SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY MODULE WITH AN INCORPORATED RADIO

• US 20100035587A1
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,032,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/47 using near field communication [NFC] or radio frequency identification [RFID] modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A communication system includes a phone and a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM). The phone includes a user input interface, a first wireless transceiver and a first application program interface. The SIM is plugged into the phone and includes storage, a second wireless transceiver, and a second application program interface. The phone uses a service-subscriber key stored in the storage of the SIM to access a plurality of services provided by a wireless network using the first transceiver according to a first communication protocol. The first application program interface, in response to a user selection via the user input interface, interacts with the second application program interface. The phone communicates with a node using the second wireless transceiver according to a second communication protocol by way of the interaction between the first application program interface and the second application program interface.

Claims

1. A communication system, the communication system comprising:

a phone, the phone comprising a user input interface, a first wireless transceiver and a first application program interface;

a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) that is plugged into the phone, the SIM comprising storage, a second wireless transceiver and a second application program interface;

the phone using a service-subscriber key stored in the storage of the SIM to access a plurality of services provided by a wireless network using the first transceiver according to a first communication protocol;

the first application program interface, in response to a user selection via the user input interface, interacts with the second application program interface; and

the phone communicates with a node using the second wireless transceiver according to a second communication protocol by way of the interaction between the first application program interface and the second application program interface.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the phone communicates with the node over a wireless link.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of services provided by the wireless network include voice call service.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first application program interface adds an icon corresponding to the second wireless transceiver to a list of available features in the phone.

5. The communication system of claim 4, wherein the first application program interface interacts with the second application program interface on selection of the icon.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the phone receives the first application program interface from a second storage.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the second storage is a remote web server.

8. The communication system of claim 7, wherein the phone retrieves the first application program interface from the remote web server via the wireless network using the first wireless transceiver.

9. A subscriber identity module, the subscriber identity module comprising:

a storage that stores a service-subscriber key;

a wireless receiver that receives data from a device according to a communication protocol; and

an application program interface that enables a phone to operate the wireless receiver when the subscriber identity module is plugged into the phone.

10. The subscriber identity module of claim 9, wherein the subscriber identity module further comprises a wireless transmitter that transmits data to the device.

11. The subscriber identity module of claim 10, wherein the application program interface enables the phone to operate the wireless transmitter when the subscriber identity module is plugged into the phone.

12. The subscriber identity module of claim 9, wherein the subscriber identity module further comprises phone feature controller software.

13. The subscriber identity module of claim 12, wherein the application program interface and the phone feature controller software enables the phone to operate the wireless receiver via a user input interface of the phone.

14. The subscriber identity module of claim 9, wherein the application program interface looks for a counterpart of the application program interface in the phone when the subscriber identity module is plugged into the phone.

15. The subscriber identity module of claim 14, wherein the application program interface appends a message to the service-subscriber key if the application program interface does not find the counterpart of the application program interface in the phone.

16. A method performed by a phone and a subscriber identity module that is plugged into the phone, the phone comprising a first wireless transceiver and a user input interface that is used to operate the first wireless transceiver and the subscriber identity module comprising a second wireless transceiver and a first application program interface, the method comprising:

the first application program interface causing the phone to retrieve a second application program interface and install the second application program interface on the phone;

the second application program interface designating a portion of the user input interface for operating the second wireless transceiver; and

the first application program interface enabling communication via the second wireless transceiver in response to selection of the designated portion of the user input interface.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving the second application program interface via the first wireless transceiver.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving updates of the first application program interface and updates of the second application program interface via the first wireless transceiver.