Method and system for transmitting useful data between telecommunication devices

Technical field

The present invention relates to a method and system for the transmission of user data between telecommunications apparatus. The subject of the invention is in particular a method and system for the transmission of user data between telecommunications apparatus, based on shared prepaid data.

State of the art

The service provider must create and operate a network infrastructure for the transmission of user data between telecommunications apparatus. The operation of prepaid mobile telephones is known, i.e. in the so-called Prepaid mode. For this type of operation, which usually does not require a subscription with a specific service provider (Provider), the provider maintains a payment account, which is recognized by the connection identifier of the mobile phone and, as a rule, by other usually encoded features. The identifiers are stored in the service provider and / or in the SIM card chip (Subscriber Identity Module), which must be in the mobile phone in order for it to be used in the telecommunications network. Such additional distinguishing features are, for example, certificates that confirm the authorization of a mobile phone user and which are controlled when establishing a connection. If the service provider's payment account is to be tracked in real time, then during the telephone conversation, for example in the second cycle, the account must be checked according to the tariff applicable to the given conversation. This is not the case with the toll account, where calls are billed later, and therefore the toll account must be checked, for example, only at the end of the call. Mobile phones in Prepaid mode may require a lot of technical effort to keep track of payment accounts.

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EP 1 709 829 B1

The DE 100 39 434 A1 notification describes how to track the terminal counter for billing. The meter is tracked automatically or according to the control orders of the service provider during a telephone conversation in a given bar and the service provider confirms the right to use the services in a specific bar. In the embodiment of this invention, the service provider controls or checks the meter by means of control commands. The disadvantage is that the service provider needs a meter to check whether the certificate for using services has been sent in tact. Another disadvantage is that the correct meter image must be reproduced from the service provider for controlling or checking the meter.

From the international patent application WO 03/079713 a method of using mobile telephony terminal terminals is known in which the WIM (Wireless Identification Module) functions are provided and accounted for. It is characterized by the fact that WIM are implemented internally, i.e. in the terminal terminal or in the SIM identification module located there. At the same time, each signature initiated by the subscriber is counted internally, namely from the initial state back to the previously set number of signatures. Then the camera is blocked until a number of signatures are reloaded. The disadvantage of this method is that in handling the signature, i.e. digital access rights data, with the exception of blocked and slow connections, no data processing is provided and only a simple counting function is performed, without controlling the volume of digital data provided with a particular signature, so that yet the operator (Provider) must maintain user accounts, however, a telephone connection must always be established and maintained from the MSC (Mobile Switching Center) to the service provider. During this step errors may occur at 24/55 / ​​P21445PL00

EP 1 709 829 B1, for example, due to interference in the transmission, and thus utility accounts may be affected by errors. Another disadvantage is the lack of volume-based billing.

Disclosure of the Invention

The object of the invention is to propose a new method and system for the transmission of user data between telecommunications apparatus, which does not have the abovementioned disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, it is about proposing an automated, simple and rational method and system that generally and improves the security of user data billing and the reliability of handling digital data regarding access rights.

This object is achieved in accordance with this invention in particular through the elements indicated in the independent claims. In addition, other preferred embodiments arise from the dependent claims and the description.

In particular, these objectives are achieved by the invention such that the central module generates pre-paid shared data, wherein the prepaid shared data includes the first digital key and control data, and wherein the prepaid shared data is stored in the memory module of the first telecommunications apparatus that the central module generates a second digital key assigned to the first digital key, wherein the second digital key is remembered in one or more telecommunications network control units that the first telecommunications apparatus determines the validity criterion based on the control data of prepaid shared data and encodes with the first key the user data of the first telecommunications apparatus as long as the validity criterion is met and that the first telecommunications apparatus forward ko24 / 55 / P21445PL00

EP 1 709 829 B1 to the control unit, the control unit checking by means of a second digital key whether the encoded user data is encoded by the first digital key, wherein the control unit decodes the encoded user data in the event of a positive check, and wherein the unit the control unit transfers the decoded user data to the second telecommunications apparatus. The user data may consist of, for example, digital speech signals or some other data. The advantage of the solution according to the invention is, inter alia, that for the settlement of calls made from a mobile phone in prepayment mode, the service provider's central unit charge account does not need to be tracked, that volume-based billing is possible in particular, and that the service provider is informed at any time about entitlement to have a conversation.

In an embodiment of the invention, the prepaid data stored in the memory module of the first telecommunications apparatus is made available to be modified and / or deleted when coding user data. This embodiment has, among other things, the advantage that, for example, conversations with a mobile radio apparatus can be billed according to the duration or amount of data.

In another implementation variant, the prepaid shared data stored in the memory module of the first telecommunications apparatus contain a monetary amount, this amount being modified and / or deleted when coding user data. This implementation variant has, among other things, the advantage that it is easy to show the user the value of stored pre-paid shared data or that stored pre-paid shared data can be easily transferred between telecommunications apparatus.

In another variant, the paid data will be provided to the stool

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EP 1 709 829 B1 stored in the SIM module of the first telecommunications apparatus. This implementation variant has, among other things, the advantage that pre-paid shared data can be saved in the memory area controlled by the service provider or that it is easy to transfer pre-paid shared data between telecommunications cameras by moving the SIM module.

In an embodiment, the encoding of user data includes digital encoding and / or digital marking, and decoding of user data includes digital decoding and / or verification of digital marking, respectively. The advantage of this implementation variant is, among other things, that widespread telecommunications terminal modules and control units are used to encode and decode user data.

