Methods, electronic devices and computer program products for transferring data stored in an electronic device when a subscriber identity module is absent therefrom

• US 7,729,725 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2003
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Stenmark, Fredrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao; Minh D
• Application Number:
  US10/617,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20050009563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,518 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/566, 455/575, 379/322, 379/331, 235/475, 235/380
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The invention can allow data to be transferred from/to an electronic device when a removable Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card that stores information used to register the electronic device with a communications network is absent from the electronic device. A subscriber may, therefore, upgrade from an existing radiotelephone to a new radiotelephone without the need for two SIM cards so that both radiotelephones operate to transfer the data. For example, according to embodiments of the invention, a subscriber can transfer data from the existing radiotelephone to the new radiotelephone even though one of the radiotelephones does not have a SIM card.

Claims

1. A method of transferring data comprising:

transferring data from/to an electronic device when information used to register the electronic device with a wireless communications network is absent from the electronic device;

determining that a SIM used to store the information is absent from the electronic device; and

determining if a user selectable transfer mode for the device is enabled to allow transferring data while the SIM is absent from the electronic device.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

transferring data if the transfer mode is enabled and blocking transferring data if the transfer mode is disabled.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of determining if a transfer mode is enabled comprises:

requesting input to the electronic device;

receiving input to the electronic device via an input device associated with the electronic device; and

determining if the received input enables transfer mode.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of transferring comprises transferring the data using a first communications channel that is separate from a second communications channel used to register the electronic device with the communications network.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the first communications channel is carried over at least one of an infrared communications link, a BlueTooth communications link, a USB interface, and an IEEE 802.11 communications link.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises a mobile cellular radiotelephone configured to register in a Global System for Mobile telecommunications compliant communications network.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises a first electronic device, the method further comprising:

determining, in the first electronic device, that a SIM used to store the in formation is absent therefrom;

determining if a transfer mode is enabled for the first electronic device to allow the transfer of data from/to a second electronic device while the SIM is absent; and

transferring data from the first electronic device or receiving data from the second electronic device responsive to determining that the transfer mode is enabled for the first electronic device.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein a second SIM that stores information used to register the second electronic device with the communications network is absent from the second electronic device while transferring data.

9. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

transferring the data while a SIM that stores information other than that used to register the electronic device with the communications network is present in the electronic device.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the data comprises data stored in non-volatile memory of the electronic device.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the data comprises at least one of contact information, schedule information, to-do information, e-mail information, web information, image information, audio information, and video information.

12. A method according to claim 10 wherein the data comprises excess data having a size that exceeds an unused storage capacity of the a SIM.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises a unitary mobile cellular radiotelephone.

14. An electronic device for transferring data comprising:

a processor circuit configured to allow transfer of data from/to the electronic device when information used to register the electronic device with a wireless communications network is absent from the electronic device, wherein the processor circuit is further configured to allow transfer of data if a user selectable transfer mode for the device is enabled and a SIM used to store the information is absent and to block the transfer of data if the transfer mode is disabled.

15. An electronic device according to claim 14 wherein the processor circuit is configured to determine whether a SIM used to store the information is present or absent from the electronic device, the electronic device further comprising:

a registration circuit configured to register the electronic device with the communications network responsive to the processor circuit determining that the SIM is present; and

a data transfer circuit configured to transfer data from/to the electronic device responsive to the processor circuit determining that the SIM is absent and a transfer mode is enabled to allow transferring data while the SIM is absent.

16. An electronic device according to claim 15 wherein the processor circuit is further configured to:

request an input;

receive input via an input device associated with electronic device; and

determine if the received input enables transfer mode.

17. An electronic device according to claim 15 wherein the data transfer circuit is configured to transfer the data using a first communications channel;

and

wherein the registration circuit is configured to register the electronic device with the communications network using a second communications channel that is separate from the first communications channel.

18. An electronic device according to claim 17 wherein the first communications channel is carried over at least one of an infrared communications link a BlueTooth communications link, a USB interface, and an IEEE 802.11 communications link.

