the output data to the input/output manager where the input data having the predetermined first format includes a read command.

71. The electronic module of claim 69, further comprising a processor coupled to the detector and the memory, the processor configured to process executable code from one of the input data having the predetermined first format and the memory if the input data having the predetermined first format includes a run command.

72. A mobile unit for use in a telecommunications system having a host station and an interface to the host station, the mobile unit comprising:

73. The mobile station of claim 72, wherein the first data item includes a personal identification number, wherein the second data item includes credit account information, and wherein the module is configured to output the second data item in a secure format.

74. A method for broadcasting in a telecommunications system, comprising:

75. A message in a telecommunications system, the message comprising:

76. The message of claim 75, the file object including at least one of functional data and non-functional data.

77. An executable code message in a telecommunications system, the message comprising: