Description

DATA BACKUP AND RECOVERY METHOD FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINALS

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates, in general, to a data backup and recovery method for mobile communication terminals and, more particularly, to a data backup and recovery method for mobile communication terminals, in which a mobile communication terminal can connect to a data backup and recovery server via a communication network using the wireless Internet, and perform the backup and recovery of various types of data, such as telephone numbers. Background Art

[2] Generally, a mobile communication terminal (the concept of which includes a

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) having a mobile communication function), that is, a portable terminal, has been usefully used not only to perform voice communication, but also to connect to the Internet in a wireless manner and receive various types of information in the form of text or images, since the advent of the Internet.

[3] The above-described mobile communication terminal is provided with memory capable of storing user input information about telephone numbers and the like therein. A user registers frequently used telephone numbers in the memory in advance and then uses the telephone numbers as needed. This is generally referred to as a "phone book" function. The phone book function is described in more detail below. The phone book function is a very convenient supplementary function that allows the user to store telephone numbers, which are frequently used by himself or herself, to the memory in advance and conduct a search for a telephone number of a counterpart with whom communication is desired with reference to the stored telephone number list (hereinafter referred to as a "telephone directory"), and allows automatic dialing to be performed on a found telephone number.

[4] Meanwhile, a recently marketed mobile communication terminal is provided with a digital camera as a basic part thereof, and is supported by a wireless Internet function, so that the user can remotely download still images, moving images or music files, which are desired by himself or herself. In addition, as a mobile communication terminal having an MPEG Layer-3 (MP3) playing function has also been marketed, the user can directly enjoy desired music files using the mobile communication terminal without carrying a separate MP3 player. With the development of semiconductor memory technology, various memory devices, each of which is capable of storing a large amount of data in a smaller space, have been developed to be used for mobile

communication terminals and are respectively provided in the mobile communication terminals.

[5] However, in the case of still images, moving images or music files, the size of data thereof is very large, so that a problem occurs in that only a small number of files can be stored in each of the memory devices that are respectively provided in the mobile communication terminals.

[6] Further, there may be text, such as telephone directories and text messages, still images, such as pictures, or moving images, for which it is desired to prevent access by a third party. If the user neglects to set a password for a mobile communication terminal even though a password setting function is provided in the mobile communication terminal password, a problem may occur in that the data is unrestrictedly accessed by the third party, and therefore the user may undesirably suffer harm. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[7] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a data backup and recovery method for mobile communication terminals, in which, after various types of data capable of being used in a mobile communication terminal have been stored in a remote backup and recovery server, a mobile communication terminal can wirelessly connect to the remote backup and recovery server as needed, and immediately downloads only required data, thus maximizing the efficiency of use of a limited memory space.

[8] Another object of the present invention is to avoid the unwanted exposure of data.

Advantageous Effects

[9] As described above, in accordance with the data backup and recovery method for mobile communication terminals according to the present invention, after various types of data capable of being used in a mobile communication terminal have been stored in a remote backup and recovery server, a mobile communication terminal wirelessly connects to the remote backup and recovery server as needed, and immediately downloads only required data, so that the efficiency of use of limited memory space can be maximized and, at the same time, the unwanted exposure of data can be avoided. Brief Description of the Drawings

[10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the construction of a network system in which a data backup and recovery method for mobile communication terminals according to the present invention is implemented;

[11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal construction of the mobile com-

munication terminal of FIG. 1 ; and

[12] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the data backup and recovery method for mobile communication terminals according to the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[13] The present invention constructed to accomplish the above objects is described below. That is, the present invention provides a data backup and recovery method for mobile communication terminals, a mobile communication terminal provided with a wireless Internet function connecting to a backup and recovery server via a mobile communication network and performing data backup and recovery, the data backup and recovery method including the steps of (a) selecting any one of a backup function for data stored in a mobile communication terminal and a recovery function for data stored in the backup and recovery server; (b) if the backup function is selected at step (a), selecting data, backup of which is desired, from among data stored in the mobile communication terminal, connecting to the backup and recovery server in a wireless manner, and transmitting the selected data to the backup and recovery server; and (c) if the recovery function is selected at step (a), connecting to the backup and recovery server in a wireless manner, receiving a data list from the backup and recovery server, downloading data, the recovery of which is desired and which is selected from the received data list, from the backup and recovery server, and storing the downloaded data in the memory of the mobile communication.

