FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
& The Patent Rules, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
1. TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
ENABLING PERSONALISED SHARED MOBILE PHONE USAGE
2. APPLICANT:
Name: MOVIRTU LIMITED
Nationality: UK
Address: 2nd Floor, 145-157 St John Street, London EC17 4PY, Great Britain.
3. PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION:
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

TECHNTCEL FIELD
The present invention uelatea generally to wire-lew eommunieations and services: and more specifically. to a method and system for enabling personalised shared mobile phone usage.
BACKGROUND ART
Simple low cost access to mobile phones has huge economic and social inn pacts: research from GSM Association has showed that an increase of just 1(1% of mobile penetration in a developing country will raise the economic growth rate by 1.2%. Industrial companies have been striving to develop low cost mobile handsets below $30 per unit, however the cost is still beyond much of [he world's 6,3bn population. According to a recent Xolcia Study more than 50% of respondents in India and Pakistan and nearly 30% of respondents in Vietnam said they share, or would share. their mobile phone with family or friends. More aid more families in the emerging markets are also purchasing mobile phones tor pooled or shared usage with a family unit,, or amongst a group of friends. However the shortcomings in the use of shared phones arc that the individual subscriber does not have his own individual number to enable him to receive calls, or voice mew ages; that he baa to cany on paper his own contact database and that all his tall records remain on the shared phone he has used.
The use of USSD in GSM mobile networks is defined in 3GPP/ETS1 GSM 02.90 (USSD Stage 1) and GSM 03.90 (USSD Stage 2) sperifiuitions, USSD works on all existing GSM .\IAP21 handsets which it utmost all existing hind sets, with no handset or SIM card upgrade nee&Usitry. The potential of the pre-installed user base for USSD applications is therefore immense, It is a session orienlaled service unlike SMS which is store and forward, which allows veiy fesl communication between a handset and an application. Users do not need to access any particular handsei menu to access services with USSD. they enter a defined USSD string from the handset, such as *£1 Ul#, to access a particular operator predefined service, USSD codes are routed back

lo (he home mobile's network HLR and then onio ihe MSC and ultimately to (he USSD gateway. The galeway will respond LO the code in a predefined way.
The use of USSD ID access information services, or to enable roaming on a prepaid account, or to manage prepaid accounts by doing a balance enquiry or credit recharge from a. voucher is well detailed in industry related literature and. know-how, For example, U.S. Pal cut ApplicaliouNo, 11/225,636 by Zabawskyi. et al, Entitled Method and system tor international roaming and call bridging and U.S. Patent 6975852 by Sofer, ct al. Entitled System and method for roaming for prepaid mobile telephone service. However the use of USSD to enable personalised shared mobile phone usage is innovative.
The following USPTO patent documents reflect such prior background art:
Application number: 12/033,012, Unstructured Supplemental)' Service Dura. Call Control
Manager, Dorron Mottes, Assignee: Vancode Technologies Ltd., Filing date: Feb 18, 2008
Application number" 11/531.865, Circuit Bearer Control, Simon Brucekheimeret al, Filing date: Sep 14, 2006
Application number: 11/395.236, Method and system for international roammg and call bridging, Zubawskyj, et al., Filing date: Apr 3,2006
Application number; 11/211,750, Shared phone, medium having recorded therein program for ..„ Katsuaki Alcama, Filing date; Aug 25. 2005
Application number: 11/205,976, Method and device for providing mobile services with virtual, Tac-Hyo Ahn. Hoon-Bac Kim, Ki-Cbul Park. Assignees: KTFREETEL Co, Ltd., Filing date: Aug 17,2005
Applicarion number: 10/918,644, Multiple TMST multiple/single MS1SDN(MTM\1;MIS\1) on multiple S1M.5. Yue Jun Jiang, Filing date: Aug 13, 2004
Application number: 10/4.18,097, Method and system allowing for one mobile phone number (MSISDN) to he ..., Bohdan Konstantyn Zataiwskyj et al, Filing date: May 15, 2003
Patent 7330725, Method and system for international roaming and call bridgine, Bob dan K. Zabawskyj et al, Assignee: R edit nee Inc., Issue date: Feb 12, 2008

