The present invention relates to a system for and a method of controlling access to a service which is available via a telecommunications terminal connected to a telecommunications network and access to which is subject to payment of a subscription.
Telephones and computers which can connect to applications running on a remote server are known in the fields of mobile telephony and the INTERNET in particular.
For example, it is known to enquire the balance of one""s account via,the Internet by connecting to the Internet site of one""s bank and entering one""s account number and a PIN. It is also possible to carry out transactions of all kinds, for example to instruct a transfer or to order a chequebook.
Mobile telephones also provide access to applications running on a remote server, for example to look up train or flight times by entering a dedicated number of the transport operator concerned. Banking enquiries and transactions are also possible.
Also known in the art are network services of an intelligent telecommunications network such as voicemail, call forwarding and three-way conference calls.
These services, i.e. the applications and intelligent network services mentioned above, are available via a telecommunications terminal and are often subject to payment of a subscription authorizing access to the service.
In most cases, the telecommunications terminal includes a memory already containing access addresses or commands, such as IP addresses in the case of the Internet or telephone numbers for accessing these services.
However, telecommunications terminal users often attempt to access a service even though they are not a subscriber to that service, for example by entering a pre-stored telephone number, either because they would like to access the service or through mere curiosity. In such cases access to the service is refused. However, the service provider, such as the carrier in the case of network services or the proprietor of the application server in the case of remote applications, is unaware of the user""s access attempt, because at present there are no technical means of providing access to information concerning attempts to access services to which there is no subscription.
To alleviate this drawback, the present invention proposes technical means which monitor access to a service from a telecommunications terminal to provide information on attempts to access services to which there is no subscription.
To this end, the invention provides a system for monitoring access to a service available via a telecommunications terminal connected to a telecommunications network, access to the service being subject to paying a subscription, the system including:
means for detecting refusal of access to a service because there is no subscription to that service,
means for preparing an electronic message following said access refusal, the message identifying the service to which access has been refused and the subscription enabling said terminal to use the telecommunications network to which the terminal is connected, and
means for sending the prepared message to a unit for monitoring attempts to access services to which there is no subscription.
The system can have one or more of the following features:
the means for detecting refusal of access include a memory containing information on authorization and refusal of access to said services and means for comparing said access authorization and refusal information and the identification of a service which the user of a terminal wishes to access, the comparator means supplying an access refusal signal to said electronic message preparation means in the event of an attempt to access a service to which there is no subscription,
it further includes means for accumulating a predefined number of prepared messages and commanding sending of said messages when the predefined number of messages that can be accumulated is reached,
it includes means for temporarily storing a prepared message and commanding sending of said messages after a predefined time interval,
the electronic messages have a format corresponding to a predefined data transmission format of the telecommunications network,
the predefined data transmission format of the telecommunications network is a SMS format or a USSD format,
the service is a network service of the telecommunications network,
the service is a remote application running on a remote application server.
The invention further provides a telecommunications terminal comprising a system as defined hereinabove.
The terminal according to the invention can have one or more of the following features:
it is a computer equipped with a modem connected to a telecommunications network such as a telephone network or a data communication network,
it is a telephone, in particular a mobile telephone, use of which is conditional on the provision of an information medium containing telecommunications network subscriber identification information and the information medium includes a memory containing addresses or commands which are used to access pre-stored services, information identifying the services, and information on authorization or refusal of access to the services,
the means for detecting refusal of access are included in the information medium,
the information medium is a smart card having the functions of the GSM standard 11.14 relating to the xe2x80x9cSIM TOOLKITxe2x80x9d and said means for detecting refusal of access use the call monitoring procedure defined in that standard.
The invention further provides a method of monitoring access to a service available via a telecommunications terminal connected to a telecommunications network, access to the service being subject to paying a subscription, the method including the steps of:
detecting refusal of access to a service because there is no subscription to that service,
preparing an electronic message following said refusal of access, the message identifying the service to which access has been refused and the subscription enabling said terminal to use the telecommunications network to which the terminal is connected, and
sending the prepared message to a unit for monitoring attempts to access services to which there is no subscription.
The method according to the invention can have one or more of the following features:
during the step of detecting refusal of access, the access authorization and refusal information is compared with the identification of a service the user of a terminal wishes to access and a refusal of access signal is supplied in the event of an attempt to access a service to which there is no subscription,
a predefined number of prepared messages is accumulated and sending of said messages is commanded when the predefined number of accumulated messages is reached,
a prepared message is stored temporarily and sending of said messages is commanded after a predefined time interval,
the electronic messages have a format corresponding to a predefined data transmission format of the telecommunications network,
the predefined data transmission format of the telecommunications network is a SMS format or a USSD format,
the service is a network service of the telecommunications network,
the service is a remote application running on a remote application server.