U.S. patent application number 13/244815 was filed with the patent office on 2012-01-19 for system and method for real time self-provisioning for a mobile communication device.
Invention is credited to Barry J. Gilhuly, David P. Kruis.
Application Number | 20120015643 13/244815 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 4169913 |
Filed Date | 2012-01-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120015643 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kruis; David P. ; et
al. |
January 19, 2012 |
System and Method for Real Time Self-Provisioning for a Mobile
Communication Device
Abstract
A system and method of provisioning services for a mobile
communication device are disclosed. A provisioning request
including provisioning information and specifying a provisioning
operation and a first communication service is prepared on the
mobile communication device and sent to a provisioning system.
Processing of the provisioning request is dependent upon whether or
not a second communication service has been activated for the
mobile communication device. If the mobile communication device is
outside a coverage area of a wireless communication network when a
provisioning request is prepared, the request is stored at the
mobile communication device and sent to the provisioning system
when the mobile communication device enters the coverage area. The
provisioning system preferably manages service provisioning for
multiple services, any of which may be hosted by different service
providers.
Inventors: |
Kruis; David P.; (Kitchener,
CA) ; Gilhuly; Barry J.; (Waterloo, CA) |
Family ID: |
4169913 |
Appl. No.: |
13/244815 |
Filed: |
September 26, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12906366 |
Oct 18, 2010 |
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13244815 |
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10489433 |
Mar 9, 2004 |
7817988 |
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PCT/CA02/01373 |
Sep 10, 2002 |
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12906366 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
455/419 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 51/38 20130101;
H04W 4/24 20130101; H04W 4/50 20180201 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/419 |
International
Class: |
H04W 4/00 20090101
H04W004/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 10, 2001 |
CA |
2356823 |
Claims
1. A provisioning authority for communication with a service
provider system and a plurality of mobile communication devices,
comprising: a billing system associated with the provisioning
authority; the provisioning authority provisioning the plurality of
mobile communication devices, and communicating provisioning
information of the plurality of mobile communication devices to the
service provider system.
2. The provisioning authority of claim 1 further including a data
store configured for storing the provisioning information.
3. The provisioning authority of claim 1 further including a
provisioning application associated with a respective one of the
devices and configured for communication with the provisioning
authority, the provisioning application configured for provisioning
a service on the respective one of the devices.
4. The provisioning authority of claim 3 wherein the provisioning
application is a customized application associated with the service
provider system.
5. The provisioning authority of claim 1 wherein the provisioning
authority further includes a data store configured for storing the
provisioning information.
6. A provisioning authority associated with a service provider
system and in communication with a plurality of mobile
communication devices, comprising: a billing system; a provisioning
application associated with a respective one of the mobile
communication devices for communication with the provisioning
authority; wherein said provisioning application provisions a
service on the respective one of the mobile communication devices,
said service associated with the service provider system; and
wherein provisioning information of the plurality of mobile
communication devices is communicated from the provisioning
authority to the service provider system.
7. The provisioning authority of claim 6 wherein the billing system
is associated with the provisioning authority and is configured for
providing provisioning information.
8. The provisioning authority of claim 6 wherein the provisioning
application is a customized application associated with the service
provider system.
9. The provisioning authority of claim 6 wherein the provisioning
authority further includes a data store configured for storing the
provisioning information.
10. A provisioning system associated with a service provider system
and in communication with a plurality of mobile devices comprising:
a provisioning application associated with a respective one of the
mobile devices for communication with the provisioning system;
wherein said provisioning application provisions a service on the
respective one of the mobile devices, said service associated with
the service provider system; and wherein provisioning information
of the plurality of mobile devices is communicated from the
provisioning system to the service provider system.
11. The provisioning system of claim 10 further including a billing
system.
12. The provisioning system of claim 10 wherein the provisioning
application is a customized application associated with the service
provider system.
13. The provisioning system of claim 10 further comprising a data
store configured for storing the provisioning information.
14. A method of provisioning a plurality of mobile communication
devices in communication with a provisioning authority, the
provisioning authority being associated with a service provider
system, the method comprising: associating a billing system with
the provisioning authority; configuring the provisioning authority
to provision the plurality of mobile communication devices; and
configuring the provisioning authority to communicate provisioning
information of the plurality of mobile communication devices to the
service provider system.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the provisioning authority is
configured to store the provisioning information to a data
store.
