Method for Enjoying a Service Through a Mobile Telephone Terminal and Subscriber Identification Card for Implementing It

• US 20100273424A1
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Pratone, Davide, De Petris, Gianluca, Mazara, Giuseppe, Silano, Barbara, Mangiabene, Simonetta
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7556 by SIM, e.g. smart card account in SCP, SDP or SN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7231 by SIM, e.g. smart card account in SCP, SDP or SN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A method is provided which allows a service to be enjoyed through a mobile telephone terminal without the need of paying for this service. The can be achieved by allowing a first subscriber to use the credit or subscription of a second subscriber. The subscriber identification cards at least of the two subscribers involved are provided with short range radio communication transceivers and establish a short range communication channel between them so that one card may request the other card to pay for this service and the other card may grant this request through this channel. Then the mobile telephone networks of the cards are informed of the granted request. Before, during and after the grant of the request, the subscriber identification cards remain active and operative in communicating together and with the associated terminals.

Claims

1. :

Method for enjoying a service through a mobile telephone terminal comprising the steps of;

A) providing a first mobile telephone terminal with a first subscriber identification card associated to the with an identity of a first subscriber, said first terminal being adapted to communicate with a first mobile telephone network by a long range radio communication transceiver, and said first card being adapted to communicate with other subscriber identification cards by a short range radio communication transceiver, said first card allowing the enjoyment of a service provided by said first mobile telephone network,

B) providing a second mobile telephone terminal with a second subscriber identification card associated with an identity of a second subscriber, said second terminal being adapted to communicate with a second mobile telephone network by a long range radio communication transceiver, and said second card being adapted to communicate with other subscriber identification cards by a short range radio communication transceiver,

C) establishing a short range communication channel between said first card and said second card by their short range radio communication transceivers,

D) transmitting from said first card to said second card by said channel a request to authorise a payment to be charged to said second subscriber for the benefit of said first subscriber,

E) transmitting from said second card to said first card by said channel a grant of said payment authorisation request,

F) informing said networks of said granted request to be implemented by said networks through the association of the identity of said first subscriber to said second terminal and of the identity of said second subscriber to said first terminal, and

G) enjoying said service through said first terminal based on said granted request.

2. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein before, during and after said step F both said first card and said second card are active and operative in communicating together and with the associated terminals.

3. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein said first network and said second network correspond to the same mobile telephone network.

4. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein said request and/or grant comprise information specifying an authorization scope.

5. :

Method according to claim 4, wherein the authorisation scope of said request corresponds to the authorization scope of said grant.

6. :

Method according to claim 4, wherein said request and/or grant comprise information specifying a period of time corresponding to an authorization duration.

7. :

Method according to claim 4, wherein said authorisation request and/or grant comprise information specifying an amount of money corresponding to an authorized payment.

8. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein said request and/or grant comprise information specifying a service to be enjoyed.

9. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein said step F is carried out by both said first terminal and said second terminal through their long range radio communication transceivers.

10. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein said request comprises information specifying the identity of said first subscriber, and wherein said grant comprises information specifying the identity of said second subscriber.

11. :

Method according to claim 10, wherein said step F provides that;

F1) said first terminal requests said first network by its long range radio communication transceiver to be associated with the identity of said second subscriber, and

F2) said second terminal requests said second network by its long range radio communication transceiver to be associated with the identity of said first subscriber.

12. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein after said step F telephone calls addressed to said first subscriber are directed to said first terminal and telephone calls addressed to said second subscriber are directed to said second terminal.

13. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein after said step F the exchange of identity between said first terminal and said second terminal is effective for billing purposes only.

14. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein before said step F both said first terminal and said second terminal first deregister from said networks and then register again to said networks.

15. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein after said step F when said first network requests an identity authentication to said first terminal, said first terminal collects an authentication response from said second card by said first card and said short range communication channel and transmits the collected authentication response to said first network, and wherein after said step F when said second network requests an identity authentication to said second terminal, said second terminal collects an authentication response from said first card by said second card and said short range communication channel and transmits the collected authentication response to said second network.

16. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein after said step F if said first terminal downloads from said first network information encrypted through subscriber specific data, said information is encrypted through data specific of said first subscriber associated with said first card.

17. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein said step F provides that said networks are informed of the scope of said granted request and of the corresponding authorization.

18. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein after said step F said first terminal and/or said second terminal inform said networks that said granted request and the corresponding authorization is terminated.

19. :

Method according to claim 18, wherein when any of said first and second cards detects that said short range communication channel is interrupted any of said terminals inform any of said networks that said granted request and the corresponding authorization is terminated.

20. :

Method according to claim 1, wherein said short range communication channel is established through the ZigBee technology.

21. :

Subscriber identification card comprising an interface, a transceiver and a processing unit, said interface being adapted to connection to a mobile telephone terminal in order to allow long range direct communication of said mobile telephone terminal with a mobile telephone network, said transceiver being adapted to short range direct communication with other subscriber identifications cards, wherein said processing unit stores a program adapted;

to control said transceiver to transmit payment authorization requests and to receive corresponding payment authorization responses,

to control said transceiver to receive payment authorization requests and to transmit corresponding payment authorization responses, and

to control said interface to inform said mobile telephone network of granted requests.

22. :

Subscriber identification card according to claim 21, comprising a memory storing subscriber identification and authentication information relating to a subscriber, wherein said processing unit stores a program that

during a first operating mode is adapted—

;

to control said interface to receive authentication requests relating to said subscriber and to transmit corresponding authentication responses relating to said subscriber based on said stored subscriber identification and authentication information;

during a second operating mode is adapted—

;

to control said interface to receive authentication requests relating to another subscriber and to transmit corresponding authentication responses relating to said another subscriber,

to control said transceiver to transmit authentication requests relating to said another subscriber and to receive corresponding authentication responses relating to said another subscriber,

to control said transceiver to receive authentication requests relating to said subscriber and to transmit authentication responses relating to said subscriber.

23. :

Subscriber identification card according to claim 21, comprising a memory adapted to store permanently subscriber identification and authentication information relating to a first subscriber and to store temporary subscriber identification and authentication information relating to a second subscriber, said subscriber identification and authentication information relating to a second subscriber being received from another subscriber identification card through said transceiver.