Method and apparatus for remote multiple access to subscriber identity module
First Claim
1. A mobile telecommunications system for communicating with a plurality of client devices transmitting commands along a local link to a SIM card and receiving responses to the commands from the SIM card transmitted along the local link, comprisinga server device transferring the commands from the local link to the SIM card, and transferring the responses to the commands from the SIM card for transmission along the local link, the server device transmitting a broadcast message in response to the SIM card not being electrically coupled to the server device, wherein the server receives an indication signal from the plurality of client devices in response to the transmitted broadcast message;
- and an addresser associating local link addresses with the commands transmitted from the plurality of client devices to the server device.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus enabling multiple client devices to access a SIM card, coupled to a server device, along a local link, that includes a SIM card interface and a router unit. The SIM card interface couples the SIM card to the server device, formats the commands from the client devices for transmission to the SIM card, and formats responses to the commands for transmission from the SIM card to the client devices. The router unit routes the commands from the server device to the SIM card interface, and routes the responses to the commands for transmission along the local link from the SIM card to the client devices. A broadcast message is transmitted by the router unit along the local link to the client devices in response to detecting a physical presence signal transmitted by the SIM card interface in response to the SIM card being coupled to the SIM card interface.
209 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A mobile telecommunications system for communicating with a plurality of client devices transmitting commands along a local link to a SIM card and receiving responses to the commands from the SIM card transmitted along the local link, comprising
a server device transferring the commands from the local link to the SIM card, and transferring the responses to the commands from the SIM card for transmission along the local link, the server device transmitting a broadcast message in response to the SIM card not being electrically coupled to the server device, wherein the server receives an indication signal from the plurality of client devices in response to the transmitted broadcast message; - and
an addresser associating local link addresses with the commands transmitted from the plurality of client devices to the server device. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A mobile telecommunications system for communicating with a plurality of client devices transmitting commands along a local link to a SIM card and receiving responses to the commands from the SIM card transmitted along the local link, comprising
a server device transferring the commands from the local link to the SIM card, and transferring the responses to the commands from the SIM card for transmission along the local link, the server device transmitting a broadcast message in response to the SIM card not being electrically coupled to the server device, wherein the server receives an indication signal from the plurality of client devices in response to the transmitted broadcast message; - and
a client address manager determining whether local link addresses associated with the commands correspond to permitted client devices and whether a number of allowed client devices has been exceeded, to form valid commands. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
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6. A mobile telecommunications system for communicating with a plurality of client devices transmitting commands along a local link to a SIM card and receiving responses to the commands from the SIM card transmitted along the local link, comprising:
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a server device transferring the commands from the local link to the SIM card, and transferring the responses to the commands from the SIM card for transmission along the local link, the server device transmitting a broadcast message in response to the SIM card not being electrically coupled to the server device, wherein the server receives an indication signal from the plurality of client devices in response to the transmitted broadcast message; and
a message serializer and router unit processing the commands for transmission to the SIM card, and associating the responses to the commands with address information for transmission of the responses to a client device of the plurality of client devices corresponding to the address information.
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7. A mobile telecommunications system for communicating with a plurality of client devices transmitting commands along a local link to a SIM card and receiving responses to the commands from the SIM card transmitted along the local link, comprising:
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a server device transferring the commands from the local link to the SIM card, and transferring the responses to the commands from the SIM card for transmission along the local link, the server device transmitting a broadcast message in response to the SIM card not being electrically coupled to the server device, wherein the server receives an indication signal from the plurality of client devices in response to the transmitted broadcast message; and
a timer determining the amount of time between the transmission of the commands by the server device to the SIM card and receipt of the responses to the commands from the SIM card by the server device, wherein the commands are discarded in response to the timer exceeding a predetermined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A mobile telecommunications system for communicating with a plurality of client devices transmitting commands along a local link to a SIM card and receiving responses to the commands from the SIM card transmitted along the local link, comprising:
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a server device transferring the commands from the local link to the SIM card, and transferring the responses to the commands from the SIM card for transmission along the local link, the server device transmitting a broadcast message in response to the SIM card not being electrically coupled to the server device, wherein the server receives an indication signal from the plurality of client devices in response to the transmitted broadcast message;
a first transceiver performing local link and address management and authentication of the commands from the plurality of client devices; and
a first data interface formatting the commands from the first transceiver and converting the responses to the commands from the SIM card and the broadcast message to a format corresponding to the first transceiver, wherein the first transceiver transmits the broadcast message and the responses to the commands from the first data interface to the plurality of client devices along the local link. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
a command processor formatting the valid commands from the message serializer and router unit for receipt by the SIM card;
a response processor formatting the responses to the commands from the SIM card for receipt by the message serializer and router unit; and
a response formatter formatting the responses to the commands and address information from the message serializer and router unit for receipt by the first data interface.
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11. The mobile telecommunications system of claim 9, further comprising a command/response interface, positioned within the plurality of client devices, converting internal information to form the commands and linking the responses to the commands with the internal information.
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12. The mobile telecommunications system of claim 11, further comprising:
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a second transceiver, positioned within the plurality of client devices, performing local link and address management and authentication of the broadcast message and the responses to the commands received from the first transceiver; and
a second data interface, positioned within the plurality of client devices, converting the commands to a format corresponding to the second transceiver and converting the broadcast message and the responses to a format corresponding to the command/response interface, wherein the second transceiver transmits the commands from the second data interface to the first transceiver along the local link.
