Telecommunications system

Abstract

In a telecommunications system such as a global mobile telephone network in which each subscriber unit includes a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM card), each SIM card has fixed memory locations, to which data can be addressed over the air. Some of the locations can not be overwritten from the subscriber unit but can be accessed therefrom on the entry of short simple codes, each associated with one of the locations. Further fixed memory locations can be read over the air only when the subscriber enters a personal identification number. Locking control files are used to control read/write access to the locations respectively.

1 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A method of communicating between a remote station and a cellular telephone capable of two-way voice communication comprising the steps of:
 selectively transmitting from the remote station to the cellular telephone an SMS text message containing text;   selectively transmitting from the remote station to the cellular telephone an SMS command message containing a command and associated data, the cellular telephone including a SIM card that is removably coupled to the cellular telephone;   detecting with the cellular telephone an incoming communication as an incoming SMS message and passing the incoming SMS message to the SIM card;   providing a SIM card memory on the SIM card which stores the incoming SMS message;   distinguishing the incoming SMS message as being either the SMS command message or the SMS text message using the SIM card;   if the incoming SMS message is the SMS text message, then the SIM card causing at least a portion of the text contained in the SMS text message to be displayed on a display associated with the cellular telephone; and   if the incoming SMS message is the SMS command message, then the SIM card decoding the command contained in the SMS command message to use as a an input to a microprocessor.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the text and the command are formatted using a common encoding method which uses a set of n-bit words comprised of a first subset of the n-bit words that represent the text, and a second subset of the n-bit words represent commands, including the command. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the SMS text message and the SMS command message are transmitted over a common messaging channel. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the common channel is a GSM channel. 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the first and second message types are formatted using a common formatting method. 
     
     
         36 . A method of communicating between a remote station and a cellular telephone capable of two-way voice communication, comprising the steps of:
 selectively transmitting from the remote station to the cellular telephone an SMS text message containing text;   selectively transmitting from the remote station to the cellular telephone an SMS command message containing a write command and associated write data to be written into a memory of the cellular telephone configured to store the write data, the cellular telephone including a SIM card that is releaseably inserted in the cellular telephone;   detecting an incoming communication as an incoming SMS message and passing the incoming SMS message to the SIM card using the cellular telephone;   processing the incoming SMS message an SMS command message or an SMS text message using the SIM card;   if the incoming SMS message is the SMS text message, then the SIM card causing at least a portion of the text contained in the SMS text message to be displayed on a display associated with the cellular telephone; and   if the incoming SMS message is the SMS command message, then the SIM card decoding the write command contained in the SMS command message.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the text and the write command are formatted using at least one shared encoding scheme in a shared communication channel. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the text and the write command are formatted using a common formatting method. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the common formatting method uses a set of n-bit words comprised of a first subset of the n-bit words that represent the text, and a second subset of the n-bit words represent commands, including the write command. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the SMS text message and the SMS command message are transmitted over a common channel. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the common channel is a GSM channel. 
     
     
         42 . A method of communicating between a remote station and a cellular telephone that includes a memory, a display, a first processor, and a second processor, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving at the cellular telephone from the remote station a message which can be of either a first message type containing text to be displayed to an end user of the cellular telephone, or a second message type containing a write command and associated write data to be written to the memory;   if the message is the first message type, the first processor displaying some or all of the text on a display of the display; and   if the message is the second message type, the second processor automatically, and without end user intervention, executing the write command and writing the associated write data to the memory.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the cellular telephone receiving is performed without requiring end user interaction. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the write command comprises an embedded command. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the messages of the first and second types are transmitted using a common protocol. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the messages of the first and second types are formatted using a common formatting method. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the memory includes a first set of memory locations that are accessible to the cellular telephone, and a second set of memory locations that cannot be overwritten from the cellular telephone, the method further comprising the steps of:
 if the message received by the cellular telephone is of the first message type, the first processor storing at least a portion of the text to be displayed in the first set of memory locations; and   if the message received by the cellular telephone is of the second message type, the second processor storing the associated write data in the second set of memory locations.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the memory includes a first set of memory locations that can be overwritten from the cellular telephone, and a second set of memory locations that cannot be overwritten from the cellular telephone, the method further comprising the steps of:
 if the message received by the cellular telephone is of the first message type, the first processor storing at least a portion of the text to be displayed in the first set of memory locations; and   if the message received by the cellular telephone is of the second message type, the second processor storing the associated write data in the second set of memory locations.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein if the message received by the cellular telephone is of the second message type, the second processor determining whether it contains corrupt or invalid data, and if the second processor determines that the message contains corrupt or invalid data, the second processor discarding the message.