FR2835672A1 - SYSTEM, METHOD AND TERMINAL FOR ACCESSING A PUBLIC INFORMATION TRANSMISSION NETWORK AS WELL AS AN ACCESS INFORMATION TERMINAL FOR ACCESSING THIS NETWORK - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for accessing a public data transmission network (4) which comprises at least a first and a second access terminal (10, 14), each containing means (24, 62) of storing network (4) access information (26). In addition, said system also comprises means (12, 30, 60; 4, 22, 78) for the automatic transfer of access information from the storage means of one of the terminals to those of the other terminal in order to enable access to the network by one or other of the terminals using the same access information (26).

Description

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 The invention relates to a system and method for accessing a public information transmission network comprising at least first and second access terminals each containing means for storing network access information. In particular, the invention also relates to access terminals to this network as well as an access information transfer terminal.

 Today, many users have first and second cell phones. Thus, some users would like to use their first mobile phone on the go and the second phone as a landline phone when they are at home, while having only one phone subscription. More specifically, they would like to: - use their second phone for outgoing calls, but which will be treated as calls made from the first mobile phone, in particular for billing calls, - use their second phone to receive incoming calls initially for their first cell phone.

 Currently, the access information to a GSM / GPRS telephone network, comprising in particular the user's subscription information, is contained in a subscriber identification card, better known by the term "SIM card ( Subscriber Identification Module) ". This SIM card is intended to be installed in the mobile phone. Thus, the user who wishes to exchange his first mobile phone for his second phone for a short period of time must have a first mobile phone and a second phone each accepting the same SIM card.

 When this user goes on the road, he must manually install the SIM card in the first mobile phone to be able to use it. Then, when he is at home and wants to use the second phone, he must remove the SIM card from the first cell phone and install it manually in the second phone. Current SIM cards are not suitable for these frequent removal and installation operations. Thus, these operations prove to be long and tedious for the subscriber.

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The invention aims to remedy this drawback by proposing an easy-to-use access system to the same transmission network 4 for information from several different access terminals.

 It therefore relates to an access system to a public information transmission network as defined above, characterized in that it comprises means for automatic transfer of access information from the storage means of one from terminals to those of the other terminal to allow access to the network by either of the terminals using the same access information.

 The system described above is particularly simple to use. In fact, contrary to what was done until now, only access information is transferred from one terminal to the other. In addition, this transfer of information is carried out using automatic information transfer means. Thus, the user, when he wishes to change the terminal, need only activate the automatic transfer means. The user therefore no longer has to physically move the means for storing access information, which greatly facilitates the use of several access terminals to the same information transmission network using the same information. for each of these terminals.

 According to other characteristics of an access system according to the invention: - the automatic transfer means comprise at least one transmitter and at least one receiver for transmitting the access information from one of the terminals to the another terminal, - the automatic transfer means comprise an information transmitter intended to be connected to a private information transmission network, and an information receiver intended to be connected to the same private information transmission network, - the automatic transfer means comprise an information transmitter intended to be connected to the public information transmission network, and an information receiver intended to be connected to the same public information transmission network.

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 - the public information transmission network being able to redirect calls intended for the first terminal to the second terminal, the system comprises a module for controlling the redirection of calls intended for the first terminal to the second terminal, - the second terminal comprises several telephone handsets and the first terminal and / or the second terminal comprise a module for selecting the telephone handset of the second terminal to be used, - this access system comprises an automatic identification module for the telephone handsets of the second terminal selectable at the using the selection module, - each of the storage means of the terminals also contains personal information of a subscriber, the automatic transfer means are also able to transfer the personal information contained in the storage means of one of the terminals to those of the other terminal to allow the use of this information personal from any of the terminals.

 The invention also relates to a method of accessing a public information transmission network from at least first and second access terminals each containing means for storing access information. to the network, characterized in that it comprises a step of automatic transfer of access information from the storage means of one of the terminals to those of the other terminal to allow access to the public network by one or the other of the terminals using the same access information.

