Application providing system, portable terminal devices, server device, application providing method and computer programs

• US 7,881,709 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FeliCa Networks, Inc
• Original Assignee: FeliCa Networks, Inc
• Inventors: Wakasa, Shigeki, Shimizu, Takahiro, Ogishima, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, KUO-KONG
• Application Number:
  US11/467,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20070203969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/50.1, 455/412, 455/414, 455/558, 455/550.11, 455/420, 709/203
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

An application providing system is provided. The application providing system includes a portable terminal device having an IC chip configured to perform radio communications; and a server device; the application providing system connecting the portable terminal device and the server device through a communication network, wherein the portable terminal device includes a transmitted message receiver section, an application determination section, an application transmission request generation section, and an application storage section, wherein the server device includes a transmitted message generation section, a transmitted message sender section, an application transmission request receiver section, an application storage section, and an application sender section.

Claims

1. An application providing system comprising:

a portable terminal device having an IC chip configured to perform radio communications; and

a server device, wherein said portable terminal device is capable of connecting to said server device through a communication network,

wherein said portable terminal device includes;

(a) a transmitted message receiver section provided inside said IC chip configured to receive a transmitted message that includes information, including identification information, of an application to be executed by said portable terminal device based on said information from said server device;

(b) an application determination section configured to determine whether said application corresponding to said identification information of the application included in said transmitted message exists in said portable terminal device;

(c) an application transmission request generation section configured to generate a request for transmission of said identified application from said server device to said portable terminal device if the application determination section determines that said application does not exist in said portable terminal device; and

(d) an application storage section configured to store an application transmitted by said server device, and

wherein said server device includes;

(a) a transmitted message generation section configured to generate a transmitted message to be transmitted to said portable terminal device, wherein the transmitted message includes information, including identification information, of an application to be executed by said portable terminal device;

(b) a transmitted message sender section configured to transmit said transmitted message to said portable terminal device;

(c) an application transmission request receiver section configured to accept a request transmitted by said portable terminal device as a request for transmission of an application from said server device to said portable terminal device if said application to be executed in said portable terminal device does not exist in said portable terminal device;

(d) an application storage section configured to store applications and application identity information by associating said applications with their respective application identity information, the application identity information used for identifying said associated one of said applications; and

(e) an application sender section configured to transmit an application according to a request accepted by said application transmission request receiver section from said portable terminal device to said portable terminal device.

13. The application providing system of claim 1, wherein the application transmission request generation section is configured to automatically generate a request for transmission of said identified application from said server device to said portable terminal device if the application determination section determines that said application does not exist in said portable terminal device.

2. A portable terminal device capable of connecting to a server device through a communication network, the portable terminal device comprising:

an IC chip configured to perform radio communications;

a transmitted message receiver section provided inside said IC chip configured to receive a transmitted message that includes information, including identification information, of an application to be executed by said portable terminal device based on said information from said server device;

an application determination section configured to determine whether said application corresponding to said identification information included in said transmitted message exists in said portable terminal device;

an application transmission request generation section configured to generate a request for transmission of said identified application from said server device to said portable terminal device if said application determination section determines that said application does not exist in said portable terminal device; and

an application storage section configured to store an application transmitted by said server device.

3. The portable terminal device of claim 2, further comprising a display section configured to display a result of execution of an application executed based on information included in a transmitted message.

4. The portable terminal device of claim 2, further comprising a controller configured to control execution of predetermined applications, wherein said controller controls execution of said application, which corresponds to said identification information of said application, based on said information included in said transmitted message.

5. The portable terminal device of claim 4, wherein said IC chip comprises:

a first communication section for carrying out a near-field non-contact communication with an external communication device also capable of connecting to said server device through said communication network; and

a second communication section for carrying out a communication with said controller, wherein a transmitted message received by said first communication section from said external communication device is sent to said controller via said second communication section.