16. The method of claim 14, further comprising configuring the
provisioning authority to distribute the provisioning information
to a service provider associated with the provisioning
authority.
17. The method of claim 14, further comprising configuring the
provisioning authority to distribute the provisioning information
to the billing system.
18. The method of claim 14, further comprising configuring the
provisioning authority to distribute the provisioning information
to a mobile communication device warranty tracking system.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/906,366, filed on Oct. 18, 2010, which is a
divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/489,433, filed on
Mar. 9, 2004 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,817,988), which is a 371 of
PCT/CA02/01373, filed on Sep. 10, 2002, which claims priority from
Canadian Patent Application No. 2,356,823, filed on Sep. 10, 2001
(now Patent No. 2,356,823).
FIELD
[0002] This application relates to provisioning of services for a
mobile communication device.
BACKGROUND
[0003] When a user purchases a mobile communication device ("mobile
device"), the mobile device normally cannot operate on a
communication network until it has been activated on the
network.
[0004] Traditional systems and methods of activating mobile devices
involve the use of an activation code, which is obtained by the
user from a network operator or service provider. In order to
activate the mobile device, the user must typically first
communicate a unique mobile device number to the network operator
via an alternate form of communication. This initial communication
is usually telephone-based, but may instead be accomplished through
email or a different network such as the World Wide Web or
Internet.
[0005] In the case of telephone-based activation, the user must
provide the network operator with activation information by voice
over a telephone, which is an immensely error-prone and
time-consuming means of activation. The activation information
varies with particular mobile devices and networks, but usually
includes at least the unique mobile device number and often also
includes user billing and charging information. Some automated
telephone-based systems use touch tones to allow the user to enter
the activation information using a telephone keypad, but this is
also an extremely error-prone and time-consuming means of
activation.
[0006] These difficulties are compounded by the often lengthy delay
in activation, which may involve a further return call by the
network operator to the user at a telephone number specified by the
user to provide an activation code to the user. As those skilled in
the art will appreciate, activation codes and the task of entering
such a code into a mobile device vary significantly between
different devices, networks and service providers. A user may
therefore require further guidance from a network operator to
properly enter the activation code manually into the mobile
device.
[0007] Some mobile device vendors and service providers attempt to
alleviate the above problems by having a sales person activate a
new device at the point of sale. Although the activation is
performed for the user by another person, the user must normally
wait while the activation is completed in order to provide required
personal and billing information. Thus, whether the actual
activation process is performed by the user or by a person acting
on behalf of the user, mobile device activation remains a time
consuming process for the user.
[0008] The preceding description relates primarily to initial
activation of a mobile device. It should be appreciated that
similar problems and delays are experienced by a user each time the
user wishes to add, remove or modify any mobile device-related
services offered by a network operator.
[0009] There remains a need for a system and method of activating a
mobile device essentially "right out of the box", by which a user
can activate the mobile device without a complicated or
time-consuming activation scheme.
[0010] There remains a further more general need for a system and
method which allows a user to manage device services directly on a
mobile device.
SUMMARY
[0011] It is an object of the invention to provide a system and
method of activating a mobile communication device by which a user
can activate the mobile communication device using only the mobile
communication device itself.
[0012] It is a further object of the invention to provide a system
and method for real-time self-provisioning of services on a mobile
communication device.
[0013] According to an aspect of the invention, a system and method
are provided to allow a user to manage mobile communication device
services in real time using the device.
[0014] In one embodiment, when a user first turns on a mobile
communication device, the mobile communication device itself is
used to collect relevant information from the user, thereby
completing a user profile. This user profile is preferably stored
on the mobile communication device and includes the user
information, the unique mobile communications device number and any
other required information.
[0015] In the case of initial activation, when the user profile is
complete, a software application on the mobile communication device
sends the user profile in a provisioning request to a provisioning
authority using a temporary provisioning network activation code.
Soon after the provisioning authority receives a provisioning
request sent from a mobile communication device, the mobile
communication device receives a provisioning response sent in real
time by the provisioning authority. Upon receiving the provisioning
response, the mobile communication device acts on the information
obtained in the response. In the above example of initial
activation, the provisioning response includes a network activation
code that is utilized by the mobile communication device in order
to activate the device on the network in real time.
