WO2010136467A1

WO2010136467A1 - A token for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of one message, corresponding communication system and method

Info

Publication number: WO2010136467A1
Application number: PCT/EP2010/057184
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ying Yan
Original assignee: Gemalto Sa
Priority date: 2009-05-26
Filing date: 2010-05-25
Publication date: 2010-12-02
Also published as: WO2010135849A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a token (16) for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of at least one message. The token is intended to cooperate with a terminal. The terminal comprises means for sending the at least one message. According to the invention, the token is adapted to add, within a content of at least one message to be sent, data relating to a recipient of the at least one message to be sent. The invention also relates to corresponding system (10) and method.

Description

A token for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of one message, corresponding communication system and method

Field of the invention:

The invention relates, in a general manner, to a token for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of at least one message.

Within the present description, a token is a portable smart object that is intended to communicate with the outside world. In particular, the token may cooperate with a terminal, as host device.

Moreover, the invention relates to a communication system for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of at least one message. The communication system comprises a terminal and a token coupled to the terminal. Finally, the invention relates to a method for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of at least one message.

The present invention is notably, but not exclusively, applicable within a mobile radio-communication field, wherein a smart card or the like, as token, is coupled with a mobile telephone, as terminal.

State of the art:

A Patent document referenced CN 101102551 discloses a technique in which an element included within a mobile radio-communication network, namely a so-termed Service Control Point (or SCP), adds, within a content of a Short Message Service (or SMS) message to be sent, a name of an addressee of the SMS message. To do this, the SCP intercepts the original SMS message. Then, the SCP creates another SMS message by integrating the name of the addressee of the original SMS message before sending the created SMS to a called terminal.

There is a need to provide a solution that allows to be more efficient than the aforementioned known solution. Summary of the invention:

The invention proposes a solution for satisfying the just hereinabove specified need by providing a token for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of at least one message. The token is intended to cooperate with a terminal. The terminal comprises means for sending the at least one message.

According to the invention, the token is adapted to add, within a content of at least one message to be sent, data relating to a recipient of the at least one message to be sent.

The principle of the invention consists in that the token integrates data pertaining to an addressee of at least one message intended to be sent through the terminal, creating thus a personalized message. Accordingly, the invention solution allows to involve at the root of a creation of one message, namely the token, as the originator or sender of the personalized message to be sent.

Accordingly, the invention solution allows to save time that is reduced by creating the personalized message at its source level and not by any outer entity that may be involved for a transmission of the personalized message.

The invention solution allows to lighten, in terms of data processing, a terminal with which the token is coupled, as well as any element included within a communication network to which the terminal may be connected so as to transmit the created message.

Contrary to the known prior art solution, the invention solution does not slow down any message traffic since the personalized message is created at its source and thus originates from the token without needing any interruption on the way by any other external entity. Unlike the known prior art solution, the invention solution does not depend on a presence of a particular element included within a mobile radio- communication network. The invention solution is more efficient than the known prior art solution that is described hereinabove. As a matter of fact, the invention solution impacts the initiator itself of the message to be sent, namely the token. The invention solution therefore does not involve any element included within a mobile radio-communication network except for routing the thus created message.

The nature of data pertaining to the addressee of the message to be sent of the invention solution is not limited. The data pertaining to the addressee of the message to be sent may thus be of any nature, and notably data relating to text, image, picture, photograph, audio and/or video.

Likewise, the nature of the message to be sent is not restricted to a particular nature of message. The message may be of any nature, such as a SMS message, an Enhanced Messaging Service (or EMS) message, a Multimedia Messaging Service (or MMS) message and/or an electronic mail (or email).

As token, it can be any electronic device comprising at least one microprocessor, as data processing means, at least one memory (or being connected to at least one memory), and an Input/Output communication interface. The token can constitute any electronic medium, as a Secure Removable Module (or SRM) or a Secure Element. For example, it can be embodied within a smart card or a dongle of the Universal Serial Bus (or USB) type, a Secure Digital card (or SD card), a Multi-Media Card (or MMC) or a chip to be fixed to a terminal, preferably in a removable manner. The token is any electronic medium that may have different form factors. According to a further aspect, the invention is a communication system for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of at least one message. The communication system comprises a terminal and a token coupled to the terminal. The terminal comprises means for sending the at least one message. According to the invention, the token is adapted to add, within a content of at least one message to be sent, data relating to a recipient of the at least one message to be sent. As terminal, it can be, for example, a Personal Computer (or PC), a Personal Digital Assistant (or PDA), a handset, a netbook, a desktop computer, a mobile laptop computer, a media player, a game console, a set- top box or a portable television set (or TV). The terminal is able to cooperate with a token.

