Abstract:
The mobile telephone includes a data storage divided into a plurality of storage volumes. Each storage volume includes at least one partition, each partition of each storage volume being adapted to store content. The mobile telephone also includes a supply chain for content stored in the storage volumes with the user, the chain including:
       a detector for detecting storage volumes;   a reader for reading storage volumes;   a content supply device for supplying content to applications of the telephone; and   at least one content presentation application.       
 
     The reader for reading the storage volumes includes a plurality of volume scanners, the content supply devicer includes a plurality of content suppliers, and the storage volume detector includes a single daemon and a single program for listening to the daemon.

Description:
This claims the benefit of French Patent Application FR 10 56256, filed on Jul. 29, 2010 and hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to a mobile telephone, managed by an Android platform housing applications, of the type comprising a data storage means, divided into a plurality of storage volumes, each storage volume including at least one partition, each partition of each storage volume being adapted to store content, the mobile telephone comprising a supply chain for supplying content stored in the storage volumes to the user, said chain comprising: 
     a means for detecting storage volumes; 
     a means for reading storage volumes; 
     a means for supplying content to applications; and 
     at least one content presentation application. 
     Such mobile telephones are known and are intended to perform different functions, such as telephony, Internet browsing, or multimedia content management. This multimedia content is generally music, images or videos, stored in a memory of the telephone or accessible by a network communication means. 
     To be able to store multimedia content on the mobile telephone, the Android software platform provides a supply chain for supplying content from two storage volumes: the internal memory of the telephone and an SD card. The user thus has access to the content stored in the internal memory of the telephone and on the SD card, and is offered the possibility of recording content on the SD card. 
     However, the current systems are not fully satisfactory. In fact, SD cards are very specific data storage means, but other flash memory card standards exist that cannot be used on a mobile telephone using the Android operating system. 
     Furthermore, mobile telephones include a card containing a micro-controller and memory containing different connection data for the user. This card, commonly called UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card), is commonly referred to by the expression “SIM card.” Today, so-called multimedia SIM cards commonly designated by the expression MMSIM are appearing, these cards integrating a web server and an auxiliary storage memory. However, Android is not adapted to manage the auxiliary storage memory of these MMSIM cards. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile telephone, operating under Android, and compatible with auxiliary storage means other than SD cards. 
     The present invention provides a mobile telephone of the aforementioned type, characterized in that the means for reading the storage volumes comprises a plurality of volume scanners and in that the content supply means comprises a plurality of content suppliers, the storage volume detection means comprising a single daemon and a single program for listening to the daemon. 
     The mobile telephone according to the invention can also comprise one or more of the following features, considered alone or according to all technically possible combinations:
         the volume scanners comprise a multi-volume scanner, adapted to scan several storage volumes, and at least one single-volume scanner, adapted to scan only a single storage volume;   the volume scanners comprise at least one secured partition scanner, adapted to scan encrypted partitions of the storage volumes;   the or each secured partition scanner is specific to a single storage volume;   the content suppliers comprise a multi-volume content supplier, adapted to provide content stored on different volumes, and at least one single-volume content supplier, adapted to provide only content stored on a same storage volume;   the content suppliers comprise at least one encrypted content supplier, adapted to make encrypted content, stored on encrypted partitions of the storage volumes, available to the applications;   the or each encrypted content supplier is specific to a single storage volume;   the content supply means comprises databases for storing information collected by the volume scanners and representative of the content stored on the storage volumes, the content suppliers being adapted to make this information available to the applications, each database storing information representative of the content stored on a same storage volume;   the databases comprise at least one secured database for storing information representative of encrypted content stored on encrypted partitions of the storage volumes;   one of the storage volumes is a memory of a multimedia SIM card connected to the telephone, the multimedia SIM card incorporating a web server and an auxiliary storage memory;   the SIM card includes at least one encrypted partition for storing encrypted data.       

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly upon reading the following description, provided solely as an example and done in reference to the appended drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic illustration of a mobile telephone according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram of a software platform managing the telephone of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram of a content supply chain for the telephone of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a view of a first display of the mobile telephone of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a view of a second display of the mobile telephone of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the telephone according to the invention implements a physical structure  10 , made up as known in itself of a processor, an internal memory  12  adapted for the data and programs implemented by the processor, a communication means for communicating with a network, as well as sound and visual supply means for content received by the telephone or available therein. It also includes an SD card  14  and a multimedia SIM card  16 , commonly designated as MMSIM. 
