Method and Device Arrangement for Managing the Use Profile of a Terminal Device

• US 20080222629A1
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capricode Oy
• Original Assignee: Capricode Oy
• Inventors: Rauma, Tapio
• Granted Patent: US 8,365,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, device arrangement, server (15), terminal device (11) and a computer program product for changing the use profile of a single terminal device (11) of a cellular network. In the method according to the invention, there is a server (15) connected to a telecommunications network, which sends to a single terminal device (11) a program required by the change of its use profile as an OTA message, if the terminal device (11) has found the program to be lacking from the terminal device when the new use profile is taken into use. Procedures according to the DM standard of OMA are utilized in the messaging.

Claims

1. A method for implementing program updates required by a change of a use profile of a terminal device (11) of a cellular network, which method comprises

a step (22) for detecting a need to change the use profile of the terminal device, and

a step (23) for ensuring the availability of programs according to the new use profile in the terminal device (11),

characterized in that if, as a result of ensuring the availability of the programs, it is found that the terminal device (11) does not comply with the new use profile with regard to at least one program, the method comprises

a step (24) for transmitting a message concerning the lack of a program detected in the terminal device (11) through a telecommunications network (10) to a server (15) managing the changes of the use profile of terminal devices

a step (25) for transmitting at least one program according to the new use profile of said terminal device (11), found to be lacking in the terminal device (11), as an OTA message to said terminal device (11), and

a step (25, 26, 27) for installing the program received as an OTA message to the terminal device (11) for making it possible to take the new use profile into use.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that functional instructions are also transmitted to the terminal device (11) as OTA messages for changing the use profile of the terminal device (11).

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the functional instructions given to the terminal device (11) comprise at least one of the following:

install a program, remove a program, start a program, close a program or switch off the terminal device and switch it on after switching off.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that procedures according to the DM standard of OMA are used in messaging between the terminal device (11) and the server (15).

5. A device arrangement for implementing program updates required by a change of a use profile in a terminal device (11) of a cellular network, which device arrangement comprises

a telecommunications network (10), which comprises at least one cellular network,

terminal devices (11) of said cellular network, in which there are various use profiles to be utilized, and

a server (15) connected to said telecommunications network (10), in which programs needed by terminal devices (11) of the cellular network in their use profiles are stored, characterized in that if a change of a use profile of a single terminal device (11) results in the need to install a program belonging to the use profile in said terminal device (11),

the terminal device has been arranged to send a message indicating the need to install a program to said server (15)

the server (15) has been arranged to send said program as an OTA message to said terminal device (11), and

the terminal device (11) has been arranged to install the program it has received for taking the changed use profile into use.

6. The device arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that functional instructions have also been arranged to be transmitted to the terminal device (11) as OTA messages for changing the use profile of the terminal device (11).

7. The device arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that the functional instructions given to the terminal device (11) comprise at least one of the following:

install a program, remove a program, start a program, close a program or switch off the terminal device and switch it on after switching off.

8. The device arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that procedures according to the DM standard of OMA have also been arranged to be used in messaging between the terminal device (11) and the server (15).

9. A server (15) supporting terminal devices (11) of a cellular network, in which server the programs utilized in said terminal devices (11) are stored characterized in that the server also comprises

means for receiving a message requesting the installation of a program, caused by a change of a use profile, from said terminal device (11), and

means for sending said program to said terminal device (11) as an OTA message.

10. The server (15) according to claim 9, characterized in that the server (15) has also been arranged to send to the terminal device (11) functional instructions for changing the use profile of the terminal device (11) as OTA messages.

11. The server (15) according to claim 10, characterized in that the functional instructions given to the terminal device (11) comprise at least one of the following:

install a program, remove a program, start a program, close a program or switch off the terminal device and switch it on after switching off.

12. The server (15) according to claim 9, characterized in that it also comprises means for exchanging messages with the terminal device (11) according to the DM standard of OMA.

13. The server (15) according to claim 9, characterized in that it also comprises a counter maintaining the number of installation attempts made in a single terminal device (11) in connection with the use profile.

14. A terminal device (11) of a cellular network, which comprises receiver means (112), transmitter means (113), a user interface (116), a memory (115) and a central processing unit (114),

characterized in that it also comprises

means for detecting a change taken place in a use profile of a terminal device (11)

means for communicating the change of the use profile to the server (15) managing the changes of the use profile, if at least one program according to said use profile has not been installed in said terminal device (11)

means for receiving said uninstalled program as an OTA message from said server (15), and

means for installing said program received as an OTA message to said terminal device (11).

15. The terminal device (11) according to claim 14, characterized in that the terminal device (11) has also been arranged to receive functional instructions from said server (15) as OTA messages for changing the use profile of the terminal device (11).

16. The terminal device (11) according to claim 14, characterized in that procedures according to the DM standard of OMA have been arranged to be used in messaging between the terminal device (11) and the server (15).

17. A computer program product for a server (15) managing use profiles of terminal devices (11) of a cellular network, characterized in that the computer program product comprises

computer program means for receiving a message describing the lack of a program detected in connection with a change of a use profile in a single terminal device (11) from said terminal device (11), and

computer program means for sending the program lacking from said terminal device (11) but stored in the server (15) as an OTA message to said terminal device (11) for installing the program.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, characterized in that it also comprises computer program means for sending functional instructions to said terminal device (11) for changing its use profile.

19. A computer program product for a terminal device (11) of a cellular network for carrying out software updates required by a change of its use profile, characterized in that the computer program product comprises

computer program means for detecting a need to change a use profile in a terminal device (11)

computer program means for detecting the lack of a program required by the new use profile

computer program means for sending a message describing the lacking program to a server (15) managing use profiles of terminal devices of the cellular network

computer program means for receiving the lacking program as an OTA message from the server (15) managing the use profiles, and

computer program means for installing the program transmitted by the OTA message to the terminal device (11) for taking the new use profile into use.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, characterized in that it also comprises computer program means for receiving functional instructions from said server (15) for changing the use profile of a terminal device (11).