Subscriber identity apparatus, communication terminal and communication system and method

• US 20070077966A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Huang, Shibi
• Application Number:
  US11/540,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20070077966A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/45 using multiple identity modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention proposes a wireless subscriber identity module, a communication terminal using the subscriber identity module, a method for attaching the subscriber identity apparatus to the communication terminal and a method for controlling the communication by using the communication terminal. The subscriber identity apparatus includes: a subscriber identity module, a wireless network interface module and a central processing unit. The communication terminal includes a central processor, a first interface module for accessing the communication service network and a second interface module for accessing the local wireless network system. The central processor obtains subscriber identity information through the second interface module, attaches a subscriber corresponding to the identity information and makes the corresponding subscriber communicate with the communication service network through the first interface module.

Claims

1. A subscriber identity apparatus for a communication terminal which is connected to a local wireless network system, comprising:

a subscriber identity module for storing subscriber identity information;

a wireless network interface module for accessing the local wireless network system;

a central processing unit connected between the subscriber identity module and the wireless network interface module, for controlling the subscriber identity apparatus to establish communication through the wireless network system with the communication terminal and for sending the identity information to the communication terminal.

2. The subscriber identity apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the subscriber identity module stores corresponding subscriber information which comprises subscriber number, short message, telephone book, key or cryptographic algorithm.

3. The subscriber identity apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the subscriber identity apparatus further comprises a keyboard for inputting a control command and a screen for displaying status information.

4. A communication terminal comprising a central processor and a first interface module for accessing a communication service network, further comprising:

a second interface module for accessing a local wireless network system;

wherein

the central processor obtains subscriber identity information through the second interface module, attaches a subscriber corresponding to the identity information and makes the corresponding subscriber communicate with the communication service network through the first interface module and realize communication.

5. The communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein

the communication terminal further comprises an embedded subscriber identity card for storing the subscriber identity information;

the central processor reads the subscriber identity information stored in the embedded subscriber identity card and attaches a subscriber corresponding to the subscriber identity information.

6. The communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein the embedded subscriber identity card is a SIM card, a USIM card or an ISIM card.

7. The communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein the communication terminal supports authentication of the user'"'"'s subscriber identity through soft SIM, subscriber account number or line authentication.

8. The communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein the communication terminal further comprises a storage for storing the identity information of the attached subscriber and a human-machine interface module, connected to the central processor, for performing human machine interaction.

9. The communication terminal according to claim 8, wherein the central processor comprises:

a communication application control sub-module for controlling the communication;

an attached subscriber management sub-module connected between the communication application control sub-module and the storage or the embedded subscriber identity card, for managing an attached subscriber list;

an active subscriber management sub-module connected between the communication application control sub-module and the storage or the embedded subscriber identity card, for setting one of the attached subscribers as an active subscriber for the communication and storing it in the storage.

10. A communication system comprising a communication service network, at least one communication terminal and at least one subscriber identity apparatus, further comprising:

a local wireless network system for realizing communication between the communication terminal and the subscriber identity apparatus, wherein

the communication terminal obtains subscriber identity information from the subscriber identity apparatus, attaches a subscriber corresponding to the identity information, and makes the corresponding subscriber access the communication service network and realize communication.

11. The communication system according to claim 10, wherein

The subscriber identity apparatus further comprises a subscriber identity module for storing subscriber identity information and

a central processing unit connected between the subscriber identity module and a wireless network interface module of the subscriber identity apparatus, for controlling the subscriber identity apparatus to establish communication with the communication terminal through the local wireless network system and for sending the identity information to the communication terminal.

12. The communication system according to claim 10, wherein the communication terminal further comprises a first interface module for accessing the communication service network, and

a central processor for obtaining the subscriber identity information from the subscriber identity apparatus through a second interface module of the communication terminal, attaching a subscriber corresponding to the identity information, and making the corresponding subscriber access the communication service network through the first interface module and realize communication.

13. The communication system according to claim 12, the communication terminal further comprising:

an embedded subscriber identity card for storing the subscriber identity information;

wherein

the central processor reads the subscriber identity information stored in the embedded subscriber identity card and attaches a subscriber corresponding to the subscriber identity information.

14. The communication system according to claim 12, wherein the communication terminal further comprises a storage for storing the identity information of the attached subscriber and a human-machine interface module, connected to the central processor, for performing human-machine interaction.

