Radiotelephone terminal with chip card provided with browser

• US 7,986,969 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2008
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Charbonnier, Bertrand, Voyer, Jérôme, Gaillard, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US12/141,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20080287162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/566, 455/466, 455/420, 455/550.1, 455/411, 4555561-5562, 455/3.06, 709203-206
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

This invention improves the intelligence of chip cards (SIM) in mobile radiotelephone terminals, so that a subscriber may, through the terminal, easily access databases (DB), attached to a server of services (SV). It facilitates the dialog between a subscriber who owns a mobile radiotelephone terminal and a server of services through the medium of an exchange of request and response messages. The card comprises a browser (NV) which interacts with the server and which can be triggered by selection in the mobile terminal or remotely by the server. The card and the server exchange short messages. Libraries of supplementary functions (BI), stored in the card, can be triggered by the server through the browser. The invention also relates to communications between the card that is equipped with the browser and the server.

Claims

1. A chip card, the chip card comprising means for storing a browser, the browser being capable of interacting with at least one server of at least one service external to the chip card.

2. The chip card according to claim 1,

wherein the browser is able to exchange at least two messages with at least one server of at least one service external to the chip card, at least one first message constituting a request and at least one second message constituting a response relating to the request.

3. The chip card according to claim 2,

wherein a message generated by the browser and sent to the external server and a message sent by the external server and analyzed by the browser are short messages transmitted through a dedicated two-way channel between the chip card and the external server.

4. The chip card according to claim 1,

wherein the chip card comprises means for storing at least one address of at least one server and at least one entity external to the chip card intervening for at least one communication between the chip card and the at least one server external to the chip card.

5. The chip card according to claim 1,

wherein the chip card comprises means for storing at least one library of at least one function, the function being able to be triggered by a remote server external to the chip card through the browser.

6. The chip card according to claim 5, wherein the at least one library of at least one function is remotely loaded from at least one server external to the chip card.

7. The chip card according to claim 1,

wherein the browser is triggered either through a selection of one service associated with a server external to the chip card or from at least one server of at least one service external to the chip card.

8. A method for communicating between a chip card accommodated within a mobile terminal, and one server of at least one service external to the chip card, the method comprising the following steps:

triggering a browser stored within the chip card;

identifying at least one address of at least one server of at least one service external to the chip card, the at least one address being stored within the chip card;

carrying out one exchange of messages comprising the two following steps;

transmitting from the chip card one message generated by the browser through the mobile station to the server external to the chip card further to a selection, via the mobile terminal, of a service associated with the server itself being associated with the identified address, and

receiving by the chip card of a second message transmitted from the server in reply to the first message, so that the browser of the chip card commands a display of data comprised within the second message on a display of the mobile terminal; and

carrying out another exchange of messages when at least one piece of data of the second message is selected and validated, so as to transmit another first message comprising the selected piece of data, generated by the browser and transmitted through the mobile terminal to the server external to the chip card.

10. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the method comprises, after the step of transmitting a first message and before the step of receiving a second message, a step for keeping a predetermined display of data upon the display of the mobile terminal under the control of the chip card as long as the chip card has not received the second message, or as long as a particular button of the mobile terminal has not been activated.

11. Method according to claim 8,

wherein the first message generated by the browser and transmitted through the mobile terminal to the server belongs to the following group of messages:

an initialization message for triggering the browser and a start of at least one exchange of messages;

a cancellation message for terminating an exchange of messages;

a request message comprising at least one item selected upon the display of the mobile terminal;

a consent message for accepting an exchange of messages initiated from the server external to the chip card.

12. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the method comprises a step for certificating a first message to be generated by the browser of the chip card and to transmit from the chip card through the mobile terminal to the server in accordance with a function of a library stored within the chip card, in reply to a second message preceding the first message and further comprising a certification request originating from the server external to the chip card.

9. A method for communicating between a chip card accommodated within a mobile terminal, and at least one server of at least one service external to the chip card, the method comprising the following steps:

receiving by the chip card one message for offering a service from the server external to the chip card through the mobile terminal, so as to display upon the mobile terminal display an offer of service;

after selecting the offer, triggering a browser stored within the chip card, and

exchanging messages comprising the two following steps;

transmitting a first message generated by the chip card through the mobile terminal to the server external to the chip card, further to the selection, via the mobile terminal, of the service associated with the server as sender of the message for offering the service;

receiving by the chip card of a second message transmitted by the server external to the chip card in reply to the first message so that the browser of the chip card commands a display of data comprised within the second message on a display of the mobile terminal, and

carrying out another exchange of messages when at least one piece of data of the second message is selected and validated, so as to transmit another first message comprising the selected piece of data, generated by the browser and transmitted by the chip card through the mobile terminal to the server external to the chip card.

13. A telecommunication system comprising a mobile terminal and a chip card, the chip card cooperating with the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal comprising a display, the telecommunication system being able to be connected to outside the mobile terminal, the chip card comprising means for storing a browser, the browser being capable of interacting with at least one server of at least one service external to the telecommunication system, so that the display displays at least one information page originating from outside the telecommunication system.