WO2013014586A1

WO2013014586A1 - A communications system

Info

Publication number: WO2013014586A1
Application number: PCT/IB2012/053708
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gadi Tal COHEN
Original assignee: The Gemorah Trust
Priority date: 2011-07-22
Filing date: 2012-07-20
Publication date: 2013-01-31

Abstract

The invention provides a communication system (1) which includes an electronic database (7) configured to store user specific data corresponding at least in part to data stored on a mobile phone (11) associated with a user (9). The system (1) includes a communications network over which the user specific data is transmitted between the mobile phone (11) and the database (7), a server (5) configured to access the user specific data stored in the database (7) and a remotely accessible user interface (3) configured to enable the user (9) to interact with the server over a local or wide area network. The server (5) enables the user (9) to remotely access the user specific data stored in the database (7) and to replicate at least some of the functionality of the mobile phone (11) from an alternative Internet enabled device by means of the user interface (3).

Description

A COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an electronic communication system. In particular, the invention relates to a communication system for use in a mobile telephone network environment.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Mobile or "cellular" telephones have become one of the most popular forms of telecommunications. Mobile phones have, however, become more than mere telephony devices and are equipped with a variety of other communications capabilities such as, for example, short message services ("SMS"), multimedia message services ("MMS"), instant messaging and e- mail, to name but a few.

Apart from their communications capabilities, mobile phones have also become tools for storing, managing and editing personal diaries, contact lists, multimedia files such as photographs, videos and music, documents and the like. Users of mobile phones rely on these features to organise and plan their day-to-day lives, both socially and for business purposes. With the constant increase in the computational capabilities of mobile phones this reliance is likewise increasing.

A disadvantage of the reliance by users on their mobile phones is, however, that all of a user's personal information tends to be stored on a single device. If the device is lost or stolen, malfunctions or runs out of power the user can lose all the information stored on the phone if it was not properly stored or backed up onto an external storage device or, at best for the user, the information will be temporarily unavailable until power to the device has been restored. The applicant is aware of mobile phone backup facilities that allow real-time as well as delayed, device and user initiated backups of the information stored on a mobile phone to a remote location. These backup operations may be conducted over direct connections between the mobile phone and the backup device such as, for example, USB, Bluetooth, Infra-Red or Wi-Fi to name but a few, or over a data network such as the Internet. The backup facilities, however, still suffer from the disadvantage that the backed up information is typically of little or no use to the user until such time as he or she manages to obtain a replacement phone and restore the backed up information to it. During the time that the user is without an operational mobile phone he or she is generally unable to access the backed up information, to communicate with other people and is also not contactable by others, should the need arise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention there is provided a communication system comprising

an electronic database configured to store user specific data corresponding at least in part to data stored on a mobile phone associated with a user;

a communications network over which the user specific data is transmitted between the mobile phone and the database;

a server configured to access the user specific data stored in the database; and

a remotely accessible user interface configured to enable the user to interact with the server over a local or wide area network, the system being characterized in that the server is further configured to enable the user to access the user specific data stored in the database and to replicate at least some of the functionality of the mobile phone by means of the user interface. Further features of the invention provide for the system to include a mobile phone network provider in data communication with the server and at which the user has a mobile phone account, the network provider being configured to receive transaction commands from the server, the transaction commands having been received by the server from the user by means of the user interface, to execute the transaction commands and to bill the transaction commands to the user's mobile phone account.

Still further features of the invention provide for the user specific data to include any one or more of personal contact information, calendar entries, multimedia files, recorded voice messages, text and SMS, MMS, instant and email messages, numeric or text documents and the like; for the functionality of the mobile phone replicated by the server to include one or more of the making and receiving of voice calls, the sending and receiving of text and SMS, MMS, instant and e-mail messages and the retrieval and answering of recorded voice messages; and for the user to utilise the functionality by means of the user interface over the Internet from any Internet enabled device. Yet further features of the invention provide for the transaction commands to include any one or more of the making of a voice call, the sending of a text and SMS, MMS or instant message or an e-mail message from an e-mail account associated with the mobile phone, to any one or more contacts forming part of the user specific data or provided by the user over the user interface at the time of transmission; for the network provider to bill for the execution of the transaction commands at predetermined rates, for the rates to be comparable to those that would have been billed to the user's mobile phone account had the transaction commands been executed directly from the mobile phone; and for the network provider to route incoming calls or messages to the user's mobile phone account to the server when it is detected that the user's mobile phone is not available on a mobile phone network and for the user interface to be further configured to enable the user the field the incoming calls or messages by means of the user interface.