In the variant, the prepaid shared data includes the right to encode the specified user data set, whereby the prepaid shared data is deleted as soon as the coding of the specified user data set is completed. This implementation variant has, among other things, the advantage that prepaid data shared on the first telecommunications apparatus can be administered very effectively.

In the embodiment, several blocks with prepaid shared data may be stored in the memory module of the first telecommunications apparatus. This embodiment has, among other things, the advantage that if the validity criterion is not met when coding user data, it can be switched very effectively to the next block with prepaid shared data.

In a variation of the implementation, the control data comprises several blocks, whereby a validity criterion can be determined for each block, and the corresponding one can be modified or deleted.

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EP 1 709 829 B1 control data block. The advantage of this embodiment is, among other things, that the first digital key is used repeatedly and the memory requirement for saving prepaid shared data can be reduced.

At this point, it should be noted that the subject of this invention, in addition to the method according to the invention, is also a system for implementing this method. Then the invention is not limited to said system and method but also includes a computer program product for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Short description of the drawings

Embodiments of this invention are described below by way of examples. Examples of implementation are illustrated in the figures in which:

Figure 1 schematically shows a prepaid system according to the prior art, Figure 2 schematically illustrates a system for implementing the method according to the invention.

Embodiments of the invention

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates the Prepaid system of the prior art. In this embodiment, the mobile phone 10 is equipped with a prepaid SIM card 12. The telephone 10 connects to the mobile radiocommunication network 14, which is, for example, the GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) network or the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone System) network, or the satellite mobile radiocommunication network, and / or one or several fixed networks, e.g. public switched telephone network, global Internet or own LAN (Local Area Network) or WAN (Wide Area Network). In particular, they may also be ISDN and XDSL connections. This network connects in turn by exchanging

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EP 1 709 829 B1 data with the MSC (Mobile Switching Center) 16. The network and MSC are built according to the GSM standard. The desired subscriber dialed by telephone 10 is marked by 18. In this case, the telephone may be a landline telephone, mobile telephone or any other telecommunications unit (e.g. fax as well).

Service provider 20 (PROV) is connected to MSC with its data bank 22, as there must be an appropriate account position in the prepaid accounts for fees. It is located in database 22. The data of the questionable prepaid account is stored in database 22 and is tracked there when the subscriber's account is activated.

The connection establishment process is widely known, which also includes authorization control (signature) as well as checking and keeping the account, so this process will not be described in detail here.

Fig. 2 schematically shows the structure of the system according to the invention. Elements and components having the same or similar function have identical references in Figures 1 and 2.

The SIM card 12 has an additional memory module 11 for storing prepaid shared data, such as DRM (Digital Rights Management) data, for example in encoded form, preferably in digitally encoded form. The memory module 11 is preferably physically separated from the remaining memory field of the SIM module 12. When topping up the SIM card, e.g. from a top-up card adapted for this purpose or from a bank credit card, prepaid shared data is transferred, for example, by the service provider 20 and server 16 to the SIM card 12 and is stored there in the memory module 11. At the same time in the control unit, for example in the 24 MSC (Mobile Switching Center) memory module, it is saved24 / 55 / P21445PL00

A second digital key is assigned which is assigned to the first digital key as described below. The SIM module authorizes a mobile phone to conduct conversations under certain conditions of use (e.g. purpose, duration) with prepaid shared data, i.e. to encode, encrypt and / or mark user data or conversation data using the first digital key of prepaid shared data. Usage data can be, for example, stored (e.g. SMS - Short Message Service, MMS - Multimedia Message Service), MP3 of the MPEG group (Moving Picture Experts Group) and so on) and / or can be stored, e.g. data stream (Datastream) and / or audio data (Voice Data) and so on.

When making calls from the telephone 10, the tone data and / or the user data are encoded, i.e. they are encrypted with the first digital key and / or they are signed and / or this is done in a different combined way, and they are sent to MSC 16. On MSC 16 it checks using a second digital key whether the encoded data is encoded with the first digital key. If this fact is confirmed, the encoded user data is decoded, i.e. it is decrypted and / or the signature is deleted, for example. Then, the decoded user data is transferred to the second telecommunications apparatus, which the user of the first telecommunications apparatus has directed or suspended. During transmission from the control data of prepaid data, accrued fees are made available, which are usually a function of several parameters (duration, distance, time of day, type of apparatus 18). When the prepaid amount is used, the data of which is saved in the SIM module, the prepaid data provided are canceled and the transmission is interrupted, possibly after an appropriate warning. The warning data are at 24/55 / ​​P21445EN00

EP 1 709 829 B1 also stored in the control data of prepaid shared data and is downloaded from there. However, the SIM card memory module can also be designed so that several blocks of prepaid shared data are saved simultaneously. In this case, after canceling the first block with prepaid shared data, you can first check if the next block with prepaid shared data is available, which block can be used to continue an existing voice call.

Before reloading the data memory with prepaid shared data, it is not possible to further transfer the user data to other telecommunications terminals, but it is possible to transfer only specific, limited information (assistance call, top-up numbers).

It follows from the above that the invention makes it possible to operate a prepaid telephone account directly on a mobile telephone, bypassing the account of the service provider. It is clear to the skilled person that the idea of ​​the invention and the method based thereon can also be realized by means of other structural elements and system units.

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