Subscriber Identity Module Card

Abstract

A SIM card for a phone has a first memory partition on which a phone user identity and phone network access data are stored. A service usage monitoring application is stored in a memory. The service usage monitoring application (a) logs information about a service used via the phone, (b) creates a service usage record for the service activity based on the information, (c) stores the service usage record in a buffer, (d) creates a reporting message containing at least one service usage data record, (e) sends the reporting message to a remote server at a preset interval based on a triggered event, and (f) purges the at least one service usage record from the buffer upon successful transmission of the reporting message.

1 . A Subscriber Identity Module (“SIM”) card for a communication device, comprising: 
 a first memory partition on which a user identity and network access data are stored;    a second memory partition on which a service usage monitoring application is stored;    wherein the service usage monitoring application is adapted to: 
 detect and log information about a service utilized via the wireless device,  
 create a service usage record for the service based on the information,  
 create a reporting message containing at least one service usage record, and  
 send the reporting message to a remote server.  
   
   
   
       2 . The SIM card according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication device is at least one of: (i) a GSM cellular phone; (ii) a CDMA cellular phone; (iii) a personal data assistant; (iv) a wireless media device; (v) digital cable set-top box; and (vi) a wireless e-mail device; (vii) Wi-Fi Phone; (viii) Wi-Max Phone; (ix) network access point.  
   
   
       3 . The SIM card according to  claim 2 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is further adapted to store the service usage record in a buffer.  
   
   
       4 . The SIM card according to  claim 3 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is further adapted to purge the at least one service usage record from the buffer upon successful transmission of the reporting message.  
   
   
       5 . The SIM card according to  claim 4 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is further adapted to send the reporting message at a preset interval based on a triggered condition.  
   
   
       6 . The SIM card according to  claim 4 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is further adapted to send the reporting message using a communication protocol used by the communication device.  
   
   
       7 . The SIM card according to  claim 4 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is further adapted to send the reporting message using a GSM wireless communications protocol selected from a group consisting of: short message device protocol, general packet radio service protocol, user datagram protocol, and a circuit-switched data calling protocol.  
   
   
       8 . The SIM card according to  claim 1 , wherein the service is selected from a group consisting of: voice calling service, messaging service, general packet radio service, data transmission service, execution of a purchase transaction service, downloading service, streaming media service, location based service, and picture messaging.  
   
   
       9 . The SIM card according to  claim 1 , wherein the information includes at least one of: (i) a start time of the service; (ii) a destination number when a user of the communication device initiates an outbound service; (iii) type of service; and (iv) a phone number and an origin number when the user receives an inbound service.  
   
   
       10 . The SIM card according to  claim 1 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is further adapted to perform at least one of: (i) periodically updating a record of a length of the service during the use of the service; and (ii) logging an end time at the end of the service.  
   
   
       11 . The SIM card according to  claim 10 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is further adapted to determine time by referencing a clock/timer on the communication device.  
   
   
       12 . The SIM card according to  claim 1 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is implemented using program code stored on the SIM card.  
   
   
       13 . The SIM card according to  claim 1 , wherein the triggered condition is based on at least one of: (i) time; (ii) message size; and (iii) accumulated service usage units count.  
   
   
       14 . The SIM card according to  claim 1 , wherein the SIM card is further adapted to receive a control message from the remote server, the control message including parameters to at least one of: (i) control the service on the communication device; and (ii) to optimize a reporting frequency of the reporting message.  
   
   
       15 . The SIM card according to  claim 14 , wherein the parameters include at least one of: (i) a time frequency at which the reporting message is sent to the remote server; (ii) a message size threshold to determine when the reporting message is sent; (iii) a service count limit of the service before the reporting message is sent; and (iv) a maximum service duration allowed by the SIM card.  
   
   
       16 . The SIM card according to  claim 14 , wherein the parameters include an ability to command the SIM card to do at least one of: (i) immediately send the reporting message; and (ii) set a transmission time of the reporting message according to a predefined event.  
   
   
       17 . The SIM card according to  claim 16 , wherein the predefined event is selected from the group consisting of: power-up, power-down, occurrence of a predefined error condition, communication device change of geographic state, and detection of a user input.  
   
   
       18 . The SIM card according to  claim 14 , wherein the control message enables or disables a mode of the service, the mode of the service being selected from the group consisting of: voice calling service, messaging service, general packet radio service, data transmission service, execution of a purchase transaction service, downloading service, streaming media service, location based service, and picture messaging.  
   
   
       19 . The SIM card according to  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the control message and the at least one service usage record is transparent to a user of the communication device.  
   
