WO2003032582A1

WO2003032582A1 - Internet access device using mobile station and method thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2003032582A1
Application number: PCT/KR2002/001892
Authority: WO
Inventors: Deok-Woo Kim
Original assignee: Woori Technology Inc.
Priority date: 2001-10-10
Filing date: 2002-10-10
Publication date: 2003-04-17
Also published as: KR20030032123A

Abstract

A mobile terminal's Internet access device and method. When a user connects the Internet access device to the mobile terminal, the Internet access device acquuires control over a display and an input unit of the mobile terminal. When receiving a signal according to the Internet access selection from the input unit of the mobile terminal, the Internet access device provides bookmark information for accessing web servers on the Internet to the mobile terminal to display the bookmark to the display. When one of the displayed bookmarks is selected, The Internet access device provides URL information matched with the selected bookmark to the mobile terminal so that the mobile terminal may access an Internet web server matched with the URL information. Therefore, the user may install the Internet access device in the mobile terminal to access a desired Internet web server and receive desired information without additionally inputting a URL.

Description

Internet Access Device using Mobile Station and Method thereof

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a mobile Internet access system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device and method for enabling a mobile terminal to access the Internet using an access device attachable to the mobile terminal.

(b) Description of the Related Art

As the Internet has been greatly popularized, electronic commerce for people all over the world has come to be executed through the Internet. Electronic commerce includes transactions that require money flow using electronic media; electronic techniques and means under information system environments that are integrated and automated between companies, between a company and a person, between persons, and between a government and a company; and it further includes a group of behaviors for executing marketing, advertising, supply, services, production, transportation, purchase, and providing contents. Therefore, Internet users have come to easily obtain any category of desired information, and to select necessary products and buy them on the basis of virtually limitless information provided through the Internet without directly examining the products. Internet services (or mobile services) using a portable mobile terminal such as a mobile phone and a PDA (personal digital assistant) have begun so that users may get desired information anytime and anywhere according to technical developments of electronic commerce through the Internet, and accordingly, services including email receipt, information search, and product purchase using a mobile terminal have been executed.

However, it is not easy for a user to access an Internet service- providing system (e.g., a web site) using a mobile terminal because of the size of the mobile terminal. In more detail, it is required for the user to input a URL (uniform resource location) matched with an Internet address assigned for distinguishing each system so as to access the Internet service-providing system, but the URL has a combination of English letters according to a predetermined rule as shown in "http://www.ABC.co.kr" and "http://www.internic.net/index.html," and accordingly, it is difficult for the user to memorize and input a desired URL using a small keypad of a mobile terminal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to use a mobile terminal to conveniently and easily access a wireless network anytime and anywhere.

In one aspect of the present invention, an Internet access device attachably and removably connected to a mobile terminal including a display and an input unit comprises: a memory for storing bookmark information matched with a plurality of various sorts of URL (uniform resource location) information; and a processor for providing the bookmark information stored in the memory to the display to display the bookmark information when a signal according to an Internet access selection is input from the input unit of the mobile terminal, and providing URL information matched with the bookmark selected from the memory to the mobile terminal when one of the displayed bookmarks is selected, so that the mobile terminal is accessed to a web server on the Internet, the web server corresponding to the URL information. The mobile terminal is connected to the web server on the Internet through a wireless communication network, and the mobile terminal transmits URL information provided by the processor of the Internet access device to the wireless communication network to receive information from a web server matched with the URL information and display it to the display. The processor comprises: a control acquirer for acquiring control over the display and the input unit of the mobile terminal when connected to the mobile terminal; an access processor for providing URL information matched with the selected bookmark to the mobile terminal to be connected to the wireless communication network when the control is acquired and the bookmark matched with information desired by the user is selected through the input unit of the mobile terminal; and a bookmark processor for matching URL information of the web server on the Internet with bookmark information and storing it in the memory according to the user's selection through the input unit of the mobile terminal.

The memory stores a password for allowing use of the Internet access device, and the processor further comprises an authenticator for performing Internet access through the bookmark information when the password input through the input unit of the mobile terminal is matched with the password stored in the memory.

The memory stores a user's log-in information corresponding to URLs of a plurality of web servers, and the processor reads log-in information matched with the URL of the accessed web server from the memory according to the selection by the user, and transmits it to the web server when the accessed web server requests log-in information, to thereby execute the user's log-in.

