WO2009077918A2

WO2009077918A2 - Method for updating an application service manager in application memory elements

Info

Publication number: WO2009077918A2
Application number: PCT/IB2008/055160
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alexandre Corda; Jonathan Azoulai; Vincent Lemonnier
Original assignee: Nxp B.V.
Priority date: 2007-12-17
Filing date: 2008-12-09
Publication date: 2009-06-25
Also published as: WO2009077918A3

Abstract

A method for updating an application service manager (SM) that is installed in an application memory element (SE), which service manager (SM) is adapted to keep and change the status of applications (APP1, APP2, APP3), e.g. NFC services, comprises transmitting the status information (STAT) of the applications (APP1 - APP3) to a service update transfer agent (UTA) which is located in the application memory element (SE), wherein the service update transfer agent (UTA) stores the status information (STAT), replacing the application service manager (SM) by another release of the application service manager (SM_V2) in the application memory element (SE), retransmitting the status of the applications (APP1, APP2, APP3) from the service update transfer agent (UTA) to the new release of the application service manager (SM_V2) and configuring the new release of the application service manager (SM_V2) with the status information (STAT).

Description

Method for updating an application service manager in application memory elements

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for updating an application service manager that is installed in an application memory element.

The invention further relates to a computer program product being directly loadable into an application memory element with an arithmetic- logic unit and a memory and/or into a mobile communication device with an arithmetic- logic unit and a memory, wherein the computer program product comprises software code portions for performing the steps of a method according to the first paragraph when said product is run on the device.

The invention further relates to an application memory element being adapted to process the computer program product mentioned in the above paragraph.

The invention further relates to a mobile communication device being adapted to process the computer program product mentioned above.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are mobile communication devices known which contain memory devices having unique memory device identifications, e.g. the MIFARE® classic family, developed by NXP Semiconductors, a contactless smart card IC operating in the 13.56 MHz frequency range with read/write capability. Recently, secure memory elements have been developed which are memory devices providing enhanced security features, particularly for the use in mobile phones and other mobile communication devices with Near Field

Communication (NFC) capabilities. Said secure memory elements are also known as "Smard Cards". One of the leading representatives of these secure memory elements is the SmartMX (Memory extension) smart card family that has been designed by NXP Semiconductors for high-security smart card applications requiring highly reliable solutions, with or without multiple interface options. Key applications are e-government, banking / finance, mobile communications and advanced public transportation. SmartMX architecture combines coprocessors for RSA, ECC, DES and AES and enables implementation of operating systems including Java Open Platform and MULTOS. The ability of SmartMX cards to run the MIFARE protocol concurrently with other contactless transmission protocols implemented by the User Operating System enables the combination of new services and existing applications based on MIFARE (e.g. ticketing) on a single Dual Interface controller based smart card. SmartMX cards are able to emulate MIFARE Classic devices and thereby makes this interface compatible with any installed MIFARE Classic infrastructure. The contactless interface can be used to communicate via any protocol, particularly the MIFARE protocol and self defined contactless transmission protocols. SmartMX enables the easy implementation of state-of-the-art operating systems and open platform solutions including JCOP (the Java Card Operating System) and offers an optimized feature set together with the highest levels of security. Service Providers like banks, public transport companies, loyalty programs owners etc. provide contactless services to customers who are defined as persons using the mobile communication devices, e.g. NFC mobile phones, for mobile communications and contactless services. These contactless services comprise the provision of transport passes, cinema tickets, coupons, etc. which can be subsumed by the generic terms "applications" and "services". In the following description the term "application" will consistently be used for designating any kind of application or service such as NFC services.

A customer buys applications for instance by ordering them from the website of a Service Provider. In the course of the purchasing procedure the customer inputs a unique identification number of his/her communication device, e.g. the telephone number of a NFC mobile phone, so that the Service Provider knows unambiguously where to send the application.

Then the Service Provider transmits the application to the customer's mobile communication device via any communication channel, e.g. the Over The Air (OTA) transport services of a Mobile Network Operator to which the customer is subscribed. Alternatively, the Service Provider communicates indirectly with the mobile communication device via a Trusted Service Manager which securely distributes and manages the Service Provider's applications and transmits them to the mobile communication device. The Trusted Service Manager does not participate in the transaction stage of the applications, thus ensuring that the Service Provider's business models are not disrupted. Trusted Service Managers can be managed by one or a plurality of Mobile Network Operators, or by independent Trusted Third Parties.

When the applications are received by the mobile communication device they are installed under control of an application service manager in an application memory element arranged in the mobile communication device and can be consumed by the customer by positioning the mobile communication device within the range of transmission of a reading device which reads and processes the application in an appropriate manner, e.g. by giving the user access to an entrance of a concert hall. After the applications have been consumed or expired they are deleted from the application memory element in order to free memory space for future applications. The application service manager is a software client that resides in the mobile communication device and is controlled by the Trusted Service Manager. It is the role of the application service manager to configure, e.g. enable, disable, update and/or reload the applications that are installed in the application memory element. Particularly, it is a task of the application service manager to keep the status information of all the applications that are installed in the application memory element. Thereby, changing the configuration of applications is securely carried out.