 According to other characteristics of a method according to the invention: - the public information transmission network being able to redirect calls intended for the first terminal to the second terminal, the method comprises a step of controlling the redirection of calls intended for the first terminal to the second terminal.

 the second terminal comprising several telephone handsets, the method comprises a step of selecting the telephone handset of the second terminal to be used.

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 The invention also relates to an access terminal adapted to be implemented in a system as described above, characterized in that it comprises an activation module for the automatic transfer of access information to a public network for transmitting information to another access terminal.

 The invention also relates to an information transfer terminal for accessing a public information transmission network, adapted to be implemented in a system as described above, characterized in that it comprises a connection module capable of receiving the access information from a first access terminal.

 The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows given solely by way of example and made with reference to the drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of the hardware architecture of a system access to an information transmission network according to the invention, - Figure 2 is a flowchart for transferring access information from one terminal to another using the system of Figure 1, - Figure 3 is a flow diagram of a variant of the method of FIG. 2.

 FIG. 1 represents a system 2 for accessing an information transmission network 4.

 The information transmission network 4 is a public information transmission network. This is, for example, the long distance network of a mobile operator. This network 4 includes means 6 for redirecting a telephone call intended for a terminal to another terminal.

 The system 2 comprises a first terminal 10 for access to the network 4 connected, via a private network 12 for transmitting information, to a second terminal 14 for access to the network 4.

 The network 12 is here a local network conforming, for example, to the Bluetooth or DECT standard (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication)

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The terminal 10 is, for example, a mobile telephone capable of establishing a telephone connection via the network 4. For this purpose, it comprises a user interface 20, a module 22 for connection to the network 4 and a memory 24.

 The user interface here comprises a screen 25 and a keyboard 27.

 The memory 24 includes access information 26 necessary for the module 22 to establish a telephone link via the network 4.

This access information notably includes the subscriber identification information making it possible, for example, to identify the account on which telephone communications must be debited. By way of example, this access information 26 is here the same as that contained in a SIM card. The memory 24 also includes personal information 28, such as a calendar or telephone directory containing the names and telephone numbers of the subscribers' correspondents. This personal information may be modified by the subscriber using the user interface 20.

 The connection module 22 is here adapted to transmit and receive the access information 26 and the personal information 28 to and from the terminal 14 via the network 4. It typically consists of a transmitter and a receiver ( not shown) connected to the network 4.

 The terminal 10 also includes a module 30 for connection to the network 12 and a module 32 for activating the automatic transfer of access information and personal information to the terminal 14.

 The module 30 is able to transmit the information contained in the memory 24 to the terminal 14 via the network 12. The module 30 is also controllable by the activation module 32. To this end, it is connected to memory 24, to module 32 and to network 12 and comprises a transmitter 36 and a receiver 38.

 The transmitter 36 is able to read the access information 26 and the personal information 28 and to transmit them to the terminal 14 via the network 12. It is also able to transmit commands from the activation module 32 to the terminal 14 via network 12.

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 The receiver 38 is able to receive access information and personal information transmitted by the terminal 14 via the network 12, and to store it in the memory 24 so that the access information received is that used by the module 22 for access to the network 4. The receiver 38 is also able to receive information intended for the activation module 32 and to transmit it back to this module 32.

 The module 32 is intended to activate, under the control of the subscriber, the transfer, by the transmitter 36, of access information 26 and personal information 28 to the terminal 14. For this, it comprises here, as for example, a button 40 associated with a sub-module 42 for selecting a handset. The button 40 is suitable for activating the sub-module 42 when it is pressed by the operator.

 The sub-module 42 is intended, under the control of the subscriber, to select one of the telephone handsets of the terminal 14. For this purpose, the sub-module 42 is capable of transmitting, via the transmitter 36, commands for identifying telephone handsets to the terminal 14. In response, it is able to display on the screen 25 the list of available telephone handsets transmitted by the terminal 14. The sub-module 42 is also associated with the keyboard 27 so that the subscriber can select one of the telephone handsets from the list displayed on screen 25.

