Method and subscriber identification card for using a service through a mobile telephone terminal using resources of another mobile telephone terminal

• US 8,700,092 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: De Petris, Gianluca, Mangiabene, Simonetta, Silano, Barbara, Mazara, Giuseppe, Pratone, Davide
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivero, Alejandro
• Application Number:
  US12/810,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20100273424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,301 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7556 by SIM, e.g. smart card account in SCP, SDP or SN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7231 by SIM, e.g. smart card account in SCP, SDP or SN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A method is provided which allows a service to be enjoyed through a mobile telephone terminal without the need of paying for this service. This can be achieved by allowing a first subscriber to use the credit or subscription of a second subscriber. The subscriber identification cards at least of the two subscribers involved are provided with short range radio communication transceivers and establish a short range communication channel between them so that one card may request the other card to pay for this service and the other card may grant this request through this channel. Then the mobile telephone networks of the cards are informed of the granted request. Before, during and after the grant of the request, the subscriber identification cards remain active and operative in communicating together and with the associated terminals.

Claims

1. A subscriber identification card comprising:

an interface adapted to connect to a mobile telephone terminal in order to allow long range communication of said mobile telephone terminal with a mobile telephone network;

a transceiver adapted to short range communication with other subscriber identifications cards;

a processor; and

first memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the subscriber identification card to;

control said transceiver to transmit a payment authorization request to a second subscriber identification card and to receive, from the second subscriber identification card, a corresponding payment authorization response, wherein said transmitted payment authorization request comprises information specifying an identity of a first subscriber associated with the subscriber identification card, and wherein said received corresponding payment authorization response comprises information specifying an identity of a second subscriber associated with the second subscriber identification card,

control said transceiver to receive, from the second subscriber identification card, a payment authorization request and to transmit a corresponding payment authorization response to the second subscriber identification card, wherein said received payment authorization request comprises information specifying the identity of the second subscriber associated with the second subscriber identification card, and wherein said transmitted corresponding payment authorization response comprises information specifying the identity of the first subscriber associated with the subscriber identification card,

control said interface to inform said mobile telephone network of granted requests by said mobile telephone terminal requesting said mobile telephone network by the long range communication to be associated with the identity of said second subscriber, and

authorize use of a service different from the payment authorization.

2. The subscriber identification card according to claim 1, comprising a second memory storing subscriber identification and authentication information relating to a subscriber, wherein said first memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the subscriber identification card to:

during a first operating mode;

control said interface to receive authentication requests relating to said subscriber and to transmit corresponding authentication responses relating to said subscriber based on said stored subscriber identification and authentication information; and

during a second operating mode;

control said interface to receive authentication requests relating to another subscriber and to transmit corresponding authentication responses relating to said another subscriber,

control said transceiver to transmit authentication requests relating to said another subscriber and to receive corresponding authentication responses relating to said another subscriber, and

control said transceiver to receive authentication requests relating to said subscriber and to transmit authentication responses relating to said subscriber.

3. The subscriber identification card according to claim 1, comprising a second memory adapted to store permanent subscriber identification and authentication information relating to a first subscriber and to store temporary subscriber identification and authentication information relating to a second subscriber, said subscriber identification and authentication information relating to a second subscriber being received from another subscriber identification card through said transceiver.

4. A method for using a service through a mobile telephone terminal comprising the steps of:

A) providing a first mobile telephone terminal with a first subscriber identification card associated with an identity of a first subscriber, said first mobile telephone terminal being adapted to communicate with a first mobile telephone network by a long range radio communication transceiver, and said first subscriber identification card being adapted to communicate with other subscriber identification cards by a short range radio communication transceiver, said first subscriber identification card allowing the use of a service provided by said first mobile telephone network,

B) providing a second mobile telephone terminal with a second subscriber identification card associated with an identity of a second subscriber, said second mobile telephone terminal being adapted to communicate with a second mobile telephone network by a long range radio communication transceiver, and said second subscriber identification card being adapted to communicate with other subscriber identification cards by a short range radio communication transceiver,

C) establishing a short range communication channel between said first subscriber identification card and said second subscriber identification card by their short range radio communication transceivers,

D) transmitting from said first subscriber identification card to said second subscriber identification card by said channel a request to authorize a payment to be charged to said second subscriber for the use of said service by said first subscriber, wherein said request comprises information specifying the identity of said first subscriber,