There is also a need to update or replace the application service manager itself, e.g. with a new release that is provided by the Trusted Service Manager. Updating or replacing the application service manager could be done by sending all the installed applications in their actual status to the Trusted Service Manager, e.g. through an over the air connection, then updating the application service manager and, after that, retransmitting the applications from the Trusted Service Manager to the application memory element. However, such a solution implies many potential problems such as over the air communication problems with the Trusted Service Manager (loss of important data, bad network covering...), or the costs of such communication.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a mechanism that enables updating an application service manager that is stored in an application memory element without loosing status information of applications that are managed by the application service manager.

In order to achieve the object defined above, with a method according to the invention characteristic features are provided so that a method according to the invention can be characterized in the way defined below, that is: A method for updating an application service manager that is installed in an application memory element, which service manager is adapted to keep and change the status of applications, e.g. NFC services, wherein the method comprises transmitting the status information of the applications to a service update transfer agent which is located in the application memory element, wherein the service update transfer agent stores the status information, replacing the application service manager by another release of the application service manager in the application memory element, retransmitting the status of the applications from the service update transfer agent to the new release of the application service manager and configuring the new release of the application service manager with the status information.

In order to achieve the object defined above, with a computer program product according to the invention characteristic features are provided so that a computer program product according to the invention is directly loadable into an application memory element with an arithmetic- logic unit and a memory and/or into a mobile communication device with an arithmetic- logic unit and a memory, wherein the computer program product comprises software code portions for performing the steps of a method according to the present invention when said product is run on the device.

In order to achieve the object defined above, an application memory element according to the invention comprises an arithmetic-logic unit and a memory and processes the computer program product according to the above paragraph.

In order to achieve the object defined above, a mobile communication device according to the invention comprises an arithmetic-logic unit and a memory and processes said computer program product.

The characteristic features according to the invention provide the advantage that updates of the application service manager can be installed without loosing status information of the applications that are presently installed in an application memory element.

The measures as claimed in claim 2 provide the advantage that the memory space for storing the status information of the installed applications can be handled appropriately. The measures as claimed in claim 3 provide the advantage that the overall size of the memory necessary for temporarily storing status information can be kept small.

The measures as claimed in claim 4 provide the advantage that external devices, particularly external servers can control relevant parts of the application service manager update process. The measures as claimed in claim 5 provide the advantage that the application memory element is based on highly secure and reliable technologies.

The measures as claimed in claim 6 provide the advantage that there are already numerous applications existing that are used in mobile communication devices like NFC mobile phones, wherein the present invention is applicable to said existing applications. The measures as claimed in claim 7 provide the advantage that the mobile communication devices can communicate with servers of Service Providers and/or Trusted Servers of Mobile Network Operators, respectively.

The aspects defined above and further aspects of the invention are apparent from exemplary embodiments to be described hereinafter and are explained with reference to these exemplary embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to an exemplary embodiment. However, the invention is not limited to this exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a system for managing applications in an application memory element of a mobile communication device. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the above system showing that an application has been reloaded.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the above system showing that a Trusted Service Manager requests the update of an application service manager residing in the application memory element. Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the application memory element showing the step of saving the status of the installed applications.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the above system showing the step of updating the application service manager.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the application memory element showing the step of restoring the status of the applications in the new release of the application service manager.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a system for managing contactless services for mobile communication devices MOB. The system comprises a Trusted Service Manager TSM that communicates with Service Providers (not shown), a Mobile Network Operator MNO providing the full range mobile services, particularly UICC and NFC terminals plus Over The Air (OTA) transport services, and a mobile communication device MOB representing an unlimited number of mobile communication devices. The mobile communication device MOB belongs to a customer who exemplarily had ordered three NFC (Near Field Communication) applications APPl, APP2, APP3 in the past, e.g. a ticket, a transport pass and an electronic purse. These applications had been sent from Service Providers to the Trusted Service Manager TSM which had forwarded it via the Over The Air transport services of the Mobile Network Operator MNO to the mobile communication device MOB. In an application memory element SE that is arranged in the mobile communication device MOB an application service manager SM resides which is configured as a client program that cooperates with the Trusted Service Manager TSM. The application service manager SM is responsible for installing the applications APPl, APP2, APP3 in the application memory element SE. It is also the role of the application service manager SM to configure, e.g. enable, disable, update and/or reload the applications that are installed in the application memory element SE. In order to accomplish these tasks the application service manager SM keeps status information STAT of all the applications APPl, APP2, APP3 that are installed in the application memory element SE. For instance, the user of the mobile communication device MOB has initiated at a Service Provider reloading of his e-purse which is represented by the third application APP3. The Service Provider has sent reloading information to the Trusted Service Manager TSM and the Trusted Service Manager TSM converts this information in a Reload RLD instruction for the third application APP3 and sends this Reload RLD instruction to the mobile communication device MOB. It should be noted that in the application memory element SE there resides a service update transfer agent UTA the function of which will be explained below.