The device further comprises an interface for communicating with a data port of the mobile terminal. The Internet access device is connected to the data port of the mobile terminal through a connector to execute data communication.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method for accessing the Internet through a wireless communication network using a mobile terminal including a display and an input unit comprises: connecting an Internet access device to the mobile terminal, and enabling the Internet access device to acquire control over the display and the input unit of the mobile terminal; providing bookmark information for accessing a plurality of web servers on the Internet to the mobile terminal to display it to the display when a signal according to the selection of the Internet access is input from the input unit of the mobile terminal; and enabling the Internet access device to provide URL information matched with the selected bookmark to the mobile terminal when one of the displayed bookmarks is selected, thereby making the mobile terminal access an Internet web server matched with the

URL information.

The method further comprises: executing Internet access through the bookmark information when the password input through the input unit of the mobile terminal is matched with the password stored in the Internet access device; and storing user log-in information corresponding to the URL of the web server according to selection by the user at the time of accessing the web server on the Internet; and transmitting log-in information matched with the URL of the accessed web server to the web server according to selection by the user when the web server requests log-in information, to thereby execute user's log-in.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention, and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention:

FIG. 1 shows a network configuration diagram for a mobile terminal to access the Internet using an Internet access device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an Internet access device and a mobile terminal according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 shows a diagram of a connection state of the Internet access device and the mobile terminal according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a method for a mobile terminal to access the Internet using an Internet access device according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 shows a diagram of a connection state of the Internet access device and the mobile terminal according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following detailed description, only the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated by the inventor(s) of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modification in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not restrictive.

FIG. 1 shows a network configuration diagram for a mobile terminal to access the Internet using an Internet access device according to a preferred 1892

embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, the Internet access device 10 is attachably and removably connected to a mobile terminal 20, and the mobile terminal 20 is connected to a web server 50 through a wireless communication network 30 and the Internet 40, thereby receiving various contents. For this purpose, a WAP

(wireless application protocol) gateway 60 for converting protocols between the WAP and an Internet interface, that is, the HTTP (hypertext transport protocol), and encoding and decoding WML (wireless markup language) contents for communication with the wireless communication network 30 is installed between the wireless communication network 30 and the Internet 40.

In addition, a WTA (wireless telephony application) server 70 for enabling the WAP gateway 60 to perform HTTP communication and provide added services closely related to telephone communication may be provided between the wireless communication network 30 and the Internet 40. FIG. 2 shows a configuration diagram of an Internet access device and a mobile terminal according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 roughly shows their connection state.

The Internet access device (referred to as an access device hereinafter) 10 is attachably and removably connected to the mobile terminal 20, and performs corresponding operations.

The access device 10 comprises a memory 11 , a CPU (central processing unit) 12, an interface 13, and a clock signal generator 14.

The memory 11 of the access device 10 stores bookmark information, authentication information, user information (including a residence registration number, settlement numbers such as credit card numbers, and a password for site log-in), CPU procedure default information, and other information. In general, the bookmark function allows the user to register desired sites or frequently accessed pages on the WWW browser, and accordingly, the user clicks an add button on the bookmark to register the corresponding page while the WWW browser displays the corresponding page, and the corresponding page is displayed without inputting the URL when the user clicks the corresponding page on the displayed bookmarks.

In the preferred embodiment, the memory 1 1 stores Internet information-providing pages on the network registered by the user as bookmark information, and URL information matched with each kind of bookmark information. In this instance, the memory 1 1 includes an EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable ROM). In the following, the access to a web server includes access to a page for providing information matched with URL information.

The CPU 12 operates according to clock signals provided by the clock signal generator 14 to control the mobile terminal 20 so as to perform wireless network access on the basis of signals input through a keypad of the mobile terminal 20. For this, the CPU 12 comprises: a control acquirer 121 for acquiring controls for processing signals input through a keypad of a mobile terminal 20 when connected to the mobile terminal 20; a bookmark processor 122 for generating bookmarks for accessing a predetermined web server on the Internet 40 and storing the same in the memory 11 ; and an access processor 123 for controlling the mobile terminal 20 to access a web server on the Internet 30 through the wireless communication network 30 on the basis of the bookmark information stored in the memory 11 according to selection of wireless Internet access by the user. The CPU 12 further comprises: an authenticator 124 for authenticating whether a mobile terminal user is a registered person who may use an access device; and an information provider 125 for providing a plurality of sorts of information (e.g., a residence registration number and credit card numbers) which is required for the user to provide for information use of a web server to the mobile terminal 20 according to inputting of predetermined keys without additional inputting of the information so that the information may be subsequently provided to the web server. The information and instructions processed by the CPU 12 are transmitted to the mobile terminal 20 through the interface 13.

