Method and apparatus for configuring the settings of a communication terminal device from a remote location

• US 6,775,559 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2000
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Weghorst, Ingo, Guentzer, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US09/508,715
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/403, 455/410, 455/411, 455/412, 455/414, 455/418, 455/420, 455/419, 455/556.1, 455/426, 455/432.3, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/424
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A Method and Device for the Remote Configuration of the Settings of a Communication Terminal Device is provided. The invention relates to a method for configuring the settings at a mobile telephone for providing remote access, for instance, with the aid of a specific service provider. The invention also provides a device for carrying out the method. The configuration settings that are needed at a mobile telephone are not undertaken directly at the device; but rather, an interface is provided so that the setting of the same parameters can also be accomplished in a remote-controlled manner via the radio interface that is present in a mobile telephone.

Claims

1. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone having a mobile station and a subscriber identification module, wherein the configuration settings are stored in the mobile station, the method comprising the steps of:

interrogating the configuration values that are set in the mobile telephone;

sending configuration data that is set in the mobile station to a configuration center via the radio interface of the mobile telephone in a first message, said first message containing an originator by which the first message can be unambiguously identified;

checking the configuration data by the configuration center;

modifying the configuration data by the configuration center;

receiving the configuration data by the mobile telephone via the radio interface in a second message; and

processing the configuration data at the mobile telephone.

2. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claims in claim 1, the method further comprising the step of:

enabling, via the user of the communication terminal device, remote configuration only upon which the configuration data then can be set by remote access.

3. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 2, the method further comprising the step of:

protecting by a password the setting of the configuration data by remote configuration.

4. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 2, the method further comprising the steps of:

checking the identity of the originator of the remote configuration by an automatic callback of the mobile telephone; and

executing the modification of the configuration data only upon reception of an acknowledgment.

5. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second message also contains a checksum in addition to the configuration data.

6. A method for configuring setting of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of:

generating a message, subsequent to successful remote configuring, by the communication terminal device; and

sending the message to the configuring location in order to check the correct execution of the configuration.

7. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of:

performing a diagnosis via the mobile telephone itself; and

requesting a remote configuration under certain adjustable conditions via the mobile telephone itself.

8. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission of the first and second messages containing the configuration data is accomplished via a short message service.

9. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission of the first and second messages containing the configuration data is accomplished via an unstructured supplementary data message.

10. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 8, the method further comprising the steps of:

securing the short message service second message with the aid of the subscriber identification module; and

giving pre-specified commands, via the subscriber identification module card, to initiate actions in the mobile telephone.

11. An apparatus for carrying out a remote configuration of settings of a mobile telephone containing a subscriber identification module, the apparatus comprising:

means for storing configuration settings;

means for transmitting a first message containing the configuration settings;

means for receiving an interrogation request;

means for receiving a second message containing new configuration settings from a configuration center;

means for processing the second message; and

means for modifying the configuration data in the mobile telephone.

12. An apparatus for carrying out a remote configuration of settings of a mobile telephone containing a subscriber identification module as claimed in claim 11, the apparatus further comprising:

a key that is stored on the subscriber identification module, wherein a confirmation message is secured in the subscriber identification module and give pre-specified commands via the key to initiate actions in the mobile station.

13. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone having a mobile station and a subscriber identification module, wherein the configuration settings are stored in the mobile station, the method comprising the steps of:

interrogating the configuration values that are set in the mobile telephone;

sending configuration data that is set in the mobile station to a configuration center via the radio interface of the mobile telephone in a first message set up in accordance with a defined form and containing a character string identifying it as a defined position;

checking the configuration data by the configuration center;

modifying the configuration data by the configuration center;

receiving the configuration data by the mobile telephone via the radio interface in a second message; and

processing the configuration data at the mobile telephone.

14. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claims in claim 13, the method further comprising the step of:

enabling, via the user of the communication terminal device, remote configuration only upon which the configuration data then can be set by remote access.

15. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 14, the method further comprising the step of:

protecting by a password the setting of the configuration data by remote configuration.

16. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 14, the method further comprising the steps of:

checking the identity of the originator of the remote configuration by an automatic callback of the mobile telephone; and

executing the modification of the configuration data only upon reception of an acknowledgment.

17. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second message also contains a checksum in addition to the configuration data.

18. A method for configuring setting of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 14, the method further comprising the steps of:

generating a message, subsequent to successful remote configuring, by the communication terminal device; and

sending the message to the configuring location in order to check the correct execution of the configuration.

19. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 14, the method further comprising the steps of:

performing a diagnosis via the mobile telephone itself; and

requesting a remote configuration under certain adjustable conditions via the mobile telephone itself.

20. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transmission of the first and second messages containing the configuration data is accomplished via a short message service.

21. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transmission of the first and second messages containing the configuration data is accomplished via an unstructured supplementary data message.

22. A method for configuring settings of a mobile telephone as claimed in claim 20, the method further comprising the steps of:

securing the short message service second message with the aid of the subscriber identification module; and

giving pre-specified commands, via the subscriber identification module card, to initiate actions in the mobile telephone.