     The MMSIM card  16  integrates a web server  116  and an auxiliary storage memory  216 , shown schematically. 
     The internal memory  12 , the SD card  14  and the memory of the MMSIM card  16  each separately form a distinct storage volume and together constitute data storage means of the telephone. 
     The telephone is managed by an Android software platform  20 , diagrammatically shown in  FIG. 2 . The software platform  20  comprises a core  22 , a native layer  24  and a system layer  26 , called “framework.” It serves as the interface between the physical structure  10  of the telephone and the applications  28 . 
     The core  22  is based on version 2.6 of the Linux core. It is adapted to manage essential services such as the security of the platform, memory management, or process management. The core also forms a layer of abstraction between the physical structure  10  of the telephone and the native layer  24 . 
     The native layer  24  is written in the C/C++ computer language. It includes software libraries  24   a  grouping together a set of functions available to the programs implemented by the processor, as well as a virtual machine  24   b  adapted to implement Java programs. 
     The system layer  26  is written in the Java computer language. It comprises Java programs  26   a  adapted to be implemented by the virtual machine  24   b.    
     As visible in  FIG. 3 , the internal memory  12  and the SD card  14  each include a single partition and the MMSIM card  16  includes a non-encrypted partition  16   a  and an encrypted partition  16   b.    
     Each partition of each storage volume  12 ,  14 ,  16  is adapted to store content, and in particular multimedia content such as images, videos or music. 
     The telephone also comprises a content supply chain  30 , shown by  FIG. 3 , to make the content stored on the storage volume  12 ,  14 ,  16  available to the user of the telephone. 
     The chain  30  comprises a detection means, or detector,  32  of the storage volumes  12 ,  14 ,  16 , a means, or content supply device,  36  for making the content available to the applications  28 , and an application for presenting content  38 . 
     The detection means  32  of the storage volumes  12 ,  14 ,  16  comprises an SD card detection module  40 , an MMSIM card detection module  42 , a daemon  44  and a listening program  46  for the daemon  44 . 
     The SD card  40  and MMSIM card  42  detection modules are installed in the core  22  of the Android platform  20 . The daemon  44  is installed in the native layer  24  and the listening program  46  is installed in the system layer  26 . 
     The daemon  44  is a program that is started when the telephone is started up and remains active until the telephone is turned off. 
     In general, the daemon  44  is adapted to communicate with the SD card detection module  40  by using a UEVENT mechanism to listen to information coming from the module  40 . The module  40  provides the daemon  44  with information on the presence of an SD card  14 . 
     Specifically, the daemon  44  is adapted to communicate with the MMSIM card detection module  42  by using a UEVENT mechanism to listen to information coming from the module  42 . The module  42  provides the daemon  44  with information on the presence of the MMSIM card  16 . 
     Furthermore, the daemon  44  is adapted to read, upon start-up, a configuration file  48  specifying the detection modules it must listen to. The configuration file  48  includes a command specifying that the daemon  44  must listen to the information from the MMSIM card detection module  42 . 
     The daemon  44  is adapted to control the assembly and disassembly of the storage volumes  12 ,  14 ,  16  as a function of the content of the configuration file  48 , and to provide information on the assembly and disassembly of the storage volumes  12 ,  14 ,  16  to the listening program  46  via an inter-process communication, generally known as a socket. 
     The listening program  46  is adapted to notify subscribed programs of the system layer  26  of the assembly or disassembly of each of the storage volumes  12 ,  14 ,  16 . 
     The reading means  34  of the storage volumes  12 ,  14 ,  16  comprises a scanning module  50  of the storage volumes  12 ,  14 ,  16  and of the volume scanners  52 ,  54 ,  56 . 
     The scanning module  50  is installed in the native layer  24  of the Android platform  20 . The volume scanners  52 ,  54 ,  56  are Java programs and are installed in the system layer  26 . 
     The volume scanners  52 ,  54 ,  56  are subscribed to the listening program  46  so as to be notified in case of assembly or disassembly of one of the storage volumes  12 ,  14 ,  16 . 
     Each volume scanner  52 ,  54 ,  56  is adapted to scan at least one partition of a storage volume  12 ,  14 ,  16 , upon assembly of said volume, by calling on the scanning module  50 , and to record collected information, representative of the content stored on the or each partition, in at least one database  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66 . 
