JP2004015249A - System and method for distributing information to mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent reduction in the utilization factor of a wireless circuit, as well as improving confidentiality with respect to a malicious third party, when distributing a modified software to a potable telephone. <P>SOLUTION: Encrypting modified software 3 is previously fetched in each portable telephone 5 in off-line manner, and only a key information 4, necessary for decoding, is distributed to the telephone in on-line manner via a wireless circuit from a radio base station 7. In this way, increase in the load on the wireless circuit and the decrease in the utilization factor of the circuit are reduced, and the confidentiality of information is markedly improved, because the encrypting modified software 3 and the decoding key information 4 are distributed by using separate methods. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system and method for distributing information to a mobile terminal, and more particularly to an information distribution method for distributing software operating on the mobile terminal.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art The functions of mobile phones, which are mobile terminals, have been dramatically increasing in recent years, and software for realizing the functions has been rapidly increasing in scale. As described above, the software needs to be modified as the size of the software increases, and the version of the software needs to be upgraded as the function improves. If such software needs to be modified or upgraded after shipment of the mobile phone, distribution of the software to users who use the mobile phone is required.
[0003]
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a distribution method of the correction software in this case. Referring to FIG. 5, the correction software 1 is distributed to each mobile phone 5 via the wireless base station 7 using wireless technology, and the software already installed in the mobile phone 5 is replaced with the distributed correction. It will be rewritten by software 1.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the capacity of software in recent mobile phones is extremely large, when the correction software 1 is distributed using wireless technology, the load on wireless communication becomes large and the wireless line utilization rate is significantly deteriorated. Is expected, and there is a possibility that normal mobile communication services will be affected.
[0005]
In the online distribution system using such a wireless technology, the distribution time is long because the capacity of the correction software is large. Most of today's mobile phones are provided with terminals (serial terminal and USB terminal) for inputting / outputting data from the outside (personal computer: PC), and some mobile phones have an external storage (SD). There is a method in which data and the like can be stored offline in the mobile phone using an external terminal or an external storage. Compared with such an offline data transfer speed, the data transfer speed of the above-described online distribution system using the wireless technology is small, and thus the online distribution system has a disadvantage that it takes time.
[0006]
Furthermore, when distributing the correction software to a mobile phone using wireless technology, there is a possibility that the distribution software may be widely transmitted to the world during the distribution process. There is also the disadvantage that it is not preferred.
[0007]
An object of the present invention is to provide a system and a method for distributing information to a portable terminal, which reduce a wireless load and do not reduce the utilization rate of a wireless line.
[0008]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and a method for distributing information to a portable terminal which can reduce the time for rewriting software and which is not misused even if data is passed to a malicious third party. It is to provide.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, there is provided an information distribution system for distributing information to a mobile terminal, comprising: an offline distribution means for encrypting the information and distributing the information to the mobile terminal offline in advance; and for decrypting the encrypted information. Wireless distribution means for distributing the key information by wireless communication.
[0010]
The offline distribution means distributes the encrypted information by storing the encrypted information in a storage medium, and the storage medium is an external storage mountable on the mobile terminal. I do.
[0011]
Further, the offline distribution means has a computer connected to the portable terminal and downloaded the encrypted information, and the encrypted information is taken into the portable terminal from the computer. The mobile terminal is a mobile phone, and the information is software running on the mobile phone.
[0012]
According to the present invention, there is provided an information distribution method for distributing information to a mobile terminal, comprising: an offline distribution step of encrypting the information and distributing the information to the mobile terminal offline in advance; and a method for decrypting the encrypted information. And a wireless distribution step of distributing the key information through wireless communication.
[0013]
The offline distribution step is characterized in that the encrypted information is distributed by storing the encrypted information in a storage medium, and the storage medium is an external storage mountable on the mobile terminal. I do.
[0014]
Further, the offline distribution step is characterized in that the encrypted information is taken into the portable terminal from a computer connected to the portable terminal and having downloaded the encrypted information.
[0015]
The operation of the present invention will be described. When distributing information such as correction software for mobile terminals to each terminal, take the encrypted software into the mobile terminal offline and distribute only the key information required for decryption online using wireless technology To do. By doing so, it is possible to suppress a reduction in the wireless load and the line utilization rate. In addition, by distributing the encryption software and the decryption key information using different distribution methods, one of the data is malicious. Even if it passes to a third party, it will not be abused.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. When the software operating on the mobile phone 5 needs to be modified, as shown in FIG. 2, the modification software 1 is encrypted using a specific key information 2 to generate encrypted modification software 3. Decryption key information 4 necessary for decryption is prepared. The encryption technique based on the key information is not limited to a particularly used encryption algorithm such as a public key encryption system and a secret key encryption system.
[0017]
The modified software 3 encrypted in this way is downloaded in advance to a PC (personal computer) 6 provided on the user side. The encryption correction software 3 downloaded and stored in the PC 6 is taken off-line to the mobile phone 5 using the technology of the interface 8 such as USB or serial communication.
[0018]
On the other hand, the decryption key information 4 (see FIG. 2) required for decryption is distributed to the mobile phone 5 via the wireless base station 7 using wireless technology. As shown in FIG. 3, the encryption correction software 3 which is taken off-line and stored in the mobile phone is decrypted using the decryption key information 4 and decrypted by the original correction software 1. Thus, the software in the mobile phone 5 is updated.
[0019]
FIG. 4 is a system schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention, and the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this example, when the encryption correction software 3 is taken offline to the mobile phone 5, an external storage (storage medium) 9 such as an SD card is used. That is, the encryption correction software 3 is stored in the external storage 9 in advance, and the external storage 9 is mounted on the mobile phone 5, so that the encryption correction software 3 can be taken into the mobile phone 5 offline. .
[0020]
After that, as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, it is a matter of course that the encryption correction software is decrypted as shown in FIG. 3 using the decryption key information 4 distributed from the wireless base station 7 online.
[0021]
In the above embodiment, the data to be distributed is described as the modified software. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is apparent that the software may be revised software or other information. The mobile terminal is not limited to a mobile phone, but may be a mobile information processing terminal.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, information to be distributed is encrypted and transferred in advance to a mobile terminal offline, and only key information necessary for decryption is transmitted to a mobile terminal online using wireless technology. Since distribution is performed, there is an effect that the amount of data flowing through the wireless line is significantly reduced. In addition, since the encryption information and the decryption key information are distributed by different methods, even if one of them is passed on to a malicious third party, there is no risk of misuse and the confidentiality is improved. There is also an effect.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a system schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a procedure for encrypting modified software to be distributed.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a procedure for decrypting the encrypted and modified software received.
FIG. 4 is a system schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional information distribution method.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Correction software 2 Key information 3 Encryption correction software 4 Decryption key information 5 Cellular phone 6 PC (personal computer)
7 Wireless base station 8 Interface for USB, serial, etc. 9 External storage