 The terminal 14 is here, by way of example, a telephone intended to temporarily replace the telephone 10. Thus, this terminal 14 is capable of establishing telephone connections via the same network 4 using the same access information 26 and to receive calls intended for the terminal 10. Here it comprises a transfer terminal 50 connected to two telephone handsets 52, 54.

 The transfer terminal 50 is suitable for establishing a telephone communication via the network 4 using the access information 26. It is also capable of automatically returning this access information 26 to the terminal 10 via the network 12. To this end, it comprises a module 60 for connection to the network 12 associated with a memory 62, and a module 64 for activating the automatic transfer of access information and personal information to the terminal 10.

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 The module 60 comprises a receiver 66 and a transmitter 68 of information on the network 12. The receiver 66 is able to receive the access information 26 and the personal information 28 transmitted by the terminal 10 and to store them in the memory 62 This receiver 66 is also able to receive the commands transmitted by the sub-module 42 for selecting a handset.

 The transmitter 68 is in turn able to transmit the access information and the personal information recorded in the memory 62 to the terminal 10 and to transmit a list of available telephone handsets established by a module 70 for identifying the available handsets.

 The module 64 includes, for example, a button 74, the pressing of which, by the subscriber, is capable of activating the transmission of the access information 26 and the personal information 28 temporarily stored in the memory 62 to the terminal 10 via of the network 12.

 The module 70 is able to identify the available telephone handsets. For this, it is connected to the available telephone handsets, that is to say here to the handsets 52 and 54. In addition, it is connected to the module 60 to transmit, in response to the commands of the sub-module 42, a list of the telephone handsets at terminal 10. In addition, this identification module 70 is here adapted to activate only the telephone handset corresponding to that selected using the selection sub-module 42, the other telephone handsets then remaining inactive.

 To establish a telephone link via the network 4, the access terminal 50 comprises a connection module 78 connected to the network 4 and to the memory 62. The connection module 78 is connected to the network 4 either by a wired link , or by a radio link. This module 78 is able to establish a telephone connection via the network 4 from the access information 26 received and recorded in the memory 62. it is also able to receive and record, in the memory 62, the information access 26 and personal 28 transmitted via the network 4. For this, it includes a receiver (not shown). The module 78 also includes a transmitter (not shown) capable of transmitting, by

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 via network 4, access information 26 and personal information 28 recorded in memory 62, towards terminal 10.

 To receive telephone calls intended for terminal 10, the access terminal also includes a module 80 for remote control of means 6 for redirecting telephone calls. This module 80 is connected to the means 6 via the network 4. It is able to control the means 6 so that any call, initially intended for the terminal 10, is redirected to the terminal 14.

 Finally, in addition to the various modules described above, the transfer terminal 50 includes a module 84 for remote control of the module 22 for connection to the network 4 of the terminal 10. This module 84 is able to control the module 22, via of the network 4, so that the latter transmits the access information 26 and the personal information 28 to the module 78 for connection of the terminal 14. For this purpose, the module 84 comprises a sub-module 90 for authentication of the subscriber , a sub-module 92 for selecting a telephone handset and is associated with a user interface 94.

The user interface 94 here comprises a screen 96 and a keyboard 98.

 The authentication sub-module 90 is connected to the user interface 94 to allow the subscriber to identify himself before the module 84 triggers the remote transfer of the access information 26. If the identification does not is not correct, remote transfer of access information 26 is not allowed.

 The selection sub-module 92 is also connected to the user interface 94 and to the module 70 for identifying telephone handsets. Similarly to the selection sub-module 42, it is able to display a list of available telephone handsets received from the module 70 and to allow the subscriber to select, using the keyboard 98 and the screen 96, the telephone handset to be used in place of terminal 10.