[0016] A method of provisioning services for a mobile communication
device, according to an aspect of the invention, comprises the
steps of receiving a provisioning request, the provisioning request
including provisioning information and specifying a provisioning
operation and a first communication service, determining whether a
second communication service has been activated for the mobile
communication device, and, where the second service has been
activated for the mobile communication device, then processing the
provisioning information to determine whether the provisioning
operation may be performed, performing the provisioning operation
for the first communication service where the provisioning
operation may be performed, preparing a provisioning response
indicating the result of the processing, and sending the
provisioning response to the mobile communication device.
[0017] According to a further aspect of the invention, a method of
provisioning multiple services for a mobile communication device
comprises the steps of receiving a provisioning request, the
provisioning request including provisioning information and
specifying a provisioning operation, a base communication service
and a related communication service, processing the provisioning
information to determine whether the provisioning operation may be
performed for the base service, and, where the provisioning
operation may be performed for the base communication service, then
performing the provisioning operation for the base communication
service, processing the provisioning information to determine
whether the provisioning operation may be performed for the related
communication service, performing the provisioning operation for
the related communication service where the provisioning operation
may be performed for the related communication service, preparing a
provisioning response indicating that the provisioning operation
was successful, and sending the provisioning response to the mobile
communication device.
[0018] In another aspect of the invention, a method for
provisioning communication services using a mobile communication
device configured to operate within a wireless communication
network comprising the steps of preparing a provisioning request at
the mobile communication device, transmitting the provisioning
request to a provisioning authority where the mobile communication
device is within a coverage area of the wireless communication
network, and, where the mobile communication device is outside the
coverage area of the wireless communication network, storing the
provisioning request at the mobile communication device, and
transmitting the provisioning request to the provisioning authority
when the mobile communication device enters the coverage area.
[0019] A service provisioning system for a mobile communication
device, according to a still further aspect of the invention,
comprises means for receiving a provisioning request, the
provisioning request including provisioning information and
specifying a provisioning operation and a first communication
service, means for determining whether a second communication
service has been activated for the mobile communication device,
means for processing the provisioning information to determine
whether the provisioning operation may be performed, where the
second communication service has been activated for the mobile
communication device, and means for performing the provisioning
operation for the first communication service where the
provisioning operation may be performed, wherein the provisioning
operation for the first communication service is dependent upon
activation of the second communication service.
[0020] In another aspect of the invention, a mobile communication
device configured to operate within a wireless communication
network comprises means for preparing a provisioning request, means
for storing the provisioning request, and means for transmitting
the provisioning request to a provisioning authority when the
mobile communication device enters a coverage area of the wireless
communication network.
[0021] A provisioning authority system for managing service
provisioning for mobile communication devices in a wireless
communication system comprises at least one provisioning interface,
means for receiving a provisioning request, operatively associated
with each of the at least one interface systems, means for
extracting provisioning information from the provisioning request,
and means for distributing the provisioning information, wherein
the means for distributing distributes the provisioning information
to one of a plurality of means for processing provisioning
information.
[0022] Further features of the invention will be described or will
become apparent in the course of the following detailed
description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] In order that the invention may be more clearly understood,
several preferred embodiments thereof will now be described in
detail by way of example, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a system diagram illustrating self-provisioning in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a provisioning system according
to the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a provisioning process
according to an embodiment of the invention; and
[0027] FIG. 4 is a block diagram-illustrating a provisioning system
according to a further embodiment of the invention;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a variation of the
provisioning system of FIG. 4;
[0029] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a provisioning system
according to another embodiment of the invention;
[0030] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a provisioning process for a
service which is related to a further service;
[0031] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a variation of the
provisioning process of FIG. 7, in which both a service and a
related service are requested;
[0032] FIGS. 9a-9c form a flow diagram illustrating a further
variation of the provisioning processes shown in FIGS. 7 and 8;
[0033] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram showing a delete service
provisioning process;
[0034] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing a modify service
provisioning process; and
[0035] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a mobile communication
device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0036] Provisioning is a general term that is commonly used in the
field of mobile communications in reference to the process by which
services provided by a service provider are managed. Initial
service provisioning, whereby a mobile communication device is
first configured for operation within a communication network, is
normally termed activation.