15. The communication system according to claim 12, wherein the central processor comprises a communication application control sub-module for controlling the communication;

an attached subscriber management sub-module connected between the communication application control sub-module and the storage or the embedded subscriber identity card, for managing an attached subscriber list;

an active subscriber management sub-module connected between the communication application control sub-module and the storage and/or the embedded subscriber identity card, for setting one of the attached subscribers as an active subscriber for the communication and storing it in the storage.

16. A method for attaching a subscriber identity apparatus to a communication terminal, the subscriber identity apparatus and the communication terminal being connected to a local wireless network system respectively and the subscriber identity apparatus storing subscriber identity information, comprising the steps of:

establishing a communication transmission link between the subscriber identity apparatus and the communication terminal through the local wireless network system;

obtaining the subscriber identity information through the communication transmission link and setting a subscriber corresponding to the subscriber identity information to the attached status by the communication terminal.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of establishing a communication transmission link comprises the steps of:

sending a broadcast inquiry message carrying address information of the subscriber identity apparatus through the local wireless network system by the subscriber identity apparatus,

receiving the broadcast inquiry message through the local wireless network system, and returning an inquiry response message carrying first address information of the communication terminal to the subscriber identity apparatus according to the address information of the subscriber identity apparatus by the communication terminal,

establishing a communication transmission link through the local wireless network system with the communication terminal according to the first address information by the subscriber identity apparatus;

or

the step of establishing a communication transmission link comprises the steps of;

sending a broadcast inquiry message carrying first address information of the communication terminal through the local wireless network system by the communication terminal,

receiving the broadcast inquiry message through the local wireless network system, and returning a response message carrying address information of the subscriber identity apparatus to the communication terminal according to the first address information of the communication terminal by the subscriber identity apparatus,

establishing a communication transmission link through the local wireless network system with the subscriber identity apparatus according to the address information of the subscriber identity apparatus by the communication terminal.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

when the communication transmission link is established between the communication terminal and the subscriber identity apparatus, performing authentication for the subscriber identity apparatus and establishing the communication transmission link with the successfully authenticated subscriber identity apparatus by the communication terminal.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein

the communication terminal authenticates the subscriber identity apparatus by using a key that is preset in the communication terminal.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

establishing communication transmission links with two or more communication terminals at the same time or in time division by the subscriber identity apparatus;

causing the two or more communication terminals to obtain the subscriber identity information respectively;

attaching the subscriber corresponding to the subscriber identity information to the two or more communication terminals.

21. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

establishing communication transmission links with two or more subscriber identity apparatuses at the same time or in time division by the communication terminal;

attaching the subscriber corresponding to two or more subscriber identity apparatuses to the communication terminal at the same time after the communication terminal obtains the subscriber identity information from each subscriber identity apparatus respectively.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein

when the communication transmission link between the subscriber identity apparatus and the communication terminal is interrupted, the communication terminal detaches a subscriber corresponding to a subscriber identity module.

23. A communication control method of a communication terminal for obtaining subscriber identity information from a subscriber identity apparatus through a local wireless network system and attaching a subscriber corresponding to the subscriber identity information, comprising the steps of:

sending a registration request by the communication terminal, which carries the subscriber identity information, communication identity information corresponding to the subscriber and allocated by the communication service network and the communication terminal′

second address information allocated by the communication service network;

correspondingly recording, by the communication service network, the subscriber identity information, the communication identity information corresponding to the subscriber and the second address information of the communication terminal, and processing, by the communication service network, communication of the subscriber corresponding to the subscriber identity information according to the correspondence between the communication identity information of the subscriber and the second address information of the communication terminal.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein

Steps of the communication terminal obtaining the subscriber identity information from the subscriber identity apparatus through the local wireless network system and attaching a subscriber corresponding to the subscriber identity information further comprise the following steps:

sending a broadcast inquiry message carrying address information of the subscriber identity apparatus through the local wireless network system by the subscriber identity apparatus,

receiving the broadcast inquiry message through the local wireless network system, and returning a response message carrying first address information of the communication terminal to the subscriber identity apparatus according to the address information of the subscriber identity apparatus by the communication terminal, wherein the first address information is allocated by the local wireless network system,

establishing a communication transmission link through the local wireless network system with the communication terminal by the subscriber identity apparatus according to the first address information,

obtaining the subscriber identity information through the communication transmission link and attaching the subscriber corresponding to the subscriber identity information by the communication terminal;

