Card device for loading applications to a mobile device

• US 20060212537A1
• Filed: 03/13/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: de Jong, Eduard K., Hans, Sebastian J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,941,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

Abstract

A system for loading application identifiers to a mobile device includes a mobile device, a card device insertable into the mobile device, and an application center. The card device is adapted to determine an effective mobile device identifier of the mobile device, and transmit the effective mobile device identifier to the application center. The effective mobile device identifier is based at least in part on the result of a process performed by the card device. The application center is adapted to (1) determine zero or more allotted application identifiers and zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device based at least in part on the effective mobile device identifier, (2) identify at least one application identifier of the zero or more allotted application identifiers which does not form part of the zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device, and (3) load the at least one application identifier to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A card device comprising:

an identification unit for determining an effective mobile device identifier of a mobile device, wherein the effective mobile device identifier is based at least in part on the result of a process performed by the card device; and

an application request unit for transmitting the effective mobile device identifier,

wherein said card device is for loading application identifiers to the mobile device; and

said card device is insertable into the mobile device.

2. The card device of claim 1 wherein the identification unit is further adapted to request any one of (a) an assigned mobile device identifier from a mobile control unit of the mobile device in response to a request for the effective mobile device identifier, the card device having processed the assigned mobile device identifier to create the effective mobile device identifier;

(b) an assigned mobile device identifier from said mobile control unit of the mobile device during an initialization procedure; and

(c) an assigned mobile device identifier from said mobile control unit of the mobile device in response to a request for the effective mobile device identifier.

3. The card device of claim 1 wherein the identification unit is further adapted to request an assigned mobile device identifier from a mobile control unit of the mobile device in response to a request for the effective mobile device identifier, the card device having processed the assigned mobile device identifier to create the effective mobile device identifier.

4. The card device of claim 1 wherein the effective mobile device identifier comprises one or more of an assigned mobile device identifier and an assigned card device identifier, the assigned mobile device identifier having been assigned to the mobile device prior to the mobile device being issued to a mobile device user, the assigned card device identifier having been assigned to the card device prior to being issued to a card device user or being configured with the mobile device.

5. The card device of claim 1 wherein the effective mobile device identifier comprises one or more of an assigned mobile device identifier cryptogram and an assigned card device identifier cryptogram, the assigned mobile device identifier cryptogram comprising the result of applying a cryptographic process to an assigned mobile device identifier assigned to the mobile device prior to the mobile device being issued to a mobile device user, the assigned card device identifier cryptogram comprising the result of applying a cryptographic process to an assigned card device identifier assigned to the card device prior to being issued to a card device user or being configured with the mobile device.

6. The card device of claim 1 wherein the card device establishes a mapping between the effective mobile device identifier and an assigned mobile device identifier assigned to the mobile device prior to the mobile device being issued to a mobile device user.

7. The card device of claim 1 wherein the application request unit is further adapted to receive at least one application identifier and to install the at least one application identifier on at least one of a mobile control unit and the card device.

8. The card device of claim 1 wherein the application request unit is further adapted to receive an application code for loading on at least one of a mobile control unit and the card device.

9. The card device of claim 1 wherein the card device comprises a smart card.

10. A method for loading application identifiers to a mobile device associated with a card device that is insertable into the mobile device, the method comprising:

determining an effective mobile device identifier of the mobile device, the effective mobile device identifier based at least in part on the result of a process performed by the card device; and

transmitting the effective mobile device identifier.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

requesting at least one of an assigned mobile device identifier from a mobile control unit of the mobile device during an initialization procedure; and

an assigned mobile device identifier from said mobile control unit of the mobile device in response to a request.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

establishing, by the card device, a mapping between the effective mobile device identifier and an assigned mobile device identifier assigned to the mobile device prior to the mobile device being issued to a mobile device user.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

establishing a secure data transmission path; and

transmitting at least part of the effective mobile device identifier through the secure data transmission path.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a request for information regarding identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device;

obtaining the information regarding identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device; and

transmitting the information.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a capabilities message from a mobile control unit upon a boot process; and

analyzing the capabilities message to obtain the effective mobile device identifier.