[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, after the manufacturing of a mobile
device 10, a provisioning software application 12, which will be
described in further detail below, is installed on the mobile
device 10. As those skilled in the art will appreciate,
installation of the provisioning application 12 may instead be
accomplished during the manufacturing process, for example by
storing the provisioning application 12 into a read only memory
(ROM) or other non-volatile store which is installed into the
mobile device 10 and accessible by a processor (not shown) in the
mobile device 10. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the
provisioning application 12 is provided by a manufacturer of the
mobile device 10, although it is contemplated that the provisioning
application 12 may instead be provided by a network operator of a
communication network in which the mobile device 10 is intended to
operate or by a further external service provider or software
application developer.
[0038] The manufacturing and provisioning application installation
procedures could be adapted to accommodate any such provisioning
application supply arrangement. Where the provisioning application
12 is designed by the mobile device manufacturer, the provisioning
application 12 is preferably installed during manufacturing. If a
network operator or external developer supplies the provisioning
application 12, then the application could be either supplied to
the mobile device manufacturer for installation during device
manufacturing or loaded to the mobile device 10 after
manufacturing. Although the physical mobile device 10 is not
substantially changed by the installation of the provisioning
application 12, a mobile device on which the provisioning
application 12 has been installed is labeled as 14 in FIG. 1. The
mobile device 10 may be an otherwise fully operational
communication device, but would require activation and provisioning
in accordance with a known process such as one of those described
above.
[0039] Since the information required for activation and further
service provisioning is normally different for different services,
network operators and other service providers, the provisioning
application 12 may be adapted for the network on which the mobile
communications device 14 will operate. The provisioning application
12 may also be customized for different network protocols and
billing schemes. These and other design criteria of the
provisioning application 12 will be described in further detail
below.
[0040] When a mobile device 14 is purchased at a point of sale 16,
the provisioning application 12 may be invoked. The provisioning
application 12 preferably reads any available information required
for service provisioning, such as a mobile device identification
code or number, for example, from the mobile device 14. The user is
then prompted for any further required information and a
provisioning request 15 is transmitted from the mobile device 14,
through a mobile communication network 18 in which the device 14 is
designed to operate and through a further network such as the
Internet 20 to a provisioning authority 22. The provisioning
authority 22 stores the information provided in the provisioning
request 15 to a data store 24 and processes the provisioning
request 15. A provisioning response 17 is then generated by the
provisioning authority 22 and returned to the mobile device 14. The
provisioning response 17 indicates whether access to any services
specified in the provisioning request 15 has been granted or denied
and provides any further information as may be required by the
mobile device 14 to make use of such services. In accordance with
an aspect of the invention, an initial provisioning request 15 and
response 17 exchange activates a new mobile device on a network. A
further aspect of the invention provides for execution of the
provisioning application 12 to allow a user to manage and customize
mobile device services.
[0041] As described briefly above, the provisioning application 12
may be supplied by an external source such as a network operator or
service provider or by the mobile device manufacturer. When the
provisioning application 12 is a custom application from a service
provider, the provisioning authority 22 is normally associated with
a particular service or group of services 26. The provisioning
authority 22 also performs provisioning functions for services a, b
and c, associated with service provider systems 28a-28c. Therefore,
the provisioning authority 22 manages service provisioning for the
services 26 provided by the owner or operator of the provisioning
authority 22 and services a-c associated with service provider
systems 28a-28c, provided by other service providers. In alternate
embodiments, a provisioning authority may be configured to manage
only services provided by an owner or operator of the provisioning
authority or only those offered by other service providers. In FIG.
1, the provisioning authority 22 manages provisioning of external
services a-c, and as such may be considered to be a provisioning
service provider, in that the owner or operator is providing the
service of provisioning external services. The provisioning
authority 22 allows a service provider to make a service, such as
the services a-c, available to a mobile device 14 without having to
implement a provisioning system, thereby significantly reducing
costs to the service provider while simplifying provisioning of the
service by a user of the mobile device 14.