     The volume scanner  52 ,  54 ,  56  comprise a multi-volume scanner  52 , adapted to scan the internal memory  12  and the SD card  14 , and two single-volume scanners  54 ,  56 , each adapted to scan only the MMSIM card  16 . 
     The volume scanner  56  also constitutes a secured partition scanner, adapted specifically to scan the encrypted partition  16   b  of the MMSIM card, whereas the volume scanner  54  is only adapted to scan the unencrypted partition  16   a.    
     Alternatively, the secured partition scanner  56  is adapted to scan several encrypted partitions of the MMSIM card  16 . 
     The multi-volume scanner  52  is adapted to record the information representative of the content stored on the internal memory  12  in a first database  60  and the information representative of the content stored on the SD card  14  in a second database  62 , separate from the first. 
     The single-volume scanners  54 ,  56 , respectively, are adapted to store the information representative of the content stored on the unencrypted partition  16   a , on the encrypted partition  16   b , respectively, in a third  64 , fourth  66 , respectively, database. 
     The means  36  for supplying content to applications  28  comprises the databases  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66  and the content suppliers  72 ,  74 ,  76 . 
     Each database  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66  stores information representative of content stored on a same partition of a storage volume  12 ,  14 ,  16 . 
     Alternatively, the database  64  is adapted to store information representative of content stored on several unencrypted partitions of the MMSIM card  16 , and the secured database  66  is adapted to store information representative of encrypted content stored on several encrypted partitions of the MMSIM card  16 . 
     Each content supplier  72 ,  74 ,  76  is adapted to read the information stored in at least one database  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66 , with which it is associated, and to make that information available to the applications  28 . Each content supplier  72 ,  74 ,  76  is adapted to supply any application  28  with a list of content stored on at least one partition of one of the storage volumes  12 ,  14 ,  16 , based on criteria used by the application  28  and communicated to the content supplier  72 ,  74 ,  76  via a request. 
     The content suppliers  72 ,  74 ,  76  comprise a multi-volume content supplier  72 , adapted to read the databases  60  and  62  to make content stored on the internal memory  12  and the SD card  14  available to the applications  28 . 
     The content suppliers also comprise two single-volume content suppliers  74 ,  76 , respectively, each adapted only to read a single database  64 ,  66 , respectively, and to provide the applications  28  only with the content of the MMSIM card  16 . 
     The content supplier  76  also constitutes a secured content supplier, adapted to read the secured database  66  and to provide applications  66  with the contents of the encrypted partition  16   b , whereas the content supplier  74  is only adapted to provide the applications  28  with the contents of the unencrypted partitions  16   a.    
     Each content supplier  72 ,  74 ,  76  is adapted to mask the content of the or each database  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66 , respectively, with which it is associated with the applications  28 , when the or each associated partition or storage volume  12 ,  14 ,  16   a ,  16   b , respectively, is disconnected. In particular, the secured content supplier  76  is adapted to erase the contents of the secured database  66  when the partition  16   b  is disconnected. 
     To that end, each content supplier  72 ,  74 ,  76  subscribes to the listening program  46  so as to be notified in the event of assembly or disassembly of one of the storage volumes  12 ,  14 ,  16 . 
     Two display screens of the content presentation application  38  are shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
     The presentation application for the content  38  in particular comprises a multimedia content management function  82  and a storage volume management function  84 . It also comprises a music reading function  86 , an image reading function  88  and a video reading function  90 . 
     The multimedia content management function  82  allows the user to copy or move content within a same partition or from one partition to another partition or from one storage volume to another storage volume. It also allows the user to delete content, or rename it. 
     In a known manner, the function  82  is adapted so as, during copying, movement, deletion or renaming of content, to modify the data stored on the or each storage volume  12 ,  14 ,  16  concerned. It is also adapted to simultaneously update the or each concerned database  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66 . 
     The storage volume management function  84  allows the user to choose between a presentation mode in which the content stored on different storage volumes is all presented at the same time, as shown in  FIG. 4 , or a presentation mode where only the content stored on a same storage volume is presented, as shown in  FIG. 5 , where only the content stored on the MMSIM card  16  is displayed. It is also adapted only to present the multimedia content meeting certain criteria chosen by the user. 
     The function  84  is thus adapted to send requests to the content suppliers  72 ,  74 ,  76  specifying the presentation criteria chosen by the user. 
