Abstract:
Disclosed is a method of establishing a session between a mobile communication terminal and a computer linked to the Internet via a gateway server therebetween through WAP or TCP/IP by using identification information of the mobile communication terminal as a connection key to transmit/receive data packets. Consequently, stable and accurate data communication between the mobile communication terminal and the computer linked to the Internet can be achieved.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) the benefit of Korean Application No. 10-2010-0063903 filed Jul. 2, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a method of establishing a session between a mobile communication terminal (i.e., a mobile station of a mobile communication network) and a computer linked to the Internet. 
     2. Background Art 
     In the past, communication was generally based on voice call or short message With the recent development of mobile communication technology, communication pattern has been diversified. For example, Internet access through a mobile communication network based on a communication protocol such as WAP has been made available. Furthermore, with the recent rapid increase in a data processing rate through a mobile communication network and development of a smart phone, which includes an input/output device such a high-definition touch screen as well as a large-capacity control operating device and memory, TCP/IP based Internet access has become possible through a wireless LAN, thereby enabling Internet communication through a mobile communication terminal to be prevalent. 
     Internet communications can be realized through a mobile communication terminal in various methods including the following two methods. First, it can be realized by having an access to a web page on the Internet through a mobile communication terminal. According to this method, internet communications can be relatively easily performed by executing a browser installed in a mobile communication terminal like a web page access through a conventional desktop computer or laptop computer. Second, it can be realized by connecting a mobile communication terminal to a specific computer linked to the Internet and transmitting/receiving data between the mobile communication terminal and the specific computer. In this method, unlike the first method, a session is required to be opened among a mobile communication network or wireless LAN, a gateway server and the specific computer linked to the Internet based on a prior arrangement between the mobile communication terminal and the specific computer through a complicated process, which causes users&#39; inconveniences. 
     The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In one aspect, the present invention provides a method of establishing a session via a gateway server between a mobile communication terminal which is a mobile station of a mobile communication network and a service server linked to the Internet. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of: executing an interface manager connected to the service server; transmitting by the interface manager identification information of the mobile communication terminal to the gateway server through the Internet; setting by the gateway server the identification information of the mobile communication terminal as a connection key; executing an access application of the mobile communication terminal; extracting by the access application the identification information of the mobile communication terminal; transmitting by the access application the identification information of the mobile communication terminal to the gateway server through a wireless network; and transmitting by the gateway server data packets between the service server and the mobile communication terminal by using the identification information of the mobile communication terminal as a connection key. 
     In another embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: executing a CRM server connected to a PSTN and an interface manager connected to the service server; calling, by the mobile communication terminal, the CRM server through the PSTN; reading by the CRM server the phone number of the mobile communication terminal; searching an identification information database for identification information of the mobile communication terminal by using the phone number of the mobile communication terminal and transmitting the identification information to the gateway server through the Internet, by the interface manager; setting by the gateway server the identification information of the mobile communication terminal as a connection key; executing an access application of the mobile communication terminal; extracting by the access application the identification information of the mobile communication terminal; transmitting by the access application the identification information of the mobile communication terminal to the gateway server through a wireless network; and transmitting by the gateway server data packets between the service server and the mobile communication terminal by using the identification information of the mobile communication terminal as a connection key. 
     In another aspect, the present invention provides a system for carrying out the method. 
     According to the present invention, stable and accurate data communication between a mobile communication terminal and a computer linked to the Internet can be achieved without having to perform complicated operation. Accordingly, it is possible to provide efficient and stable data communication services in various forms for the mobile communication network, wireless LAN and the Internet, such as data transmission between the mobile communication terminal and the computer linked to the Internet and remote control of the mobile communication terminal through the computer linked to the Internet. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates components of a communication system for carrying out a session establishment method according to an embodiment of the present invention and communication states of the components; 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a session establishment method according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary screen of a mobile communication terminal; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates respective communication states of a session establishment method according to another embodiment of the present invention, to which a customer relationship management (CRM) server is applied; and 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating the session establishment method according to another embodiment of the processes shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates components of a communication system for carrying out a session establishment method according to an embodiment of the present invention and communication states of the components. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the session establishment method according to an embodiment of the present invention is performed by a system comprising, as major elements, a mobile communication terminal  10 , a gateway server  30 , a mobile communication network and a wireless LAN  22  linked to the gateway server  30 , a service server  41  linked to the gateway server  30  through the internet and connected to an identification information database  44 , and an interface manager  40  connected to the service server  41  to transmit/receive data to/from the gateway server  30 . 
