GB2380901A

GB2380901A - Mobile telephone with selectable software capabilities

Info

Publication number: GB2380901A
Application number: GB0124304A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pubudu Priyanjaya Chanrasiri; Adrian David Lincoln; James M Bennet
Original assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
Current assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
Priority date: 2001-10-10
Filing date: 2001-10-10
Publication date: 2003-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 2021-10-10
Also published as: DE60210561T2; EP1303153A1; EP1303153B1; GB2380901B; ES2257512T3; GB0124304D0; DE60210561D1

Abstract

The mobile telephone handset or terminal stores software capabilities or application programming interfaces (APIs). Some (shown as Ò ) may be standard, others (shown as <B>x</B>) can be enabled or disabled to create (in combination with the standard APIs) different logical domains, such as a domain (L). By enabling or disabling different ones of the APIs (<B>x</B>), particular domains can be configured. In particular, domain definition files (D1, D2, D3) held on SIMs (S) are provided which store information for respectively selecting the APIs for different domains. Therefore, the capabilities of the domains in a particular terminal will be determined by the information stored in the domain definition files on the currently used SIM. Different SIMs will store different information in their domain definition files. Furthermore, the information in the domain definition files can be updated by OTA methods, to change the capabilities associated with a particular domain. For a SIM-less terminal, the domain definition files can be stored in a secure part of the terminal.

Description

. 60901

MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS APPARATUS AND METHODS

The invention relates to mobile telecommunications apparatus and methods.

Telecommunications apparatus embodying the invention, and to be described in more detail below by way of example only, comprise terminals (such as mobile telephone handsets) for use in public land mobile networks such as cellular networks operating according to the GSM protocols.

According to the invention, there is provided a terminal for a mobile telecommunications network, having a plurality of software capabilities, and selecting means for selecting particular ones of the software capabilities to be accessible as a logical domain.

According to the invention, there is also provided a method of operating a terminal for use in a mobile telecommunications network, comprising the steps of defining a plurality of software capabilities therein, and selecting particular ones ofthe software capabilities to be accessible as a logical domain.

Mobile telecommunications apparatus embodying the invention, in the form of a mobile telephone handset, and mobile telecommunications methods according to the invention, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 represents "domains" defining software capabilities or application programming

interfaces (APIs) held within a known mobile telephone handset; and Figure 2 corresponds to Figure 1 but shows how the domains in one of the mobile telephone handsets embodying the invention can be controlled by enabling or disabling different ones ofthe APIs.

Figure 1 shows how a mobile telephone terminal or handset holds software capabilities arranged within different security "domains" A, B. C. The software capabilities are implemented as application programming interfaces or APIs. A security domain comprises a set of APIs accessible by means of a Root Public Key. The APIs a established in domain A can, for example, be APIs set up therein by the operator ofthe network such as APIs concerned with the operation ofthe handset within the network.

The APIs established in domain B can be APIs set up therein by the manufacturer ofthe handset - for example, APIs for use in games applications, APIs for carrying out calculations and information storage and manipulation.

The APIs c established in domain C can be APIs set up therein by a third party, for example, APIs for use in providing road traffic information.

The APIs a, b, and c within the domains A,B,C are fixed within the terminal at the time of its manufacture or sale. The number of domains is fixed and the capabilities or APIs

associated with each domain are fixed. The domains and all their capabilities are thus available when the terminal is powered on. Therefore, there is no external means available of changing the domains or controlling their availability.

In accordance with a feature ofthe invention, means are provided for externally enabling different ones of a number of APIs in a terminal and thus configuring them into different domains. Figure 2 shows a number of "standard" APIs (each shown as a À). These are APIs for carrying out basic functions and are in general always available when the terminal is powered up. Also shown are further APIs (each shown as an x) which can be controlled (in a manner to be explained) so as to be enabled or disabled thus configuring them into different domains.

One way in which the APIs can be enabledldisabled is by means of a user's SIM shown at S in Figure 2. In accordance with a feature ofthe invention, the SIM S is provided with "domain definition files" such as shown at D1, D2, D3. In particular, each such file D1, D2, D3 in the SIM will identify the APIs to be associated with a particular domain and security information associated with the domain. Some of the APIs can be some of the standard APIs À, and others can be particular ones of the APIs x. When the SIM is inserted in the terminal, and when the terminal is powered up, the terminal will read the information in the domain definition files D1, D2, D3 and will configure the APIs in each domain in accordance with the information in the files. Thus, the information in each

domain definition file D1, D2, D3 will allow only particular ones of the APIs x to be enabled. Thus, for example, the domain definition file D! could enable the APIs shown within the dotted line L in Figure 2 to form a particular domain. The other domain definition files D2 and D3 could select different ones of the APIs to define different domains. In this way, different SIMs would define different domains - that is, domains having different combinations of the APIs enabled. For example, a user could have two SIMs, one for personal use of a mobile terminal and the other for business use of such a terminal. The domain definition files within each of the SIMs would contain different information so that the APIs available for carrying out different applications would depend on which SIM is currently used.