[0042] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a provisioning system according
to the embodiment of FIG. 1. As described above, the provisioning
application 12 may be invoked by a user to initially activate the
mobile device 14 on a communication network 18. An initial
provisioning (activation) request 15 is sent from the mobile device
14 to the provisioning authority 22 with which the provisioning
application 12 is designed to operate. For the purpose of
illustration, the service a is assumed to be a network
communication service or carrier service, provided by a network
operator or carrier which owns or operates the service provider
system 28a, external to the provisioning authority 22. The
provisioning application 14 and the provisioning authority 22 are
preferably configured to obtain from a user and the mobile device
14 all information required by the carrier providing the carrier
service a. The provisioning authority 22 is further configured to
provide such information to the service provider system 28a in a
predetermined format compatible with processing arrangements
associated with the service provider system 28a.
[0043] For example, the service provider system 28a may transmit to
the provisioning authority 22 a message indicating required
activation information, including, for example, user name, mobile
device identification number, method of payment for services,
credit card number and the like. Most preferably, the provisioning
application developer is aware of at least the activation
information required by the service provider system 28a for
activation of the mobile device 14, and therefore either retrieves
available information within the mobile device 14 or prompts the
user to input any further required activation information before a
provisioning request 15 is sent to the provisioning authority 22.
These details relating to required activation information may be
stored, for example, in a service provider profile associated with
the carrier at the provisioning authority 22. The provisioning
authority 22 then provides all required activation information to
the service provider system 28a for processing and storage in its
associated data store 24a. This ensures that the mobile device 14
is activated quickly via a single provisioning request 15. Service
provider profiles for each service provider, or possibly each
service, may similarly be stored at the provisioning authority 22
and managed by each service provider. The provisioning authority 22
then determines the provisioning information required to provision
services from any service provider using the service provider
profiles.
[0044] From time to time, in response to changing conditions or in
order to provide enhanced services, for example, a carrier may
determine that further information must be provided before a mobile
device 14 may be activated on the carrier's network. The
provisioning application 12 may then be updated accordingly for
installation in new mobile devices. However, if a user purchases a
mobile device 14 in which an older version of the provisioning
application 12 had been installed, the carrier may deny access to
the network since not all of the required activation information
will be supplied in the initial provisioning request. In such a
situation, the information extracted from the provisioning request
15, indicated at 23a in FIG. 2, is preferably sent by the
provisioning authority 22 to the service provider system 28a, which
determines that the information is not sufficient for activation of
the mobile device 14 on the associated network 18. The service
provider system 28a then transmits a further information request
25a back to the provisioning authority 22, which preferably
provides for some form of communication with the provisioning
application 12 beyond simply responding to the provisioning
requests 15. The provisioning application 12 then either prompts
the user for the additional required information or retrieves the
information if stored on the mobile device 14 and transmits the
information to the provisioning authority 22. Any further
information received from the mobile device 14 is forwarded to the
service provider system 28a, which then activates the mobile device
14 on its network 18 and sends a service approval indication to the
provisioning authority 22. The provisioning authority 22 then sends
the provisioning response 17 to the mobile device 14 to complete
the activation process. The mobile device 14 may then be used for
communications over the network 18. Information extracted from
provisioning requests is also forwarded to the service provider
systems 28b and 28c, as shown at 23b and 23c, respectively. Further
provisioning information requests 25b and 25c are also made, when
necessary, by the service provider systems 28b and 28c.
[0045] Alternatively, when the provisioning application 12 is
updated to include further information in the provisioning request
as described briefly above, the updated provisioning application
may be sent to all mobile devices activated in a communication
network that currently use an older version of the provisioning
application. Since the updated version of the provisioning
application is distributed to all mobile devices in a network, any
subsequent provisioning requests include all required information,
thereby avoiding additional information requests for the further
information, such as 25a, 25b and 25c. The provisioning authority
22 might instead perform a check to determine if a provisioning
application 12 should be updated, by checking a provisioning
application version number included in a provisioning request, for
example, the first time a mobile device 14 contacts the
provisioning authority 22 after a service provider has changed its
provisioning information requirements. In the event of a positive
determination, an updated provisioning application is sent to the
mobile device 14 over the air, through the network 18. Any mobile
devices using the provisioning authority 22 are thereby eventually
provided with the updated provisioning application.