     The music reading  86 , image reading  88  and video reading  90  functions call on the Android standard libraries. 
     The operating method of the mobile telephone according to the invention will now be described. 
     The mobile telephone is started up. During start-up, the daemon  44  reads the configuration file  48  and loads the libraries adapted to listen to information coming from the MMSIM card detection module  42 . 
     The MMSIM card  16  is inserted into the telephone. A notification emitted by the module  42  then informs the daemon  44 , via a UEVENT mechanism, of the presence of the MMSIM card  16 . The daemon  44  then commands the assembly of the partition of the MMSIM card  16  as a function of the content of the configuration file  48 . The daemon  44  then informs the listening program  46  of the assembly of the MMSIM card  16  by sending a message via an inter-process communication generally known as a socket. 
     The listening program  46  then notifies the media scanners  54 ,  56  and the content suppliers  74 ,  76  of the assembly of the MMSIM card  16 . The media scanners  54 ,  56  then call on the scanning module  50  to scan the partitions  16   a  and  16   b  of the MMSIM card  16 . Each media scanner  54 ,  56 , respectively, compares the information collected during the scan of the unencrypted partition  16   a , the encrypted partition  16   b , respectively, with any information stored in the respective database  64 ,  66 , respectively, and records, in the respective database  64 ,  66 , respectively, new information representative of the content stored on the scanned partition  16   a ,  16   b , respectively, information that does not previously appear in the respective database  64 ,  66 , respectively. 
     Alternatively, the MMSIM card  16  is already inserted when the telephone is turned on. The steps described above then take place when the telephone is turned on. 
     The user can then launch the content presentation application  38 . Upon this launch, the content presentation application  38  sends a request to the content suppliers  72 ,  74 ,  76 , which each return a list to it of the content whereof the information is stored in their databases  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66 . The content presentation application  38  aggregates these lists into a unified list that it makes available to the user, via the visual supply means. 
     The user can then, via the content management function  82 , copy, move, delete or rename content stored on a partition of one of the storage volumes  12 ,  14 ,  16 . 
     As an example, when content is moved from the SD card  14  toward the unencrypted partition  16   a  of the MMSIM card  16 , in a known manner, the data stored on the SD card  14  is copied toward the MMSIM card  16 , then deleted from the SD card  14 . At the same time, the function  82  notifies the content supplier  72  associated with the SD card  14  and the content supplier  74  associated with the MMSIM card  16  of the change having taken place. Each content supplier  72 ,  74 , respectively, then updates the associated database  62 ,  64 , respectively. 
     The volume management function  84  also allows the user to choose the content presentation mode. Thus, if the user for example chooses only to see the content stored on the MMSIM card  16 , the volume management function  84  removes the content from the list provided by the content manager  72  associated with the other storage volumes  12 ,  14 . If on the other hand the user chooses only to display music composed by a certain artist, the volume management function  84  sends a new request to the content suppliers  72 ,  74 ,  76  so they return lists to the application  38  that contain only the content meeting the specified criteria. 
     When the MMSIM card  16  is ejected, a notification emitted by the MMSIM card detection module  42  then informs the daemon  44 , by a UEVENT mechanism, of the ejection of the MMSIM card  16 . The daemon  44  then commands the disassembly of the MMSIM card  16  and informs the listening program  46  of the disassembly of the MMSIM card  16  by sending a message on a socket. 
     The listening program  42  notifies the content suppliers  74 ,  76  of the disassembly of the MMSIM card  16 . The MMSIM content supplier  62  then closes its MMSIM database  72  so as to make it invisible for the applications  28 . At the same time, the secured content supplier  76  erases the content from its secured database  66 . 
     The embodiment described here constitutes one preferred embodiment of the invention. However, the mobile telephone according to the invention can also support other storage volumes, such as MMC cards, without going beyond the scope of the invention. The MMSIM card can also be replaced by another type of flash memory card. The MMSIM card can include a plurality of secured partitions. The SD card can also include at least one secured partition. 
     Owing to the invention, a mobile telephone managed by an Android platform can manage content stored on storage volumes other than an SD card and stored on a plurality of storage volumes. 
     Furthermore, the changes made to the original platform allow performance of the operations in an optimal timeframe and are compatible with the evolutions of the Android platform. 
     Lastly, the telephone better performs functions, accessible to the user within a unified interface, which allows a simplified use of the telephone by the user.