     The service server  41 , a computer connected to the gateway server  30  through the Internet, does not necessarily operate as a server and may operate as a client when linked to the mobile communication terminal  10 . 
     The interface manager  40  is a program that transmits/receives data to/from the gateway server  30 . Connection of the interface manager  40  to the service server  41  means direct installation of the interface manager  40  in the service server  41  or installation of the interface manager  40  in a separate computer corresponding to a terminal connected to the service server  41 . When a plurality of counselor computers are connected to a server operated by a common carrier or an Internet information provider to provide services to a plurality of mobile communication terminal users, installation of the interface manager  40  in a terminal can refer to installation of the interface manager  40  in each counselor computer. 
     The identification information database  44  stores phone numbers and electronic serial numbers of mobile communication terminals when a common carrier or an Internet information provider provides services according to the present invention to mobile communication terminal users. The identification information database  44  may additionally store personal information of the mobile communication terminal users and operate in connection with a CRM server  42  which will be described later. 
     The identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10 , stored in the identification information database  44 , is used as a connection key when a session is established. The identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10  refers to information having uniqueness, such as user identification information recorded in a subscriber identity module (SIM) chip or a memory in the mobile communication terminal  10  as well as the phone number and electronic serial number of the mobile communication terminal  10 . 
     The mobile communication terminal  10  is linked to the gateway server  30  through Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) based communication using the mobile communication network  21  such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) based communication through the wireless LAN  22  such as Wi-Fi and WiBro. An access application, a program that transmits/receives data to/from the gateway server  30  and extracts the identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10 , such as the phone number and electronic serial number of the mobile communication terminal  10 , is installed in the mobile communication terminal  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the communication system further includes a private branch exchange (PBX)  43  connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and the CRM server  42 . The CRM server  42  is connected to the interface manager  40  such that the phone number of the mobile communication terminal  10 , read by the CRM server  42 , can be inputted to the interface manager  40 . 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a session establishment method that can be carried out by the above-described system. 
     The interface manager  40  connected to the service server  41 , that is, directly installed in the service server  41  or installed in a computer corresponding to a terminal connected to the service server  41  is executed. 
     The interface manager  40  is a program that transmits/receives data to/from the mobile communication terminal via the gateway server  30  and can be configured of an independent program or a module of a follow-up processing program that is to be executed after a session is established, such as a remote control program. 
     When the interface manager  40  transmits the identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10  for which a session will be established to the gateway server  30 , the gateway server  30  establishes the session using the identification information as the connection key. 
     In the establishment of a session between the mobile communication terminal  10  and a computer linked to the Internet, the identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10 , that is, the phone number or electronic serial number, is used to obtain the following advantages. 
     The call number, that is, phone number, given to the mobile communication terminal  10  is a unique number and the electronic serial number of the mobile communication terminal  10  is also a unique number, and thus stability and accuracy in the operation of the session can be secured. 
     Furthermore, since the identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10  can be easily read by the firm ware or application of the mobile communication terminal  10 , the identification information can be read and transmitted by the application installed in the mobile communication terminal  10  without requiring the user to input a connection key composed of a complicated numeral string or a character string. This can minimize the user&#39;s operation of the mobile communication terminal  10  during the session establishment process. 
     The identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10  can be obtained in such a manner that the identification information database  44  is searched for the identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10  based on the personal information of the user of the mobile communication terminal  10 , which is to be acquired during a call from the user of the mobile communication terminal  100 . Otherwise, the identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10  can be obtained by reading the phone number corresponding to the mobile communication terminal  10  in the process of receiving a call from the mobile communication terminal  10  through caller identification display (CID) service or the PBX  43  and the CRM server  42  and searching the identification information database  44  based on the read phone number. 
     Meanwhile, the access application installed in the mobile communication terminal  10  is executed. The access application is a program that transmits/receives data to/from the gateway server  30  and extracts the identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10 , such as the phone number and electronic serial number, and performs an operation similar to that of the interface manager  40  of the service server  41 . 
     The access application extracts the identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10 , and then transmits the identification information to the gateway server  30  through the wireless network  20 . The gateway server  30  receives the identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10 , establishes a session using the identification information as a connection key and transmits data packets between the service server  41  and the mobile communication terminal  10 . 
