Card device for loading applications to a mobile device

• US 20110177803A1
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: de Jong, Eduard K., Hans, Sebastian J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,225,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

Abstract

A system for loading application identifiers to a mobile device includes a mobile device, a card device insertable into the mobile device, and an application center. The card device is adapted to determine an effective mobile device identifier of the mobile device, and transmit the effective mobile device identifier to the application center. The effective mobile device identifier is based at least in part on the result of a process performed by the card device. The application center is adapted to (1) determine zero or more allotted application identifiers and zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device based at least in part on the effective mobile device identifier, (2) identify at least one application identifier of the zero or more allotted application identifiers which does not form part of the zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device, and (3) load the at least one application identifier to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A card device comprising:

an identification unit for determining an effective mobile device identifier of a mobile device,

wherein the effective mobile device identifier is based at least in part on the result of a process performed by the card device, and on an assigned mobile device identifier assigned to the mobile device prior to the mobile device being issued to a mobile device user, and further wherein said assigned mobile device identifier uniquely identifies the mobile device; and

an application request unit for transmitting the effective mobile device identifier,

wherein said card device is for loading application identifiers to the mobile device; and

said card device is insertable into the mobile device.

3. The card device of claim 1 wherein the identification unit is further adapted to request said assigned mobile device identifier from a mobile control unit of the mobile device in response to a request for the effective mobile device identifier, the card device having processed the assigned mobile device identifier to create the effective mobile device identifier.

4. The card device of claim 1 wherein the effective mobile device identifier comprises one or more of said assigned mobile device identifier and an assigned card device identifier, the assigned card device identifier having been assigned to the card device prior to being issued to a card device user or being configured with the mobile device.

6. The card device of claim 1 wherein the card device establishes a mapping between the effective mobile device identifier and said assigned mobile device identifier.

7. The card device of claim 1 wherein the application request unit is further adapted to receive at least one application identifier and to install the at least one application identifier on at least one of a mobile control unit and the card device.

8. The card device of claim 1 wherein the application request unit is further adapted to receive an application code for loading on at least one of a mobile control unit and the card device.

9. The card device of claim 1 wherein the card device comprises a smart card.

2. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

10. A method for loading application identifiers to a mobile device associated with a card device that is insertable into the mobile device, the method comprising:

determining, on the card device, an effective mobile device identifier of the mobile device,

wherein the effective mobile device identifier is based at least in part on the result of a process performed by the card device, and on an assigned mobile device identifier assigned to the mobile device prior to the mobile device being issued to a mobile device user, and further wherein said assigned mobile device identifier uniquely identifies the mobile device; and

transmitting, from the card device, the effective mobile device identifier.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

requesting, by the card device, at least one of said assigned mobile device identifier from a mobile control unit of the mobile device during an initialization procedure; and

said assigned mobile device identifier from said mobile control unit of the mobile device in response to a request.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

establishing, by the card device, a mapping between the effective mobile device identifier and said assigned mobile device identifier.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

establishing a secure data transmission path; and

transmitting at least part of the effective mobile device identifier through the secure data transmission path.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving, on the card device, a request for information regarding identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device;

obtaining the information regarding identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device; and

transmitting the information.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving, on the card device, a capabilities message from a mobile control unit of the mobile device upon a boot process of the mobile device; and

analyzing, on the card device, the capabilities message to obtain the effective mobile device identifier.

16. A program storage device readable by a machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for loading application identifiers to a mobile device associated with a card device that is insertable into the mobile device, the method comprising:

determining, on the card device an effective mobile device identifier of the mobile device,

wherein the effective mobile device identifier is based at least in part on the result of a process performed by the card device, and on an assigned mobile device identifier assigned to the mobile device prior to the mobile device being issued to a mobile device user, and further wherein said assigned mobile device identifier uniquely identifies the mobile device; and

transmitting, from the card device, the effective mobile device identifier.

17. An application center for loading application identifiers to a mobile device including an insertable card device, the application center comprising:

an application manager, executing on the application center, adapted;

for receiving an effective mobile device identifier from the mobile device,

wherein the effective mobile device identifier is based at least in part on the result of a process performed by the card device, and on an assigned mobile device identifier assigned to the mobile device prior to the mobile device being issued to a mobile device user, and further wherein said assigned mobile device identifier uniquely identifies the mobile device;

for determining (i) zero or more allotted application identifiers, and (ii) zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device based at least in part on the effective mobile device identifier wherein an allotted application identifier is an application identifier for an application having executable application code capable of executing on a device and the executable application code is allowed for use on the device; and

for identifying at least one application identifier of the zero or more allotted application identifiers, which does not form part of the zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device; and

an application loader, on the application center, adapted for loading the at least one application identifier to the mobile device.

18. The application center of claim 17 wherein the determining is based at least in part on a location indicator of the mobile device.

21. The application center of claim 17 wherein the zero or more allotted application identifiers comprise at least one of zero or more allotted mobile application identifiers and zero or more allotted card application identifiers.

22. The application center of claim 17 wherein the zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device comprise zero or more mobile applications for loading on the mobile device and zero or more card applications for loading on the card device.

23. The application center of claim 17 wherein the application loader is further adapted to transmit the at least one application identifier to at least one of a mobile control unit of the mobile device and the card device.

24. The application center of claim 17 wherein the application loader is further adapted to transmit an identifier of the at least one application to the mobile device, instructing at least one of a mobile control unit of the mobile device and the card device to load the code comprising the application.

25. The application center of claim 17 wherein the application loader is further adapted to transmit an application code for loading of the application on at least one of a mobile control unit of the mobile device and the card device.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

26. A method for loading application identifiers to a mobile device having an insertable card device, the method comprising:

receiving, by an application center, an effective mobile device identifier from the mobile device,

wherein the effective mobile device identifier is based at least in part on the result of a process, performed by the card device, and on an assigned mobile device identifier assigned to the mobile device prior to the mobile device being issued to a mobile device user, and further wherein said assigned mobile device identifier uniquely identifies the mobile device;

determining, by the application center, (i) zero or more allotted application identifiers, and (ii) zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device based at least in part on the effective mobile device identifier wherein an allotted application identifier is an application identifier for an application having executable application code capable of executing on a device and the executable application code is allowed for use on the device; and

identifying, by the application center, at least one application identifier of the zero or more allotted application identifiers, which does not form part of the zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device; and

transmitting, by the application center, one of the at least one application identifier and an identifier of the at least one application identifier to the mobile device

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the determining zero or more allotted application identifiers is based at least in part on a location indicator of the mobile device.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

identifying, by the application center, a type of the mobile device based at least in part on the effective mobile device identifier; and

determining, by the application center, at least part of the zero or more allotted application identifiers based at least in part on the type of the mobile device.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein said determining the zero or more allotted application identifiers is based at least in part on at least one of:

a location indicator of the mobile device;

an identifier of a serving network;

user subscription information; and

one or more user preferences.

31. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

requesting, by the application center, information regarding identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device.

32. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

requesting, by the application center, from the mobile device, information regarding identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device upon detecting at least one of;

an absence of one or more identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device; and

a lapse of a predetermined period of time.

29. (canceled)