16. A program storage device readable by a machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for loading application identifiers to a mobile device associated with a card device that is insertable into the mobile device, the method comprising:

determining an effective mobile device identifier of the mobile device, the effective mobile device identifier based at least in part on the result of a process performed by the card device; and

transmitting the effective mobile device identifier.

17. An application center for loading application identifiers to a mobile device including an insertable card device, the application comprising:

an application manager adapted;

for receiving an effective mobile device identifier for the mobile device;

for determining zero or more allotted application identifiers and zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device based at least in part on the effective mobile device identifier; and

for identifying at least one application identifier of the zero or more allotted application identifiers, which does not form part of the zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device; and

an application loader adapted for loading the at least one application identifier to the mobile device.

18. The application center of claim 17 wherein the determining is based at least in part on a location indicator of the mobile device.

19. The application center of claim 17 wherein the effective mobile device identifier comprises one or more of an assigned mobile device identifier cryptogram and an assigned card device identifier cryptogram, the assigned mobile device identifier cryptogram comprising the result of applying a cryptographic process to an assigned mobile device identifier assigned to the mobile device prior to the mobile device being issued to a mobile device user, the assigned card device identifier cryptogram comprising the result of applying a cryptographic process to an assigned card device identifier assigned to the card device prior to being issued to a card device user or being configured with the mobile device.

20. The application center of claim 17 wherein the effective mobile device identifier comprises one or more of an assigned mobile device identifier hash value and an assigned card device identifier hash value, the assigned mobile device identifier hash value comprising the result of applying a hashing process to an assigned mobile device identifier assigned to the mobile device prior to the mobile device being issued to a mobile device user, the assigned card device identifier hash value comprising the result of applying a hashing process to an assigned card device identifier assigned to the card device prior to being issued to a card device user or being configured with the mobile device.

21. The application center of claim 17 wherein the zero or more allotted application identifiers comprise at least one of zero or more allotted mobile application identifiers and zero or more allotted card application identifiers.

22. The application center of claim 17 wherein the zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device comprise zero or more mobile applications for loading on the mobile device and zero or more card applications for loading on the card device.

23. The application center of claim 17 wherein the application loader is further adapted to transmit the at least one application identifier to at least one of a mobile control unit and the card device.

24. The application center of claim 17 wherein the application loader is further adapted to transmit an identifier of the at least one application to the mobile device, instructing at least one of a mobile control unit and the card device to load the code comprising the application.

25. The application center of claim 17 wherein the application loader is further adapted to transmit an application code for loading of the application on at least one of a mobile control unit and the card device.

26. A method for loading application identifiers to a mobile device having an insertable card device, the method comprising:

receiving an effective mobile device identifier of the mobile device;

determining zero or more allotted application identifiers and zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device based at least in part on the effective mobile device identifier;

identifying at least one application identifier of the zero or more allotted application identifiers which does not form part of the zero or more application identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device; and

transmitting one of the at least one application identifier and an identifier of the at least one application identifier to the mobile device.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the determining zero or more allotted application identifiers is based at least in part on a location indicator of the mobile device.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

identifying a type of the mobile device based at least in part on the effective mobile device identifier; and

determining at least part of the zero or more allotted application identifiers based at least in part on the type of the mobile device.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

identifying a type of the card device based at least in part on an assigned card device identifier contained in said effective mobile device identifier; and

determining at least part of the zero or more allotted application identifiers based at least in part on the type of the card device.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein said determining the zero or more allotted application identifiers is based at least in part on at least one of:

a location indicator of the mobile device;

an identifier of a serving network;

user subscription information; and

one or more user preferences.

31. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

requesting information regarding identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device.

32. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

requesting, from the mobile device, information regarding identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device upon detecting at least one of;

an absence of one or more identifiers of applications loaded on the mobile device; and

a lapse of a predetermined period of time.