According to still a further aspect, the invention is a method for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of at least one message. A token is coupled to a terminal. The method comprises a step in which the terminal sends the at least one message. According to the invention, the method further comprises a step in which the token adds, within a content of at least one message to be sent, data relating to a recipient of the at least one message to be sent.

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 communication system comprising a mobile telephone and a smart card, the communication system being arranged to personalize one message(s) to be sent through the mobile telephone; and

- Figure 2 represents an example of one message flow notably between a mobile telephone user, the mobile telephone and the smart card of the communication system of figure 1.

Detailed description:

Herein under is considered a case in which the invention method for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of one message(s) is implemented by a communication system or assembly, that includes a mobile telephone, as terminal, and a Subscriber Identity Module (or SIM) type smart card, as token, coupled with the terminal.

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

For example, instead of being constituted by a SIM type smart card, the token can be constituted by a dongle (that does not need any specific reader within a host computer), a USB smart card, and/or any other electronic medium that may have different form factors. According to still other examples, the token can 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 can be constituted by, for example, a set-top box, a PC, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a media-player, a game console, a netbook, a handset and/or a PDA.

Figure 1 schematically shows one particular embodiment of a mobile communication assembly or systemi O that is already or to be connected to a mobile radio-communication network 12. The mobile communication system 10 includes a mobile telephone 14, as a hand-held appliance, as terminal, and a SIM type smart card 16, as token.

For a sake of clarity and conciseness, the mobile telephone 14 and the SIM type smart card 16 are termed hereinafter the phone 14 and the card 16 respectively.

According to another embodiment (not represented), instead of being a mobile communication system, the communication system is a stationary one, such as a PC.

According to still another embodiment, instead of being a communication system, a terminal, as a standalone entity, implements, on its own, the invention method for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of at least one message, i.e. without any interaction with a token, so as to generate a message encompassing, within its content, data relating to a recipient of one message(s) to be sent from and by the terminal itself.

Thus, according to this other embodiment, the terminal is one and the same entity for ensuring, besides the role of the message sender, the role of the invention card 16, as device for generating and possibly storing a part or all of the personalized message(s) with respect to each of the recipient of the intended message(s) to be sent.

The role of the invention card 16 is infra further explained.

The phone 14 accommodates the card 16. The card 16 may be removed from the phone 14.

As known per se, the phone 14 includes, as data processing means, at least one microprocessor, volatile and non-volatile memories, at least two Input/Output (or I/O) interfaces linked together through a data and control bus (not shown). The phone microprocessor processes and controls data within the phone 14 and/or data to be exchanged with outside of the phone 14. The microprocessor controls and communicates with all the components of the phone 14, such as the I/O interfaces.

The phone I/O interfaces comprise a physical contact interface (not represented) of the type ISO (acronym for « International Standard

Organization ») 7816, as one I/O interface, to interact with the card 16. The physical contact interface is intended to let communicate, through a bidirectional link 15, the phone 14 with the card 16.

According to another embodiment, instead of being a physical contact interface; the phone I/O interface with the card 16 is a contact-less interface, i.e. through a short range radiofrequency link.

The bi-directional link 15 is used to exchange data between the phone 14 and the card 16.

The phone I/O interfaces also comprise an antenna for sending data to be sent Over The Air (or OTA), via a long range radiofrequency link 11 , to the mobile radio-communication network 12. The long range radiofrequency link 11 is at least mono-directional and directed from the phone 14 to the mobile radio-communication network 12, so as to send a message(s) to one or a plurality of addressees.

The phone memories store data notably relating to an Operating System and applications supported by the phone 14.

The phone 14 makes data relating to text, graphical, audio and/or video data perceptible to a phone user, as end user, notably through at least one phone interface, like a phone loudspeaker (not represented) and/or a phone display 142. The phone user is the owner of the phone 14 and interacts through the phone display 142 and/or a keyboard 144 to enter data.

The phone user also owns the card 16, as card user.

