Patent Application
20070111726
Improvements in display, processor and memory technology have reached the point that mobile terminals, once used primarily for voice communications, can now function as small handheld computers. Users can manage personal information such as address books, contact lists, calendars, and e-mails using applications running on their mobile terminal. The mobile terminal may also serve as a media player allowing users to play or view media content, such as images, video, and audio. Mobile terminals often include a sophisticated graphic operating system with a graphical user interface similar to a desktop computer. Users can customize the graphical user interface, for example, by installing custom wallpapers, themes, and ring tones. Individual applications may also allow users to set preferences and options according to the user's needs and personal preferences. Users may also download personal files to the mobile terminal.
While improving the user experience, the ever increasing functionality of mobile terminals presents some challenges. One problem is the difficulty encountered when a user replaces a mobile terminal. The process of configuring the mobile terminal and downloading personal files can be a tedious and time consuming process. Currently, there is no way to transfer user customizations of the operating environment and the data files from one mobile terminal to another. Thus, the user must spend significant time to configure their new mobile terminal when an old mobile terminal is replaced. Another problem is encountered when a user needs to borrow or lease a mobile terminal. The user is not likely to be familiar with the features of the borrowed or leased mobile terminal. Also, the experience of using a borrowed or leased mobile terminal will be less rewarding because the borrowed or leased mobile terminal has not been customized to suit the user's preferences.
A roaming profile for a mobile terminal user may be stored in a centralized database in a network that can be accessed through a mobile communication network. The roaming profile stores a user's individualized settings for the mobile terminal that control the operating environment, the function of programmable features, and application preferences. For example, the roaming profile may specify specific wallpapers, screensavers, or ring tones. The roaming profile may also include account and billing information. A mobile terminal may, responsive to a login event, access the remote profile database in the network to retrieve and load the user's roaming profile. Thus, the user can have his or her own personal settings applied to any mobile terminal that the user may happen to use.
RAN 20 comprises a plurality of base transceiver stations (BTSs) 22 and one or more base station controllers (BSCs) 24. A single BTS 22 and BSC 24 is referred to collectively herein as a base station. The BTS 22 is the radio part of the base station and contains the radio equipment for communicating with the mobile terminals 100. The BSC is the control part of the base station that manages the radio resources and provides connection to the core network 30. The functions performed by BSC 24 include allocating radio resources, terminating air interface layer 2 and layer 3 protocols, diversity combining, scheduling, power control, etc. A single BSC 24 may function as the control part for multiple base stations.
The core network 30 comprises one or more serving GPRS support nodes (SGSNs) 32 and at least one gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) 34. The SGSN 32 is responsible for most session management, QoS management, mobility management, and authentication functions. The GGSN 34 serves as a gateway between the core network 30 and external IP networks. The SGSNs 32 and GGSNs 34 are connected by an IP backbone network 36.
System processor 102 controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal 100 according to programs stored in memory 104. The control functions may be implemented in a single processor, or in multiple processors. Suitable processors may include general purpose microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. Memory 104 represents the entire hierarchy of memory in the mobile terminal 100, and may include both random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). Computer programs and data required for operation are stored in non-volatile memory, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and/or flash memory, which may be implemented as discrete devices, stacked devices, or may be integrated with one or more processors. Computer programs stored in memory include an operating system program 104a, such as Windows CE, as well as various application programs 104b-104d, such as email clients 104b, web browsers calendar programs 104c, and contact management programs 104d. These programs may be stand alone programs or part of a single integrated program. Memory 104 may also store user accounts 104e and user data 104f. User accounts 104e include individual user profiles and other information used by the operating system 104a.