[14] In the above-described construction, the data may be any one of text information, such as telephone numbers or text, still image data, moving image data, and music file data. Furthermore, it is preferred that the step of performing login before the transmission of data is performed at step (b) and before the downloading of data is performed at step (c) be further included. Mode for the Invention

[15] A data backup and recovery method for mobile communication terminals according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings below.

[16] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the construction of a network system in which the data backup and recovery method for mobile communication terminals according to the present invention is implemented.

[17] As shown in FIG. 1, a telephone number remote search system 200, that is, the network system in which the data backup and recovery method for a mobile communication terminal according to the present invention is implemented according to the present invention, may include a mobile communication terminal 100, a base station 100, a base station controller 220, a mobile switching center 230, a home

location register 240, a visitor location register 250, an interworking function device 260, a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) gateway 270, the Internet 280, and a backup and recovery server 300.

[18] In the above-described construction, the mobile communication terminal 100 can not only support a voice communication function via a mobile communication network, but can also store desired data to the backup and recovery server 300 or download and recover desired data among the stored data while connecting to the backup and recovery server 300 in a wireless Internet manner using the novel backup or recovery function provided according to the present invention. For this purpose, the mobile communication terminal 100 may connect to the backup and recovery server 300 using the WAP, which is a wireless Internet connection protocol, the HTML-based Microsoft Internet Explorer (MIE) in conjunction with the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), the Handheld Device Transport Protocol (HDPT), or the wireless Internet connection browser of a local mobile communication service provider.

[19] Meanwhile, the base station 100 is one of base stations disposed for individual cells throughout a region, and transmits a communication request, which is generated by the mobile communication terminal 100, to the mobile switching center 230 or performs location registration to detect the location of the mobile communication terminal 100 existing within a cell region assigned to the base station 100.

[20] The base station controller 220 performs all the functions necessary for a wireless call process, such as handover, while controlling and managing a plurality of base stations 210 and, at the same time, is responsible for a function of transmitting the subscriber information of the mobile communication terminal 100, the location of which has been registered, to the mobile switching center 230.

[21] The mobile switching center 230 has a control function and a function operating in conjunction with a public switched telephone network (PSTN) switch, which allows the base station controller 220 to be efficiently operated. When location registration is performed on the mobile communication terminal 100 through the base station controller 220, the mobile switching center 230 temporarily stores the subscriber information of the mobile communication terminal 100 to the Visitor Location Register (hereinafter referred to as a "VLR") 250, and requests the Home Location Register (hereinafter referred to as a "HLR") 240 to register the location of the mobile communication terminal 100. This HLR 240 is a DB that stores a service profile for subscriber information of the user of the mobile communication terminal 100, and has information about the Mobile Identification Number (MIN) of the mobile communication terminal 100, the Electronic Serial Number (ESN) of the mobile communication terminal 100, and the type of service, as well as the subscriber's telephone number.

[22] Thereafter, the InterWorking Function device (hereinafter referred to as an "IWF" device) 260 provides an interface for enabling the exchange of data between a wireless communication system and a wired communication system, and is responsible for a function of converting protocols, signals and data into forms appropriate for respective networks.

[23] The WAP gateway 270 is responsible for a function of performing processing, such as communication code conversion or protocol conversion, between the mobile communication network and a wired Internet network for searching for information on the wired Internet and displaying found information and connecting the mobile communication network with the wired Internet network. That is, the WAP gateway 270 performs mutual conversion between the WAP and the Transmission Control Protocol (TCPyinternet Protocol (IP). Accordingly, the transmission and reception of data are performed between the backup and recovery server 300 and the WAP gateway 270 connected to the Internet 280 using the HTTP, and are performed between the mobile communication terminal 100 and the WAP gateway 270 using the WAP.

[24] Meanwhile, the above-described WAP gateway 270 converts a request for a

Uniform Resource Locator (URL) from the mobile communication network into an HTTP request according to the WAP and then requests the URL from the backup and recovery server 300 via the Internet 280 according to the HTTP. Furthermore, the WAP gateway 270 converts HTML format content, which has been received from the backup and recovery server 300, into binary code so that the mobile communication terminal 100 can detect it, and transmits the binary code, obtained through the conversion, to the mobile communication terminal 100. Accordingly, data passing through the WAP gateway 270 is converted into binary code as described above, so that the amount of data is decreased, therefore the load is reduced when the data is transmitted to the mobile communication network.

[25] The Internet 280 is a communication network that provides connection paths so that the mobile communication terminal 100 can connect to the backup and recovery server 300 via the mobile switching center 230 and perform the transmission and reception of data.