 The telephone handset 52 is a simple telephone handset having only one speaker and one microphone.

 The telephone handset 54 is here, for example, a conventional telephone adapted to be connected to the transfer terminal 50. This conventional telephone comprises a loudspeaker and a microphone forming a handset

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 telephone as well as all the elements necessary to establish a telephone connection via a different point of connection to a telephone network. Here, only the functionalities of the telephone handset are used by the transfer terminal 50.

 The operation of the network access system 2 4 will now be described with the aid of FIG. 1 and with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

 FIG. 2 represents an automatic method for transferring access information 26 and personal information 28 from terminal 10 to terminal 14 and vice-versa. In the particular case described here, the access information 26 and the personal information 28 are initially contained in the memory 24.

 The method begins with a step 100 for selecting the telephone handset of the terminal 14. This step 100 is triggered by the operator pressing the button 40 of the module 32 for activating the automatic transfer. Step 100 comprises three successive operations 102, 104 and 106.

 Step 102 is a step of interrogating the module 70 for identifying the telephone handsets of the terminal 14 in order to obtain in response the list of available telephone handsets. This operation 102 is performed by the selection sub-module 42 of the terminal 10 which sends an activation command for the module 70 for identifying the telephone handsets of the terminal 14 via the network 12.

 Operation 104 is an automatic identification operation of the telephone handsets connected to the transfer terminal 50. This operation is carried out by the identification module 70. At the end of this operation 104, the module 70 transfers, by the network 12, a list of available telephone handsets. This list here contains two elements corresponding respectively to the telephone handsets 52 and 54.

 Operation 106 is an operation of receiving the list of available telephone handsets transmitted by the terminal 14 and of displaying this list on the screen 25. Then, during this operation 106, the subscriber selects one of the elements of this list using the keyboard 27. Once this selection of a telephone handset has been made, operation 106 ends with the

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 automatic triggering of a step 110 for transferring information from terminal 10 to terminal 14.

 Step 110 comprises two successive operations 112 and 114.

Operation 112 is an automatic transmission operation, by the connection module 30 of the terminal 10, of access information 26, personal information 28 and of the identity of the telephone handset selected during step 100. Once the access information 26 transmitted, the module 30 makes the access information 26 unusable for the terminal 10. For example, the module 30 erases them from the memory 24.

 Operation 114 is an operation for receiving access information 26, personal information 28 and the identity of the selected telephone handset. This operation is carried out by the terminal connection module 60 14. During this operation 114, the access information 26 and the personal information 28 are recorded in the memory 62.

The identity of the telephone handset is transmitted to the module 70 for identifying the telephone handsets. Thus, only the telephone handset selected by the subscriber will be active, that is to say that only this handset will be usable, in association with the access point 50, for receiving or making a telephone call using the access information 26.

 Next, a step 118 of redirecting calls intended for the terminal 10 to the terminal 14 is executed. During this step, the module 80 of the terminal 14 controls the means 6 for redirecting the network 4, so that all calls intended for the terminal 10 are automatically redirected to the terminal 14. Once the step 118 is complete, the terminal 14 is usable and replaces the terminal 10. A step 120 of use by the subscriber of the terminal 14 then begins.

 During this step 120, the subscriber establishes a telephone call via the network 4 thanks to the module 78 which uses the access information 26. Thus, any telephone call established from the terminal 14 will be debited from the same account that the one on which the telephone communications of the terminal 10 are debited. Furthermore, the personal information 28 having been transferred to the terminal 14, the subscriber consults and uses, thanks to the user interface 94, the same information

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 personal than those contained in the terminal 10. In addition, if a correspondent dials the telephone number of the terminal 10, this communication is automatically redirected by the means 6 for redirecting the network 4 to the terminal 14. Thus, the subscriber receives the communications intended for him on terminal 14 and no longer on terminal 10.

