Method for registering at least one public address in an IMS network, and corresponding application

Abstract

The invention relates, in particular, to a method for registering at least one public address in an IMS network including a terminal that interacts with a security element. According to the invention, the security element includes an application that invites the user of the terminal, upon the occurrence of an event, to enter a public address, selected by the user, via the man/machine interface of the terminal, the application transmitting the public address, accompanied by at least one identifier of the security element, to a remote network via the terminal such that the remote network associates the public address with the identifier.

Claims

1. A method for registering at least one public address in an IP Multimedia System (IMS) network including a terminal that interacts with a security element, wherein said security element includes an application, said method comprising: inviting, by the security element, a user of said terminal, upon the occurrence of an event, to enter a public address, selected by the user, via a man-machine interface of said terminal, transmitting, by said application of said security element, said public address accompanied by at least one identifier of said security element to a remote network via said terminal, to enable said remote network to associate said public address with said identifier, and updating, by said application of said security element, said security element with said public address when said remote network sends, to said terminal, a message indicating that said public address is available.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said remote network includes an over-the-air (OTA) platform used as an entry point to a home subscriber server (HSS) of an IMS network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said identifier of said security element includes at least one of the following identifiers: an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI); an Integrated Circuit Chip Identity (ICCID); an IP Multimedia Private Identity (IMPI).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said event is the first powering on of said terminal.

5. A security element for registering at least one public address in an IMS network including a terminal that interacts with the security element, said security element including a memory, which stores an application, wherein said application, of said security element, prompts a user of said terminal, upon the occurrence of an event, to enter a public address, selected by the user, via a man-machine interface of said terminal, said application, of said security element, transmits said public address, accompanied by at least one identifier of said security element, to a remote network via said terminal to enable said remote network to associate the public address with said identifier, and said application, of said security element, updates said security element with said public address when said remote network sends, to said terminal, a message indicating that said public address is available.

Description

(1) Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of a preferred embodiment, given in an illustrative and not restrictive example and the appended figures wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows an IMS network connected to various access networks;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary implementation of the method according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 1 has been described with reference to the prior art.

(5) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary implementation of the method according to the invention.

(6) The invention proposes to operate an application (applet) installed in an ISIM within a UICC 100. The UICC 100 is included in a terminal 101, shown here as a mobile phone. The application can also be installed in a chip (eUICC) integral with the terminal 101, with the UICC 100 then not being removable from the terminal 101 as a SIM card can be.

(7) The UICC 100 or eUICC can also communicate by radio (for example Bluetooth or WiFi) with the terminal 101, i.e. it needs not be included in the terminal 101. It may for example be installed in a remote element such as a watch, with the main point being that it communicates with the terminal 101.

(8) The terminal 101 is capable of communicating with a remote network here including an OTA platform 101 and an HSS element 103 of an operator's network. The terminal 101 can communicate with the HSS 103 through the OTA platform 102.

(9) The HSS 103 is particularly used to store, for each network user, information relative to his/her UICC 100. As such, to each UICC is associated an IMSI/ICCID an IMPI, one or more IMPU(s), its IMS domain (the IMS domain enables subscribers to communicate with each other via the IMS services or to access IMS services hosted on service platforms) and a service profile. Prior to the execution of the application according to the invention, the HSS 103 knows the user 104 by his/her IMSI, its ICCID and/or its IMPI, the domain which it belongs to and its service profile. It also knows that no IMPU is associated with these identifiers (IMPU NOK). Similarly, the UICC 100 contains the EF_IMPI, EF_Domain and EF_PCSCF files (the IP address of the proxy giving access to the operator). The UICC 100 also contains the EF_IMPU (EF_IMPU NOK) empty file.

(10) On the occurrence of an event, for example on the first powering on of the terminal 101, upon the powering on of the terminal 101 after downloading the application according to the invention, or upon activation of a function in a menu, or more generally upon request, a greeting message 105 prompts the user 104 of the terminal 101 to enter one or more IMS profile(s), with an IMS profile corresponding to an IMPU address.

(11) The user 104 then enters one or more IMPU(s) of selected by him/her via the man-machine interface of the terminal 101, such as a keyboard. In the example shown, he/she selects the following addresses during a step 106:

(12) Sip: James.bond@mno.com

(13) Sip: Bob.thebest@mno.com

(14) Sip: little.Louise@mno.com

(15) The application submits these public addresses to the ISIM during a step 107 using a STK command. The ISIM temporarily stores these IMPUs in an appropriate directory.