6. The portable terminal device of claim 2, wherein said transmitted message includes pieces of identification information used for identifying a plurality of applications according to specifications of said portable terminal device;

and

wherein said application determination section determines whether each of said applications corresponding to one of said pieces of identification information included in said transmitted message exists in said portable terminal device.

14. The portable terminal device of claim 2, wherein the application transmission request generation section is configured to automatically generate a request for transmission of said identified application from said server device to said portable terminal device if said application determination section determines that said application does not exist in said portable terminal device.

7. A server device capable of connecting through a communication network to a portable terminal device having an IC chip configured to perform radio communications, said server device comprising:

a transmitted message generation section configured to generate a transmitted message to be transmitted to said portable terminal device, wherein the transmitted message includes information, including identification information, of an application to be executed by said portable terminal device based on said information;

a transmitted message sender section configured to transmit said transmitted message to said portable terminal device;

an application transmission request receiver section configured to accept a request transmitted by said portable terminal device as a request for transmission of an application from said server device to said portable terminal device if said application to be executed in said portable terminal device does not exist in said portable terminal device;

an application storage section configured to store applications and application identity information by associating said applications with their respective application identity information, the application identity information used for identifying said associated one of said applications; and

an application sender section configured to transmit an application according to a request accepted by said application transmission request receiver section from said portable terminal device to said portable terminal device.

8. The server device of claim 7, wherein said application sender section acquires an application according to a request made by said portable terminal device from said application storage section and transmits said application to said portable terminal device.

9. The server device of claim 7, wherein said transmitted message generation section generates a transmitted message including pieces of identification information used for identifying a plurality of applications according to specifications of said portable terminal device.

10. An application providing method comprising:

connecting a server device through a communication network to a portable terminal device;

receiving a transmitted message in the IC chip, wherein the transmitted message includes information, including identification information, of an application to be executed by said portable terminal device based on said information from said server device;

determining by an application determination section of said portable terminal device, if said application corresponding to said identification information included in said transmitted message exists in said portable terminal device;

generating in said portable terminal device a request for transmission of said application corresponding to said identification information;

transmitting said request to said server device in order to request said server device to transmit said application corresponding to said identification information to said portable terminal device if said determination result indicates that said application corresponding to said identification information does not exist in said portable terminal device; and

storing said application transmitted from said server device.

15. The application providing method of claim 10, wherein the request for transmission of said application corresponding to said identification information is automatically generated.

11. A non-transitory recording medium for driving a portable terminal device having an IC chip configured to perform radio communications and a server device capable of connecting to said portable terminal device through a communication network, said recording medium storing instructions structured to cause said portable terminal device to:

receive a transmitted message that includes information, including identification information, of an application to be executed by said portable terminal device based on said information from said server device;

determine if said application corresponding to said identification information included in said transmitted message exists in said portable terminal device;

generate a request for transmission of said application corresponding to said identification information from said server device to said portable terminal device and transmit said request to said server device in order to request said server device to transmit said application corresponding to said identification information to said portable terminal device if said application corresponding to said identification information does not exist in said portable terminal device; and

store said application received from said server device.

16. The non-transitory recording medium of claim 11, wherein the request for transmission of said application corresponding to said identification information from said server device to said portable terminal device is automatically generated.

12. A non-transitory recording medium for driving a portable terminal device having an IC chip configured to perform radio communications and a server device capable of connecting to said portable terminal device through a communication network, said recording medium storing instructions structured to cause said server device to:

generate a transmitted message to be transmitted to said portable terminal device, wherein the transmitted message includes information, including identification information, of an application to be executed by said portable terminal device based on said information;

transmit said transmitted message to said portable terminal device;

accept a request transmitted by said portable terminal device as a request for transmission of an application from said server device to said portable terminal device if said application to be executed in said portable terminal device based on information does not exist in said portable terminal device; and

transmit said application according to said request made by said portable terminal device to said portable terminal device.