 A step 122 of automatic transfer of the access information 26 and of the personal information 28 from the terminal 14 to the terminal 10 is executed after the step 120. In a similar manner to the step 110, this step comprises two successive operations 124 and 126 Operation 124 is an operation for transmitting access information 26 and personal information 28 contained in memory 62 to terminal 10 via the network 12. This operation 124 is triggered by pressing button 74 by the subscriber and then executed by the connection module 60. At the end of this operation 124, the module 60 makes the access information unusable for the terminal 14. For example, the module 60 erases them.

 Operation 126 is an operation for receiving access information 26 and personal information 28 transmitted by the terminal 14.

During this operation 126, the receiver 38 records the access information 26 and the personal information 28 in the memory 24 of the terminal 10.

 At the end of step 122, a step 128 of redirecting calls from the terminal 14 to the terminal 10 is executed. During this step 128, the module 80 of the terminal 14 controls the means 6 for redirecting the network 4 to indicate to them that the telephone calls intended for the terminal 14 must be redirected to the terminal 10. Once this redirecting step is completed , the terminal 10 can be used by the subscriber and replaces the terminal 14. At the end of step 128, step 100 of selecting a telephone handset can again be executed. Thus, the system 2 makes it possible to simply replace the terminal 10 by the terminal 14 and vice-versa.

 FIG. 3 represents a variant of the method described with reference to FIG. 2 in which the access information 26 and the information

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 Personal 28 are automatically transferred from terminal 10 to terminal 14 via network 4.

 The method of FIG. 3 begins with a step 140 of activating the transfer of the access information 26 and personal information 28 from the terminal 10 to the terminal 14. This step 140 is for example triggered by pressing a key particular of the keyboard 98 of the terminal 14. It comprises three successive operations 142, 144 and 146.

 Operation 142 is an authentication operation of the user of the terminal 14. During this operation 142, the authentication sub-module 90 displays a message on the screen 96 so that a password is entered. If the password is valid, operation 144 is executed. If the password is invalid, the transfer of access information 26 is prohibited.

 Operation 144 is an operation for selecting the telephone handset to be used. During this operation, the sub-module 92 interrogates the module 70 for identifying the telephone handsets to obtain in response the list of available telephone handsets. Sub-module 92 then displays this list of available telephone handsets on the screen. Finally, when the subscriber has selected one of the elements from this list, the identity of the selected telephone handset is transmitted to the module 70. At the end of this operation 144, the operation 146 is executed.

 During operation 146, the module 84 activates remotely, that is to say via the network 4, the transmission of access information 26 and personal information 28 by the connection module 22 of the terminal 10 .

 Step 140 continues with a step 150 for transmitting access information 26 and personal information 28 from terminal 10 to terminal 14. This step 150 comprises two successive steps 152 and 154.

 Operation 152 is a transmission operation by the module 22 for connecting access information 26 and personal information 28 to the terminal 14 via the network 4.

 The operation 154 is an operation of reception by the module 78 of the terminal 14 of the information transmitted during the operation 152. The information received by the module 78 is recorded by the latter in the memory 62.

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 Step 150 continues with a step 156 for redirecting calls intended for terminal 10 to terminal 14. This step is identical to step 118 of the method of FIG. 2. At the end of step 156, the terminal 14 is usable by the subscriber and replaces terminal 10. This step 156 therefore continues with a step 158 of using the terminal 14. Step 158 is identical to step 120 of the method of FIG. 2.

 In a simplified variant of the system 2, the memory 24 of the terminal 10 includes a list of the telephone handsets of the terminal 14. The selection sub-module 42 is suitable for establishing the list of available telephone handsets from the list stored in the memory 24.

Thus, it is not necessary for the terminal 14 to include an automatic identification module for telephone handsets.

 In the embodiment described here, the terminal 14 consists of three independent boxes, on the one hand, the transfer terminal 50 and, on the other hand, the telephone handsets 52 and 54. In a variant, the transfer terminal 50 and at least one telephone handset are integrated in the same housing.