The above-configured access device 10 may be realized in a one- chip MCU (memory control unit) which integrates the CPU, the EEPROM, and the clock signal generator. The mobile terminal 20 connected to the access device 10, for accessing a web server on the Internet through a wireless communication network and for receiving information comprises: a data port 21 for inputting and outputting data of the mobile terminal; a keypad 25 including a shortcut button for accessing the Internet 40, selection keys, and a plurality of keys for inputting data for selecting a bookmark; a display 26 for displaying input/output data and data provided by the access device 10; a transmitter 23 for transmitting URL information provided by the access device 10 to the wireless communication network 30 so as to access a corresponding web server; a receiver 24 for receiving various sorts of information provided by the web server connected through the wireless communication network on the Internet; and a processor 22 for transmitting the received data to the access device 10 and processing the data transmitted from the access device 10 so that they may be displayed to the display 26 or transmitted through the transmitter 23.

The interface 13 of the access device 10 is connected to the data port 21 of the above-configured mobile terminal and communicates data in the RS-232C method, and the data communication is not restricted to the RS232C method.

The CPU 12 of the access device 10 performs serial communication with the display 26 and the keypad 25 installed in the mobile terminal through the RS-232C interface. For this, it is desirable for the mobile terminal and the CPU of the access device to have an identical data protocol, and it is obvious that a DC-DC converter or a regulator for controlling a voltage difference between an internal voltage of the mobile terminal and a voltage required by the CPU of the access device is needed.

For example, the CPU 12 of the access device 10 uses a protocol identical with the protocol adopted by respective mobile terminal makers, such as the ESMS protocol (a data format by SK) or the EIF protocol (similar to the ESMS protocol, and based on the Internet) to thereby perform data communication. A method for a mobile terminal to access the Internet on the basis of the above-configured Internet access device will now be described.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart for the mobile terminal to access the Internet using the Internet access device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, when a mobile terminal user installs an access device 10 in the mobile terminal 20, that is, when the user inserts the interface 13 of the access device 10 into the data port 21 of the mobile terminal 20, the control acquirer 121 of the CPU 12 transmits a command (e.g., SETLCD=1) for acquiring control of the display 26 of the mobile terminal 20 and a command (e.g., SETKEY=1) for acquiring control of the keypad 25 of the mobile terminal 20. Accordingly, the processor 22 of the mobile terminal 20 delivers the control to the CPU 12 of the access device 10 in steps S100 and S110.

While the control over the 'processing operation caused by a signal input through the keypad 25 of the mobile terminal 20 is delivered to the access device 10, the authenticator 124 of the access device 10 requires the user to input a password for use of the access device so as to check whether the user is authorized, and the authenticator 124 performs the authentication function according to the input password. That is, the access device 10 provides an operation for accessing the Internet through the bookmark function and an operation for storing the users' personal information and credit information, and accordingly, when the user buys an access device 10, the user may register a password for using the access device 10 to the memory 11 and use the same, or the access device may provide a password previously stored in the memory 11 to the user. This authentication stage may be selectively executed.

When the user uses the mobile terminal 20 and presses an Internet- access shortcut button to select the Internet access function in order to access the Internet 40 after the selective execution of the authentication stage, the access processor 123 of the access device 10 reads initial access screen data from the memory 11 and transmits them to the mobile terminal 20 through the interface 13 so that the initial Internet access screen may be displayed on the display 26 of the mobile terminal 20, in steps S120 and S130.

For example, the initial access screen includes menus including "Access," "Favorites," and "Direct link," and when the user presses "Favorites", the user receives corresponding bookmark information.

In detail, when the user selects "Favorites," the access processor 123 of the access device 10 reads bookmark information stored in the memory 1 1 and transmits the same to the mobile terminal 20 to be displayed, and the bookmark information is displayed to the display 26 of the mobile terminal 20 in various categories, for example weather, stocks, news, entertainment, and mail, in step S140.

When the user selects a single predetermined category such as "weather" from among the category-based bookmark information displayed on the display 26 of the mobile terminal 20, and presses a corresponding number key or a select key of the keypad 25, the access processor 123 of the access device 10 reads URL information matched with the selected weather and provides the URL information to the processor 22 of the mobile terminal 20 to thereby execute an Internet access.