The card 16 is connected, through the bi-directional physical contact link 15, to the phone 16. The card 16 is thus coupled to the phone 14. As card 16, it can be a smart card that securely stores an International

Mobile Subscriber Identity (or IMSI), as a unique number associated with all phone users and a service subscriber key Ki.

The IMSI is used for identifying a communication service subscriber to at least one mobile radio-communication network 12. The Ki is used for authenticating the identified communication service subscriber to at least one mobile radio-communication network 12.

The mobile radio-communication network 12 may be a GSM (acronym for "Global System for Mobile communications"), UTRAN (acronym for "UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network"), EDGE (acronym for "Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution"), GPRS (acronym for "General Packet Radio

System"), UMTS (acronym for "Universal Mobile Telecommunication System"), WLAN (acronym for "Wide Local Area Network") and/or CDMA (acronym for Code Division Multiple Access) network(s).

The card 16 can be, for example, a SIM smart card for a GSM network, a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (or USIM) for a UMTS network, a

Removable User Identity Module (or RUIM), a CDMA Subscriber Identity module (or CSIM) for a CDMA network, and/or an Internet Protocol multimedia Services Identity Module (or ISIM) for IP Multimedia Subsystem (or IMS).

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

The card 16 contains a chip.

Functional components incorporated within the card chip are also shown within figure 1.

The card chip comprises at least one card microprocessor 162, as data processing means, volatile and non volatile card memories 164, and at least one card I/O interface 166 linked all together through a data and control internal bus 163.

The card microprocessor 162 processes and controls data within the chip and/or data to be exchanged with outside of the card chip. The card microprocessor 162 controls and communicates with all the components of the card chip, such as the card memories 164 to read them and possibly write into them.

The card microprocessor 162 controls a data exchange, through the card I/O interface 166, with outside, notably the phone 14. The card memories 164 store data notably relating to an Operating

System and applications supported by the card chip.

The card memories 164 can be constituted by 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 memories 164 may store at least one credential, such as one encryption key, so as to protect data to be transmitted through the phone 14.

The card I/O interface 166 comprises one contact interface (not represented) of the type ISO 7816, to interact with the phone 14. The contact interface is intended to let communicate, through the bi-directional communication link 15, the card 16 with the phone 14. According to one particular embodiment, the card I/O interface 166 comprises at least one Application Protocol Data Unit (or APDU) communication channel.

The card I/O interface 166 may comprise another communication channel(s), such as an Internet Protocol (or IP) communication channel, like a HyperText Transfer Protocol (or HTTP), a Mass Storage communication channel, and/or a USB communication channel.

According to the invention, the card chip is arranged to automatically complete one message(s) to be sent while inserting data relating to a recipient of each and every original message to be sent.

Each thus modified message or resulting message is, besides a possible message content that may be predefined or entered by the phone user, personalized with respect to its recipient or addressee. Each thus personalized message intended to one recipient therefore differs from another personalized message intended to another recipient.

Neither the phone user nor any other element included within a route of the message(s) to be sent, such as an element of the mobile radio- communication network 12, is involved to construct a corresponding personalized message. The invention solution is user-friendly since the phone user is not solicited possibly except for an activation of a function brought by the invention, namely a personalization of a message(s) to be sent with data relating to a recipient of a message(s) to be sent.

The data relating to a recipient of the message may be of any type, and in particular, a recipient's name, a recipient's first name, a recipient's surname, a recipient's full name, a recipient's Christian name, a recipient's given name, a recipient's maiden name, a recipient's married name, a recipient's pseudonym, a recipient's assumed name, a recipient's nickname, a recipient's shorten name, a recipient's alias, a recipient's stage name, a recipient's pen name, a recipient's registered trade name and/or a recipient's identifier. The invention is, in particular, applicable when the phone user wants to transmit one and the same SMS message to a plurality of end users, as receivers. Each end user is equipped with a device suitable to receive the thus transmitted SMS message. Each receiver is addressed through a phone number or any other receiver address identifier that is given by the end user just before the transmission of the SMS message, or stored within a phonebook present either within the phone 14 or the card 16.

The considered personalized message(s) to be sent may be of any nature, such as notably an SMS, EMS, MMS and/or email message(s).

