WO2012038533A1

WO2012038533A1 - A method for accessing an application, corresponding portable device and system

Info

Publication number: WO2012038533A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/066594
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wen LEI; Junjie Zhang; Zhipeng Zhang
Original assignee: Gemalto Sa
Priority date: 2010-09-24
Filing date: 2011-09-23
Publication date: 2012-03-29
Also published as: WO2012037708A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method (30) for accessing an application. A portable device (14) comprises at least one application. The portable device comprises a server. The portable device is coupled to a terminal (12). According to the invention, the method comprises the following steps: the server sends to the terminal data (34) relating to at least one page comprising a predetermined list of at least one application comprised within the portable device, the predetermined list of at least one application comprising at least one application presented through a menu; and the terminal displays the page comprising the predetermined list of at least one application offered by the portable device. The invention also pertains to a corresponding portable device. Moreover, the invention relates to a corresponding system.

Description

A method for accessing an application, corresponding portable device and system

Field of the invention:

The invention relates, in a general manner, to a method for accessing an application.

Moreover, the invention pertains to a portable device for accessing an application.

Finally, the invention also relates to a system for accessing an application.

State of the art:

A first known solution for accessing an application offered by a Subscriber Identity Module (or SIM) type card is based upon a browsing of a Sim ToolKit (or STK) menu, so that a user selects a corresponding menu item.

A second known solution for accessing an application offered by a SIM type card is based upon an application displayed via a HyperText Markup Language (or HTML) page originating from a local (Web) server, also termed Smart Card Web Server (or SCWS).

However, when a mobile handset is equipped with a Web browser, the user has to browse the STK menu and the SCWS to know all the applications or services offered by the SIM type card.

There is a need to improve the access to the services offered by the SIM type card.

Summary of the invention:

The invention proposes a solution for satisfying the just hereinabove specified need by providing a method for accessing an application. A portable device comprises at least one application. The portable device comprises a server. The portable device is coupled to a terminal. According to the invention, the method comprises the following steps. The server sends to the terminal data relating to at least one page comprising a predetermined list of at least one application comprised within the portable device, the predetermined list of at least one application comprising at least one application presented through a menu. And the terminal displays the page comprising the predetermined list of at least one application offered by the portable device.

The principle of the invention consists in that only one channel, namely a page(s) accessible through a server and including a service(s) accessible through a menu, is used to access the service offered by a portable device.

Thus, a terminal user accesses a part of or all the services offered by the portable device via one and the same access channel.

Such an access, via one single channel, to all or a part of the services offered by the portable device facilitates an access to the service for the user without having to search, through another channel, the service or another service(s).

As a matter of fact, contrary to the hereinabove described known situation, the user does not have to browse, on the one hand, a menu of service items and, on the other hand, a page originating from a local server and including the same and/or another service(s).

According to a further aspect, the invention is a portable device for accessing an application. The portable device comprises at least one application. The portable device comprises a server. The portable device is likely to be coupled to a terminal.

According to the invention, the server is adapted to send to the terminal data relating to at least one page comprising a predetermined list of at least one application comprised within the portable device, the predetermined list of at least one application comprising at least one application presented through a menu.

According to a further aspect, the invention is a system for accessing an application. The system includes a terminal and a portable device coupled to the terminal. The portable device comprises at least one application. The portable device comprises a server.

According to the invention, the server comprises means for sending to the terminal data relating to at least one page comprising a predetermined list of at least one application comprised within the portable device. The predetermined list of at least one application comprises at least one application presented through a menu. And the terminal comprises means for displaying the page comprising the predetermined list of at least one application offered by the portable device. Brief description of the drawings:

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understandable after reading a detailed description of one preferred embodiment of the invention, given as an indicative and non-limitative example, in conjunction with the following drawings:

- Figure 1 illustrates a simplified diagram of one embodiment of a system for accessing an application, the system comprising a mobile handset, as a terminal, and a smart card coupled to the handset, the system being adapted to provide, at once, through a displayed page(s), information relating to an application(s) originating from a Sim ToolKit type menu, according to the invention;

- Figure 2 is an example of one displayed page that originates from a server of the the smart card of figure 1 and allows accessing a set of application(s) included within one STK menu; and

- Figure 3 represents an example of messages exchanged between the terminal and the smart card of figure 1 , so as to provide a terminal user, via the smart card server, with information relating to a service supplied by the smart card through the STK type menu.