[26] Finally, the backup and recovery server 300 may include a web server 310 connected to the Internet 280 and configured to function to process web documents for the mobile communication terminal 100, a DataBase (DB) 330 configured to back up and store various types of data received from the user's mobile communication terminal 100, and a data server 320 configured to manage the respective parts of the device.

[27] In the above-described construction, the DB 330 may include a member DB 331, in which various types of information about members, for example the Identifications

(IDs), passwords, names, addresses and resident registration numbers of members, mobile phone numbers, and the types or e-mail addresses of mobile communication terminals, a telephone directory DB 332, in which telephone directories and group information, the backup of which is requested by the members, are stored, a text information DB 333, in which various types of text information, the backup of which is requested by the members, for example, text messages, are stored, and a still image DB 334, a moving image DB 335, and a music file DB 336, in which various still images, moving images and music files, the backup of which is requested by the members, are respectively stored.

[28] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal construction of the mobile communication terminal of FIG. 1.

[29] As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile communication terminal 100, in which the method of the present invention can be implemented, may include a power source unit 120 for supplying power to the respective parts of the device, a key input unit 130 having numeric keys for inputting numbers, such as telephone numbers, and various types of function keys for performing the method of the present invention, a program storage unit 140 for storing a program for executing the various functions of the mobile communication terminal 100 as well as a backup and recovery program (the URL of the backup and recovery server) for executing the method of the present invention, a data storage unit 145 for performing a function as a data buffer at the time of execution of a terminal operation program and storing various types of data, for example, telephone numbers or text information, and data about still images, moving images or music files received from the outside by the terminal, which is set by the user, a Radio Frequency (RF) processing unit 150 for performing RF modulation and demodulation over the mobile communication network, an antenna 155, an audio signal processing unit 160 for converting radio signals, which are processed by the RF processing unit 150, into baseband analog audio signals and then outputting audio sound through a speaker 162, or converting baseband analog audio signals, which are input through a microphone 164, into digital signals and then transmitting the digital signals to the RF processing unit 150, a flat display unit, for example a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) 175, and a drive unit 170 for driving the flat display unit, a vibration motor 185 for generating vibrations, and a drive unit for driving the vibration motor 185, and a control unit 110 for performing overall control of the respective parts of the terminal.

[30] In the above-described construction, the control unit 110 may be implemented using a typical microprocessor, the program storage unit 140 may be implemented using Read ONLY Memory (ROM), and the data storage unit 145 may be implemented by combining Random Access Memory (RAM), which is volatile memory, and flash memory, which is non- volatile memory.

[31] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the data backup and recovery method for a mobile communication terminal according to the present invention. It should be noted that steps are mainly performed by the mobile communication terminal if not described otherwise.

[32] As shown in FIG. 3, whether a phonebook menu is selected is made at step SlO in a state in which the user of a mobile communication terminal has been registered as a member with the backup and recovery server 300. If, as a result of the determination at step SlO, it is determined that the telephone directory menu item has been selected, the process proceeds to step S 12 again, and determine whether a "backup" function for performing backup to the backup and recovery server 300 has been selected.

[33] If, as a result of the determination at step S 12, it is determined that the "backup" function has been selected, the process proceeds to step S 14, displays a telephone directory, which has been previously registered to the mobile communication terminal by the user, and a list of telephone directories, which have been designated as groups, and allowing the user to designate telephone numbers and groups, the backup of which is desired. Thereafter, whether the designation has been completed is determined at step S 16. In this case, it is preferred that, when the list is displayed, the telephone numbers and the groups, which have already been backed up, along with the list, be displayed such that the user cannot back up the telephone numbers and the groups again. In the case where a normal backup completion notification is received at step S24, which will be described later, the above-described step can be achieved by storing the telephone numbers and the groups, which have been designated at step S 14, along with information indicating that the backup has been completed, and then referring to the stored information.

[34] If, as a result of the determination at step S 16, it is determined that the designation has not been completed, the process returns to step S 14. In contrast, if it is determined that the designation has been completed, the process proceeds to step S18 and then wirelessly connects to the backup and recovery server 300 via the mobile communication network. In this case, the URL of the backup and recovery server 300, along with a backup and recovery program, is downloaded when the backup and recovery program is downloaded.

[35] Thereafter, at step S20, an ID and a password are received from the user and transmitted to the backup and recovery server 300, and thus login is performed. This step may be provided to prevent backup from being performed by a person, who is not an authorized user, without permission.

