Method for establishing a secure logical connection between an integrated circuit card and a memory card through a terminal equipment

• US 9,055,605 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Pratone, Davide
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NATHAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US11/666,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20090020602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,875 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/410, 455/420, 455/550.1, 713168-169, 725/133
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A user system includes terminal equipment, a removable integrated circuit card and a removable memory card configured to cooperate with the terminal equipment, a card link application provided in the integrated circuit card to establish and manage a secure logical connection between the integrated circuit card and the memory card through the terminal equipment, and an application programming interface provided in the terminal equipment to receive and execute commands from the card link application and to cooperate with the card link application to establish the secure logical connection between the integrated circuit card and the memory card through the first terminal equipment.

Claims

1. A user system comprising:

a first terminal equipment;

an integrated circuit card configured to cooperate with said first terminal equipment;

a memory card that communicates with the first terminal equipment through a proprietary protocol that depends on a memory card type;

a card link application provided in said integrated circuit card to establish and manage a secure logical connection between said integrated circuit card and said memory card through said first terminal equipment; and

a first application programming interface provided in said first terminal equipment to receive and execute commands from said card link application and to cooperate with said card link application,

wherein said executing commands by the first application programming interface comprises opening the secure logical connection between said integrated circuit card and said memory card on command from said integrated circuit card, sending responses to said card link application, and coding instructions from said integrated circuit card into the proprietary protocol of the memory card.

2. The user system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said memory card is configured to cooperate with a second terminal equipment connectable to said first terminal equipment and wherein said first application programming interface is configured to send said commands received from said card link application to said second terminal equipment.

3. The user system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a second application programming interface provided in said second terminal equipment to receive and execute said commands from said first application programming interface.

4. The user system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second application programming interface is further configured to receive and send responses to said first application programming interface.

5. The user system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first terminal equipment is a mobile phone and said integrated circuit card is a subscriber identity module card.

6. The user system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said card link application is configured to provide the other applications in said one of said integrated circuit card and said memory card with any of the following functions:

a function to read data from the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card;

a function to read and decipher data from the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card;

a function to write data in the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card;

a function to cipher and write data in the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card;

a function to erase data in the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card; and

a function to perform commands on the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card.

7. The user system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said card link application is configured to implement any of the following functions:

a function to retrieve information about capabilities of said first or said second terminal equipment in regard to the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card;

a function to close said logical channel between said integrated circuit card and said memory card;

a function to retrieve information about the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card; and

a function to execute commands and receive corresponding responses from the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card.

8. A method for establishing a secure logical connection between an integrated circuit card configured to cooperate with a first terminal equipment and a memory card through said first terminal equipment, comprising:

providing a card link application in one of said integrated circuit card and said memory card to establish and manage a secure logical connection between said integrated circuit card and said memory card through said first terminal equipment, said memory card communicating with said first terminal equipment through a proprietary protocol that depends on a memory card type; and

providing a first application programming interface in said first terminal equipment to receive and execute commands from said card link application and to cooperate with said card link application,

wherein said executing commands by the first application programming interface comprises opening the secure logical connection between said integrated circuit card and said memory card on command from said integrated circuit card, sending responses to said card link application, and coding instructions from said integrated circuit card into the proprietary protocol of the memory card.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, for a memory card configured to cooperate with a second terminal equipment connectable to said first terminal equipment, further comprising:

configuring said first application programming interface to send said commands from said card link application to said second terminal equipment.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

providing a second application programming interface in said second terminal equipment to receive and execute said commands from said first application programming interface.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

configuring said second application programming interface to receive and send responses to said first application programming interface.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said card link application is provided in said integrated circuit card.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first terminal equipment is a mobile phone and said integrated circuit card is a subscriber identity module card.

14. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

configuring said card link application to provide the other applications in said one of said integrated circuit card and said memory card with any of the following functions;

a function to read data from the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card;

a function to read and decipher data from the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card;

a function to write data in the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card;

a function to cipher and write data in the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card;

a function to erase data in the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card; and

a function to perform commands on the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card.

15. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

configuring said card link application to implement any of the following functions;

a function to retrieve information about capabilities of said first or said second terminal equipment in regard to the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card;

a function to close said logical channel between said integrated circuit card and said memory card;

a function to retrieve information about the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card; and

a function to execute commands and receive corresponding responses from the other of said integrated circuit card and said memory card.