Detailed description:

Herein under is considered an invention embodiment in which the invention portable device is a smart card, as a portable device, that is coupled to a mobile telephone, as a terminal.

According to still other examples, the portable device may also be a chip fixed, possibly in a removable manner, to the terminal, or an embedded Secure Element, as a chip to be soldered within the terminal. Likewise, instead of being constituted by a mobile telephone, the terminal may be constituted, for example, by a smart phone, a netbook and/or a Personal Digital Assistant (or PDA).

Naturally, the herein below described embodiment is only for exemplifying purposes and is not considered to reduce the scope of the present invention.

Figure 1 schematically shows a mobile assembly 10 that is connected, via a mobile radio-communication network 16, to a remote server 18.

The mobile assembly 10, as an electronic communication system, includes a mobile telephone 12, as a hand-held appliance and user terminal, and a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (or UICC) type smart card 14, as a portable device or token.

For a sake of clarity and conciseness, the mobile telephone 12 and the UICC type smart card 14 are termed hereinafter the phone 12 and the card 14 respectively.

The mobile radio-communication network 16 may be connected to the Internet network.

Alternately, instead of a mobile radio-communication network, the phone 12 is connected, via a wire communication network, to the remote server 18.

According to an alternative, instead of a mobile radio-communication network, a network between the phone 12 and the remote server 18 is constituted by an Internet network which may be accessible from the phone 12 through a wireless link, such as a Bluetooth link, a Wifi link or the like.

The remote server 18 may be operated or managed by a Mobile Network Operator (or MNO), a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (or MVNO), a wire communication network operator, any service Operator or on behalf of a service Operator, as a service provider.

The remote server 18 may download, through the phone 12, to the card 14 data relating to a page(s) for presenting one or several applications which are accessible from a card user through, on the one hand, a card server 142, as a local server, and, on the other hand, a STK type menu 148, i.e. the application(s) being supported by the card 14.

The downloading of the page data may be implemented by messages, for example, such as Short Message Service and/or Multimedia Message Service messages. Such a page downloading is performed in a transparent manner for a phone 12 user. In other words, the phone 12 user does not know that the remote server 18 sends the page(s) to the card 14.

Each page may be an HTML type page.

The page(s) is(are) stored within a card memory, as will be further infra explained.

The phone 12 includes at least one microprocessor (not represented), at least one memory (not represented) and at least one Input/Output (or I/O) interface (not represented).

The phone memory stores data, an Operating System (or OS) and at least one application. As application, there is preferably at least a (Web) browser, so as to access a (Web) server. As server, there is a local server 142 embedded within the card 14, such as a so-termed Smart Card Web Server (or SCWS). The local server 142 provides a phone user, through one or several pages, with at least one application supported by the card 14 and further accessible through the STK type menu 148, as hereinafter further explained.

The phone microprocessor processes data originating from the phone memory or the phone I/O interface.

The phone microprocessor executes preferably the phone Web browser, so as to access the application(s) supported by the card 14 and offered to the phone user notably through the STK type menu 148.

The phone I/O interface includes an interface(s), so as to exchange data with the card 14.

The phone I/O interface with the card 14 may be an International Standard Organisation (or ISO) 7816 interface, as a contact interface when the card 14 is lodged within the phone 12.

The phone I/O interface with the card 14 may be constituted by an ISO 14 443 interface, as a contact-less interface when the card 14 is outside of the phone 12.