The user interface 110 includes one or more user input devices and a display 118. The user input devices may comprise any known computer input device. The exemplary embodiment includes a keypad 112, a navigation control 114, and a plurality of control buttons 116. Keypad 112 is a conventional numeric keypad. The navigation control 114 comprises a joystick control. Other pointing devices, such as a touch pad or scroll wheel, may also be used as a navigation control 114. The control buttons 116 may have different functions assigned depending on the current operating mode. In a preferred embodiment, the function of the control buttons 116 is programmable by the user. A voice recognition system or touch screen display may also be used to receive user input. Display 118 preferably presents a graphical user interface to the user. Through the graphical user interface 118, the user can view information such as menus, menu options, and output from various applications. The graphical user interface 118 may allow certain display properties, such as wallpapers, backgrounds, and screensavers to be changed by the user to suit the user's preferences.
Transceiver 120 is coupled to antenna 122 for receiving and transmitting signals. Transceiver 120 is a fully functional cellular radio transceiver, which may operate according to any known standard, including the standards known generally as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), TIA/EIA-136, cdmaOne, cdma2000, UMTS, and Wideband CDMA.
Audio circuits 130 receive analog audio inputs from microphone 132 and provide basic analog output signals to speaker 134. Microphone 132 converts the detected speech and other audible signals into electrical audio signals and speaker 134 converts analog audio signals into audible signals that can be heard by the user.
Improvements in display, memory, and processing technology have enabled mobile terminals 100 to function as small handheld computers. The operating system 104a provides a graphical user interface similar to that used on many personal computers. The operating system 104a provides a platform for running a host of applications. For example, mobile terminal 100 may be sold with applications such as a contact manager, email client, web browser, and one or more media players. The operating system 104a allows the user to customize the working environment and settings that control how the mobile terminal 100 operates. For example, operating system 104a may allow the user to customize user interface elements such as desktop wallpapers, screen savers, icons, menus, and ring tones. Individual applications 104b-104d on the mobile terminal 100 may also allow customization by the user. For example, a web browser may allow the user to store bookmarks, or to set preferences for how cookies and pop-up windows are handled. The mobile terminal 100 may further include programmable functions that can be programmed by the user to customize the way the mobile terminal 100 operates to suit the user. For example, programmable functions may be used to assign preset functions to the control buttons 116. The user settings that control the operating environment, program settings, programmable functions, and other customizable features of the mobile terminal 100 are stored in a user profile in a local memory 104 or cache in the mobile terminal 100. The user profile may comprise a single file or a collection of files. In addition to the customizable features of the mobile terminal 100 and its applications, the user may enter and store user data 104f in the mobile terminal 100. Such user data 104f may include phone and address books, calendars, emails, media files, and various types of data files.
Operating system 104a allows individual user accounts 104e to be set up for different users. For example, a phone that is shared by a family may include a separate user account 104e for each family member. A separate user profile is associated with each user account 104e so that each individual user can customize the mobile terminal 100 to suit their preferences. A login script is executed when the mobile terminal 100 is turned on, prompting the user to log in. The user may log in, for example, by entering a user name and password. When the user logs in, system processor 102 accesses the user's profile stored in memory 104 and sets up the operating environment, program settings and programmable functions according to the user's profile, i.e., loads the user's profile. If desired, each user profile may include separate account and billing information so that each individual user can be billed separately for his or her use. The service operator may, as a service to its customers, bill the individual user separately or list each user's charges separately on a single statement.
A user may spend a significant amount of time customizing the mobile terminal 100 to suit the user's preferences. The user may also spend significant time inputting data, such as contact lists, calendars, and address books, and copying files into the memory 104 of the mobile terminal 100. A problem may therefore be encountered when the user replaces the mobile terminal 100. In the past, the user must repeat the entire process of customizing the mobile terminal 100 and inputting data into the memory 104 of the mobile terminal 100 when it is replaced.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the customizable user settings and preferences stored in the local user profile may be uploaded to a centralized database within the mobile communication network 10 along with the user's data files. When a user replaces their mobile terminal 100, the user can download their user profile containing their customized settings and preferences from the centralized database to their new mobile terminal 100 along with selected data files. For example, if the user has custom desktop wallpapers or ring tones, the image files and sound files associated therewith may be downloaded with the user profile. Thus, the tedious process of customizing the mobile terminal 100 is avoided.
