SIM-CARD SUSPEND CONTROL APPARATUS, SIM-CARD SUSPEND CONTROL METHOD, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20120083315A1
• Filed: 06/10/2011
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Mikimasa, Matsuya, Shinichi, Sawae, Kiyotaka, Yamauchi, Shinji, Harima, Masahiro, Kikuchi, Yoichi, KAWAKISHI, Masanobu, Ohta, Takao, Kuramoto, Keigo
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A suspend control apparatus, disposed in an electronic device having a SIM card, includes a control unit that switches the state of the SIM card between a suspended state and a resumed state. The control unit determines, based on the state of SIM card access for data communication and the state of the SIM card when the data communication occurs, whether to give priority to SIM card access or switching to the suspended state, and sets the state of the SIM card accordingly.

Claims

1. A SIM-card suspend control apparatus disposed in an electronic device having a SIM card, the SIM-card suspend control apparatus comprising:

a control unit that switches the state of the SIM card between a suspended state and a resumed state, wherein

the control unit determines, based on the state of SIM card access for data communication and the state of the SIM card when the data communication occurs, whether to give priority to SIM card access or switching to the suspended state, and sets the state of the SIM card accordingly.

2. The SIM-card suspend control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control unit gives priority to SIM card access, if access of the SIM card is great.

3. The SIM-card suspend control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit gives priority to switching to the suspended state, if access of the SIM card is minimal.

4. The SIM-card suspend control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit, upon powering on of the electronic device, sets the SIM card to be in the resumed state and starts a timer for a given period during which the SIM card is continually accessed accompanying startup of the electronic device;

during operation of the timer, gives priority to SIM card access; and

consequent to the operation of the timer ending, gives priority to switching to the suspended state.

5. The SIM-card suspend control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit judges the frequency of SIM card access when the SIM card is in the resumed state, and if the frequency decreases, switches the state of the SIM card to the suspended state.

6. The SIM-card suspend control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

if an insertion/removal check of the SIM card occurs while the SIM card is in the suspended state, the control unit temporarily sets the SIM card to be in the resumed state for a period equivalent to the time consumed for access to perform the insertion/removal check once and upon each completion of the insertion/removal check, returns the state of the SIM card to the suspended state.

7. The SIM-card suspend control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit judges the frequency of SIM card access when the SIM card is in the suspended state, and if the frequency is high, switches the state of the SIM card to the resumed state.

8. A SIM-card suspend control method of an electronic device having a SIM card, the SIM-card suspend control method comprising:

switching the state of the SIM card between a suspended state and a resumed state, wherein

the switching includes determining, based on the state of SIM card access for data communication and the state of the SIM card when the data communication occurs, whether to give priority to SIM card access or switching to the suspended state; and

setting the state of the SIM card accordingly.

9. An information processing apparatus that includes a SIM card and performs suspend control of the SIM card, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a control unit that switches the state of the SIM card between a suspended state and a resumed state, wherein

the control unit determines, based on the state of SIM card access for data communication and the state of the SIM card when the data communication occurs, whether to give priority to SIM card access or switching to the suspended state, and sets the state of the SIM card accordingly.