The phone I/O interface comprises preferably a display screen 122, a keyboard 124, and one antenna 126 (or several antennas).

The display screen 122 and the keyboard 124, as a Man Machine Interface (or MM I), may be used for exchanging information between the phone user, the phone 12 or another entity(ies) to which the phone 12 is connected, like in particular the card 14 and its local server 142. The communication between the card 14 and the phone 12 is used in particular to benefit from the MM I of the phone 12 and/or an access to the mobile radio-communication network 16 to which the phone 12 may be connected.

The antenna 126 is arranged to let communicate, through a long range radio- frequency link 1 1 , notably the remote server 18 and the card 14 (through the phone 12).

The card 14 is intended to interact with the phone 12.

The card 14 is connected to the phone 12 via a bi-directional link 13.

The card 14 is a smart object that has computing means with a processing that is limited, in terms of performance, with respect to the one relating to a Personal Computer (or PC), the phone 12 or the like.

The card 14 includes a chip comprising at least one microprocessor (not represented), as means for processing data, at least one memory 144, and at least one I/O interface (not represented) which are all linked together through a control and data bus (not represented).

The card I/O interface is used for receiving data from or sending data to outside, notably the phone 12, through a corresponding phone I/O interface, via the bi- directional communication link 13.

The card I/O interface includes preferably an ISO 7816 interface, so as to let communicate the card 14 and the phone 12.

According to one particular embodiment, the card I/O interface comprises at least one Application Protocol Data Unit (or APDU) communication channel.

The card I/O interface may comprise another or other communication channel(s), such as an Internet Protocol (or IP) communication channel, a Mass Storage communication channel, and/or a Universal Serial Bus (or USB) communication channel in compliance with the USB standard specifications.

The card microprocessor controls and communicates with all the components of the card chip, such as the memory 144 to read it and possibly write into it. The microprocessor controls a data exchange, through the card I/O interface, with outside, notably the phone 14. The card microprocessor executes, besides a card OS, at least a server application and one or several applications accessible through a STK type menu(s).

The card microprocessor executes preferably security functions, in order to protect an access to information managed through and/or by the card 14.

The security functions may include a user authentication process to be used, in order to access, for example, the local server 142 to be accessed. To authenticate the user, the card 14 may store an application for verifying a Personal Identity Number (or PIN), a fingerprint or the like, as user authentication data. The user authentication data is securely stored by the card 14 and to be input by the card 14 user. Thus, the card 14 compares the input data with the stored user authentication data and, if the input data matches the stored user authentication data, then the card 14 authorizes an execution of the server application. Otherwise, the card 14 forbids or blocks an execution of the server application.

The security functions may include an encryption/decryption process.

The encryption/decryption process may be used before sending, through the phone 12, to the remote server 18, a message with data relating to rights for accessing the remote server 18.

The encryption/decryption process may be used, after receiving from the remote server 18, data relating to one or several pages 146 comprising a predetermined list of one or a plurality of applications supported by the card 14 and accessible through the STK type menu 148. An access to the data exchanged between the card 14 and the remote server 18 is thus protected.

The memory 144 may contain one or several EEPROM (acronym for "Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory"), one or several ROM (acronym for "Read Only Memory"), one or several Flash memories, and/or any other memories of different types, like one or several RAM (acronym for "Random Access Memory").

The card 14 preferably stores securely, within its memory 144, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (or IMSI), as a unique number associated with all Global Service for Mobiles (or GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (or UMTS), Code Division Multiple Access (or CDMA) and/or Long Term Evolution (or LTE) type network(s) mobile phone users. The IMSI is used to identify a subscriber in relation to one or several mobile radio-communication networks.

The mobile radio-communication network 16 is linked, via a bi-directional wired line 17, to the remote server 18.

The mobile radio-communication network 16 may be a GSM, UTRAN (acronym for "UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network"), EDGE (acronym for "Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution"), GPRS (acronym for "General Packet Radio System"), WLAN (acronym for "Wide Local Area Network") CDMA and/or LTE network(s).