7295659, Method and system for prepaid communicatio credit, John Ruckart et ah Assignees: AT&T BLS Intellectual Property, Inc., Issued data: Nov l3; 2007
7181210, Method and system for international roaming a 20,2007
7l64927,TelecommunioaLion method and suable sy.sijem for nd call bridging, Bohdan Koastanjyc Zabawskyj ct al, Assignee: Rcdkncc Inc.. Tssiic date: Febestablishing a,,,, Michael Koch et nl. Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AC, Issue date: Jan 16, 2007
6975852, System and method for roaming for prepaid mobile "telephone service, Sofer, et al,, Assignee: StarHomc GmbH, Issued date: Dee 13, 2005
6961412, Method and system for prepaid communications credit, lobn Ruckart, Rimas Rauba, Jerome Wendell Myers, Assignee: Bell South Intellectual Properly Corporation, Issued dale: Nov 1,2005
6876860, "Method for implementing a call-hack service in a mobile radio network, Andreas Berg, Klaus Moneke, Bart Van Ballaer, Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesehschaft Issued date: Apr 5, 2005
6792261, Mobile collect call system and method, Lipa Ogman ct al issue date; Sep 14,2004
6757266, Communication system mctliod for setting up connections between terminals of..., Frank Hundscheidt, Assignee; Telfbnaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ), Issue date: Jurr 29, 2004
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The method and system for personalised shared mobile phone usage disclosed herein is an innovative network application, enabling subscribers who cannot afford a mobile phone handset to share a mobile handset and allow them make phone calk using their own prepaid account, allow them access to a personalised address bonk of contacts and voicemail messages without the need for their own handset or SIM card.
The subscriber approaches the owner of a handset and negotiates to borrow or share the handset. Upon agreement the owner of tire handset would first key in a USSD string to activate the shared

mode and temporarily disable his account on the network. Typically the USSD stiing. would be promoted by the network operator and would common actons the network. Once tlie USSD string is received by the system seiver. the server would interact with the VISC to disable the billing or services to the handsel owner's account, This would require Hie net. work operator u> have within bis network a real time billing and service provisioning system. The handset wouLd ellee lively be in a dormant mode and would "be wailing lor the user lo enter lhe USSD siring lo access Lhe shared phone service. The owner of lie handset would then pass- me phone lo Lhc subscriber.
The subscriber would enter the access USSD string for the shared phone application, followed by his personal phone number. The USSD gateway would receive this request and pass it onto the system server. The system server would authenticate the user and would enquire with the MSC and the prepaid billing system, the status of the user's account. Once Luitheiiticuited, the .subscriber can see on the handset a personalised USSD menu, lhe contents of the USSD -menu would be generated by the system server and would be sent using the network USSD browser and USSD gateway infrastructure. The menu could be sent in any international language u long as it uses the standard international character set.
Sottn e of Lhe op Hon s available lo lhe subson"bcr would include information on lhe account status and prtvpaid a.ceouiit balance; the ability to top up tin; account with a prepaid top-up card voucher code; access to a personalised address book of contacts.:; access to personal voicemail -message!; and account setting such as choice oflanguage. The later is vciy important since most standard handsets only support a few majoT languages and typically require additional downloads of language pocks to localise the handset. In this invention the user would always have access to his local language whatever the Getting on the borrowed or shared, handset.
The subscriber would be able to make calls to a number he enters directly into the phone or bo his eon Lac is. The number would be passed 10 the MSC and the call set up as in a timid ard network call, expect that the said subscriber's virtual prepaid account would be decremented in re;iJ-time. The original owner of the handset would not be charged for the call, Another benefit of the invention is that the subscriber cuukh if he wishes, show Ins CLI during the call instead of the call showing the CLI of the bone wed or shared handset, Thut it would appear to the subscriber receiving the phone call that the subscriber has his own personal telephone number and account.