[36] Thereafter, the telephone numbers (including the group) designated by the user are wirelessly transmitted to the backup and recovery server 300 at step S22, and whether a backup completion notification has been received from the backup and recovery

server 300 is determined at step S24. If, as a result of the determination at step S24, it is determined that the backup completion notification has not been received, step S22 is repeated. In contrast, if it is determined that the backup completion notification has been received, the process proceeds to step S26, and then inquires of the user whether he or she desires to delete the backed-up data is performed. If, as a result of the determination at step S26, it is determined that the user has selected the deletion of the backed-up data, the process proceeds to step S28 and then deletes the backed-up data from the data storage unit 145. If it is determined that the user has not selected the deletion of the backed-up data, the program is terminated without deleting the backed- up data.

[37] Meanwhile, in the case where the user receives a call or a text message from a telephone number that is not currently registered in the telephone directory (hereinafter referred to as an "unregistered telephone number") or makes a call to the unregistered telephone number, a backup may be performed by selecting a "backup" item displayed immediately after the incoming or outgoing telephone number has been registered in his or her mobile communication terminal according to a well-known telephone directory registration procedure (a name and a group are designated). This process can also be performed through steps SlO to S24 described above.

[38] If, as a result of the determination at step S 12, it is determined that the "backup" function has not been selected, the process proceeds to step S30 and then determines whether a "recovery" function of downloading desired data, which has been stored in the backup and recovery server 300, to the mobile communication terminal 100 has been selected. If, as a result of the determination at step S30, it is determined that the "recovery" function has been selected, the process proceeds to step S32 and then wirelessly connects to the backup and recovery server 300 via the mobile communication network is performed.

[39] Thereafter, at step S34, an ID and a password are received from the user and transmitted to the backup and recovery server 300, and thus login is performed. This step may also be provided to prevent backup from being intentionally performed by a third party who is an unauthorized user.

[40] Thereafter, in a state in which the telephone directory and the group list, which have been backed up by the user, have been received from the backup and recovery server 300 and displayed at step S36, telephone numbers and groups, the recovery of which is desired by the user, are designated from the telephone directory, which has been displayed as described above, at step S38. Thereafter, whether the designation of the telephone numbers, the recovery of which is desired, has been completed is determined at step 40. If, as a result of the determination at step S40, the designation of the telephone numbers, the recovery of which is desired, has not been completed, the

process returns to step S 38. In contrast, if it is determined that the designation has been completed, the process proceeds to step S42 and then receives detailed information about the designated telephone numbers, that is, complete information about names or group names, and storing the received information in the data storage unit 145 of the mobile communication terminal is performed. In this case, it is preferred that an "overwriting" function, of deleting the details of a previously registered telephone directory and writing recovery data over a region from which the details have been deleted, and an "addition" function of performing a new registration on telephone numbers and group information, the recovery of which is desired, without deleting the previously registered telephone directory be provided in consideration of the case where the previously registered telephone directory exists. In the case where the telephone numbers or the group information, the recovery of which is desired, has already been stored in the memory of the mobile communication terminal so that that the user can more easily select the "overwriting" function or the "addition" function, it is preferred that the telephone numbers or the group information be displayed such that the user can identify it.

[41] Thereafter, whether the storage of the telephone numbers or the group information has been completed is determined at step S44. If it is determined that the storage has not been completed, the process returns to step S42. In contrast, if it is determined that the storage has been completed, the process proceeds to step S46 and then displays information indicating that the storage has been completed. Thereafter, the program is terminated.

[42] Meanwhile, if, as a result of the determination at step S48, it is determined that the

"recovery" function has not been selected, another function, which is included in the telephone directory menu and selected by the user, is performed. If it is determined at step SlO that the telephone directory menu item has not been selected, another menu item, which is provided in the mobile communication terminal 100 and selected by the user, is displayed.

[43] The data backup and recovery method for mobile communication terminals according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented in various ways within a range in which the technical spirit of the present invention is permitted. That is, although, in the above-described embodiment, only the telephone directory has been described as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various types of text information, such as text message, various still images or moving images captured by a digital camera provided in a mobile communication terminal, MP3 music files and the like may be other examples.

[44] Further, the backup and recovery server may be managed by a mobile com-

munication service provider to which the terminal is registered, or an affiliate company that can acquire information about the terminal from the mobile communication service provider. In addition, the login at step S20 may be performed immediately after step S 12.