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13. A mobile telecommunications system for communicating with a plurality of client devices transmitting commands along a local link to a SIM card and receiving responses to the commands from the SIM card transmitted along the local link, comprising:
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a server device transferring the commands from the local link to the SIM card, and transferring the responses to the commands from the SIM card for transmission along the local link, the server device transmitting a broadcast message in response to the SIM card not being electrically coupled to the server device, wherein the server receives an indication signal from the plurality of client devices in response to the transmitted broadcast message; and
a timer, positioned within the plurality of client devices, determining the amount of time between the commands being transmitted by the plurality of client devices and the receiving of the responses to the commands from SIM card by the plurality of client devices, the timer transmitting a timeout message in response to the timer exceeding a second predetermined time period. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. An apparatus enabling a plurality of client devices to access a SIM card, coupled to a server device, along a local link, comprising:
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a SIM card interface, coupling the SIM card to the server device, formatting the commands from the plurality of client devices for transmission to the SIM card, and formatting responses to the commands for transmission from the SIM card to the plurality of client devices, the SIM card interface transmitting a physical presence signal in response to the SIM card being coupled to the SIM card interface; and
a router unit routing the commands from the server device to the SIM card interface, and routing the responses to the commands for transmission along the local link from the SIM card to the plurality of client devices, the router unit transmitting a broadcast message along the local link in response to detecting the physical presence signal transmitted by the SIM card interface. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
a first transceiver performing local link and address management and authentication of the commands received by the server device from the plurality of client devices; and
a first data interface converting the commands from the first transceiver to a format corresponding to the client address manager, the first data interface converting the responses to the commands from the message serializer and router and the broadcast message to a format corresponding to the first transceiver, wherein the first transceiver transmits the broadcast message and the responses to the commands from the first data interface to the plurality of client devices along the local link.
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24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:
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a command processor formatting the valid commands from the message serializer and router unit for receipt by the SIM card;
a response processor formatting the responses to the commands from the SIM card for receipt by the message serializer and router unit; and
a response formatter formatting the responses to the commands and address information from the message serializer and router unit for receipt by the first data interface.
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25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a command/response interface, positioned within the plurality of client devices, converting internal information to form the commands and linking the responses to the commands with the internal information.
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26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising an addresser associating the local link addresses with commands transmitted along a local link from the plurality of client devices to the server device along a local link.
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27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a physical presence processor positioned within the plurality of client devices transmitting an indication signal within the plurality of client devices in response to receipt of the broadcast message.
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28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:
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a second transceiver, positioned within the plurality of client devices, performing local link and address management and authentication of the broadcast message and the responses to the commands received from the first transceiver; and
a second data interface, positioned within the plurality of client devices, receiving the commands and associated local addresses from the addresser, and the broadcast message and the responses to the commands from the second transceiver, and converting the broadcast message and the responses to a format corresponding to the command/response interface, and converting the commands to a format corresponding to the second transceiver, wherein the second transceiver transmits the commands from the second data interface to the first data interface along the local link.
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29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a second timer, positioned within the plurality of client devices, determining the amount of time between the commands being transmitted by the second transceiver to the first transceiver and the receipt of the responses to the commands from the first transceiver, the second timer transmitting a timeout message in response to the second timer exceeding a second predetermined time period.
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30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the second timer is positioned within the command/response interface.
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31. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a physical presence processor, positioned within the plurality of client devices, transmitting the indication signal in response to receipt of the broadcast message, wherein the physical presence processor interrupts the transmission of the indication signal in response not receiving the broadcast signal and in response to the timeout message.
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32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the local link is a wireless local link.
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33. A method of enabling a client device to access a SIM card coupled to a server device, comprising the steps of:
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associating a local address of the client device with a command for transmission to the SIM card and transmitting the command and the local address along a local link from the client device to the server device;
determining whether the client device is a permitted client device based on the local address; and
transferring the command to the SIM card, formatting a response to the command received from the SIM card, and routing the formatted response for transmission to the client device along the local link. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
determining whether the response is received by the client device within a predetermined time period; and
transferring a timeout message within the client device in response to the response not being received by the client device within the predetermined time period.
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35. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of determining whether the client device is a permitted client device comprises comparing the local address with a list of local addresses corresponding to permissible client devices.
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36. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of determining whether the client device is a permitted client device includes determining whether the server device has more than a maximum number of permissible client devices currently attached.
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37. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:
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determining whether the response to the command from the SIM card is received by the server device in a predetermined time period; and
discarding the command in response to the response to the command from the SIM card not being received within the predetermined time period.
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38. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:
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transmitting a broadcast message along the local link from the server device to the client device in response to the SIM card not being coupled to the server device; and
transmitting an indication signal within the client device in response to the transmitted broadcast signal.
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39. The method of claim 38, further comprising the steps of:
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determining whether the formatted response is received by the client device within a predetermined time period;
transferring a timeout message within the client device in response to the formatted response not being received by the client device within the predetermined time period and transmitting the indication signal in response to the timeout message.
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Specification