     The wireless network  20  refers to a wireless communication network through which data communication between the gateway server  30  and the mobile communication terminal  10  can be performed. Preferably, it may be a WAP based communication network through the mobile communication network  21  such as TDMA and CDMA or a TCP/IP based communication network through the wireless LAN  22  such as Wi-Fi and WiBro, as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Accordingly, if the mobile communication terminal  10  capable of being directly connected to the wireless LAN  22 , such as a smart phone, is located in the coverage area of the wireless LAN  22 , it is efficient to connect the mobile communication network  10  with the gateway server  30  through the wireless LAN  22 . 
     In the establishment of the session between the service server  41  on the Internet and the mobile communication terminal  10  on the wireless network  20  via the gateway server  30 , the identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10  is used as the connection key and the access application installed in the mobile communication terminal  10  extracts the identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10  and transmits/receives data, and thus the user can be linked to the remote service server  41  by a simple operation (e.g., one-touch click), as shown in  FIG. 3 , without having to perform a complicated input/operating process. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate a session establishment method according to another embodiment of the invention, which connects the CRM server  42  linked to the PSTN with the interface manager  40 , extracts the phone number corresponding to the mobile communication terminal  10  in the process of calling the CRM server  42  of the mobile communication terminal  10 , and inputs the phone number so as to establish a session without having to obtain the phone number of the mobile communication terminal  10  or the personal information of the user of the mobile communication terminal  10  in advance. 
     This embodiment to which the CRM server  42  is applied is based on a premise that the session establishment method of the present invention is performed by a common carrier or an Internet information provider having mobile communication terminal users as customers. Typically, a plurality of counselor computers are connected as terminals to the service server  41  of the common carrier or Internet information provider, and a plurality of voice communication lines connected to PSTN are secured and connected to the CRM server  42  through the PBX  43 . 
     When the user of the mobile communication terminal  10  calls a call center of the common carrier or Internet information provider, the mobile communication terminal  10  calls the CRM server  42  through the mobile communication network  21  and the PSTN. The CRM server  42  extracts the phone number of the mobile communication terminal  10  in cooperation with the PBX  43  and connects the mobile communication terminal  10  to a counselor on call. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates respective communication states of a session establishment method according to this embodiment of the present invention. 
     The mobile communication terminal  10  calls the CRM server  42  through the mobile communication network  21  and the PSTN. The interface manager  40  is linked to the CRM server  42  to receive the phone number of the mobile communication terminal  10  from the CRM server  42 . Though  FIG. 4  shows that the service server  41  and the CRM server  42  are separated from each other, the service server  41  and the CRM server  42  are not required to be physically separated from each other and both the service server  41  and the CRM server  42  can be mounted in single server equipment. 
     The interface manager  40 , which has obtained the phone number of the mobile communication terminal  10  from the CRM server  42 , extracts the identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10  from the identification information database  44  and transmits the identification information to the gateway server  30  and the access application of the mobile communication terminal  10  transmits the same identification information to the gateway server  30  to establish the session between the mobile communication terminal  10  and the gateway server  30 , as shown in the lower part of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating the session establishment method according to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     The interface manager  40  connected to the service server  41  and the CRM server  42  (i.e., installed in a computer (terminal) connected to the service server  41  and the CRM server  42  or directly installed in the service server  41  and the CRM server  42  or in an integrated server of the service server  41  and the CRM server  42 ) is executed. 
     When the mobile communication terminal  10  calls the CRM server  42  through the mobile communication network  21  and the PSTN, the CRM server  42  reads the phone number of the mobile communication terminal  10  and inputs the read phone number to the interface manager  40 . The interface manager  40  searches the identification information database  44  for the identification information of the mobile communication terminal  10  and transmits the identification information to the gateway server  30 . Then, the session between the mobile communication terminal  10  and the service server  41  is established through the same process as that shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     With this embodiment, the common carrier or Internet information provider can provide remote control services to users who are not accustomed to using the mobile communication terminal  10  and accessing the Internet. 
     That is, when the mobile communication terminal  10  calls the call center of the common carrier or Internet information provider, the CRM server  42  extracts the phone number of the mobile communication terminal  10  and inputs the phone number to the interface manager  40 . The interface manager  40  extracts identification information corresponding to the mobile communication terminal  10  from the identification information database  44  and transmits the identification information to the gateway server  30  as a connection key. Then, when a counselor instructs the user of the mobile communication terminal  10  to execute the access application through a one-touch operation, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a session between the mobile communication terminal  10  and the service server  41  is established without having to have the user of the mobile communication terminal  10  perform complicated inputting and operating processes. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.