The processor 22 of the mobile terminal 20 transmits the URL information provided by the access device 10 to the wireless communication network 30 through the transmitter 23. The wireless communication network 30 converts the URL information output by the mobile terminal 20 into a binary WML (wireless markup language) document and transmits it to the WAP gateway 60, and the WAP gateway 60 decodes the binary WML document into a predetermined WML document and provides the same to the web server 50 connected to the Internet 40 to request information matched with the URL information.

When the web server 50 transmits information matched with the URL requested by the mobile terminal 20 to the WAP gateway 60, the WAP gateway 60 encodes the WML document into a binary WML document and transmits the encoded document to the mobile terminal 20 through the wireless communication network 30 according to the WAP protocol.

The processor 22 of the mobile terminal 20 converts the information transmitted by the web server through the receiver 24 into a visual format and displays it to the display 26 in steps S150 through S170.

Therefore, the mobile terminal user may use the bookmark information provided by the access device 10 to easily receive desired information without additionally inputting a URL used for receiving predetermined information from the Internet.

When the user selects a menu such as "Direct link" for directly inputting URL information, the input URL information is transmitted to the wireless communication network 30 through the transmitter 23, thereby accessing the corresponding Internet web server. In this instance, when the user presses a predetermined number key or a register key so as to register the accessed web server to the bookmark, the bookmark processor 122 of the access device 10 generates the web server's bookmark, matches corresponding URL information with it, and stores the same in the memory 1 1 so that the user may generate bookmark information for Internet access.

Also, when the mobile terminal 20 accesses a predetermined web server of the Internet 40 through the access device 10, the web server requests a residence registration number for information use, an ID and a password for log-in, and a name, and the user accordingly presses a predetermined key, the information provider 125 of the access device 10 reads user information stored in the memory 1 1 and provides it to the mobile terminal 20 to be transmitted to the web server 50.

Further, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the memory 11 of the access device 10 stores log-in information for the user's log-in, that is, a password and an ID for each web server, so as to accurately provide the log-in ID and password used for each web server.

The memory 11 stores the log-in information when the user initially accesses the web server and registers log-in information or when the bookmark information is generated. In detail, when the user uses the "Favorites" or the "Direct link" to initially access a predetermined web server and log in to it, the access device 10 displays a message asking whether to automatically input log-in information (including an ID and a password), to the display 26. When the user accordingly operates a predetermined key to request automatic inputting from the access device 10, the access device 10 stores log-in information input by the user in correspondence to the URL (e.g., www.daum.net) of the web server currently accessed by the user, in the memory 11. The above-noted log-in information is stored according to an operation of a predetermined key by the user, or automatically without selection by the user.

Hence, the user may automatically log in without inputting additional log-in information by respectively storing log-in information of a plurality of web servers accessed by the user in the memory of the access device, and reading corresponding log-in information and transmitting it to the web server according to the URL of the web server accessed by the access device at a subsequent web server access. Therefore, the user may conveniently receive information from the web server. In particular, in the case the user makes a purchase through a web server and is required to provide settlement information, the information provider 125 automatically provides a settlement number stored in the memory 1 1 as described above, or displays a secured settlement number to the display 26 of the mobile terminal 20 so that the user may use it. In this instance, the secured settlement number is changed each time a settlement transaction is executed. A plurality of settlement numbers stored in the memory 11 of the access device 10 are used one by one in order at each transaction, or they may be updated by being provided by an additional system through a communication network.

Therefore, the user may more conveniently use a mobile terminal to receive various sorts of information from a web server since requested information is automatically provided to the web server when the user does not input requested information using a keypad of the mobile terminal 20. The access device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention takes a card format to access the mobile terminal. FIG. 5 shows a connection state diagram of an Internet access device and a mobile terminal according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. The access device 10 is a general card type as shown in FIG. 5, and it includes an additional connector inserted into the data port 21 of the mobile terminal 20.

In this instance, the access device 10 includes an ASIC chip 15 with a general card thickness, and the connector 16 provides an interface between the mobile terminal 20 and the access device 10. The ASIC chip 15 integrated into a single chip comprises a CPU, an EEPROM, and a clock signal generator. The above-configured access device 10 operates the mobile terminal to access the Internet in the like manner of the above preferred embodiment, and since the access device 10 provides an interface function between the mobile terminal 20 and the ASIC chip 15 using the connector 16, differing from the preferred embodiment, it may have a general standard, for example, a card format of the ISO (international standardization organization) 7816 standard. Therefore, the access device may include a magnetic stripe since the access device may have a format identical with that of general credit card.

