Wireless communication terminal synchronization method, wireless communication system, wireless communication terminal, and server

• US 7,640,039 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Inventors: Kamada, Tomihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAGLAWI, AMAR A
• Application Number:
  US10/591,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20070191057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/550.1, 455/412.11
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading

Abstract

In the case where a single user selectively uses plural wireless communication terminals by mounting and demounting a subscriber identification card thereon and therefrom, user convenience in such selective use of the plural terminals can be enhanced by synchronizing user data among those plural terminals. For this purpose, at least updated portion of the data stored in the memory in terminal is uploaded from the first terminal 10a on which SIM card (subscriber information card) 12 is mounted, to a server 50 via a communication network 20, according to a user'"'"'s request or automatically. After the SIM card 12 demounted from the first terminal is mounted on the second terminal 10b or 10c, data to be downloaded to the second terminal from the server 50 is determined according to the user'"'"'s request or automatically, and the data is downloaded to the second terminal from the server 50. In the second terminal, thus downloaded data is used to update the contents in the memory.

Claims

1. A wireless communication terminal synchronization method in which data stored in a memory in each of plural wireless communication terminals is synchronized with each other, when a user selectively utilizes the plural wireless communication terminals by using a single subscriber information card, at least communicating operation in each of the wireless communication terminals being enabled by mounting thereon the subscriber information card that records subscriber information, the method comprising the steps of:

uploading from a first wireless communication terminal with the subscriber information card being mounted, to a server via a communication network, updated part of data which is stored in a memory in the first wireless communication terminal, in accordance with a user'"'"'s request or automatically, said uploading being performed with only data updated after the subscriber information card was mounted on the first wireless communication terminal, while leaving the uploaded data in the memory in the first wireless communication terminal even when the subscriber information card is dismounted from the first wireless communication terminal, wherein said uploading is allowed to be executed at least under conditions that the user is confirmed to be an authenticated user of said subscriber information card and an authenticated user of the first wireless communication terminal;

updating contents in a user'"'"'s data storage area with the data being uploaded, in the server;

downloading the data to a second wireless communication terminal via the communication network from the server, the data being confirmed in accordance with a user'"'"'s request or automatically, as data to be downloaded to the second wireless communication terminal from the server, after the subscriber information card having been demounted is mounted on the second wireless communication terminal, said downloading being performed with only data which is present in the storage area of the server and which is not present in the memory of the second wireless communication terminal, wherein said downloading is allowed to be executed at least under conditions that the user is confirmed to be an authenticated user of said subscriber information card and an authenticated user of the second wireless communication terminal; and

updating the contents of the memory in the second wireless communication terminal, said uploading being performed with only data updated after the subscriber information card was mounted on the second wireless communication terminal, while leaving the uploaded data in the memory in the second wireless communication terminal, wherein said uploading is allowed to be executed at least under conditions that the user is confirmed to be an authenticated user of said subscriber information card and an authenticated user of the second wireless communication terminal.

2. The wireless communication terminal synchronization method according to claim 1, wherein, said uploading is allowed to be executed at least under conditions that the wireless communication terminal that requested the uploading is confirmed to be a terminal being associated with said subscriber information card in advance.

3. The wireless communication terminal synchronization method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the conditions are confirmed on the terminal side.

4. The wireless communication terminal synchronization method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the conditions are confirmed on the server side.

5. The wireless communication terminal synchronization method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, a data attribute as a target of said uploading and said downloading is registered in advance, and in each of the terminals, only the data having the data attribute registered in each own terminal becomes the target of the uploading and the downloading.

