Storage media

• US 6,961,587 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2000
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Vilppula, Matti, Tervo, Vesa
• Primary Examiner(s): Vuong, Quochien B.
• Application Number:
  US09/569,169
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 455/344, 455/351, 455/557, 455/558, 455/517, 455/410, 455/411, 705/50, 705/64, 705/65, 705/66, 705/72, 717/100, 717/115
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A smart card (24) for a mobile communications terminal (10) contains a plurality of application programs (60–68) providing various services. A number of different profiles are configured so that certain of the applications are accessible in certain of the profiles. The smart card is changed from one profile to another by changing application identification and selection data in a directory (70) of the applications.

Claims

1. A smart card containing a plurality of application programs the application programs being grouped into a plurality of application program groups and group selection means being provided on the smart card to determine the application program groups to which a user is permitted access and the application program groups to which the user is not permitted access.

2. A smart card according to claim 1 in which the selection means is an application program.

3. A smart card according to claim 1 in which the selection means enables a user to have access to the application programs of at least one particular application program group and not to the application programs of at least one other particular application program group.

4. A smart card according to claim 1 in which certain users or certain classes of users may have access to all of the application program groups.

5. A smart card according to claim 1 in which the application program groups have a degree of overlap with at least one particular application program being contained in more than one application program group.

6. A smart card according to claim 1 which is insertable into and removable from a communications terminal.

7. A smart card according to claim 1 configured to hide at least one application program from the user if the user does not have a particular level of authorization.

8. A smart card according to claim 1 which is a subscriber identity module.

9. A smart card according to claim 1 which comprises a directory which is updated when a user selects a particular application program group.

10. A smart card according to claim 9 in which the directory is updated to contain identifiers of application programs in a most recently selected application program group.

11. A controlling application program for controlling a smart card containing a plurality of controlled application programs, the controlled application programs being grouped into a plurality of application program groups and the controlling application program comprising means for controlling the smart card to determine the application program groups to which a user is permitted access and the application program groups to which the user is not permitted access.

12. A controlling application program according to claim 11, in which the smart card is a subscriber identity module.

13. A controlling application program according to claim 11, arranged to hide at least one controlled application program from the user if the user does not have a particular level of authorization.

14. A controlling application program according to claim 11, arranged to allow the user access to the controlled application programs of at least one particular application program group and not to allow the user access to the controlled application programs of at least one other particular application program group.

15. A controlling application program according to claim 11, arranged to allow certain users or certain classes of users access to all of the application program groups.

16. A controlling application program according to claim 11, arranged to update a directory when a user selects a particular application program group.

17. A controlling application program according to claim 16, arranged to update the directory to contain identifiers of controlled application programs in a most recently selected application program group.

18. A communications terminal comprising a smart card, the smart card containing a plurality of application programs, the application programs being grouped into a plurality of application program groups and group selection means being provided on the smart card to determine the application program groups to which a user is permitted access and the application program groups to which the user is not permitted access.

19. A communications terminal according to claim 18 which is a mobile communications terminal.

20. A communications terminal according to claim 19 comprising a cellular telephone.

21. A communications terminal according to claim 18, in which the smart card is a subscriber identity module.

22. A communications terminal according to claim 18 in which the selection means provided on the smart card is an application program.

23. A method of selecting an application program group from a smart card containing a plurality of application programs, the method comprising:

grouping the application programs into a plurality of application program groups;

carrying out a verification procedure to determine the application program groups to which a user is permitted access and the application program groups to which the use is not permitted to access; and

permitting the user access to the permitted application program groups and not permitting the user access to the non-permitted application program groups.

24. A method according to claim 23 comprising hiding at least one application program from the user if the user does not have particular level of authorization.

25. A method according to claim 23, in which the verification procedure is carried out by an application program.

26. A method according to claim 23 in which the user is permitted access to the application programs of at least one particular application program group and not to the application programs of at least one other particular application program group.

27. A method according to claim 23 in which certain users or certain classes of users may have access to all of the application program groups.

28. A method according to claim 23, in which the application program groups have a degree of overlap, with at least one particular application program being contained in more than one application program group.

29. A method according to claim 23, in which the smart card is insertable into and removable from a communications terminal.

30. A method according to claim 23, in which the smart card is a subscriber identity module.

31. A method according to claim 23, comprising updating a directory when a user selects a particular application program group.

32. A method according to claim 31, comprising updating the directory to contain identifiers of application programs in a most recently selected application program group.