[0046] The system shown in FIG. 2 includes further functional
blocks such as a billing system 30 and warranty system 32. Although
these further systems do not provide communication services, some
of the information collected from a mobile device 14 and a user
thereof is pertinent to such systems. For example, the billing
system 30 might be used to keep track of airtime used for
provisioning services. A service provider may then be billed for
such airtime as a cost of provisioning services provided by the
provisioning authority 22. A mobile device identification number,
user name and date of activation may be provided to the warranty
system 32 by the provisioning authority 22. Thus, where different
systems are connected to the provisioning authority 22, the
provisioning authority 22 may be configured to provide different
information to each system. These types of systems may also or
instead be part of one or more of the service provider systems 28s,
28b and 28c, with any pertinent information being supplied to such
systems by the respective service provider system. A further
advantage of the single provisioning authority 22 is that
additional systems may be added as required and supplied with
required data from the provisioning authority 22.
[0047] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a provisioning process
according to an embodiment of the invention. As described above, a
provisioning application is installed in a mobile device during or
after manufacturing, at step 302. At some time later, after the
mobile device with the provisioning application is purchased and
first powered on at step 304, the provisioning application is
invoked at step 306. Although shown in FIG. 3 as two distinct steps
304 and 306, powering on the mobile device may automatically invoke
the provisioning application. Alternatively, the provisioning
application may be invoked following a different predetermined
event, such as when a power source in the mobile device has been
charged to a specified level or when the mobile device first enters
a coverage area of a communication network after being powered on,
for example. The provisioning application might also require that
the user manually enter a code or function call to begin a mobile
device activation or service provisioning process.
[0048] When the provisioning application has been invoked,
provisioning information such as user name, a mobile device
identification number, a service plan selection and the like, which
may be specified in a service provider profile at a provisioning
authority, is gathered from the user and/or from a storage location
in a mobile device memory component, as indicated at step 308. In
step 310, a provisioning request is prepared and sent to the
provisioning authority. If the mobile device is out of
communication network coverage or is otherwise unable to
communicate over the network when the provisioning request is
prepared, the request is preferably stored on the mobile device and
sent to the provisioning authority, either automatically or
responsive to a user input, when the mobile device is able to
communicate over the network, such as upon re-entry into a network
coverage area.
[0049] The provisioning authority extracts the provisioning
information from the received request and stores the extracted
information to local data store at step 312. Where the provisioning
authority manages external services for other service providers, as
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the storage of provisioning information may
be temporary, such that information records for clients of external
service providers are not maintained after a provisioning process
is completed.
[0050] Sensitive provisioning information such as credit card
numbers or other billing details might also be encrypted by the
mobile device 14 before the provisioning request is sent in order
to keep such information confidential. Any encrypted information is
then preferably decrypted only by a provisioning authority
"client", such as a service provider system or an external system
such as the billing system 30 or warranty system 32 (FIG. 2). The
provisioning system therefore does not have access to sensitive
information relating to users that subscribe only to external
services not operated by the provisioning authority 22.
[0051] If external systems require any of the information extracted
from the provisioning request, then such information is forwarded
to the external systems, at step 314.
[0052] In step 316, the provisioning authority determines whether
the provisioning request relates to a service, if any, associated
with the provisioning authority itself. Where the requested service
is provided by an owner or operator of the provisioning authority,
for example, the provisioning authority the determines whether all
required provisioning information has been received, at step 318. A
step 320 of determining whether the user or the mobile device
should be granted access to the requested service is then
performed, where all required provisioning information, which may
be different for different services and service providers, has been
received. Service is denied, for example, if invalid billing
information or an invalid mobile device identification number has
been provided. The provisioning authority or a service provider
system, might also check to ensure that a credit card number does
not correspond to a stolen credit card or that a mobile device
identification number does not already exist in its client records.
Other criteria for denial of service will be apparent to those
skilled in the art and are considered to be within the scope of the
present invention.
[0053] The mobile device is registered for the requested service at
step 322 where the provisioning request is approved. When the
requested service is network communication service, step 322
involves activation of the mobile device on a communication
network.
[0054] A provisioning response is prepared at step 324 and sent
back to the mobile device at step 326. If the mobile device
requires any further information in order to make use of an
approved service for which it has been registered, then such
information is preferably included in the provisioning response.