To carry out the invention card chip, the card microprocessor 162 executes notably an application that the card 16 supports, i.e. stored within the card memories 164. The application allows to edit a content of a message to be sent, retrieve one corresponding data relating to a recipient of a message to be thus personalized, and add this latter data within the message content.

The application is adapted to access, for example, a file either stored within the card memories 164 or the phone memories. The file registers the data relating to a recipient(s) of a message to be personalized, such as a file termed an Abbreviated Dialing Number (or ADN), that is associated with, as a recipient address identifier, a phone number of the considered recipient to be addressed.

Once the personalized message(s) is(are) ready to be sent and preferably stored within the card memories 164, the card chip is further arranged to request the phone 14 to send each personalized message to a recipient address, such as a phone number, that is specified to the phone 14.

Optionally, the phone user, as card user, may activate and/or deactivate such an automatic personalization of one message(s) to be sent.

Herein below is described, in relation with figure 2, one example of a set 20 of messages exchanged between the phone user, the phone 14 and the card 16, so as to address a personalized message to two recipients of one message to be sent. It is assumed that an end user of the mobile communication system 10 desires to send one SMS message to two different other end users while using their respective phone numbers. It is assumed that the phone user has recorded within a phone book the phone numbers of the two end users to be addressed as well as their respective associated recipient's identifier, such as their recipient's name, like "David" with his phone number "11111111111 " and "Tom" with his phone number "22222222222".

For instance, in China, there is a corresponding application termed Group Short Message Service, as a SIM ToolKit (or STK) application (stored and executed by the card 16) that is suited in particular to define one and the same SMS message to be addressed to a group of addressees.

As known per se, the GSMS allows to create a group(s) of people, such as "family", "friends", and/or "customers", manage a phone book (that registers the respective phone numbers) stored within the phone 14 or the card 16 and relating to the group by viewing the group, modifying it by correcting, adding or deleting a person's record to the group.

As known per se, the GSMS application uses a proactive command, to reverse a traditional mechanism in which the phone 14 is the master while the card 16 is the slave, by which the card 16 (as the master) instructs the phone 14, in particular, to transmit a SMS message to a plurality of specified addressees, that can be reached through respective stored phone numbers.

The proposed invention solution improves, among others, the GSMS application by adding further data pertaining to the addressees of the SMS message to be sent. The name of the command and/or response exchanged between the phone 14 and the card 16 is the one defined in a mobile radio-communication network standard, such as 3GPP TS (acronym for the third Generation Partnership Project Technical Specifications) 11.14.

Once the phone user has launched the GSMS application by activating it through a phone I/O interface (possibly through a phone menu scrolling a list of applications that may be launched through the phone 14), the phone user receives, through the phone display 142, information relating notably to a launch of a sending of a new SMS message originating from a message 22 issued by the phone 14.

Then, the phone user selects the launch of a sending of new SMS message that triggers a sending of a message 24 intended to the card 16 for informing this latter that the phone user desires to send a new SMS message.

Once the card 16 knows the desire of the phone user, the card 16 sends to the phone 14 a proactive command 26 for requesting the phone user to enter data, as content data of the SMS message to be sent to two end users. The proactive command 26 is for example a "GET INPUT".

Then, the phone user is prompted, through the phone display 142, by a message for defining the message content.

The phone user enters data, for example, through the phone keyboard 144, such as "Happy New Year", as the content data of the SMS message to be sent to end users.

Once the phone user has entered the SMS message content data, the phone user sends a corresponding message 28 encompassing the SMS message content data to the card 16, so that the SMS message body is saved by the card 16. Then, the card 16 stores the SMS message content data within the card memories 164, for example in ASCII format,

"4861707079204E65772059656172".

As soon as the card 16 has saved the SMS message body, the card 16 sends to the phone 14 a proactive command 210 for requesting the phone user to select two end users within the phone book that has been previously defined by the phone user with their respective phone number and their respective associated recipient's name. The proactive command 210 is constituted, for example, by "SELECT ITEM".

Naturally, according to another example, the phone user enters data relating to a phone number of at least one addressed end user and its associated recipient's name, as the recipient's identifier. Then, the phone user selects through the phone display 142 and the phone keyboard 144 two recipients' names relating to their intended receivers, like "David" and "Tom". Each of these two recipients' names is to be used separately by a SMS message dedicated to each corresponding end user to be addressed thanks to her or his associated phone number.

