METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYTEM FOR PARTITIONING AND BUNDLING ACCESS TO NETWORK SERVICES AND APPLICATIONS

Abstract

A method (30) and apparatus (10) for bundling and partitioning access rights to network services and applications. The method includes providing communication devices and paired smart cards that are configured to access network services and applications when a smart card paired with a communication device is inserted in or coupled to the communication device. The method also includes transferring a portion of access rights to authorized network services and applications between associated owner smart cards and borrower smart cards using one or more paired communication devices. The method also includes transferring a portion of network service and application access rights between communication devices using one or more paired smart cards. The use of access rights can be limited by duration or in such a way that only one device/smart card pair can access the associated service or application at a given time.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication device and smart card suitable for use in a system and method for partitioning and bundling access to network services and applications;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart that schematically illustrates a method for partitioning and bundling access to network services and applications; and

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a plurality of communication devices and smart cards suitable for use in a system and method for partitioning and bundling access to network services and applications.

Claims

1. A method for providing and transferring access to a plurality of network services and applications, comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of communication devices that are configured to have access to at least a portion of the plurality of network services and applications;providing at least one smart card that is configured to transfer to and transfer from at least one of the plurality of communication devices at least a portion of the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications; andtransferring between the smart card and at least one of the plurality of communication devices at least a portion of the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one smart card further comprises an owner smart card and at least one borrower smart card, and wherein the method further comprises the step of associating the at least one borrower smart card with the owner smart card, wherein rights to access the plurality of network services and applications that have been transferred to the communication device can be accessed only by the owner smart card and borrower smart cards that are associated with the owner smart card.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications are transferred to the communication device by the owner smart card.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one smart card further comprises an owner smart card and at least one borrower smart card, and wherein at least a portion of the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications can be transferred from the owner smart card to at least one of the borrower smart cards, via at least one communication device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one smart card further comprises an owner smart card and at least one borrower smart card, and wherein at least a portion of the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications can be transferred from a first communication device to a second communication device via at least one of the owner smart card and the at least one borrower smart card.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications are encrypted in such a way that the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications can be decrypted by at least one of the smart cards, and wherein the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications are encrypted in such a way that the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications can not be decrypted by the plurality of communication devices.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications can be partitioned into a first portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications and a second portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications, wherein the first portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications is retained by the communication device and the second portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications is retained by the smart card,wherein the first portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications can be used by the pairing of the communication device retaining the first portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications and the smart card retaining the second portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications, and by the pairing of the communication device retaining the first portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications and at least one smart card other than the smart card retaining the second portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications, andwherein the second portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications can be used by the pairing of the smart card retaining the second portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications and the communication device retaining the first portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications, and by the pairing of the smart card retaining the second portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications and at least one communication device other than the communication device retaining the first portion of rights to access the plurality of network services and applications.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications are transferred between the smart card and at least one of the plurality of communication devices in such a way that, at a given time, the plurality of network services and applications are accessible by no more than one pair of a communication device and a smart card coupled to the communication device.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing a pairing between the smart card and at least one of the plurality of communication devices, wherein rights to access the plurality of network services and applications can be transferred only between the smart card and communication devices that have a pairing with the smart card.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of at least one of the communication device and the smart card querying which of the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications are to remain on or be transferred to the smart card and which of the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications are to remain on or be transferred to the communication device.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transferring step includes transferring one or more decryption keys between the smart card and at least one of the plurality of communication devices, wherein the decryption key is accessible to the smart card and inaccessible to the communication devices.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications are configured to expire after a period of time.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication device further comprises a mobile telephone and the smart card further comprises a smart card that includes a subscriber identity module (SIM).

14. A communication device for accessing network services and applications, comprising: a processor/controller configured to allow the communication device access to at least one of a plurality of network services and applications,wherein the communication device is configured to be operably coupled to a smart card that is configured to have stored thereon access rights to at least one of the plurality of network services and applications, wherein the communication device is configured to transfer to and from the smart card access rights to at least one of the plurality of network services and applications,a memory coupled to the processor for storing access rights received by the communication device,wherein the communication device can access only the network services and applications for which access rights thereto are either stored in the communication device or stored on a smart card operably coupled to the communication device.

15. The device as recited in claim 14, wherein the communication device is configured in such a way that access rights are transferable between the communication device and smart cards that have a pairing with the communication device.

16. The device as recited in claim 14, wherein the access rights to access the plurality of network services and applications are partitioned into a first portion of access rights that is stored on the communication device and a second portion of access rights that is stored on a first smart card operably coupled to the communication device, wherein the communication device is configured to have access to network services and applications corresponding to the first portion of access rights when any smart card having an established pairing with the communication device is operably coupled to the communication device, andwherein the communication device is configured to have access to network services and applications corresponding to the second portion of access rights when the smart card having the second portion of access rights stored thereon is operably coupled to the communication device.

17. The device as recited in claim 14, wherein the access rights to access the plurality of network services and applications can be partitioned into a first portion of access rights and a second portion of access rights, wherein the first portion of access rights is stored on the communication device and the second portion of access rights is stored on a first smart card that is configured to be operably coupled to the communication device,wherein the first portion of access rights can be used by the pairing of the communication device retaining the first portion of access rights and the smart card retaining the second portion of access rights, and by the pairing of the communication device retaining the first portion of access rights and at least one smart card other than the smart card retaining the second portion of access rights, andwherein the second portion of access rights can be used by the pairing of the smart card retaining the second portion of access rights and the communication device retaining the first portion of access rights, and by the pairing of the smart card retaining the second portion of access rights and at least one communication device other than the communication device retaining the first portion of access rights.

18. The device as recited in claim 14, wherein the smart card has stored thereon access rights transferred thereto from another communication device, and wherein the communication device is configured to have access to network services and applications corresponding to access rights transferred to the smart card from another communication device when the smart card is operably coupled to the communication device.

19. The device as recited in claim 14, wherein access to at least one of the plurality of network services and applications is encrypted, and wherein the access rights include at least one decryption key.

20. The device as recited in claim 14, wherein the communication device further comprises a mobile telephone and the smart card further comprises a smart card that includes a subscriber identity module (SIM) card.

21. A system for providing and transferring access to network services and applications, comprising: a plurality of communication devices configured to have access to at least a portion of a plurality of network services and applications devices;an owner smart card configured to transfer to and to transfer from at least one of the plurality of communication devices at least a portion of the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications, wherein the owner smart card has an established pairing with at least a portion of the plurality of communication devices; andat least one borrower smart card configured to be operably coupled to the plurality of communication devices, wherein the owner smart card is configured to have an established association with at least one borrower smart card,wherein at least a portion of the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications are transferable between the owner smart card and the communication devices that have a pairing with the owner smart card, andwherein at least a portion of the rights to access the plurality of network services and applications are transferable between a communication device that has an established pairing with the owner smart card and at least one of the borrower smart cards that has an association with the owner smart card.