The mobile device is configured to update an available services
list or menu at step 328 when a requested service has been
successfully provisioned. If the requested service is denied at
step 320, then an appropriate provisioning response is prepared at
step 324 and returned to the mobile device at step 326. At step
328, the mobile device then updates a record of services for which
a provisioning request has been denied, possibly including the
reason for denial of service. The user is then able to determine
whether or not a further provisioning request for the same service
should be submitted at a later time. The provisioning process then
ends at step 330. After initial provisioning or activation, a user
may invoke the provisioning application at any time to manage the
services installed on the mobile device, as described in further
detail below.
[0055] Returning now to step 318, the provisioning authority
requests any additional required provisioning information from the
mobile device or user at step 332 where all required provisioning
information has not been provided, for example if a service
provider has changed the provisioning information that is required.
When a response to the request for additional information is
received from the mobile device at step 334, the additional
information is extracted at step 312 and distributed to any
external systems at step 314 if necessary. The process then
continues at step 318 and proceeds as described above. Although not
specifically shown in FIG. 3, it will be apparent that additional
required information may similarly be requested by a system such as
the billing system 30 or warranty system 32 (FIG. 2). System
information requests may be distinct from service provider
information requests, but some form of information request
coordination is preferred in order to avoid multiple requests for
the same information. When the provisioning application is kept
current as described above, the provisioning request will include
all required information and further information requests to the
mobile device should therefore be minimal.
[0056] It may also be preferable to limit the number of times
additional required information is requested. After a certain
number of requests have been made for the same information, the
provisioning process may proceed from step 318 to step 320, to
determine whether access to the requested service should be granted
without the missing required provisioning information. If access to
the service is granted, the mobile device is registered for the
service at step 322 and the process proceeds as described above.
This granting of service might instead be a restricted or time
limited access, such that a service provider may require that a
user provide the missing information within a certain time period
in order to maintain the service or to obtain access to certain
aspects of a service. If the service is denied at step 320, then a
provisioning response is prepared at step 324, indicating that some
required provisioning information was not supplied and could not be
obtained, and sent to the mobile device. Other arrangements
intended to limit the amount of time or provisioning system
resources engaged in repeated information requests may also be
implemented at the provisioning authority or an external system
which may request such additional information. For example, the
provisioning authority may cancel an outstanding additional
information request, prepare and forward an appropriate
provisioning response or message to the mobile device, and send a
message to the system requesting the additional information to
indicate that the requested additional information could not be
obtained where no response to the additional information request
has been received within a predetermined maximum response time
interval.
[0057] Where the service requested in the provisioning request is
provided by an external provider, as determined at step 316, such
as the carrier and service provider system 28a (FIG. 2) for initial
device activation, then the extracted provisioning information is
sent to the service provider system at step 336. At step 338, the
service provider system determines whether or not all required
provisioning information has been received, and if not, additional
information is requested via the provisioning authority as
described above, at steps 332 and 334. Where the provisioning
authority stores service or service provider profiles, this check
may instead be performed by the provisioning authority. When all
required information is received, access to the service is either
denied or approved at step 340 and, if approved, the mobile device
is registered for the service at step 342. Step 340 may also be
executed when additional information has been requested a
predetermined number of times without success or an information
request has timed out at the provisioning authority, as described
above. The external service provider then returns to the
provisioning authority an indication of that the service request
has been approved or denied, and the provisioning authority then
prepares (step 324) and returns (step 326) a provisioning response
to the mobile device. Based on the provisioning response and the
configuration of the mobile device, the mobile device updates lists
of available and unavailable services at step 328.
[0058] The preceding description relates primarily to initial
provisioning or activation of a mobile device 14 on a communication
network 18. According to a further aspect of the invention,
however, the provisioning application 12 in a mobile device 14 may
also be executed by a user to manage the services to which he or
she subscribes. After the mobile device 14 has been activated,
further provisioning requests 15 may be sent to the provisioning
authority 22. These further provisioning requests may add, remove
or modify mobile device services, for example, and may relate to
any services for which provisioning is accomplished through the
provisioning authority 22. The provisioning process for such
further provisioning requests proceeds substantially as described
above.
