Method and apparatus for setting communication parameter in information terminal

• US 7,194,507 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2001
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukai, Hidekazu, Sato, Hidekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG H
• Application Number:
  US10/069,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20020124088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,092 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/203, 709/200
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

A communication parameter delivery server 50b has communication parameters necessary for making each of information terminals 13, 23 and 33 have a dial-up IP connection service. The server 50b delivers the communication parameters via each of networks 12, 22 and 33 responsively to a request from each of the information terminals 13, 23 and 33. The delivered communication terminals are set to Internet connection software installed in each of the information terminal 13, 23 and 33.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a communication terminal to receive communication services via a network, the method comprising:

requesting a plurality of communication parameters from a server with a communication terminal via a mobile phone connected to the communication terminal, wherein the communication parameters are requested for use in communication software stored in the communication terminal that is enabled to communicate over a network after being populated with the requested communication parameters,

notifying the server of a telephone number allotted to the mobile phone used by the communication terminal to request the communication parameters,

the server extracting from a plurality of communication parameters, each of which is stored in association with a telephone number, communication parameters stored in association with the notified telephone number that include individual user specific identification information of a user of the mobile phone, and communication software configuration values,

transmitting the extracted communication parameters from the server to the communication terminal,

receiving at the communication terminal via the mobile phone the extracted communication parameters, and

the communication terminal writing the extracted communication parameters into predetermined locations in the communication software stored in the communication terminal in order to configure the communication software to enable receipt by the communication terminal of communication services via a network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the requesting step comprises transmitting from the communication terminal to the server a software identifier indicative of the communication software stored by the communication terminal, and

the extracting step comprises the server extracting from the plurality of stored communication parameters a communication parameter stored in association with the notified telephone number and with the transmitted software identifier.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

each of a plurality of networks serve a group of mobile phones, and

the extracting step comprises, the server extracting an access point of a network that serves the mobile phone as one of the communication parameters, wherein the access point is identified by the notified telephone number.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein

the server is operable to store a plurality of templates each of which corresponds to one of a plurality of software identifiers and comprise a communication parameter name and a communication parameter value, and wherein the server comprises a user data storing unit operable to store a communication parameter value of a user of the mobile phone in association with a telephone number of the mobile phone, and

the extracting step comprises the server specifying a template from among the plurality of templates that corresponds to the software identifier transmitted from the communication terminal.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the extracting step further comprises, extracting a communication parameter value that is not contained in the specified template from the user data storing unit on the basis of the telephone number of the mobile phone, and editing the specified template by adding the extracted communication parameter value to the specified template.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the edited template from the server to the communication terminal via the mobile phone.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication software is executable to provide a connection service for the communication terminal once the communication parameters are written in the predetermined locations.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the communication software is executable to provide a dial-up IP connection service.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting the extracted communication parameters comprises transmitting an email message that includes the extracted communication parameters.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request includes a software identifier indicative of the communication software stored in the communication terminal.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the server uses the software identifier to extract communication parameters that are compatible with the communication software stored in the communication terminal.

7. A method of enabling a communication terminal to receive communication services via a network, the method comprising:

a communication terminal requesting, via a communication device connected to the communication terminal, a set of communication parameters for use in communication software stored on the communication terminal, wherein the set of communication parameters are requested from a server,

notifying the server of an identifier of the communication software and an identifier allotted to the communication device,

the server extracting from a plurality of communication parameters, each of which is stored in association with one of an identifier of a communication device or an identifier of communication software, those communication parameters stored in association with the notified identifier of the communication software and the notified identifier allotted to the communication device, wherein the communication parameters comprise individual user specific identification information of a user of the mobile phone, and communication software configuration values,

transmitting the extracted communication parameters from the server to the communication terminal,

receiving the communication parameters transmitted from the server at the communication terminal via the communication device, and

writing the received communication parameters into the communication software stored in the communication terminal in order to configure the communication software to enable receipt by the communication terminal of communication services via a network.

8. A server for enabling a communication terminal to receive communication services via a network, the server comprising:

a storing unit configured to store a plurality of combinations of a first communication parameter and a telephone number of a mobile phone, and a plurality of combinations of a second communication parameter and a software identifier indicative of communication software configurable in a communication terminal to enable communication over a network,

a receiving unit configured to receive from a communication terminal a request for a plurality of communication parameters, a software identifier of communication software stored in the communication terminal, and a telephone number allotted to a mobile phone to be used by the communication terminal to transmit the request,

an extracting unit configured to extract from the storing unit a first communication parameter corresponding to the telephone number received by the receiving unit, and a second communication parameter corresponding to the software identifier received by the receiving unit, wherein the first communication parameter comprises individual user specific identification information of a user of the mobile phone, and the second communication parameter comprises communication software configuration values, and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the extracted first and second communication parameters for receipt by the communication terminal.

9. The server according to claim 8, wherein

each of a plurality of networks is configured to serve a group of mobile phones, and

the extracting unit is configured to extract an access point of a network that serves the mobile phone as another communication parameter that corresponds to the telephone number.

10. The server according to claim 8, wherein the storing unit is further configured to store a plurality of templates each of which corresponds to a software identifier and comprises a combination of a communication parameter name and a communication parameter value.

11. The server according to claim 8, wherein the extracting unit is further configured to specify a template from among the plurality of templates that corresponds to the software identifier transmitted from the communication terminal.

12. The server according to claim 11, wherein the extracting unit is further configured to search, on the basis of the telephone number of the mobile phone, for a communication parameter value that is not contained in the specified template, and edit the specified template by addition of the searched communication parameter value to the specified template.

13. The server according to claim 12, wherein the transmitting unit is configured transmit the edited specified template to the communication terminal.

14. A server for enabling a communication terminal to receive communication services via a network, the server comprising:

a storing unit operable to store a plurality of combinations of a communication parameter and an identifier of communication software included in a communication device,

a receiving unit operable to receive from the communication terminal a request for a communication parameter and an identifier indicative of a name of communication software stored in the communication terminal,

an extracting unit operable to extract, from a plurality of communication parameters stored in the storing unit, a communication parameter corresponding to the identifier received by the receiving unit, wherein the communication parameter comprises individual user specific identification information of a user of the mobile phone, and communication software configuration values, and

a transmitting unit operable to transmit the extracted communication parameter to the communication terminal, wherein the communication parameter is writeable in the communication software by the communication terminal to enable receipt of communication services by the communication terminal with the communication software via a network.