The network server 50 may provide synchronization and backup services to the mobile terminal 100. The synchronization service is a service that periodically synchronizes the user profiles stored in the profile database 52 with the local user profile stored in the mobile terminal 100. The backup service is a service that periodically backs up specified files stored in the mobile terminal 100. File synchronization and backups may be initiated either by the mobile terminal 100 or by the network sever 50. For example, the user of the mobile terminal 100 may schedule the synchronization and backup at a specific time each day, e.g. 2:00 AM daily.
The file server database 54 may be used to implement a file-swapping service. Because memory 104 in a mobile terminal 100 is limited, a user may not be able to store all of their files in the mobile terminal memory 104. For example, the mobile terminal 100 may function as a media player that allows users to listen to their music. The user may have more music files that can be accommodated within the mobile terminal's memory 104. With only a limited amount of memory 104, the user must choose which song files to store in memory 104. Thus, the user's song choices are limited by what can be stored in memory 104. However, if the user stores music files in the file server database 54, the user can connect with the network server 50 to swap files stored in the mobile terminal memory 104 for files stored in the file server database 54 in the network 10. Thus, the user may have access to a vast library of songs that far exceeds the mobile terminal's memory capacity.
The network server 50 may be used to enable roaming profiles. On occasion, the user may need to borrow or rent a mobile terminal 100 owned by another. A user account may be set up containing an address to the user's roaming profile. Alternatively, the mobile terminal 100 may allow the user to log in as a guest user. In this case, the guest user may be prompted to enter the guest user's own phone number or other identifying information. Using information stored in the use account or entered by the user during login, the mobile terminal 100 may connect to the network server 50 to request download of the user's roaming profile. After downloading the user's roaming profile, the mobile terminal 100 can configure the mobile terminal 100 according to the user's roaming profile to the extent that the customized settings are compatible with the borrowed or leased mobile terminal 100. If no roaming profile exists for the user, a default profile may be used. When the user's roaming profile is downloaded from the network server 50, any needed files may be downloaded with the roaming profile. For example, if the roaming profile includes custom wallpapers or ring tones, the image file associated with the wallpaper and the sound file associated with the ring tone may be downloaded. Also, some of the user's data files, such as contact lists, email messages, or other such files, may be downloaded. The specific data files to be downloaded may be specified in the user's roaming profile. The roaming profile may also include account and billing information so that charges for the use of the borrowed or rented mobile terminal 100 can be charged to the roaming user, rather than the owner of the mobile terminal 100.
If the user has previously logged on, the log-in procedure determines whether the user account indicates that the user has a roaming profile (block 214). If not, the log-in script opens the local user profile for the user (block 216). If a roaming profile is indicated by the user account, the log-in script determines whether the user has selected the local profile (block 218). If so, the log-in script opens the local user profile (block 216). If the local user profile is not selected, the log-in script initiates communication with the network server 50 and determines whether the roaming profile is more current than the local user profile (block 220). If the roaming profile is more current, the roaming profile is downloaded from the database 52 (block 222). If the local profile is more current, the log-in script may notify the user that the local profile is more current (block 224) and prompt the user to use the local profile (block 226). Depending upon the user's response, the log-in script will either download the roaming profile (block 222) or open the local user profile (block 216). When the log-in script downloads the roaming profile from the database 52, the user may be prompted to create a local user profile or to replace or update the existing local user profile.
With the roaming user profile, the user may download their customized settings and preferences into any compatible mobile terminal 100. Thus, a user borrowing a mobile terminal 100 from a friend can have their own customized desktops and ring tones. Further, the downloaded user profile may indicate specific files to be downloaded along with the user profile. For customized desktop wallpaper, the corresponding image file may be downloaded. For a customized ring tone, the corresponding sound file may be downloaded. Additionally, the user's individual contact lists may be downloaded along with, or as part of, the profile. In one exemplary embodiment, an index of the user's contacts is downloaded along with the user's profile. When the user selects a contact, the contact information can be downloaded from the network and stored locally.
The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other ways than those specifically set forth herein without departing from essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.