19. An electronic device according to claim 14 wherein the electronic device comprises a mobile cellular radio telephone configured to register in a Global System for Mobile telecommunications compliant communications network.

20. An electronic device according to claim 14 wherein the electronic device comprises a first electronic device, the processor circuit is further configured to:

determine, in the first electronic device, that a SIM used to store the in formation is absent therefrom;

determine if a transfer mode is enabled for the first electronic device to allow the transfer of data from/to a second electronic device while the SIM is absent; and

transfer data from the first electronic device or receiving data from the second electronic device responsive to determining that the transfer mode is enabled for the first electronic device.

21. An electronic device according to claim 20 wherein a second SIM that stores information used to register the second electronic device with the communications network is absent from the second electronic device.

22. An electronic device according to claim 14 wherein the processor circuit is further configured to allow transfer the data while a SIM that stores information other than that used to register the electronic device with the communications network is present in the electronic device.

23. An electronic device according to claim 14 further comprising:

a non-volatile memory configured to store the data outside a SIM used to store the information.

24. An electronic device according to claim 23 wherein the data comprises at least one of contact information, schedule information, to-do information, e-mail information, web information, image information, audio information, and video information.

25. An electronic device according to claim 23 wherein the data comprises excess data having a size that exceeds an unused storage capacity of the SIM.

26. An electronic device according to claim 14 wherein the electronic device comprises a unitary mobile cellular radiotelephone.

27. An electronic device for transferring data comprising:

a processor circuit configured to allow transfer of user selectable data from a memory of an the electronic device to an output therefrom when information used to register the electronic device with a wireless communications network is absent from the electronic device, wherein the processor circuit is further configured to allow the transfer of the user selectable data if a user selectable transfer mode for the device is enabled and a SIM used to store the information is absent from the device and to block the transfer of data if the transfer mode is disabled.

28. An electronic device according to claim 27 wherein the user selectable data comprises at least one of audio information transferred to headphones coupled to the electronic device and video or image data transferred to a display of the electronic device that is selected by a user.

29. A computer program product for transferring data from/to an electronic device, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to transfer data from/to the electronic device when information used to register the electronic device with a wireless communications network is absent from the electronic device, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured to allow transfer of the data if a user selectable transfer mode for the device is enabled and a SIM used to store the information is absent from the device and to block the transfer of data if the transfer mode is disabled.

30. A method of transferring data from/to an electronic device comprising:

transferring data from/to a first electronic device to/from a second electronic device when a removable Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) that stores information used to register the first electronic device with a wireless communications network is absent from the first electronic device, wherein the first and second electronic devices are associated with a common subscriber to the wireless communications network, wherein the transfer of data is allowed if a user selectable transfer mode for the first electronic device is enabled and a SIM used to store the information is absent therefrom and the transfer of data is blocked if the transfer mode for the first electronic device is disabled.

31. A method according to claim 30 further comprising:

determining that the SIM is absent therefrom; and

determining if a transfer mode is enabled for the first electronic device to allow transferring data from/to a second electronic device while the SIM is absent from the first electronic device; and

transferring data from the first electronic device or receiving data from the second electronic device responsive to determining that the transfer mode is enabled for the first electronic device.

32. A method according to claim 31 wherein determining if a transfer mode is enabled for the first electronic device comprises:

requesting input to the first electronic device;

receiving input to the first electronic device via an input device associated with the first electronic device; and

determining if the received input enables transfer mode.

33. A method according to claim 30 wherein transferring comprises transferring the data between said electronic devices using a first communications channel that is separate from a second communications channel used to register the electronic device with the wireless communications network.

34. A method according to claim 33 wherein the first communications channel is carried over at least one of an infrared communications link, a BlueTooth communications link, a USB interface, and an IEEE 802.11 communications link.

35. A method according to claim 30 wherein the first electronic device comprises a mobile cellular radiotelephone configured to register in a Global System for Mobile telecommunications compliant communications network.

36. A method according to claim 35 wherein a second SIM that stores information used to register the second electronic device with the communications network is absent from the second electronic device while transferring data.