6. A wireless communication system comprising plural wireless communication terminals at least communication operation of which is enabled by mounting a subscriber information card recording subscriber information, and a server that is connected with the wireless communication terminals via a communication network, said server comprising:

a communication interface which performs data communication with said wireless communication terminals via the communication network;

a storage unit which includes a storage area to store a copy of the data stored in said plural wireless communication terminals; and

a server side synchronization engine which synchronizes the data of a user stored in the wireless communication terminals and the data stored in the storage unit according to a request from any one of said wireless communication terminals;

each of the wireless communication terminals comprising;

a card reader which detachably mounts a subscriber information card;

a wireless communication interface which is operable when said subscriber information card is mounted;

a memory which stores user data; and

a terminal side synchronization engine which requests execution of synchronization to said server after said subscriber information card is mounted, uploading or downloading of data being executed with said server as required, said uploading being performed with only data updated after the subscriber information card was mounted on the wireless communication terminal, leaving the uploaded data in the memory even when the subscriber information card is dismounted from the wireless communication terminal, and said downloading being performed with only data which is present in the storage unit of the server and which is not present in the memory of the wireless communication terminal; and

at least either one of said server and each of said wireless communication terminals further comprising;

an authentication engine which allows only plural wireless communication terminals possessed by an identical user, to perform synchronization as to the user data of the user in the storage unit of said server;

said authentication engine being adapted to allow synchronization to be executed at least under conditions that the user who requested the synchronization is confirmed to be an authenticated user of said subscriber information card and an authenticated user of the terminal.

7. The wireless communication system according to claim 6, wherein, said authentication engine confirms that the user of the terminal that requested the synchronization is an authenticated user of said subscriber information card, on the basis of personal identification information being associated with said subscriber information card.

8. The wireless communication system according to claim 6, wherein, said authentication engine confirms that the user is an authenticated user of the terminal on the basis of personal identification information being associated with the wireless communication terminal.

9. The wireless communication system according to claim 6, wherein, said authentication engine allows executing the synchronization under conditions that the terminal that requested the synchronization is confirmed to be the terminal that is associated with the subscriber information card in advance.

10. The wireless communication system according to claim 9, wherein, said authentication engine is provided in the terminal so as to store in a memory of the terminal, the subscriber identification information recorded in said subscriber information card, and in performing authentication, it is checked whether the subscriber identification information of the subscriber information card mounted on the wireless communication terminal and the subscriber identification information stored in the memory of the terminal as a target for authentication match with each other, thereby confirming that the terminal requested the synchronization is a terminal being associated with said subscriber information card in advance.

11. The wireless communication system according to claim 9, wherein, said authentication engine is provided in the terminal so as to store in the memory of the subscriber information card mounted on the terminal, the terminal identification information recorded in the terminal, and in performing authentication, it is checked whether any of the plural terminal identification information stored in the memory of the subscriber information card and the terminal identification information recorded in the terminal as a target of the authentication match with each other, thereby confirming that the terminal requested the synchronization is a terminal being associated with the subscriber information card in advance.

12. The wireless communication system according to claim 11, wherein, said server comprises:

a subscriber managing database to register the subscriber identification information of the subscriber information card and terminal identification information of plural wireless communication terminals of the user in such a manner as being associated with each other;

said authentication engine is provided in said server to receive from the wireless communication terminal, subscriber identification information recorded in the subscriber information card and terminal identification information of the wireless communication terminal on which the subscriber information card is mounted, and confirms that the terminal identification information thus received is registered in the subscriber managing database, in such a manner as being associated with the subscriber identification information thus received, thereby confirming that the terminal that requested the synchronization is a terminal being associated with said subscriber information card in advance.

13. A wireless communication terminal at least communication operation of which is enabled by mounting a subscriber information card that records subscriber information, said terminal comprising:

a card reader which detachably mounts a subscriber information card;

a wireless communication interface which is operable when the subscriber information card is mounted;

a memory which stores user data; and

a terminal side synchronization engine which requests execution of synchronization to the server on the communication network after the subscriber information card is mounted, and executes uploading or downloading of data with the server as required, said uploading being performed with only data updated after the subscriber information card was mounted on the terminal, leaving the uploaded data in the memory even when the subscriber information card is dismounted from the terminal, and said downloading being performed with only data which is present in a storage unit of a server and which is not present in the memory of the terminal, and wherein said synchronization engine allows the synchronization to be executed at least under conditions that the user of the terminal who requested the synchronization is confirmed to be an authenticated user of said subscriber information card and an authenticated user of the terminal.

14. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein, said authentication engine allows only plural wireless communication terminals possessed by an identical user to perform synchronization for the user data of the user in a storage unit in said server.

15. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein, said authentication engine confirms that the user of the terminal that requested the synchronization is an authenticated user of said subscriber information card, on the basis of personal identification information being associated with said subscriber information card.

16. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein, said authentication engine confirms that the user is an authenticated user of the terminal on the basis of personal identification information that is associated with the wireless communication terminal.

17. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein, said authentication engine allows executing the synchronization under conditions that the terminal that requested the synchronization is confirmed to be the terminal that is associated with said subscriber information card in advance.

18. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 17, wherein, said authentication stores in the memory of the terminal, the subscriber identification information recorded in said subscriber information card, and in performing authentication, it is checked whether the subscriber identification information of the subscriber information card mounted on the terminal and the subscriber identification information stored in the memory of the terminal as a target for authentication match with each other, thereby confirming that the terminal requested the synchronization is a terminal being associated with said subscriber information card in advance.

19. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 17, wherein, said authentication engine stores the terminal identification information recorded in the terminal in the memory in the subscriber information card mounted on the terminal, and in performing authentication, it is checked whether any of the plural terminal identification information stored in the memory in the subscriber information card and the terminal identification information recorded in the terminal as a target of the authentication match with each other, thereby confirming that the terminal requested the synchronization is a terminal being associated with the subscriber information card in advance.

20. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 13, further comprising:

a card detector which detects mounting and/or demounting of said subscriber information card, wherein, said terminal side synchronization engine accesses said server triggered by detecting the mounting and/or demounting of said subscriber information card, and requests execution of the synchronization.

21. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 13, comprising a battery remaining amount detecting section that detects a battery remaining amount, wherein, said terminal side synchronization engine accesses said server triggered when the battery remaining amount becomes a predetermined level or less, and requests execution of synchronization including at least data uploading.

22. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein, said terminal side synchronization engine is provided with a judging engine which judges whether or not the terminal is in idle state, and executes the synchronization process when said judging engine determines that the terminal is in idle state.

23. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 13, wherein, said terminal side synchronization engine accesses said server in response to a directive from a user and uploads data as a target for uploading, and then, erases a predetermined data in the terminal all at once.

24. A server being connected via a communication network with plural wireless communication terminals at least communication operation of which is enabled by mounting thereon a subscriber information card that records subscriber information, said server comprising:

a communication interface which performs data communication with said wireless communication terminals via the communication network;

a storage unit which has a storage area to store a copy of the data that is stored in said plural wireless communication terminals;

a server side synchronization engine which performs synchronization with said wireless communication terminals for user data stored in said storage unit, in accordance with a request from said wireless communication terminals, said synchronization being performed with only data updated after the subscriber information card was mounted on one of the wireless communication terminals, while leaving uploaded data stored in the wireless communication terminal even when the subscriber information card is dismounted from the wireless communication terminal; and

an authentication engine which allows only plural wireless communication terminals possessed by an identical user to perform synchronization for the user data of the user in the storage unit, wherein said authentication engine allow synchronization to be executed at least under conditions that the user is confirmed to be an authenticated user of said subscriber information card and an authenticated user of the wireless communication terminal on which said subscriber information card is mounted.

25. The server according to claim 24, wherein, said authentication engine confirms that the user of the terminal that requested the synchronization is an authenticated user of said subscriber information card, on the basis of personal identification information being associated with said subscriber information card.

26. The server according to claim 24, wherein, said authentication engine confirms that the user is an authenticated user of the terminal on the basis of personal identification information that is associated with the wireless communication terminal.

27. The server according to claim 24, wherein, said authentication engine allows executing the synchronization under conditions that the terminal requested the synchronization is confirmed to be the terminal that is associated with said subscriber information card in advance.

28. The server according to claim 27, further comprising:

a subscriber managing database to register the subscriber identification information of the subscriber information card and terminal identification information of plural wireless communication terminals of the user in such a manner as being associated with each other;

said authentication engine receiving from the wireless communication terminal, subscriber identification information recorded in said subscriber information card and terminal identification information of the wireless communication terminal on which the subscriber information card is mounted, and confirming that the terminal identification information thus received is registered in the subscriber managing database, in such a manner as being associated with the subscriber identification information thus received, thereby confirming that the terminal that requested the synchronization is a terminal that is associated with said subscriber information card in advance.