As described, the Internet access device of the mobile terminal according to the preferred embodiment may include a module type and a card type that are inserted into the data port of the mobile terminal, and a

SIM (single in-line memory) card type or a UIM (user identity module) type that are inserted into the side or bottom of the mobile terminal.

Also, when providing the initial access screen to the mobile terminal, the access device may receive advertisements together with the initial access screen to increase advertisement effects.

Further, the memory of the access device may store various categories of information in addition to the above-described information, and the information is downloaded from the server such as the Internet through a mobile terminal to be stored in the memory of the access device. Also, the access device is connected to a PC in many ways to receive various kinds of information from the PC.

According to the present invention, the user may install an access device in the mobile terminal anytime and anywhere to access a desired web server on the Internet and receive necessary information without further inputting a URL.

Also, in the case of Internet access using a conventional mobile terminal, when the user selects Internet access, the user is connected to the wireless communication network, and when the user inputs or selects URL information for receiving desired information, the user is then connected to the Internet, and hence, the communication network use fee is billed to the user even before the user inputs URL information. However, according to the present invention, an additional communication fee is not billed to the user at the time of selecting URL information because access to the communication network is executed after the URL information on the Internet desired by the user is selected.

Therefore, the user may access the Internet and receive information through a mobile terminal more cheaply by using the Internet access device according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS;

1. An Internet access device attachably and removably connected to a mobile terminal, including a display and an input unit, comprising: a memory for storing bookmark information matched with a plurality of various sorts of URL (uniform resource location) information; and a processor for providing the bookmark information stored in the memory to the display to display the bookmark information when a signal according to an Internet access selection is input from the input unit of the mobile terminal, and providing URL information matched with the bookmark selected from the memory to the mobile terminal when one of the displayed bookmarks is selected, so that the mobile terminal is accessed to a web server on the Internet, the web server corresponding to the URL information.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile terminal is connected to the web server on the Internet through a wireless communication network, and the mobile terminal transmits URL information provided by the processor of the Internet access device to the wireless communication network to receive information from a web server matched with the URL information and display it to the display.

3. The device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the processor comprises: a control acquirer for acquiring control over the display and the input unit of the mobile terminal when connected to the mobile terminal; an access processor for providing URL information matched with the selected bookmark to the mobile terminal to be connected to the wireless communication network when the control is acquired and the bookmark matched with information desired by the user is selected through the input unit of the mobile terminal; and a bookmark processor for matching URL information of the web server on the Internet with bookmark information and storing it in the memory according to the user's selection through the input unit of the mobile terminal.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores a password for allowing use of the Internet access device, and the processor further comprises an authenticator for performing Internet access through the bookmark information when the password input through the input unit of the mobile terminal is matched with the password stored in the memory.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores a user's log-in information corresponding to URLs of a plurality of web servers, and the processor reads log-in information matched with the URL of the accessed web server from the memory according to the selection by the user, and transmits it to the web server when the accessed web server requests log-in information, to thereby execute the user's log-in.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an interface for communicating with a data port of the mobile terminal.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the Internet access device is connected to the data port of the mobile terminal through a connector to execute data communication.

8. A method for accessing the Internet through a wireless communication network using a mobile terminal including a display and an input unit, comprising: connecting an Internet access device to the mobile terminal, and enabling the Internet access device to acquire control over the display and the input unit of the mobile terminal; providing bookmark information for accessing a plurality of web servers on the Internet to the mobile terminal, to display it to the display when a signal according to the selection of the Internet access is input from the input unit of the mobile terminal; and enabling the Internet access device to provide URL information matched with the selected bookmark to the mobile terminal when one of the displayed bookmarks is selected, thereby making the mobile terminal access an Internet web server matched with the URL information.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: executing Internet access through the bookmark information when the password input through the input unit of the mobile terminal is matched with the password stored in the Internet access device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising: storing user log-in information corresponding to the URL of the web server according to selection by the user at the time of accessing the web server on the Internet; and transmitting log-in information matched with the URL of the accessed web server to the web server according to selection by the user when the web server requests log-in information, to thereby execute the user's log-in.