Further features of the invention provide for the server to be further configured to automatically synchronise the user specific data and/or all transactions conducted from the mobile phone with the database periodically or, alternatively, for the synchronisation to require a user instruction from the mobile phone or the user interface; for the network provider to be configured to direct all activity conducted through the user's mobile phone account through the server, from where it is stored on the database and relayed to the mobile phone when the mobile phone is available on the mobile phone network; for the user interface and server functionality to be available to the user only when the mobile phone is not available on the mobile phone network or, alternatively, for the user interface and server functionality to be available to the user continuously and as an alternative to the mobile phone.

The invention further provides a method of communicating over a mobile telephone network, the method being conducted from a remotely accessible server and comprising the steps of

synchronising over a telecommunications network, at least in part, user specific data stored on a mobile phone of a user with a database associated with the server, the database being accessible to the user by means of an Internet-based user interface associated with the server;

replicating, at least in part, functionality of the mobile phone at the remote server; and

enabling the user to, by means of the user interface, remotely use the replicated functionality of the mobile phone at the remote server from an Internet enabled device over a local or wide area network. Further features of the invention provide for the method to include billing for the replicated functionality directly against an account associated with the user at a mobile network provider; routing the replicated functionality through the mobile network provider; for the replicated functionality to include the making and receiving of phone calls and/or the sending and receiving of text and SMS, MMS, instant and e-mail messages through the mobile network by means of the user interface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described, by way of example only with reference to the accompanying representations in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system in accordance with the invention; and

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an alternative embodiment of a system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

A communication system (1 ) in accordance with the invention for use in a mobile phone network environment is shown in Figure 1 . The system (1 ) includes an Internet-based graphical user interface (3) configured to allow a user (9) to remotely interact with a server (5). A database (7) is accessible by the server (5) and is used to store user specific data. A user (9) in possession of a mobile phone (1 1 ), in turn, has a mobile phone contract with a mobile phone network provider (13) which has associated with it a mobile phone account against which activity, for example the making of telephone phone calls and the sending of text and SMS, MMS, instant and e-mail messages, from the user's mobile phone (1 1 ) are ordinarily billed. The user's contract with the network provider may also include a so-called "pre-paid" contract. In the example described, the user (9) is able to synchronise the data stored on his or her phone (1 1 ), via the mobile phone network (15) onto the database (7). The synchronisation may be conducted by means of a software application installed on the mobile phone (1 1 ) which connects with the database (7), either through the server (5) or directly over the mobile phone network (15). It should be appreciated that the synchronised data will be user specific and may include, but is not limited to, personal contact information, electronic diary and calendar entries, multimedia files such as images, videos and sound clips, numerical or text documents and the like. The synchronisation may be conducted automatically by the software in the background or, alternatively, upon instruction from the user (9). It is, however, also possible that synchronisation may be conducted without the need for an additional software application installed on the mobile phone and that standard communication protocols that the phone is provided with may be used.

The server (5) is further configured to replicate at least some of the functionality of the mobile phone (1 1 ) such as, for example, the making of telephone calls, accessing and responding to recorded voice messages or the sending of text and other messages. In order to make use of the replicated functionality the user (9) logs into an account associated with him or her at the server (5), which account is accessed by the user (9) navigating to the user interface (3) via the Internet (17) from any Internet enabled device such as, for example, a laptop (19) or tablet, desktop (21 ), another mobile phone (23), Internet enabled televisions, gaming consoles and the like. The interface (3) may require the user to enter a username and password to gain access to the account. Once the user (9) has accessed the account it has access to all the synchronised information specific to his or her mobile phone and may use the functionality provided by the server (5), through the interface (3). The user (9) may for example, phone one of his or her contacts that would have been stored previously in his or her mobile phone address book, directly from the interface (3) while using a speaker (25) and microphone (27) provided with the internet enabled device.

When the user (9) selects to make the phone call from the user interface (3), the server (5) transmits a transaction command, being to establish the telephone connection with the requested contact, to the network provider (13). The network provider (13) in turn connects the call to the applicable contact (29) through its existing mobile phone network (15). It should immediately be apparent that communication between the user (9) and server (5), and the server (5) and network provider (13) in turn, may take place over the Internet by means of any suitable Voice over Internet Protocol ("VOIP") functionality. The network provider (13) will manage the telephone call for its duration and bill the user's account according to its applicable rates or other, special rates as may be fixed by the network provider from time to time. Likewise, if the user (9) wants to send a text or SMS, MMS or instant message to one of his or her personal contacts, he or she can do so from the user interface (3). On receiving the message instruction from the user (9) the server (5) passes on the message to the network provider (13) who in turn sends it to the applicable contact (29) over the mobile phone network (15) and bills the user's account accordingly.