The mobile radio-communication network list is not exhaustive but only for exemplifying purposes and is not considered to reduce the scope of the present invention.

The card 14 may store within its memory 144, for example, a SIM application for a GSM network, a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (or USIM) for a UMTS network, a CDMA Subscriber Identity module (or CSIM) for a CDMA network, a Removable User Identity Module (or RUIM) for GSM, UMTS and CDMA networks, and/or an Internet protocol multimedia Services Identity Module (or ISIM) for IP

Multimedia Subsystem (or IMS).

Naturally, the just aforementioned list is not exhaustive but only for exemplifying purposes and is not considered to reduce the scope of the present invention.

The card 14 is arranged to transmit, from the local server 142 to the phone 12 data relating to a (web) page(s) 146 comprising a predefined list of one or several applications that are supported by the card 14 and accessible through, firstly, the local server 142, and secondly, the STK type menu 148.

The server 142 relating to the card 14 is used to provide the phone 12 with one or a plurality of (web) pages 146 comprising a predefined list of one or several applications supported by the card 14 and accessible through the STK type menu

148.

The phone user is thus able to access successively, through the local server 142 and the STK type menu 148, an application(s) included within the STK type menu 148 of the card 14. The phone user does not have to exit the local server 142 and enter the STK type menu 148, so as to access the application(s) supported by the card 14 through the STK type menu 148. The access to the application(s) accessible through the local server 142 and the STK type menu 148 is therefore facilitated and convenient for the phone user. This latter uses a unique access channel, namely through the local server 142, to reach the application(s) embedded within the card 14 through the STK type menu 148.

The application(s) offered via the local server 142 and the STK type menu 148 may complete one or several applications accessible directly through the local server 142, i.e. without further passing through the STK type menu 148, as another access channel.

The card 14 stores, preferably within a non-volatile part of the memory 144, a set of pages 146 including the predetermined list of one or several applications accessible through the STK type menu 148.

The set of pages 146 may include one or several pages.

The card 14 stores one or several STK type menus with a corresponding set(s) of applications.

The memory 144 may store, in a secure manner, a Uniform Resource Identifier

(or URI) relating to a remote server that may be distinct from the remote server 18.

The card 14 is preferably able to initiate actions, in order to interact directly with the outside world, in an independent manner of the phone 12 and the mobile radio- communication network 16. Such an interaction capacity at the initiative of the card 14 is also known as proactive capacity. The proactive capacity may be used to access and launch an application accessible through the page set 146 and the STK type menu 148.

Once one particular STK menu 148 application has been selected by the card user, through one or several pages 146 provided by the local server 142, the card 14 may thus send, at its own initiative, to the phone 12 a proactive command for launching an application, for example, the phone Web browser with the URI of a remote server to be accessed and possibly corresponding user access rights, as command parameters.

Figure 2 shows an example of one HTML type page 22 allowing an access to one STK type menu applications 242 and 244.

The HTML type page 22 is included within the set of pages 146 stored within the card memory 144. The HTML type page(s) 146 or the application(s) accessible through the local server 142 and the STK type menu 148 may have been previously either downloaded from the remote server 18 or loaded during a manufacturing of the card 14.

Alternately, the HTML type page(s) 146 or the application(s) accessible through the local server 142 and the STK type menu 148 is(are) previously selected by the card user during a configuration phase and possibly through a configuration HTML type page provided by the local server 142.

According to another alternative, the HTML type page(s) 146 or the applications accessible through the local server 142 and the STK type menu 148 is(are) previously selected by the card user through the STK type menu either during a configuration phase or during an operation phase. The operation phase consists in selecting a STK type menu application either proposed through one or several pages 146 provided by the local server 142 or directly within the concerned STK type menu.

The HTML type page 22 is displayed by the display screen 122.

The HTML type page 22 includes one or several sets of applications, among which there is at least one application that is accessible through one or several STK type menus.