or

Steps of the communication terminal obtaining the subscriber identity information from the subscriber identity apparatus through the local wireless network system and attaching a subscriber corresponding to the subscriber identity information, further comprise the following steps;

sending a broadcast inquiry message carrying first address information of the communication terminal through the local wireless network system by the communication terminal,

receiving the broadcast inquiry message through the local wireless network system, and returning a response message carrying address information of the subscriber identity apparatus to the communication terminal according to the first address information of the communication terminal by the subscriber identity apparatus,

establishing a communication transmission link with the subscriber identity apparatus through the local wireless network system according to the address information of the subscriber identity apparatus by the communication terminal,

obtaining the subscriber identity information through the communication transmission link and attaching the subscriber corresponding to the subscriber identity information by the communication terminal.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

performing authentication for the subscriber identity apparatus and establishing the communication transmission link with the successfully authenticated subscriber identity apparatus by the communication terminal, when the communication transmission link is established between the and the subscriber identity apparatus.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein

the communication terminal authenticates the subscriber identity apparatus by using a key that is preset in the communication terminal.

27. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

establishing communication transmission links with two or more communication terminals at the same time or in time division by the subscriber identity apparatus;

attaching a subscriber corresponding to the subscriber identity information to the two or more communication terminals after the two or more communication terminals obtain the subscriber identity information respectively.

28. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

establishing communication transmission links with two or more subscriber identity apparatuses at the same time or in time division by the communication terminal;

attaching a subscriber corresponding to two or more subscriber identity apparatuses to the communication terminal simultaneously after the communication terminal respectively obtains the subscriber identity information stored in each subscriber identity apparatus.

29. The method according to claim 23, wherein

when the communication transmission link between the subscriber identity apparatus and the communication terminal is interrupted, the communication terminal detaches a subscriber corresponding to a subscriber identity module.

30. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

reading the subscriber identity information from an embedded SIM card and attaching the corresponding subscriber by the communication terminal.

31. The method according to claim 27, wherein

when a subscriber corresponding to a subscriber identity is attached to two or more communication terminals simultaneously, for the subscriber identity information, the communication service network simultaneously records second address information of the two or more communication terminals and the communication identity information of the subscriber;

the communication service network connects an incoming call carrying the communication identity information of the subscriber to the corresponding communication terminal according to the communication identity information of the called subscriber whose session is ended by the subscriber and the second address information of the communication terminal.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein

when the communication identity information on two or more communication terminals for a subscriber corresponding to the subscriber identity information is the same, the communication service network connects an incoming call carrying the communication identity information of the subscriber to a plurality of corresponding communication terminals according to the communication identity information of the called subscriber whose session is ended by the subscriber and the second address information of the communication terminals.

33. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

when two or more subscribers are attached to the same communication terminal, before an outgoing call is initiated, setting one of the attached subscribers to be an active subscriber and initiating the outgoing call, wherein the call carries the communication identity information of the active subscriber.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein

when a subscriber corresponding to the subscriber identity information of a subscriber identity apparatus is a non-active subscriber, the step of setting the subscriber to be a active subscriber comprises the steps of:

sending an active instruction comprising the subscriber identity information to the communication terminal through the subscriber identity apparatus,

receiving the active instruction and setting a corresponding subscriber to be an active subscriber by the communication terminal;

or

selecting one of the correspondingly attached subscribers as an active subscriber through an operation of a human-machine interface module of the communication terminal by a subscriber, setting the corresponding attached subscriber to be an active subscriber according to the active operation instruction of the subscriber by the communication terminal.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein when the subscriber sets the subscriber to be an active subscriber through the communication terminal, further comprising the steps of:

the subscriber is authenticated, by the communication terminal, according to the corresponding subscriber password inputted by the subscriber.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the subscriber password is downloaded from the communication service network system when the corresponding subscriber registers the subscriber password.

37. The method according to claim 28, wherein when two or more subscribers corresponding to the subscriber identity information are attached to the same communication terminal, the communication terminal sets different interfaces and/or indication information for appropriate subscribers.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising:

when the communication terminal receives an incoming call carrying the communication identity information of a subscriber, determining whether there is a corresponding attached subscriber, if yes, connecting the incoming call and indicating the subscriber with corresponding indication information;

otherwise, refusing to return a response.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein

the subscriber interface and/or indication information are stored correspondingly at the service network side and are downloaded to the local place by the communication terminal from the service network side when a corresponding subscriber is registering at the service network;

or

the subscriber interface and/or indication information are set in the local communication terminal.