In addition, it becomes possible to update or re-configure the capabilities ofthe domains by changing the information in the relevant domain definition file using OTA (over-the -

air) methods. For example, a user may have paid a subscription which allows use of particular applications corresponding to particular domains, all as defined by the domain definition files on the user's SIM. If the user wants to have use of further applications, the user can request this by a communication (eg a telephone call) to the operator or service provider. By means of an OTA transmission, the operator or service provider can change the information in one or more of the domain definition files on the user's SIM, thus enabling further domains and applications available.

s If a domain definition file is too large to be stored on the SIM, the SIM could instead store the address of a storage location from which the file could be accessed. For example, the file could be fetched from a secure server over an interact link, the SIM holding the URL of the location from which the file is to be fetched.

Although configuring, re-configuring and up-dating ofthe capabilities ofthe domains is advantageously carried out by means of domain definition files held in the SIM, the invention can also be applied to terminals not using SIMs. In such a case, the domain definition files will be held in a secure area in the terminal itself, preferably also with the capability of up-dating by OTA methods.

Figure 3 shows a more detailed example. Here, a terminal has 'standard' APIs, API1 to API8, which are always enabled. Also provided are domains PI to P4 and VF5 to VF8 which can be enabled/disabled in the manner described. The SIM S shown in Figure 3 has (in this example) two domain definition files DDF1 and DDF2. DDF1 defines Domain 1.

As shown, this domain uses the standard APIs API1 to API8 plus the APIs Plto P4.

DDF2 defines Domain 2 which uses the standard APIs API1 to API8 plus API VF7 and API4.

Claims

1. A terminal for a mobile telecommunications network, having a plurality of software capabilities, and selecting means for selecting particular ones of the software capabilities to be accessible as a logical domain.

2 A terminal according to claim 1, in which the domain is accessible by means of a root public key.

3. A terminal according to claim 1 or 2, in which the software capabilities are application programming interfaces (APIs).

4. A terminal according to claim 1 or 2, in which the selecting means comprises data storage means associated with the terminal for storing information relating to the domain and selecting the software capabilities which are to be accessible therethrough.

5. A terminal according to claim 4, in which the storage means comprises storage means implemented within the terminal.

6. A terminal according to claim 4, in which the storage means comprises storage means provided by a smart card or SIM for use with the terminal.

7. A terminal according to claim 6, in which the storage means stores the information on the SIM.

8. A terminal according to claim 6, in which the SIM stores the address ofthe storage means.

9. A terminal according to claim 8, in which the storage means is accessed from the terminal via the address on the SIM by means of an external communications link.

10. A terminal according to claim 9, in which the external communications link is an Internet link.

A terminal according to any one of claims 2 to 7, including means for up dating the information in the storage means by over-the-air methods.

12. A method of operating a terminal for use in a mobile telecommunications network, comprising the step of defining a plurality of software capabilities therein, and selecting particular ones of the software capabilities to be accessible as a logical domain.

13. A method according to claim 12, in which the domain is accessible by means of a root public key.

14. A method to claim 12 or 13, in which the software capabilities are application programming interfaces (APIs).

15. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, in which the selecting step comprises the step of storing information in association with the terminal and relating to the domain and which selects the applications which are to be accessible therethrough.

16. A method according to claim 15, in which the storing step is implemented within the terminal.

17. A method according to claim 15, in which the storing step is implemented by a smart card or SIM for use with the terminal.

18. A method according to claim 17, in which the storing step stores the information on the SIM.

19. A method according to claim 17, in which the storing step is implemented at a location separately from the SIM and the SIM stores the address of the location.

20. A method according to claim 19, including the step of accessing the location from the terminal via the address on the SIM by means of an external co'Tununications link.

21. A method according to claim 20, in which the external communications link is an Internet link.

22. A method according to any one of claims 15 to 19, including the step of up-dating the stored information by over-the-air methods.

23. A terminal for a mobile telecommunications network substantially as described with reference to Figure 2 or 3 of the accompanying drawings.

24. A method of operating a terminal for a mobile telecommunications network substantially as described with reference to Figure 2 or 3 ofthe accompanying drawings.