Since the subscriber will have 0L1, he also use .services such as Missed Call Alert (MCA) already on the network to send free or low cosr messages to people. For example it is quite common lor subscribers In developing markets lo lelephone a number, lei. the number ring a small number of" times, and then drop the call lo have the network i.ssne a free of charge or low cost MCA message to the number called. This simple MCA alert may be a simple prearranged messaged To indicate tor example :'T arrive borne safely", or "everything is fine". Without a CL1 such techniques arc unusable.
Once the subscriber has completed his calls, he exits the system by choosing the appropriate
option on the USSD menu. Another benefit of using USSD for this invention is that no historical dala 01 record of The session would be stored on The handset. Once the USSD session is closed, die phone stores no memory of the session ensuring privacy of passwords, and phone usage.
The alternative method shown in this invention is suitable for network operators that do not have installed in Their network the necessary real Time hilling and provisions systems That can disahle the account of the owner of the handset. The alternative method is to utilise a USSD phone back sen-tee where Lhc subscriber would ciuer [he number lo be called into the USSD menu. Thus number would he passed to the system server via the USSD gateway and the server would set up two phone calls,, one To the original handset und one to the phone number entered by the subscriber. The system would then bridge these two calls similar to a conference call. Neither of the two calls would be charged to the owner of the handset's account and both culls would be charge to the subscriber's prepaid account.
Key features of the disclosure is the very low cost of entry To the subscriber and the mobile operator, the ability for a subscriber to aceeas The system 60m any GSM MAP2-H hand ids without the need for any modification or downloading of applications to the handset, the ability TO support multiple languages, the ability for the subscriber TO access a personalised environment on a shared plume, The option for the subscriber to access a personalised voicema.il service. The ability for the user to receive calls on his number, the ability for the system to work even when roaming, the option for The caller to be able to show their own CLI and not That of the borrowed or shured handset, the facT That by having a personal CLI The subscriber can use services such as Missed Call Alert (VICA) to send free or low cost information alerts to other people and the fact thai once die access session LO The system is closed 110 history or any data remains on Hie handsel.,

Although the method and system disclosed, by and large employs a series of general purpose network equipment, databases, and systems such as billing systems to achieve its ends, the "bona fide distinctiveness of the invention resides in the .setup find management of the remote environment the user experiences which isestablished by the system server and it u this server which principally incorporates much of the functional and optative aspects of the invention.
Aside fromUSSD, a variety of other mechanisms muy be utilised by a subscriber to access, the system, These merging mechanisms; may include, but are by no means bounded by, Short .Message Service (SMS), Internet browser using WAF, Internet Browser living HTTP. or a voice-based call using Dual-Tonc-Miilti-Frcmicncy (DTMF) Interactive Voices Response based technologies. Alternatively the system could be initiated from a SIM-toolkit application resident. on the SIM card of the handset.
The sysLem messages may be routed directly via existing telephony pro locols or may be routed indirectly via a messaging gateway. The information provided via the messaging mechanism will typically include the identity of the originating subscriber and the service to be activated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION' OF DRAWINGS
The foregoing summary of die invention, as well as die following detailed descriplion of"the preferred embodiment is better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing*, which are included by way of example, and not by way of limitation with regard to the claimed invention;
Fig 1. Is an exemplar)' architecture nf a wireless telecommunications netwmk fbr processing
calls and a system server in accordance with the present invention; and
Fig 2. It a flowchart depicting the operation of the shared UCCC-SK feature according to one embodiment of the present invention.
7

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
IN. FIG 1. User A 1 owns Mobile Device 2 and inside the mobile device is ;i personal SIM
(Subscriber Identity Module) Card supplied by the network operator. The SIM. card uniquely identities the subscriber using an JM51 (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) and their mobile phone number the MSIKDN (Mobile subscribers integrated services digital network) and allows the Mobile Device 2 to lie registered and authenticated on the network. Hie Mobile Device 2 itself is identified by an IMEI (Intentional Mobile Equipment Identity), which can be obtained by tbc network upon request., Telephony calls, and olber services used by ihc device, are billed to the account holder of the SIM Card,
The Home Location Register (HLR) 5 is a database which stores data about the subscribers, including the Authentication KeyfKf) for each SIM. The Mobile Services Switching (Center (MSC) 6 is the network element which performs the telephony switching functions of the network. The MSC is responsible for network interfacing and common channel signalling. The Visitor Location Register (VLR) 1 is a diitibuse which stores temporary iriformation about roaming, subscribers. FJase Stacion Controller (RSC) 4 is the network element which provides all the control functions and physical links between the MSC and the radio interface. The DSC provides functions such as handover, cell configuration data, and control of radio frequency power levels.
The subscriber User B in Fig 2. may access his account and invoke the system by keying in tin Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) short code followed by his account number on a borrowed or shared handset 2 from User A. The owner of the borrowed oi shared handset would first key in a USSD string to activate the shared mode and temporarily disable his account on the network. He would then pass the handset to the subscriber to allow them to enter a USSD string comprising the access code ibr the service and their personal phone number.
Once auihenlicated by the system server 10, the subscriber can see on ihc handsel, a personal ised USSD menu sort from the system server 10 over the tdecummtiiikatLous network to the handset. which allows him HK-USS to a peiionidised addrett hook of contacts, his vu it email messages ciiid administration of his personal prepaid account, balance. The subscriber can make calls by entering a number directly, or lo his cunlacts and the said subscriber's prepaid accoutit m
8

