DIGITAL DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SERVICE BY USING THE SAME

• US 20090029738A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Alliance, LLC (Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: KT Freetel Co., Ltd. (KT Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae-Kyun, Lee, Sun-Jung, Song, Hae-Young, Jung, Yoon-Kyoo, KIM, Young-Sung, Lee, Sang-Youn, Kim, Yeon-Dae, Hwang, Won-Taik, Ahn, Tae-Hyo
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• 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

A digital processing device capable of receiving an additional service is disclosed. In one aspect, a digital processing device includes i) an input unit, inputting a signal, ii) a subscriber identity unit, storing an identity code of a communication operator and generating a communication network access request message, iii) an additional service identity unit, storing an identity code of an additional service operator and generating an additional service request message and v) a control unit, generating a control signal allowing one of the subscriber identity unit and the additional service identity unit to be selectively driven. In accordance with at least one inventive embodiment, a user of the digital processing device can receive an additional service without his or her subscription to a specific communication operator and use various additional services in addition to the additional services provided by the subscribed communication operator.

Claims

1. A digital processing device for accessing a communication network and receiving an additional service, the device comprising:

an input unit configured to receive a signal;

a subscriber identity unit configured to store an identity code of a communication operator and generate a communication network access request message;

an additional service identity unit configured to store an identity code of an additional service operator and generate an additional service request message; and

a control unit configured to generate, based on the received signal, a control signal configured to selectively drive one of the subscriber identity unit and the additional service identity unit.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein

the subscriber identity unit is further configured to store subscriber authentication and charging information related to the communication operator, and

the additional service identity unit is further configured to store subscriber authentication and charging information related to the additional service operator.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the subscriber identity unit and the additional service identity unit is plurally provided.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the subscriber identity unit and the additional service identity unit is located outside the digital processing device in the form of a card or chip.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the additional service identity unit is formed inside the digital processing device, and the subscriber identity unit is located outside the digital processing device.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the additional service is configured to access the communication network by the use of information stored in the additional service identity unit if the subscriber identity unit is not connected.

7. A method of providing an additional service via an additional service providing device, the method comprising:

receiving an additional service request message, via a digital processing device, from a communication network device, wherein the digital processing device and communication network device are in data communication with the additional service providing device, wherein the digital processing device comprises an additional service identity unit and is configured to generate the additional service request message, and wherein the additional service request message comprises an additional service identity code and the authentication information;

extracting authentication information from the additional service request message; and

transmitting additional service data according to the extracted authentication information,

wherein the communication network device is configured to transmit the additional service request message to the additional service providing device according to the additional service identity code.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein

the transmitting comprises encoding the additional service data, and

the encoded additional service data is decoded in the digital processing device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional service identity code and the authentication information are stored in a memory located inside or outside the digital processing device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein

the digital processing device further comprises a subscriber identity unit, configured to store a communication operator identity code and generate a communication network request message, and

the additional service identity unit is located inside the digital processing device, and the subscriber identity unit is located outside the digital processing device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying the connection of the subscriber identity unit;

reading authentication information from the additional service identity unit if the connection of the subscriber identity unit is not identified;

generating an additional service request message comprising the read authentication information; and

transmitting the generated additional service request message to the communication network device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying is performed by the use of an interrupt signal generated if the subscriber identity unit is connected.

13. One or more processor-readable storage devices having processor-readable code, the processor-readable code which, when executed by one or more processors, performs a method of providing an additional service via an additional service providing device, the method comprising:

receiving an additional service request message, via a digital processing device, from a communication network device, wherein the digital processing device and communication network device are in data communication with the additional service providing device, wherein the digital processing device comprises an additional service identity unit and is configured to generate the additional service request message, and wherein the additional service request message comprises an additional service identity code and the authentication information;

extracting authentication information from the additional service request message; and

transmitting additional service data according to the extracted authentication information,

wherein the communication network device is configured to transmit the additional service request message to the additional service providing device according to the additional service identity code.

14. The storage devices of claim 13, wherein

the digital processing device further comprises a subscriber identity unit, configured to store a communication operator identity code and generate a communication network request message, and

the additional service identity unit is located inside the digital processing device, and the subscriber identity unit is located outside the digital processing device,

wherein the method further comprises:

identifying the connection of the subscriber identity unit;

reading authentication information from the additional service identity unit if the connection of the subscriber identity unit is not identified;

generating an additional service request message including the read authentication information; and

transmitting the generated additional service request message to the communication network device.

15. An additional service providing system, which provides an additional service to a digital processing device including an additional service identity unit, the system comprising:

a communication network device configured to receive an additional service operator identity code and an additional service providing request message from the digital processing unit, wherein the additional service providing request message comprises additional service authentication information and an additional service operator identity code; and

an additional service providing device configured to receive the additional service providing request message from the communication network device and transmit additional service data to the digital processing device,

wherein the communication network device is further configured to extract the additional service operator identity code from the additional service providing request message, and transmit the additional service providing request message to the additional service providing device corresponding to the extracted additional service operator identity code, and

wherein the additional service providing device is further configured to extract the authentication information from the additional service providing request message and transmit the additional service data according to the extracted authentication information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the digital processing device is configured to store the additional service identity code and the authentication information in a memory located inside or outside the digital processing device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the additional service providing device is further configured to encode the additional data, and wherein the digital processing device is further configured to decode the encoded additional service data.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein

the digital processing device further comprises a subscriber identity unit, configured to store a communication operator identity code and generate a communication network request message, and

the additional service identity unit is located inside the digital processing device, and the subscriber identity unit is located outside the digital processing device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the additional service providing device is further configured to access the communication network based on information stored in the additional service identity unit if the subscriber identity unit is not coupled.

20. A digital processing device for accessing a communication network and receiving an additional service, the device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a signal;

a subscriber identifier configured to store an identity code of a communication operator and generate a communication network access request message;

an additional service identifier configured to store an identity code of an additional service operator and generate an additional service request message; and

a controller configured to generate, based on the received signal, a control signal configured to selectively drive one of the subscriber identity unit and the additional service identity unit.

21. An apparatus for providing an additional service via an additional service providing device, which is connected to a digital processing device via a communication network device, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an additional service request message, via the digital processing device, from the communication network device, wherein the digital processing device comprises an additional service identity unit and is configured to generate the additional service request message, and wherein the additional service request message comprises an additional service identity code and the authentication information, wherein the communication network device is configured to transmit the additional service request message to the additional service providing device according to the additional service identity code;

means for extracting authentication information from the additional service request message; and

means for transmitting additional service data according to the extracted authentication information.