The HTML type page 22 constitutes, for example, a first page that is supplied by the local server 142.

The first page that includes a STK type menu is a source page that allows accessing possibly, through a hyperlink, as a reference, to a target page (not represented), as a document. The target page also includes a STK type menu. The target page is dynamically built, i.e. each time that the card user selects a hyperlink that redirects to another page thanks to the web browser. A final page, as the last target page, contains a shortcut, as a link, to the STK type menu. After the first page and possibly other intermediary page(s), the card user accesses, through the STK type menu shortcut, the STK type menu. The STK type menu lists a set of applications, among which the card user may select one particular application.

For example, the HTML type page 22 includes two sets of applications accessible directly through corresponding two HTML pages 220 and 222, termed HTML CATALOG 1 and HTML CATALOG 2, one STK type menu shortcut configuration 224, and two sets of applications accessible further through corresponding two predefined STK type menu shortcuts 226 and 228, termed STK CATALOG 1 and STK CATALOG 2.

The HTML type page 22 may include more than two predefined STK type menu shortcuts.

If the STK type menu shortcut configuration 224 is selected by the card user, then the card 14 redirects, through a hyperlink(s) to an HTML type page(s) and a shortcut(s), to one or several STK type menus. Thus, a card user is able to select, through another HTML type page, among possibly several STK type menu shortcuts, one STK type menu shortcut. The selected STK type menu shortcut appears as a new STK CATALOG (not represented) within another HTML type page to be created.

The STK type menu shortcut configuration 224 allows defining a STK type menu to be retrieved through a shortcut. Thus, the card user is able to choose one or several applications to be accessed through the local server 142 and a corresponding predefined STK type menu shortcut.

If the card user selects the predefined STK type menu shortcut 226, namely STK CATALOG 1 , to the corresponding STK type menu 24, then the card 14 redirects, thanks to the card OS, to a corresponding target STK type menu 24. The STK type menu 24 includes a list or a set of STK items or applications 242, 244, namely STK item 1 , and STK item N, where N is greater than or equal to 2. Each concerned item appears within the displayed list relating to the STK type menu 24. The thus reached STK type menu 24 is presented as a STK type menu.

Once the card user has selected one of the predefined shortcuts relating to the STK type menus, namely the STK CATALOG 1 or STK CATALOG 2, a corresponding predefined STK type menu is displayed by the display screen 122. In the same time, the source HTML type page 22 may either disappear or be still displayed on another part of the display screen 122.

Firstly, the HTML type page 22 includes one or several STK type menu shortcuts 226 and 228 that are selectable by the card user, as terminal user. As soon as the card user selects one particular STK type menu shortcut 226, the display screen 122 displays the corresponding STK type menu. The selected STK type menu shortcut 226 presents secondly, through a STK type menu 24, one or several applications 242, 244 that are selectable by the card user.

In other words, the card 14 switches dynamically from one presentation based upon a HTML type page 22 based to another presentation based upon one STK type menu 24.

Figure 3 depicts an example of a message flow 30 that involves the card 14 and the phone 12.

It is assumed that the phone 12, as a terminal hosting the card 14, has been powered on.

The card user desires to access the local server 142, as a service provider.

For example, the card user depresses a button or a set of buttons of the phone keyboard 124 that matches an access to a set of applications comprised within the local server 142.

It is further assumed that a home page, as the first page, delivered by the local server 142 is the HTML type page 22. The HTML type page 22, as a dynamic page, includes a STK type menu shortcut configuration 224 and the STK type menu shortcuts 226 and 228 that have been previously configured.

Optionally (not represented), the card 14 authenticates the card user, so as to increase the security level for accessing the local server 142. To authenticate the card user, for example, the card 14 verifies that data input by the card user through the phone MM I effectively matches user authentication data previously defined by the card user and stored within the card memory 144.