 In another variant, the network 12 is a simple wired connection between the connection module 30 of the terminal 10 and the connection module 60 of the terminal 14.

 The system 2 has been described here in the case where the transfer of access information 26 and personal 28 from the terminal 14 to the terminal 10 is activated from the terminal 14. In a variant, this transfer can also be activated from the terminal 10. To this end, the module 32 is adapted to activate, under the control of the subscriber, the transfer of the information 26, 28 stored in the memory 62 of the terminal 14 to the terminal 10. For example, the module 32 comprises an additional button, the pressing of which is capable of activating the transfer of information 26,28 to the terminal 10. This transfer of access information 26 and personal 28 is then carried out either via the private network 12 by adapting for example the method of FIG. 2, either via the public network 4 by adapting for example the method of FIG. 3.

Claims (13)

1. System (2) for access to a public network (4) for transmitting information comprising at least first and second access terminals (10,14) each containing means (24,62) for storing information (26) for accessing the network (4), characterized in that it includes means (12, 30, 60; 4.22, 78) for automatic transfer of the access information from the storage means of the one of the terminals to those of the other terminal to allow access to the network by one or the other of the terminals using the same access information (26).  2. System (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the automatic transfer means comprise at least one transmitter (22,36, 68, 78) and at least one receiver (38,66) for transmitting the information of access (26) from one of the terminals to the other terminal.  3. System (2) according to claim 2, characterized in that the automatic transfer means comprise an information transmitter (36, 68) intended to be connected to a private network (12) for transmitting information, and a information receiver (38,66) intended to be connected to the same private information transmission network (12).  4. System (2) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the automatic transfer means comprise an information transmitter (22, 78) intended to be connected to the public network (4) for transmitting information, and an information receiver (22,78) intended to be connected to the same public network (4) for transmitting information.  5. System (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the public network (4) for transmitting information being able to redirect calls intended for the first terminal to the second terminal, the system comprises a module (80) for controlling the redirection of calls intended for the first terminal to the second terminal.  6. System (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second terminal (14) comprises several telephone handsets (52,54) and in that the first terminal (10) and / or the second terminal (14) include a module (42,92) for selecting the telephone handset (52,54) of the second terminal to be used. <Desc / CRUD Page number 15>  7. System (2) according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a module (70) for automatic identification of the telephone handsets (52,54) of the second terminal (14) selectable using the selection module (42,92).  8. System (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of the storage means (24,62) of the terminals (10,14) also contains personal information (28) of a subscriber, and in that the automatic transfer means (12,30,60; 4,22,78) are also able to transfer the personal information (28) contained in the storage means of one of the terminals to those of the other terminal to allow the use of this personal information from one or other of the terminals.  9. Method for accessing a public network (4) for transmitting information from at least first and second access terminals (10,14) each containing means (24,62) for storage of access information (26) to the network (4), characterized in that it comprises a step (110; 140) of automatic transfer of access information from the storage means of one of the terminals to those from the other terminal to allow access to the public network (4) by one or other of the terminals using the same access information (26).  10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the public network (4) for transmitting information being able to redirect calls intended for the first terminal to the second terminal, the method comprises a control step (118,128; 156) redirection of calls intended for the first terminal to the second terminal.  11. Method according to any one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the second terminal (14) comprising several telephone handsets (52, 54), the method comprises a step (100; 144) for selecting the telephone handset of the second terminal to use.  12. Access terminal (10,14) adapted to be implemented in a system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a module (32,64) for activating the transfer automatic <Desc / Clms Page number 16>  access information (26) to a public network (4) for transmitting information, to another access terminal (10,14).  13. Terminal (50) for transferring access information (26) to a public network (4) for transmitting information, adapted to be implemented in a system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a connection module (60,78) capable of receiving the access information (26) from a first access terminal (10).