Method and device for customising a radio communication terminal, corresponding radio communication terminal, SIM card, server, computer program product and storage means

• US 8,195,235 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wavecom
• Original Assignee: Wavecom
• Inventors: Montes, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wyche, Myron
• Application Number:
  US12/376,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20090318191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.1, 455/90.2, 455/411, 455/558, 713/168, 713/176, 713/193
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method is provided for customizing a radio communication terminal possessing an operating mode requiring first customization data so as to allow a first radio communication link with a radio communication network. The method includes the following steps: placing the terminal in an actual usage condition, not including the first customization data; transmitting the first customization data from a customization device to the radio communication terminal, via a second link distinct from the first link.

Claims

1. A method for customizing a first radio communication terminal, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

placing the first radio communication terminal in use, outside of a factory, with a blank SIM card, inside which first customization data can be stored, the first customization data permitting the first radio communication terminal to establish a first radio communication link between said first radio communication terminal and a radio communication network, wherein during said placing step, said blank SIM card is devoid of all customization data that are linked to a radio communication network, such that said first radio communication terminal is not able to communicate with any radio communication network; and

after said step of placing the first radio communication terminal in use, and before establishing said first radio communication link, transmitting said first customization data from a customization device to said first radio communication terminal, via a second link that is distinct from said first link.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the customization device is included in a second radio communication terminal which uses second customization data and wherein said method comprises a step of obtaining said first customization data by the second radio communication terminal.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said step of obtaining said first customization data comprises a step of reading said first customization data in a storage device implemented in the customization device.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein said step of obtaining said first customization data comprises the following steps:

the customization device sends a customization data allocation request to a remote server;

the server sends the customization device a reply containing said first customization data.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises a step of obtaining an identifier of said first terminal by the customization device, wherein:

said customization data allocation request comprises said identifier of said first terminal,

the server encodes said reply, before sending it to the customization device, with an encoding key associated to said first terminal, wherein said key is known from said server and said first terminal,

and said customization device transmits the encoded reply to said first terminal via said second link.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein said step of obtaining an identifier of said first terminal with the customization device comprises at least one action from the following group:

entry of said identifier by a user via a man/machine interface of said customization device;

launching by the user, via a man/machine interface of said first terminal, of a step wherein said identifier is sent from the first terminal to said customization device, via said second link;

detection of the presence of said customization device close to said first terminal, or inversely, such that in the event of a positive detection said first terminal transmits, directly or in response to an identification request that has been sent previously by the device, said identifier to said customization device via said second link.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein said second radio communication terminal belongs to a user, wherein said second customization data is associated to said user and said first customization data is also associated to said user.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the method comprises a step of identifying the user by the customizing device.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein said second radio communication terminal belongs to a first entity that is distinct from a second entity to which said first terminal belongs, and wherein the second customization data is associated to said second entity, and in that said first customization data is associated to said first entity.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the method comprises a step of storing said first customization data in said SIM card.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said customization data comprises at least one of the following elements:

an IMSI identity number;

a Ki authentication key; and

an authentication algorithm.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step wherein at least one of said first terminal or said customization device is supplied, by said user, with an authorization for the customization of said first terminal with said first customization data received via the second link.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises a phase for deactivating the customization of said first terminal.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein said deactivation phase comprises the following steps:

sending a deactivation request from the first terminal to said customization device via said second link;

supplying to at least one of said first terminal or said customization device, by said user, of an authorization to deactivate the customization of said first terminal.

15. A device for customizing a first radio communication terminal, which has an operating mode that requires first customization data in order to make possible a first radio communication link with a radio communication network, wherein the device comprises:

means for obtaining said first customization data; and

means for transmitting said customization data, via a second link that is distinct from said first link, to said first radio communication terminal, which comprises a blank SIM card devoid of all customization data that are linked to a radio communication network, such that said first radio communication terminal is not able to communicate with any radio communication network prior to receiving said customization data from said device.

16. A first radio communication terminal comprising:

a SIM card, inside which first customization data can be stored, the first customization data permits the first radio communication terminal to establish a first radio communication link between said first radio communication terminal and a radio communication network;

means for implementing an operating mode outside a factory in which said SIM card is blank and devoid of all customization data that are linked to a radio communication network, such that said first radio communication terminal is not able to communicate with any radio communication network;

means for implementing an operating mode that requires said first customization data in order to make possible said first radio communication link with a radio communication network;

means for obtaining said first customization data after implementing said operating mode in which said SIM card is blank; and

means for activating said first customization data obtained by said obtaining means.

17. A computer program product saved onto a support that can be read by a computer and/or run by a processor, wherein the product comprises program code instructions to run a method for customizing a first radio communication terminal, which has an operating mode that requires first customization data in order to permit a first radio communication link with a radio communication network, when said program is run on a computer, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

placing said first radio communication terminal in use, outside a factory, with a blank SIM card that is devoid of all customization data that are linked to a radio communication network, such that said first radio communication terminal is not able to communicate with any radio communication network; and

after the step of placing the first radio communication terminal in use, transmitting said first customization data from a customization device to said first radio communication terminal, via a second link that is distinct from said first link.

18. A computer-readable storage device that can be read by a computer, which stores a set of instructions that may be run by said computer to implement a method for customizing a first radio communication terminal, which has an operating mode that requires first customization data in order to permit a first radio communication link with a radio communication network, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

placing said first radio communication terminal in of use, outside a factory, with a blank SIM card without said first customization data, such that said first terminal is not able to communicate with any radio communication network; and

after the step of placing said first radio communication terminal in use, transmitting said first customization data from a customization device to said first radio communication terminal, via a second link that is distinct from said first link.