(16) During a step 108, the application submits the IMPUs selected by the user 104 to the OTA platform 102, together with at least one identifier of the UICC. In the given example, three identifiers of the UICC are transmitted with the IMPUs to the OTA platform 102: the

(17) IMSI, the ICCID and the IMPI. The OTA platform forwards such identifiers (IMSI/ICCID/IMPI/IMPUs) to the HSS during a step 109. The HSS 103 then checks the IMPUs selected by the user 104. This checking more particularly consists in verifying that the received IMPUs have not already been assigned to another user, having subscribed to the same operator's network or another operator's network. The HSS 103 also associates the IMPUs received with the identifier of the UICC.

(18) If the HSS 103 finds that the received IMPUs are available, it shall inform the UICC thereof by an association acknowledgment message ACK (step 110) once the public address(es) has/have been associated with the identifier or identifiers received. This message is forwarded from the OTA platform 102 to the UICC 100.

(19) The ISIM then updates its EF_IMPU 6F04 file including the user's 104 IMPUs. This update consists in registering therein the IMPUs previously stored temporarily in the aforementioned appropriate directory.

(20) If one of the IMPUs is not available, it also informs the UICC thereof so that it does not take into account the not available IMPU. A message is then displayed to the user to inform him/her of the non-availability of this IMPU, together with an invitation to select another one, if need be.

(21) The application then submits a “Refresh ISIM” command to the terminal 101 (step 111), so that the latter can take the new IMPUs into account. The terminal then acknowledges receipt of these IMPUs during step 112. The registering of the IMPUs can then be validated (executed after step 110).

(22) Optionally, the user 104 may then be invited to subscribe to services (step 113) since he/she now has at least one IMPU address. If the user agrees thereto, a list of services can be proposed to him/her (step 114). Here, four services are offered to the user: Video on demand Messaging Online Games Music downloading

(23) If the user selects e.g. “Online Games”, the HSS 103 receives an order for online games service (step 115), together with at least one identifier of the UICC (here, the IMSI, the ICCID and the IMPI) through the OTA platform 102. The HSS 103 can then contact the UICC 100 using one of the IMPUs associated with the received identifier, using the received identifier.

(24) The invention described above is provided within the scope of the creation of IMPUs, but it may also be applied to the modification of existing IMPUs, as well as to the activation or deactivation of IMPUs, or to the deleting of IMPUs.

(25) The application of the ISIM making it possible to implement the present invention can be saved in the ISIM under the operator's control, for example via the OTA platform 102. The installation thereof in the ISIM is performed under the operator's control and the application includes the PIN and administrative (ADM) rights. The operator has the rights to install the application in the ISIM of the user's UICC (eUICC). The application thus knows the administrative code (ADM) giving access to the HSS and to save one or more IMPU(s) therein.

(26) The invention is therefore based on a trusted application which is an applet installed in a UICC. This applet initiates the dialogue between the OTA platform 102 and the HSS 103 to send the IMPUs selected by the user 104. Further to the agreement from the HSS 103, this applet writes the selected IMPUs into the EF_IMPU file (via an internal interface of the OS and because it was installed with the administrative right ADM).

(27) The invention thus enables a user to create, modify, activate or deactivate one or more IMPU(s) in an IMS network.

(28) The OTA platform 102 which acts in the previous description, as the entry point to a HSS in an IMS network may be substituted with an application server connected to the operator's HSS.

(29) The communications shown in FIG. 2 are preferably of the http type (full IP network such as

(30) LTE), but communications of the SMS or SIP types may also be used between the terminal 101 and the OTA platform 102, and even between the platform 102 and the HSS 103. These communications are encrypted by well known means to prevent fraud and guarantee the user's 104 and the network operator's security.

(31) The invention makes it possible to find a way parallel to the existing standard, by enabling the user of a terminal to define IMPUs addresses he/she has selected, without having to go to one of his/her operator's branches.

(32) The invention also relates to an application for registering at least one public address in an IMS network including a terminal that interacts with a security element, with the security element containing this application prompting the user of the terminal, upon the occurrence of an event, to enter a public address, selected by the user, via the man-machine interface of the terminal, with the application transmitting the public address together with at least one identifier of the security element to a remote network via the terminal, so that the remote network associates the public address with the received identifier.

(33) The invention makes it possible for a user of a terminal to avoid having to go to one of his/her telephone operator's branch offices or to connect to an internet service after purchasing the terminal with his/her UICC (eUICC), in order to configure it with his/her IMPU (s).

(34) The operator's HSS is dynamically updated by the end user and the invention meets the standards of the IMS, 3GPP in the ISIM and OTA exchanges (“OTA messaging”) and of the supplying of the operator's HSS.