METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE UICC APPLICATION FILE

• US 20100197350A1
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KT Corporation
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: JEUNG, Youn-Pil
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A method and an apparatus of controlling an application dedicated file included in a universal integrated chip card (UICC) in a mobile station are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes analyzing an element file directory (EFDIR) stored in the UICC to check whether there are a plurality of application dedicated files that perform a same function; and activating one of the plurality of application dedicated files corresponding to a predetermined execution information according to the checked result. With at least one embodiment of the present invention, one UICC can provide a plurality of USIM application files and a user can select any one of the plurality of USIM application files.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an application dedicated file (ADF) included in a universal integrated chip card (UICC) in a mobile station, the method comprising:

analyzing an element file directory (EFDIR) stored in the UICC to check whether there are a plurality of application dedicated files that perform the same function; and

activating one of the application dedicated files corresponding to predetermined execution information according to the checked result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the application dedicated files have distinctive international mobile subscriber identities (IMSI).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the application dedicated files comprise:

a first USIM application dedicated file, including an elementary file (EFIMSI-1) storing a first IMSI and an elementary file (EFMSISDN-1) storing a first mobile subscriber ISDN number (MSISDN-1) connected to the first IMSI; and

a second USIM application dedicated file, including an elementary file (EFIMSI-2) storing a second IMSI and an elementary file (EFMSISDN-2) storing a second mobile subscriber ISDN number (MSISDN-2) connected to the second IMSI.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the UICC further comprises a plurality of phone book elementary files that are connected to the application dedicated files, respectively.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, if there are application dedicated files that perform the same function, the execution information is determined by i) outputting a predetermined application dedicated file, ii) selecting screen including first through N^th application file identifiers and iii) selecting any one of the first through N^th application file identifiers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the application file identifier included in the application dedicated file selecting screen comprises at least one of a mobile subscriber ISDN number (MSISDN), an application type, an application service type, and an application identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the EFDIR comprises a record corresponding to at least one application dedicated file, and wherein the EFDIR, using the application type and the application service identifier included in the record, recognizes whether there are the application dedicated files that perform the same function.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the record comprises an application identifier, and wherein using the application identifier the application dedicated files that perform the same function are distinguished.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the application dedicated file comprises a USIM application dedicated file, wherein the USIM application dedicated file comprises an EFIMSI file, storing an IMSI, and an EFMSISDN file, storing an MSISDN, and wherein the IMSI and the MSISDN that are allotted to per USIM application dedicated file are different from each other.

10. An apparatus for controlling an application dedicated file (ADF) included in a universal integrated chip card (UICC) in a mobile station, the apparatus comprising:

an application dedicated file list provider configured to analyze an elementary file directory (EFDIR) stored in the UICC and, if there are a plurality of application dedicated files that perform the same function, to provide an application file identifier related to the application dedicated files;

a processor configured to control a predetermined application file selecting screen, configured to perform user selection, to be outputted by using the application file identifier received from the application dedicated file list provider and to direct to activate a selected application dedicated file; and

an application file activator configured to activate the selected application dedicated file if a predetermined control signal for activating the selected application dedicated file is received from the processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the application dedicated files have distinctive international mobile subscriber identities (IMSI).

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the application dedicated file list provider is further configured to i) analyze the EFDIR and, if there is an inactivated application dedicated file that performs the same function as a currently activated application dedicated file, and ii) provide an application file identifier of the inactivated application dedicated file to the processor.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the EFDIR comprises a record corresponding to at least one application dedicated file, and using the application type and the application service identifier included in the record recognizes whether there is the application dedicated file that performs the same function.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the record comprises an application identifier, and wherein using the application identifier the application dedicated files that perform the same function are distinguished.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the application file identifier included in the application dedicated file selecting screen comprises at least one of a mobile subscriber ISDN number (MSISDN), an application type, an application service type, and an application identifier.

16. An apparatus for controlling an application dedicated file (ADF) included in a universal integrated chip card (UICC) in a mobile station, the apparatus comprising:

means for analyzing an element file directory (EFDIR) stored in the UICC to check whether there are a plurality of application dedicated files that perform the same function; and

means for activating one of the application dedicated files corresponding to predetermined execution information according to the checked result.