Once the phone user has defined the two end users to be addressed by the SMS message body that has been saved by the card 16, then the phone 14 sends to the card 16 a corresponding message 212 including the two recipients' names of the two selected end users to be addressed. Then, the card 16 saves data relating to the two recipients' names of the two selected end users, within the card memories 164, such as the file ADN, referenced for example in ASCII format "6F3A".

Once the card 16 has saved all data relating to the SMS message, then the card 16 sends to the phone 14 a proactive command 214 for requesting the phone user to select one item amongst an action list encompassing the action "SEND SMS". The proactive command 214 is constituted, for example, by "SELECT ITEM".

Following a phone user selection of the action "SEND SMS", the card 16 is informed thanks to a corresponding message 216 originating from the phone 14.

The card 16 builds then a modified SMS message for each intended addressee by retrieving, within the card memories 164, on the one hand, the SMS message content defined by the phone user and, on the other hand, an associated recipient's name possibly by adding predetermined information, such as a comma. The card 16 preferably also stores within the card memories 164 the predetermined information.

As results, a first SMS message content is as follows "David, Happy New Year", and a second SMS message content is as follows "Tom, Happy New Year". Once the two SMS message contents have been built, then the card 16 sends to the phone 14 one and the same proactive command 218 for requesting the phone 14 to send a resulting personalized SMS message for the two end users, namely "David" and "Tom".

According to another embodiment, instead of a single proactive command for requesting the phone 14 to send a resulting personalized SMS message to each of the two end users, the card 16 sends to the phone 14 one proactive command for requesting the phone 14 to send a resulting personalized SMS message for each of the two end users, namely "David" and "Tom".

The proposed solution provides a seamless user experience, i.e. transparent for the phone user provided that the phone user has previously entered data relating to each recipient's name of the SMS message to be sent (besides the phone number of each end user to be addressed).

Each of the two addressed end users will then receive a dedicated SMS message encompassing data specific to the addressed person.

Claims

1. A token (16) for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of at least one message, the token being intended to cooperate with a terminal (14), the terminal comprising means for sending the at least one message, characterized in that the token is adapted to add, within a content of at least one message to be sent, data relating to a recipient of the at least one message to be sent.

2. Token according to claim 1 , wherein the token comprises means for sending a proactive command (218) to the terminal for instructing the terminal to send the at least one message to be sent to at least one terminal.

3. Token according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the token comprises means for accessing a file, the file comprising data relating to a recipient of at least one message to be sent.

4. Token according to claim 3, wherein the file comprises at least one element of a group comprising an Abbreviated Dialling Number.

5. Token according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the token comprises at least one element of a group comprising: a smart card; a Subscriber Identity Module type smart card; a Universal Serial Bus type smart card; - a dongle; a Secure Element; a chip.

6. Token according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one message comprises at least one element of a group comprising: a Short Message Service message; an Enhanced Message Service message; a Multimedia Messaging Service message; an E-mail.

7. Token according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the data relating to a recipient of the at least one message to be sent comprises at least one element of a group comprising:

- a recipient's identifier;

- a recipient's name;

- a recipient's first name;

- a recipient's surname; - a recipient's full name;

- a recipient's Christian name;

- a recipient's given name;

- a recipient's maiden name;

- a recipient's married name; - a recipient's pseudonym;

- a recipient's assumed name;

- a recipient's nickname;

- a recipient's shorten name;

- a recipient's alias; - a recipient's stage name;

- a recipient's pen name;

- a recipient's registered trade name.

8. A communication system (10) for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of at least one message, the communication system comprising a terminal (14) and a token (16) coupled to the terminal, the terminal comprising means for sending the at least one message, characterized in that the token is adapted to add, within a content of at least one message to be sent, data relating to a recipient of the at least one message to be sent.

9. Communication system according to claim 8, wherein the terminal comprises at least one element of a group comprising:

- a handset;

- a mobile telephone; - a Personal Digital Assistant;

- a netbook;

- a set-top box;

- a desktop computer;

- a laptop computer; - a media player;

- a game console;

- a portable television set.

10. A method (20) for automatically adding data relating to a recipient of at least one message, a token (16) being coupled to a terminal (14), the method comprising a step in which the terminal sends the at least one message, characterized in that the method further comprises the following step: - the token adds, within a content of at least one message to be sent, data relating to a recipient of the at least one message to be sent.