   
       20 . The SIM card according to  claim 14 , wherein the control message causes an updating of the service usage monitoring application by (i) downloading new code libraries to the SIM card; and (ii) commanding the service usage monitoring application to utilize the new code libraries and to purge old code libraries.  
   
   
       21 . The SIM card according to  claim 1 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is further adapted to: (i) interrogate the communication device to determine if a plurality of predetermined standards are met by the communication device; and (ii) invalidating the SIM card if at least one of the plurality of predetermined standards are not met by the communication device.  
   
   
       22 . The SIM card according to  claim 1 , wherein access between the first memory partition and the second memory partition is (i) secure, (ii) controlled locally, and (iii) limited to pre-selected SIM elemental files.  
   
   
       23 . The SIM card according to  claim 14 , wherein the control message shuts off the service on the communication device when a predetermined service threshold has been met by the communication device.  
   
   
       24 . The SIM card according to  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the reporting message and the control message are encrypted.  
   
   
       25 . The SIM card according to  claim 1 , wherein the reporting message is sent via a communication protocol used by the communication device.  
   
   
       26 . The SIM card according to  claim 1 , wherein the reporting message is sent via a CDMA wireless communications protocol selected from a group consisting of: short message service protocol, 1xRTT protocol, user datagram protocol, and a circuit-switched packet data calling protocol.  
   
   
       27 . The SIM card according to  claim 1 , wherein the service is selected from a group consisting of: voice calling service, messaging service, general packet radio service, data transmission service, execution of a purchase transaction service, downloading service, streaming media service, location based service, and picture messaging.  
   
   
       28 . A Subscriber Identity Module (“SIM”) for a communications device, comprising: 
 a first memory partition on which a user identity and network access data are stored;    a second memory partition on which a service usage monitoring application is stored, wherein access between the first memory partition and the second memory partition is limited to SIM elemental files to control access to a network;    wherein the service usage monitoring application is adapted to: 
 detect and log information about a service utilized via the communications device,  
 create a service usage record for the service based on the information,  
 create a reporting message containing at least one service usage record, and  
 send the reporting message to a remote server.  
   
   
   
       29 . The SIM according to  claim 28 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is adapted to store the service usage record in a buffer.  
   
   
       30 . The SIM according to  claim 29 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is adapted to purge the at least one service usage record from the buffer upon successful transmission of the reporting message.  
   
   
       31 . The SIM according to  claim 28 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is adapted to identify the network used by the communication device and communicate with the identified network using appropriate network protocol.  
   
   
       32 . The SIM according to  claim 28 , wherein the network is selected from a group consisting of: a voice-over-Internet-protocol network; a GSM network; a DECT network; a TDMA network; or a CDMA network.  
   
   
       33 . The SIM according to  claim 28 , wherein the service is selected from a group consisting of: voice calling service, messaging service, general packet radio service, data calling service, execution of a purchase transaction service, downloading service, streaming media service, and picture messaging.  
   
   
       34 . The SIM according to  claim 28 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is implemented using at least one of: (i) software; (ii) hardware; and (iii) firmware.  
   
   
       35 . The SIM according to  claim 28 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is further adapted to: (i) interrogate the communication device to determine if a plurality of predetermined standards are met by the communication device; and (ii) invalidating the SIM card if at least one of the plurality of predetermined standards are not met by the communication device.  
   
   
       36 . The SIM according to  claim 28 , wherein the SIM card is further adapted to receive a control message from the remote server, the control message including parameters to at least one of: (i) control the service on the communication device; and (ii) to optimize a reporting frequency of the reporting message.  
   
   
       37 . The SIM according to  claim 36 , wherein the control message causes an updating of the service usage monitoring application by (i) downloading new code libraries to the SIM card; and (ii) commanding the service usage monitoring application to utilize the new code libraries and to purge old code libraries.  
   
   
       38 . The SIM according to  claim 28 , wherein the service usage monitoring application is adapted to send the reporting message to a remote server at a preset interval based on a triggered event.  
   
   
       39 . A Subscriber Identity Module (“SIM”) for a communication device, comprising a processor readable medium having a user identity, network access data and service usage monitoring application stored thereon, wherein the service usage monitoring application is adapted to: 
 detect and log information about a service utilized via the wireless device;    create a service usage record for the service based on the information;    create a reporting message containing at least one service usage record; and    send the reporting message to a remote server.    
   
   
       40 . The SIM of  claim 41 , wherein the processor readable medium is divided into a first partition and a second partition, wherein the first partition is adapted to store the user identity and network access data, and the second partition is adapted to store the service usage monitoring application.  
   
   
       41 . The SIM of  claim 40 , wherein the access between the first partition and the second partition is limited to SIM elemental files.