It is further assumed that the phone 12 (more exactly the phone browser, as Graphical User Interface (or GUI)) exchanges with the card 14 (more exactly the local server 142) by implementing preferably a HyperText Transfer Protocol (or HTTP).

Alternately, instead of implementing an HTTP, the phone 12 and the card 14 implements an HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (or HTTPS), to provide additional encryption/decryption functions, in order to protect the exchanged data.

The phone 12 sends to the card 14 a request 32 for fetching a page, such as "HTTP GET", accompanied with a parameter relating to a Uniform Resource Locator (or URL) related to the local server 142 to be accessed, like for example Ί 27.0.0.1 : 3516/index. html". Then, the card 14 executes the server application.

The card 14 sends back to the phone 12, as response 34 to the request 32, a home page including at least one predefined STK type menu shortcut.

The phone 12 displays on its display screen 122 the HTML type page 22.

The card user selects, through the phone keyboard 124, one of the available

STK type menu shortcuts 226 and 228, as input, for example, STK CATALOG 1 , in order to access the corresponding STK type menu 24.

The phone 12 sends to the card 14 the selected STK type menu shortcut 226 accompanied with a corresponding STK type menu identifier, as another request 36 and its parameter, for example, "127.0.0.1 :3516/serv1 ?menuid=1."

The card 14 sends back to the phone 12, as response to the previous request, a page 38 comprising a message for informing the requester whether the corresponding STK type menu is or is not selected, for example, "STK menu 1 is being selected".

Then, the card 14 launches a corresponding STK menu application. Such a STK menu application may be written in an object oriented language, such as Java.

The card 14 sends to the phone 12 a proactive command 310, such as "Display text" accompanied with all the menu items or applications 242, 244 comprised within the corresponding STK menu 24, as command parameters.

The phone 12 displays the corresponding received STK menu 24 while letting appear all the applications 242, 244 comprised within the STK menu 24.

The card user is thus able to let the card 14 execute a desired application accessible through the STK menu 24.

Claims

1 . A method (30) for accessing an application, a portable device (14) comprising at least one application, the portable device comprising a server (142), the portable device being coupled to a terminal (12),

characterized in that the method comprises the following steps:

- the server sends to the terminal data (34) relating to at least one page (22) comprising a predetermined list of at least one application comprised within the portable device, the predetermined list of at least one application comprising at least one application (242, 244) presented through a menu (24); and

- the terminal displays the page comprising the predetermined list of at least one application offered by the portable device.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one application presented through the menu is previously selected by a user from a configuration page during a configuration phase.

3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one application presented through the menu is previously selected by a user from a menu during a configuration phase or an operation phase.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one application presented through the menu is previously downloaded from a remote server (18).

5. Method according to any of the claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one application presented through the menu is accessible through a hyperlink to the menu.

6. Method according to any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the at least one application presented through the menu is comprised within at least one shortcut to the menu.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein, when the user selects within the page a shortcut to the menu, the portable device sends a proactive command to the terminal.

8. Method according to any of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the page is an HTML type page, wherein the menu is a Subscriber identity module ToolKit type menu and/or wherein the server is a Smart Card Web Server.

9. A portable device (14) for accessing an application, the portable device comprising at least one application, the portable device comprising a server (142), the portable device being likely to be coupled to a terminal (12),

characterized in that the server is adapted to send to the terminal data (34) relating to at least one page (22) comprising a predetermined list of at least one application comprised within the portable device, the predetermined list of at least one application comprising at least one application (242, 244) presented through a menu (24).

10. A system (10) for accessing an application, the system including a terminal (12) and a portable device (14) coupled to the terminal, the portable device comprising at least one application, the portable device comprising a server (142),

characterized in that the server comprises means for sending to the terminal data (34) relating to at least one page (22) comprising a predetermined list of at least one application comprised within the portable device, the predetermined list of at least one application (242, 244) comprising at least one application presented through a menu (24); and

in that the terminal comprises means for displaying the page comprising the predetermined list of at least one application offered by the portable device.