Apparatus and method for downloading SIM data in mobile communication system

• US 8,131,317 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sung-Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US11/842,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20080051062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455410-411, 455418-420, 455/432.1, 455/435.2, 455/502
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus and a method for downloading Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data in a mobile communication system, which includes an authentication server that stores authentication information and a list of registered networks; a service provider server that stores SIM data and transmits the SIM data in response to a request for the SIM data; and a mobile communication terminal that receives user authentication from the authenticating server, checks the list of the networks, allows a network, which is to be accessed, to be selected from among the list of the networks, and accesses the service provider server in the selected network so as to download the SIM data.

Claims

1. A mobile communication system for downloading Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data, the system comprising:

an authenticating server for storing authentication information and a list of networks registered;

a service provider server for storing SIM data and transmitting the SIM data; and

a mobile communication terminal receiving user authentication from the authenticating server, checking the list of networks, allowing a network, which is to be accessed, to be selected from among the list of networks, accessing the service provider server in the selected network, and downloading the SIM data from the service provider server,

wherein, after the SIM data is downloaded, a controller of the mobile communication terminal determines whether a change occurs in the SIM data to be determined at predetermined intervals of time, and an update message containing the change to be created and transmitted to the service provider server when the change occurs in the SIM data.

2. An apparatus for downloading Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data in a mobile communication system, the apparatus comprising:

an authenticating unit for receiving authentication information for a user;

a communication unit for accessing the authentication server to exchange messages for authentication with the authenticating server, and accessing a service provider server to download the SIM data;

a SIM module unit for storing the downloaded SIM data; and

a controller for controlling an authentication requesting message, which contains the authentication information received via the authenticating unit, to be created and transmitted to the authenticating server, a list of networks registered to be output when an authentication response message containing the list of networks is received from the authenticating server, a network, which is to be accessed, to be selected from among the list of networks, and a SIM data requesting message to be transmitted to the service provider server in the selected network, the SIM data received from the service provider server to be stored in the SIM module unit,

wherein, after the SIM data is downloaded, the controller determines whether a change occurs in the SIM data to be determined at predetermined intervals of time, and an update message containing the change to be created and transmitted to the service provider server when the change occurs in the SIM data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, after the SIM data is downloaded, the controller controls whether a change occurs in the SIM data to be determined when use of the SIM data is completed, and an update message containing the change to be created and transmitted to the service provider server when the change occurs in the SIM data.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the authenticating server comprises an authenticating database storing authentication information for each of a plurality of users and the list of networks, compares the authentication information contained in the authentication requesting message with the stored authentication information to authenticate a user requesting the authentication when the authentication requesting message is received, and creates and transmits the authentication response message containing the list of networks when the user is authenticated.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein, if the user is not authenticated, the authenticating server creates and transmits the authentication response message indicting that the authentication failed.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the service provider server comprises a user database storing SIM data for each of the plurality of users, and searches the user database for SIM data of a user who transmits the SIM data requesting message and transmits the searched SIM data when the SIM data requesting message is received.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, when receiving the update message containing the change in the SIM data, the service provider server updates the SIM data corresponding to the change and stores the updated SIM data in a user database.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, when receiving the update message containing the change in the SIM data, the service provider server updates the SIM data corresponding to the change and stores the updated SIM data in a user database.

9. A method of downloading Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data to a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

receiving authentication information and transmitting an authentication requesting message containing the authentication information to an authenticating server, when an event requesting SIM data occurs;

receiving an authentication response message containing a list of registered networks from the authenticating server;

allowing a network, which is to be accessed, to be selected from among the list of networks;

creating a SIM data requesting message and transmitting the message to a service provider server in a selected network; and

downloading the SIM data from the service provider server,

wherein, after the SIM data is downloaded, determining whether a change occurs in the SIM data to be determined at predetermined intervals of time, and an update message containing the change to be created and transmitted to the service provider server when the change occurs in the SIM data.

10. The method of claim 9, after downloading the SIM data, further comprising periodically determining whether a change occurs in the SIM data, and creating an update message containing the change and transmitting the update message to the service provider server when the change occurs in the SIM data.

11. The method of claim 9, after downloading the SIM data, further comprising determining whether a change occurs in the SIM data when use of the SIM data is completed, and creating an update message containing the change and transmitting the update message to the service provider server when the change occurs in the SIM data.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the authenticating server comprises an authentication database storing authentication information for each of a plurality of users and a list of networks registered, compares the stored authentication information with the authentication information contained in the authentication requesting message to authenticate a user requesting authentication when the authentication requesting message is received, and creates and transmits the authentication response message containing the list of networks when the user is authenticated.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, if the user is not authenticated, the authenticating server creates and transmits the authentication response message indicating that the authentication fails.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the service provider server comprises a user database storing SIM data for each of a plurality of users, and searches the user database for SIM data of a user who transmits the SIM data requesting message and transmits the searched SIM data when the message is received.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein, when receiving the update message containing the change in the SIM data, the service provider server updates the SIM data corresponding to the change and stores the updated SIM data in a user database.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein, when receiving the update message containing the change in the SIM data, the service provider server updates the SIM data corresponding to the change and stores the updated SIM data in a user database.

17. An apparatus for downloading Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data in a mobile communication system, the apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting an authentication requesting message containing an authentication information to an authenticating server;

means for receiving an authentication response message containing a list of registered networks from the authenticating server;

means for allowing a network to be selected from among the list of networks;

means for transmitting a SIM data requesting message to a service provider server in a selected network; and

means for downloading the SIM data from the service provider server,

wherein, after the SIM data is downloaded, determining whether a change occurs in the SIM data to be determined at predetermined intervals of time, and an update message containing the change to be created and transmitted to the service provider server when the change occurs in the SIM data.

18. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for downloading Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data to a mobile communication terminal comprising:

a first code segment, receiving authentication information and transmitting an authentication requesting message containing the authentication information to an authenticating server, when an event requesting SIM data occurs;

a second code segment, receiving an authentication response message containing a list of registered networks from the authenticating server;

a third code segment, allowing a network, which is to be accessed, to be selected from among the list of networks;

a fourth code segment, creating a SIM data requesting message and transmitting the message to a service provider server in a selected network; and

a fifth code segment, downloading the SIM data from the service provider server,

wherein, after the SIM data is downloaded, determining whether a change occurs in the SIM data to be determined at predetermined intervals of time, and an update message containing the change to be created and transmitted to the service provider server when the change occurs in the SIM data.

19. An apparatus for downloading Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data in a mobile communication system, the apparatus comprising:

an authenticating unit for receiving authentication information for a user;

a communication unit for accessing the authentication server to exchange messages for authentication with the authenticating server, and accessing a service provider server to download the SIM data; and

a controller for controlling an authentication requesting message, which contains the authentication information received via the authenticating unit, to be transmitted to the authenticating server, an authentication response message containing the list of networks is received from the authenticating server, a network, to be selected from among the list of networks, and a SIM data requesting message to be transmitted to the service provider server in the selected network, the SIM data received from the service provider server,

wherein, after the SIM data is downloaded, the controller determines whether a change occurs in the SIM data to be determined at predetermined intervals of time, and an update message containing the change to be created and transmitted to the service provider server when the change occurs in the SIM data.