E) transmitting from said second subscriber identification card to said first subscriber identification card by said channel a grant of said payment authorization request, wherein said grant comprises information specifying the identity of said second subscriber,

F) informing said first mobile telephone network and said second mobile telephone network of said granted request to be implemented by said first mobile telephone network and said second mobile telephone network by;

F1) said first mobile telephone terminal requesting said first mobile telephone network by its long range radio communication transceiver to be associated with the identity of said second subscriber, and

F2) said second mobile telephone terminal requesting said second mobile telephone network by its long range radio communication transceiver to be associated with the identity of said first subscriber, and

G) using said service through said first mobile telephone terminal based on said granted request, wherein said service used through said first mobile telephone terminal is different from said payment charged to said second subscriber.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein before, during and after said step F:

said first subscriber identification card and said second subscriber identification card are active and operative in communicating with one another;

said first subscriber identification card is operative in communicating with the first mobile telephone terminal; and

said second subscriber identification card is operative in communicating with the second mobile telephone terminal.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said first mobile telephone network and said second mobile telephone network correspond to the same mobile telephone network.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said request and said grant comprise information specifying an authorization scope.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said request and said grant comprise information specifying the authorization scope, and wherein the authorization scope of said request corresponds to the authorization scope of said grant.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said request and said grant comprise information specifying a period of time corresponding to an authorization duration.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said authorization request and said grant comprise information specifying a maximum amount of money that can be charged to said second subscriber, the method further comprising the step of:

preventing use of the service through said first mobile telephone terminal if an amount of money used by said first subscriber reaches the maximum amount of money that can be charged to said second subscriber.

11. The method according to claim 4, wherein using said service through said first mobile telephone terminal causes a corresponding amount of credit to be deducted from an account of said second subscriber.

12. The method according to claim 4, wherein, after said step F, telephone calls addressed to said first subscriber are directed to said first mobile telephone terminal and telephone calls addressed to said second subscriber are directed to said second mobile telephone terminal.

13. The method according to claim 4, wherein, after said step F, the association of the identity of said first subscriber to said second mobile telephone terminal and of the identity of said second subscriber to said first mobile telephone terminal is effective for billing purposes only.

14. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

before said step F, said first mobile telephone terminal deregisters from said first mobile telephone network and then registers again to the first mobile telephone network and said second mobile telephone terminal deregisters from said second mobile telephone network and then registers again to said second mobile telephone network.

15. The method according to claim 4, wherein, after said step F, when said first mobile telephone network requests an identity authentication to said first mobile telephone terminal, said first mobile telephone terminal collects an authentication response from said second subscriber identification card by said first subscriber identification card and said short range communication channel and transmits the collected authentication response to said first mobile telephone network, and wherein, after said step F, when said second mobile telephone network requests an identity authentication to said second mobile telephone terminal, said second mobile telephone terminal collects an authentication response from said first subscriber identification card by said second subscriber identification card and said short range communication channel and transmits the collected authentication response to said second mobile telephone network.

16. The method according to claim 4, wherein, after said step F, if said first mobile telephone terminal downloads, from said first mobile telephone network, information encrypted through subscriber specific data, said information is encrypted through data specific of said first subscriber associated with said first subscriber identification card.

17. The method according to claim 4, wherein said step F provides that said first mobile telephone network and said second mobile telephone network are informed of the scope of said granted request and of the corresponding authorization.

18. The method according to claim 4, wherein, after said step F, at least one of said first mobile telephone terminal and said second mobile telephone terminal inform at least one of said first mobile telephone network and said second mobile telephone network that said granted request and the corresponding authorization is terminated.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein when any of said first and second subscriber identification cards detects that said short range communication channel is interrupted, any of said first and second mobile telephone terminals inform any of said first and second mobile telephone networks that said granted request and the corresponding authorization is terminated.

20. The method according to claim 4, wherein said short range communication channel is established through ZIGBEE technology.

21. The method of claim 4, wherein the service comprises an information download service, and wherein using said service through said first mobile telephone terminal comprises downloading information using the information download service, the method further comprising:

H) in response to downloading information using the information download service, charging, to said second subscriber, an amount corresponding to the downloaded information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the information download service comprises a music download service, and wherein the downloaded information comprises a song.