Method of configuring a multi-network terminal and an associated multi-network terminal

• US 8,086,193 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Auvray, Vincent, Bauban, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US12/307,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20090203397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/432.3, 455/435.1, 455/436, 455/438, 455/443, 455/444, 455/127.4, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/160.1, 455/435.2
• US Class Current: 455/127.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/052 using standardised network management architectures, e.g. telecommunication management network [TMN] or unified network management architecture [UNMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• 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

A method and apparatus are provided for configuring a multi-network telecommunications terminal, which communicates with a number of telecommunications networks offering a plurality of telecommunications services. The terminal includes a plurality of interfaces for accessing the services offered. When the terminal accesses one of the services offered, via one of the networks, the following steps are performed: a) determining the type of network with which the terminal is in the process of connecting, b) activating the access interface associated with the service which the terminal is intended to access, c) requesting, at the level of the activated access interface, configuration parameters which are dependent on the activated access interface and the network in the process of connection, d) extracting, at the level of a module for centralizing configuration parameters, the requested configuration parameters, e) obtaining, at level of the activated access interface, the extracted configuration parameters.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a telecommunications terminal able to communicate with a number of telecommunications networks offering a number of respective telecommunications services, said terminal including interfaces for accessing said services offered, said method comprises the following steps, when the terminal accesses one of the services offered via one of said networks:

a) determining a type of network to which the terminal is in the process of being connected;

b) activating the access interface associated with said service that the terminal is intended to access;

c) requesting at said activated access interface configuration parameters that are a function of said activated access interface and said network in the process of connection;

d) extracting said requested configuration parameters from a module for centralizing configuration parameters; and

e) obtaining said extracted configuration parameters at said activated access interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step a) of determining the type of network is effected either on starting the terminal or in the event of a modification relating to the connected network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step a) of determining the type of network and the step c) of requesting configuration parameters are effected manually.

4. A telecommunications terminal able to communicate with a number of telecommunications networks offering a number of respective telecommunications services, said terminal including interfaces for accessing said services offered, said terminal comprising:

a) means for determining a type of network to which the terminal is in the process of being connected;

b) means for activating the access interface associated with said service that the terminal is intended to access;

c) means for requesting configuration parameters that are a function of said activated access interface and said network in the process of connection;

d) means for extracting said requested configuration parameters from a module for centralizing configuration parameters; and

e) means for obtaining said extracted configuration parameters.

5. The terminal according to claim 4, further including manual selection means for selecting the type of network to which the terminal is intended to be connected and configuration parameters associated with said network to be connected to and with the service that the terminal is intended to access in said network.

6. A computer program installed in a telecommunications terminal able to communicate with a number of telecommunications networks offering a number of respective telecommunications services, said terminal including a plurality of access interfaces to said services, said program including instructions for implementing steps of a method of configuring the telecommunications terminal when the program is executed by processing means of said terminal, wherein the method comprises the following steps, when the terminal accesses one of the services offered via one of said networks:

a) determining a type of network to which the terminal is in the process of being connected;

b) activating the access interface associated with said service that the terminal is intended to access;

c) requesting at said activated access interface configuration parameters that are a function of said activated access interface and said network in the process of connection;

d) extracting said requested configuration parameters from a module for centralizing configuration parameters; and

e) obtaining said extracted configuration parameters at said activated access interface.

7. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program including instructions for executing steps of a method of configuring a telecommunications terminal able to communicate with a number of telecommunications networks offering a number of respective telecommunications services, said terminal including interfaces for accessing said services offered, wherein the method comprises the following steps, when the terminal accesses one of the services offered via one of said networks:

a) determining a type of network to which the terminal is in the process of being connected;

b) activating the access interface associated with said service that the terminal is intended to access;

c) requesting at said activated access interface configuration parameters that are a function of said activated access interface and said network in the process of connection;

d) extracting said requested configuration parameters from a module for centralizing configuration parameters; and

e) obtaining said extracted configuration parameters at said activated access interface.