GB2381701A

GB2381701A - Remote dial-up storage and retrieval of a mobile phone handset's phonebook

Info

Publication number: GB2381701A
Application number: GB0126343A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Paul Andrews
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-11-02
Filing date: 2001-11-02
Publication date: 2003-05-07
Also published as: GB0126343D0

Abstract

The service may operate by way of mobile phone users dialing a pre-allocated number that connects them, via their mobile network, to a file server. Once connected, a series of voice prompts offers an interactive sequence between the user and file server to either download (store) or upload (retrieve) the phonebook information contained within their mobile phonebook memory. A series of voice prompts and/or SMS text message may inform the user that the transfer of information is complete before disconnection takes place. The phonebook contents may be stored on the phone memory and SIM card after authentication of the user's details, such that a user can recover their address list from a lost or stolen telephone.

Description

DESCRIPTION This invention provides a process to remotely store, and subsequently retrieve, the telephone numbers that are ordinarily stored within the memory area, commonly referred to as the phonebook, of a mobile phonehandset.

Mobile phone theft and losses are growing. The most inconvenient and troublesome effect of a mobile phone theft or loss is the loss of the phone numbers previously stored within the handset's phonebook. Ordinarily contact details are entered directly into the mobile phone's memory without a record kept elsewhere. Thus, when the mobile phone handset is lost or stolen the owner occasions a great deal of inconvenience. Not only do the telephone numbers have to be re-entered, individually and manually, into the replacement mobile phone, but also many numbers will have been lost due to the unavailability of any alternative record.

A secondary use may be if a mobile phone user wishes to change handset, service provider or service technology (say GSM to CDMA) and such change would result in the need to re-enter all the previously stored numbers.

The objective of this methodology is to allow an easy, user friendly, quick and secure method to regularly copy (download) all the stored phone numbers and associated names in the mobile handset onto a remote database. Once stored, these numbers can then be uploaded into the same, or a new, mobile handset.

Accordingly, this invention allows the download and upload of the said stored telephone numbers and any accompanying and relative information, such as the associated name, by means of the same mobile phone handset dialing an allocated telephone number. This telephone number connects the user to the service where authentication and verification of the user's details are performed. Once authentication and verification is completed the download or upload sequence continues quickly and transparently to the user.

The user is notified of the successful transmission by either a pre-recorded voice message or by a Short Message Service (SMS) text message.

The mobile phone user may repeat this procedure, download or upload, as many or as few times as required, dictated by the frequency of changes made to the stored numbers within the mobile phone.

Should the stored phonebock details be lost, the mobile phone can redial the same service number, and after authentication and verification upload the phonebook into the handset's memory.

The user subscribes to the service by an annual service fee. Additional charges will be incurred each time the service is dialed. These charges will appear on the user's normal mobile phone telephone bill, thus avoiding any additional ; o oices for the user.

The accompanying drawing shows the conceptual application of the methodology and the associated components of the service: Component A is the mobile phone users which could be as little as one individual and up to every single mobile phone user.

Component B is the mobile network service providers infrastructure-the commonly used public dial up network of, for instance, BT or Vodafone.

Component C is the service equipment provided and required to authenticate users, store and retrieve the users phonebook inormation.

DESCRIPTION itinicd) The service operates by mobile phone users dialing a pre-allocated number that connects them, via their normal mobile network to a server shown as component C. Using a combination of the Caller Identification Number and PIN codes, the server first authenticates the caller as a registered subscriber of the storage system. Once verified, a series of voice prompts offers an interactive sequence with the user to either down load (store) or upload (retrieve) the phonebook information contained within their mobile phonebook memory, including both numbers stored within the Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card as well as the phone memory. A series of voice prompts and/or SMS text message will inform the user that the transfer of information is complete before disconnection takes place.

Claims

CLAIMS I. A process that allows subscribers of the service to download and upload the contents of their mobile handset's phonebook to a remote database by means of a dial-up connection made over a mobile network.
2. A process as claimed in Claim I that allows authentication and verification of the user's details upon connection to the service.
3. A process as claimed in Claim 1 that interacts with the subscriber by means of both voice prompts and SMS text messages to keep the subscriber informed of the progress of the process.
4. A process as claimed m Claim I that will store the phonebook contents of both the phone memory and SIM card memory.
5. A process substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.