It will be appreciated that the system (1 ) can also be used by the user (9) to receive both voice communication and other messages by means of the user interface (3) at the server (5) through the mobile phone network (15). This can be done when the user's mobile phone (1 1 ) is not available on the mobile phone network (15) or, if appropriate, on both the mobile phone (1 1 ) directly as well as through the server (5), in which case the user (9) may elect to use whichever is most convenient. In the case of a voice call, the mobile network provider (13) routes the call to the server (5) which in turn delivers an appropriate notification on the user interface (3) from where the user (9) may receive it on the Internet enabled device of its choice. If the user's mobile phone (1 1 ) is not available on the mobile phone network (15), all incoming messages, be it voice, text or otherwise, are spooled at the server (5) and stored on the database (7) until such time as the mobile phone again becomes available. Once available the messages may then be relayed to the mobile phone (1 1 ) from where they may be attended to by the user (9). It should, however, be appreciated that they may also be attended to by the user directly through the user interface (3) from the Internet enabled device. It may be possible for the server (5) to be configured to delete the messages from the database (7) once they have been successfully relayed to the mobile phone (1 1 ) or for the server to keep copies of the messages on the server from where they may again be accessed at a later stage.

The communication system according to the invention provides the ability for a user to have access to the information stored on his or her mobile phone as well as to use the mobile phone functionality without actually being in possession of the phone. It should be appreciated that the invention overcomes, at least to some extent, the problems associated with a user losing his or her mobile phone or having the mobile phone malfunction. The invention also allows the user to be reachable by other people through his or her normal mobile phone number even though he or she is not actually in possession of the phone or the phone is not working.

It should also be appreciated that numerous changes and modifications may be made to the embodiment of the invention described above without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, it is envisaged that the various components of the system may be positioned in close proximity to one another or physically removed from one another. In the embodiment described, the server and database may be operated and maintained by an independent service provider. An external data communication between the service provider and the mobile phone network provider will therefore be established. The components may also be part of a single system operated and maintained by the mobile network provider as shown in more detail in Figure 2. In Figure 2, like features to those described with reference to Figure 1 are indicated with like numerals.

The database (7) and server (5) in the example of the invention shown in Figure 2 are all part of the mobile network provider's (13) infrastructure. This embodiment alleviates the need for the network provider to use a third party service provider to host the server (5), user interface (3) and database (7). It should be appreciated that this enables the network provider (13) to have full control over the system and employ it as an addition to its normal service offering. The network provider (13) may also apply different rates for communications that are sent over the system (1 ) than to those communicated over the normal mobile network (15) directly from the user's mobile phone (1 1 ). In addition, the system allows the network operator to offer a host of additional services to the user (9), which may all be accessed by the user over the user interface (3). These services may, for example, include interactive billing systems by means of which the user may view phone bills, itemised billing, link itemised billing events to its personal contacts, cancel a SIM card or cellular phone when the phone is lost, damaged or stolen, block phone calls and messages from specified phone numbers, upgrade or migrate contract packages, purchase message or data bundles, buy additional airtime if the user is on a pre-paid contract and view available talk time, messages or data.

It is also foreseeable that the service or network provider, as the case may be, may utilise a third party storage facility in addition to, or as an alternative to, their own storage facilities. Likewise, the providers may also make use of cloud storage to store the user specific data. It is, for example, also foreseen that a user may replicate or backup the personal information stored on his or her mobile phone on a personal or private storage device and for such backup to be stored in a specified format which would enable the user to link the backup to the server at his or her option, thereby making use the system possible in the manner described previously. In addition to the features described above, it is also foreseen that the system in accordance with the invention can be utilised to provide a large array of additional functionality. Some of these may, for example, include enabling the user to manage his or her personal information (such as contacts, diary etc.) online though the user interface. Changes made to the information online will then be propagated to the user's mobile phone. The user may also be able to view all undelivered voice and other messages and respond to them in any order he or she wishes. The mobile network provider may also raise an additional charge (or alternatively a lower charge) to a user if the user chooses to use the standard mobile functionality through the user interface. This could, for example, be the case when the system is operated by an independent third party service provider that charges the mobile phone network provider for its services.

