Method and service provider for managing expired or consumed applications being stored in mobile communication devices

Abstract

A system that enables the customer to keep applications that have been consumed or expired or representations of them and yet to delete the applications from the memory element of his/her NFC mobile communication device.

1 . A Near Field Communication (NFC) equipped mobile device, comprising:
 a secure memory element configured to store one or more NFC applications; and   a service manager configured to store a representation of an expired or consumed NFC application in a separate non-transitory storage medium in response to a user request.   
     
     
         2 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the expired or consumed NFC application is deleted from the secure memory element. 
     
     
         3 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the representation of the expired or consumed NFC application is stored in a memory of the NFC equipped mobile device. 
     
     
         4 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the representation of the expired or consumed NFC application is stored in a memory coupled to the NFC equipped mobile device. 
     
     
         5 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the secure memory element comprises a memory device with enhanced security features. 
     
     
         6 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the secure memory element comprises a MIFARE device. 
     
     
         7 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the secure memory element comprises a smart card. 
     
     
         8 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the representation of the expired or consumed NFC application is stored in a non-transitory electronic document that is made available to a user of the NFC equipped mobile device. 
     
     
         9 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 8 , wherein the NFC equipped mobile device sends a retrieval request to a Service Provider asking the Service Provider to format the representation of the expired or consumed NFC application in a format that has been chosen by the user. 
     
     
         10 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein the Service Provider when receiving the retrieval request formats the representation according to the retrieval request and transmits the formatted representation of the expired or consumed NFC application to the user via a communication channel, including at least one of an e-mail, a download from a remote server, and a mail transport. 
     
     
         11 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the representation of the expired or consumed NFC application is stored in a human-readable format by printing it on a printable substrate and making the printed substrate available to a user of the NFC equipped mobile device. 
     
     
         12 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the representation of the expired or consumed NFC application is selected from the NFC application itself, a graphic element or a written element. 
     
     
         13 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the NFC equipped mobile device comprises an arithmetic-logic unit and a memory. 
     
     
         14 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the NFC equipped mobile device receives the one or more NFC applications from a Service Provider via Over the Air (OTA) transport services of a Mobile Network Operator. 
     
     
         15 . The NFC equipped mobile device of  claim 14 , wherein the NFC equipped mobile device receives the one or more NFC applications from a Trust Service Manager (TSM) via Over the Air (OTA) transport services of a Mobile Network Operator.