decremented in red-time. Once the subscriber has campleted Lis calls, he exits the system by choosing the approprate option on the USSD menu,
While the foregoing describes wliat are considered to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is understood that various modifications may be made therein and that the invention may be implemented in various forms and alternate embodiments, and indeed that it may be
applied in numerous applications, only some of which have been described. The claims are intended to coverall such modifications and variations which fall within the true scope of the invention,
INDUS TRIM- APPLICABILITY"
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, mobile operators may implement the system to enable dien to service subscribers who fin not afford to purchase a handset or SIM card, at a lower tost that hay Wen poi&ible before. The system does not require the operator to subsidise the sale of handset* or SIM cards to enable people on low incomes: to have a personal phone number and ai-tcas to services sudi as missed call alerts, and voicemail bos.es which would have otherwise been unavailable. The mobile operators benefit economically since equipped with a mobile phone number, these usera will make more outgoing calls, increasing the amount of airrimc they spend and increasingly will be able to use mobile remittances. The implementation of the system will also have three primary social benefits: I) Enabling people on low incomes to communicate more easily; reducing the costs of travelling and money spent on messengers by giving them a phono number; 2) Reducing the eosu spent by friends and family trying to coiuacl tliem or Irving LO sending remittances using aiobile banking and 3) Creating employment and new revenue streams for Village Payphone Operators,
hi alternative embodiments the system may be used, for example, by mobile operators to service people who already liave a handset, and a mobile phone number, but require virtual access to their account and u^c of their phone number or where a user hits multiple phone numbers and wishes to use them from one Lspecifie handset.
9

We claim:
1. A method of enabling personalised shared mobile phone usage using Unstructured
Supplementary Service Data, USSD messages comprising the steps of: owner of mobile
phone enabling the service by entering a USSD message string; the Home Location
Register, HLR, routing the request to the USSD gateway, which in tum routes the request to
a system server; system server interacting with Mobile Services Switching Centre, MSC, and
temporarily disabling access to services from that mobile phone and billing of those services
to his account; owner sharing the mobile phone with a subscriber; subscriber requesting
access to his account using a USSD message string from the mobile phone which includes
his personal phone number; the system sending to the mobile phone a request for access
password; subscriber entering password; system authenticating subscriber and sends USSD
personalised menu to the mobile phone; system interacting with the MSC to ensure that the
shared phone and Subscriber Identity Module, SIM, are enabled to allow phone services and
that all charges will be debited against the subscribers own prepaid or post-paid account
during the session; system enabling the subscriber to make mobile telecommunication
phone calls from the shared mobile phone by allowing the subscriber to enter a number to
be dialled using USSD menu; once subscriber requests a call the system connecting
the number to be dialled by interacting with MSC; system decrementing prepaid account balance in real time depending on network call rates until session is closed by subscriber, or prepaid account credit is expired.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the system does not need to interact with the MSC to ensure the original prepaid or post paid account are not debited; the method comprising the subscriber entering the phone number to be called into the USSD menu; the request being sent to the system; the system making the requested call and telephoning back the subscriber and bridging the two calls; the system decrementing the prepaid account balance in real time depending on network call rates.
3. The method of claim 1 or 2 where the subscriber can access a personalised address book of mobile phone contacts using the system and make a call to a contact in his address book and decrement his prepaid account balance depending on network call rates.
4. The method of claim 1, 2 or 3, where the subscriber can make a call to access his voicemail messages and decrement his prepaid account balance depending on network call rates.
10

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said network is based on Stream Control Transmission Protocol, SCTP.
6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said request is received via Short Message Service, SMS, or Dual-Tone-MultiFrequency, DTMF, or an Internet Browser using Wireless Access Protocol, WAP, or an Internet Browser using HTTP.
7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said request is made from a SIM-toolkit application, STK.
8. A shared mobile phone server comprising: a network interface for communication with at least one switching centre; a controller to enable a personalised shared mobile phone usage using USSD message as per any one of claims 1 to 7.
9. The server of claim 8 wherein the server stores a personalised address book of contacts.
10. The server of claim 8 wherein the server can access the personal voice mail service.
11. The server of claim 8 wherein said network is based on SCTP, and / or SIGTRAN.
12. A computer program comprising code means adapted to perform the steps of the method of any one of claims 1 to 7 when said program is run on a computer.