In order to gain access to the server, the user may be required to identify his or her mobile phone by, for example, entering the phone number associated with the phone. This will enable the server and mobile phone network provider to easily identify the account that the user's transactions should be billed to. In addition to the phone number, a suitable username and password, the system may also require the user to enter a unique one-time- pin which it could, for example, send to an e-mail address associated with the user and registered against the user's account. This will provide an additional level of security preventing at least to some extent unauthorized access to the user's account. It is also foreseen that that the system may send an out of band user authentication message to the user's mobile phone, provided of course it is still available, requesting the user to confirm that it is attempting to access the server and interact with its account. This out of band authentication may be conducted by any suitable means including, for example, SMS, MSD, USSD and the like. The system may also provide functionality for the user to backup or archive read messages, be it voice or otherwise, and to allow the user the access them again at a much later stage. In addition, the system may provide voice (and other) message management service such as, for example, linking of voicemails to existing contacts, automatic transcribing of voice messages and the recording and managing of the user's personalised voice-mail messages.

The system may also provide convenient account management tools such as the viewing, payment and otherwise of the user's accounts. Additional messaging services that may be provided through the user interface may include e-mail to text and text to e-mail messaging, the archiving and reviewing of already sent messages, spell checkers as well as multimedia editing of messages.

The system also provides a useful mechanism whereby a user may recover personal information to his or her mobile phone when his or her phone is replaced. To do so the user may simply be able to synchronise the new phone with the information stored in his or her account in the database. It should be appreciated that this too provides a significant improvement over existing systems. It is foreseen that the system may conveniently be configured to provide cross-platform synchronisation over the various major mobile telephone platforms, or operating systems, including, but not limited to, Google's Android, Apple's iOS, Nokia's Symbian, RIM's BlackBerry OS, Samsung's Bada, Microsoft's Windows Phone, Hewlett-Packard's webOS, and embedded Linux distributions such as Maemo and MeeGo.

It is also foreseen that the system according to the invention will provide advertising opportunities through the user interface. In addition, the server may include functionality to edit messages passing through it by inserting suitable advertising material. This advertising material could be personalised to the particular user based on characteristics compiled from his or her personal information stored on the database.

The user interface and system may also be adapted to enable a user to retrieve PIN or PUK numbers associated with his or her mobile phone, to manage account access credentials such as, for example, passwords and usernames, to block or unblock other telephone numbers, update personal information and call and message limits and to set up personal call barring, forwarding, diverting, waiting and/or conferences calling rules.

The user interface may also include instant messaging ("chat") capabilities whereby users may communicate with other users or request and receive technical or account assistance from system operators. It is also foreseen that the voice call functionality of the system may allow video calls.

The system may also require a user to install a downloadable software application onto the Internet enabled device he or she chooses to access the system with. When the application is activated on the Internet enabled device, the application may connect the user directly to the system and remain so connected for the remainder of the session. When so connected the user will be able to send and receive text message and make or receive voice calls in real-time, directly through his or her mobile phone account, directly from the Internet enabled device, thereby alleviating the need for the user to use his or her mobile phone at all. It should be appreciated that such voice calls may be made to the user's existing contacts, the details of which will be accessible to the user by means of the user interface, but also to other telephone numbers which the user may enter directly onto the interface. It is also foreseen that the system may be adapted to allow the user and/or network provider to limit or restrict certain functionality provided by the system. The system may also allow a user to voluntarily divert all incoming communications that would typically be routed straight to his or her mobile phone, to the server online, from where it may be accessed by means of the user interface through the Internet. The user may activate this functionality by means of an option exercised from the user interface online. This will, for example, be a very useful feature if the user has temporarily misplaced his or her mobile phone, if the phone has been lost or stolen or simply unintentionally left at home. This feature will also avoid communications being intercepted by a person who may temporarily be in possession of the user's mobile phone. Alternatively, the user may simply prefer to receive mobile phone related communications on an alternative Internet enabled device that he or she is working on. This, alternative device could, for example, be a laptop or desktop computer, or a tablet. With the proliferation of tablet devices it should be appreciated that the system according to the invention may allow a user to replicate the functionality of his or her mobile phone on the table, thereby essentially alleviating the need to carry a separate mobile phone at all.

The system according to the invention may be used with any mobile or other telephone network including, for example, Global System for Mobile communication ("GSM") networks, Code Division Multiple Access ("CDMA") networks, 2G, 3G or Long Term Evolution ("LTE") networks, and the like.