Claims (10)

An information distribution system that distributes information to a mobile terminal,
Offline delivery means for encrypting the information and delivering it to the mobile terminal offline in advance,
Wireless distribution means for distributing key information for decrypting the encrypted information by wireless communication. 2. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the offline distribution unit distributes the encrypted information by storing the encrypted information in a storage medium. 3. The information distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the storage medium is an external storage that can be mounted on the mobile terminal. 2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the off-line distribution unit includes a computer connected to the mobile terminal and downloading the encrypted information, and fetching the encrypted information from the computer to the mobile terminal. Information distribution system. The information distribution system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile phone, and the information is software that operates on the mobile terminal. An information distribution method for distributing information on a mobile terminal,
An offline delivery step of encrypting the information and delivering the information to the mobile terminal offline in advance;
Wirelessly distributing key information for decrypting the encrypted information by wireless communication. 7. The information distribution method according to claim 6, wherein the offline distribution step distributes the encrypted information by storing the encrypted information in a storage medium. The information distribution method according to claim 7, wherein the storage medium is an external storage that can be mounted on the mobile terminal. 7. The information distribution method according to claim 6, wherein in the offline distribution step, the encrypted information is taken into the mobile terminal from a computer connected to the mobile terminal and having downloaded the encrypted information. 10. The information distribution method according to claim 6, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile phone, and the information is software running on the mobile terminal.

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