The result of the reloading process is that the application service manager SM changes the status of the third application APP3 in such a way that the reload information RLD is stored. This step is shown in Fig. 2 wherein the updated status for the third application APP is represented by the numeral APP3 + RLD.

If the Trusted Service Manager TSM intends to update the application service manager SM it sends an update request URQ to the mobile communication device MOB. This step is shown in Fig. 3.

In the mobile communication device MOB the application service manager SM receives the update request URQ and passes it to the service update transfer agent UTA. Triggered by the update request URQ the service update transfer agent UTA gets (see numeral FWD STAT) through the application service manager SM the status STAT of all applications APPl, APP2, APP3 and stores it in a memory, e.g. its internal memory or in a separate memory module or in a separate portion of the application memory element SE. These steps are shown in Fig. 4.

Now that the application service manager SM has been freed from the status information STAT of the installed applications it can be replaced by another release of the application service manager SM V2. The binaries for this new release of the application service manager SM_V2 are provided by the Trusted Service Manager TSM through an update instruction UPD SM. This step is shown in Fig. 5.

Once the new release of the application service manager SM V2 has successfully been installed in the application memory element SE the service update transfer agent UTA retransmits (RT) the intermediary stored status STAT of the applications APPl, APP2, APP3 to the new release of the service manager SM_V2 which is appropriately configured with said status information STAT. After the new release of the service manager SM V2 has been configured with the status information STAT the service update transfer agent UTA deletes the status information STAT from its memory. These final steps are shown in Fig. 6.

It should be noticed that the mobile communication device MOB may e.g. be configured as a NFC mobile phone. If the communication device MOB is configured as a NFC device then the applications are NFC applications and the application service manager is configured as a NFC application service manager. The secure application memory element SE is a memory device with enhanced security features, such as for instance a smart card like a SmartMX device. Generally, a customer of the mobile communication device MOB consumes or uses the stored applications APPl, APP2, APP3 by positioning the mobile communication device MOB within the range of a reading device (not shown in the drawings) which reads and processes the applications in an appropriate manner, e.g. when an application is a transport pass by giving the customer access to a public transport system and at the same time reducing the number of remaining public transport tickets by one. It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim. The indefinite article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

1. A method for updating an application service manager (SM) that is installed in an application memory element (SE), which service manager (SM) is adapted to keep and change the status of applications (APPl, APP2, APP3), e.g. NFC services, wherein the method comprises transmitting the status information (STAT) of the applications (APPl - APP3) to a service update transfer agent (UTA) which is located in the application memory element (SE), wherein the service update transfer agent (UTA) stores the status information (STAT), replacing the application service manager (SM) by another release of the application service manager (SM V2) in the application memory element (SE), retransmitting (RT) the status of the applications (APPl, APP2, APP3) from the service update transfer agent (UTA) to the new release of the application service manager (SM V2) and configuring the new release of the application service manager (SM V2) with the status information (STAT).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service update transfer agent

(UTA) stores the status information (STAT) in an internal memory or in a separate memory module or in a separate portion of the application memory element.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the service update transfer agent (UTA) deletes the status information (STAT) from the memory after the new release of the application service manager (SM V2) has been configured with the status information (STAT).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein updating the application service manager (SM) is externally triggered, preferably by an external server (TSM).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the application memory element (SE) is configured as a secure memory element such as a smart card, preferably a SmartMX card.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the application memory element (SE) is arranged in a mobile communication device (MOB), e.g. a NFC mobile phone.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mobile communication device (MOB) is connectable to an external server (TSM) via a wireless data connection.

8. A computer program product being directly loadable into an application memory element (SE) with an arithmetic- logic unit and a memory and/or into a mobile communication device (MOB) with an arithmetic- logic unit and a memory, wherein the computer program product comprises software code portions for performing the steps of the method according to any of claims 1 to 7.

9. A computer program product as claimed in claim 8, wherein the computer program product is stored on a computer readable medium or downloadable from a server via a data network.

10. An application memory element (SE) with an arithmetic- logic unit and a memory, being adapted to process the computer program product as claimed in claim 8.

11. The application memory element (SE) as claimed in claim 10 being configured as a smart card, preferably a SmartMX card.

12. A mobile communication device (MOB) with an arithmetic- logic unit and a memory, being adapted to process the computer program product as claimed in claim 8.