It is furthermore foreseen that the system of the invention may be configured to allow a user to use his or her mobile phone service provider as an Internet Service Provider from any Internet Enabled Device, and to use data bundles provided on his or her mobile phone contract to browse the Internet from the alternative device. The user may accordingly be allowed to log into his or her account with the server and to activate a data bundle which he or she has previously purchased or for which he or she will be charged for by the mobile phone service provider at a predetermined rate, and may use the data to browse the Internet or conduct other functions that require Internet access, from the alternative device. The user's data usage may accordingly be charged against his or her normal account with the mobile service provider.

Numerous additional features and functionality may be added to the system described without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

A communication system (1 ) comprising:

an electronic database (7) configured to store user specific data corresponding at least in part to data stored on a mobile phone (1 1 ) associated with a user (9);

a communications network (17) over which the user specific data is transmitted to the database (7);

a server (5) configured to access the user specific data stored in the database (7); and

a remotely accessible user interface (3) configured to enable the user (9) to interact with the server (5) over a local or wide area network, the system (1 ) being characterized in that the server (5) is further configured to enable the user (9) to access the user specific data stored in the database (7) and to replicate at least some of the functionality of the mobile phone (1 1 ) by means of the user interface (3).

A system (1 ) as claimed in claim 1 which includes a mobile phone network provider (13) in data communication with the server (5) and at which the user (9) has a mobile phone account, the network provider (13) being configured to receive transaction commands from the server (5), the transaction commands having been received by the server (5) from the user (9) by means of the user interface (3), to execute the transaction commands and to bill the transaction commands to the user's (9) mobile phone account.

A system (1 ) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the user specific data includes any one or more of personal contact information, calendar entries, multimedia files, recorded voice messages, text and SMS, MMS, instant and email messages, numeric or text documents and the like.

4. A system (1 ) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the functionality of the mobile phone (1 1 ) replicated by the server (5) includes one or more of the making and receiving of voice calls, the sending and receiving of text and SMS, MMS, instant and e-mail messages and the retrieval and answering of recorded voice messages.

5. A system (1 ) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the user (9) utilises the functionality by means of the user interface (3) over the Internet (17) from an Internet (17) enabled device.

6. A system (1 ) as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 in which the transaction commands include any one or more of the making of a voice call, the sending of a text and SMS, MMS or instant message or an e-mail message from an e-mail account associated with the mobile phone (1 1 ), to any one or more contacts forming part of the user specific data.

7. A system (1 ) as claimed in claim 6 in which the network provider (13) is further configured to bill for the execution of the transaction commands at rates comparable to those that would have been billed to the user's

(9) mobile phone account had the commands been executed directly from the mobile phone (1 1 ).

8. A system (1 ) as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 in which the network provider (13) is configured to route incoming calls or messages to the user's (9) mobile phone account to the server (5) when it is detected that the user's mobile phone (1 1 ) is not available on a mobile phone network (15). 9. A system (1 ) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the server (5) or mobile phone (23) is configured to automatically synchronise the user specific data and/or all transactions conducted from the mobile phone (1 1 ) with the database (7) periodically or for the synchronisation to require a user instruction from the mobile phone (1 1 ) or the user interface (3). 10. A system (1 ) as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 9 in which the network provider (13) is configured to direct all activity conducted through the user's (9) mobile phone account through the server (5), from where it is stored on the database (7) and relayed to the mobile phone (1 1 ) when the mobile phone (1 1 ) is available on the mobile phone network (15).

A system (1 ) as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10 in which the user interface (3) and server (5) functionality is available to the user (9) only when the mobile phone (1 1 ) is not available on the mobile phone network (15) or for the user interface (3) and server (5) functionality to be available to the user (9) continuously and as an alternative to the mobile phone (1 1 ).

A method of communicating over a mobile phone network (15) comprising

synchronising over a communications network (17), at least in part, user specific data stored on a mobile phone (1 1 ) of a user (9) with a remotely accessible database (7), the database (7) being accessible to the user (9) by means of an Internet-based user interface (3) associated with a remote server (5);

replicating, at least in part, functionality of the mobile phone (1 1 ) at the remote server (5); and

enabling the user (9) to use the replicated functionality at the remote server (5) over a local or wide area network by means of the user interface (3). A method as claimed in claim 12 which includes routing the replicated functionality through a mobile network provider (13) at which the user (9) has a mobile phone account and billing use of the functionality directly to the account.

A method as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13 in which the replicated functionality includes the making and receiving of phone calls and/or the sending and receiving of text and SMS, MMS, instant and e-mail messages through the mobile network by means of the user interface (3).