[0059] The systems shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 provide for provisioning
of services for a mobile device 14 using only the mobile device 14
itself. In some circumstances however, a user may wish to provision
services through an alternative interface. For example, a user may
wish to activate a mobile device 14 or perform other provisioning
services when the mobile device 14 is outside wireless network
coverage. The user might also feel more comfortable using an
interface with which he or she is more familiar than a
newly-purchased mobile device 14. FIG. 4 is a block diagram
illustrating a provisioning system according to a further
embodiment of the invention. The provisioning system in FIG. 4
provides not only the self-provisioning functionality as described
above, but also web-based and telephone-based provisioning. The
provisioning authority 21 is substantially similar to the
provisioning authority 22 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 except that it
supports web-based and telephone-based provisioning.
[0060] In the FIG. 4 system, a secure web page 44 is provided to
allow a user to manage mobile device services through an
internet-connected computer 42. The computer 42 is a desktop
computer or a portable computer such as a laptop or palmtop
computer. The connection of the computer 42 to the Internet 20 and
thus the web page 44 is commonly a wired connection through an
Internet Service Provider (ISP, not shown), although other
connection schemes, such as through a wireless modem and a wireless
network, are also contemplated.
[0061] When a connection to the secure web page 44 has been
established, provisioning information required by the provisioning
authority 21 or any service providers offering a requested service
are entered into the computer 42 for transfer to the provisioning
authority 21. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the mobile device
14 is connected to the computer 42, through a serial connector, for
example, so that mobile device information such as a mobile device
identification number is transferred directly from the mobile
device 14 to the computer 42, thereby reducing the amount of
information that must be entered by the user. The provisioning
process proceeds substantially as described above in conjunction
with FIG. 3, except that provisioning requests and responses are
exchanged between the provisioning authority 21 and the computer 42
instead of between the provisioning authority 21 and the mobile
device 14.
[0062] Upon completion of a provisioning process, the mobile device
14 is informed of the approval or denial of the provisioning
request. A provisioning response is preferably sent to both the
computer 42 and the mobile device 14, provided that the mobile
device 14 is within network coverage. The provisioning response
might instead be sent to the mobile device 14 over the connection
to computer 42. Otherwise, the provisioning application on the
mobile device 14 may include a utility or function to send a
"complete provisioning" or like request to the provisioning
authority 21 when the mobile device 14 enters a coverage area of
the communication network 18, in response to which the provisioning
authority 21 then sends to the mobile device 14 the provisioning
response and any information required for the mobile device 14 to
use an approved service. When a shared computer 42 is used in the
provisioning process however, the user may prefer to have the
provisioning response sent only to the device 14 or perhaps to an
alternate address. Such an alternate address may, for example, be
specified in the provisioning request.
[0063] For telephone-based provisioning, a user contacts the
provisioning authority 21 through the telephone system 46. Although
it is preferred that such conventional provisioning interfaces as
the telephone system are avoided by using the mobile device 14 and
a provisioning application installed on the device to carry out
provisioning operations, telephone-based provisioning is supported
by the provisioning authority 21 in order to provide a familiar
interface for new users, as described above. Telephone-based
provisioning schemes do not typically involve a request and
response mechanism, but interaction with an automated telephone
system (not shown) or a service provider telephone operator or
other customer service personnel that handle service provisioning
for the user through a provisioning authority user interface (UI)
(not shown). However, even if a user chooses telephone-based
provisioning, some type of provisioning response is prepared by the
provisioning authority 21 and sent to the mobile device 14 to
indicate whether or not a service has been approved and to enable
the mobile device 14 to use the service. If the mobile device 14 is
within a coverage area of the communication network 18, the
provisioning response is sent to the mobile device 14 upon
completion of a provisioning process. The provisioning response is
otherwise sent to the mobile device 14 when a "complete
provisioning" or like request is received by the provisioning
authority 21 when the mobile device 14 enters network coverage.
[0064] The provisioning system shown in FIG. 4 has the advantage
for a service provider that only a single provisioning application
or interface must be implemented. For example, the provisioning
authority 21 may make appropriate application programming
interfaces (APIs) available to any service provider that intends to
effectively offload provisioning functions to the provisioning
authority 21 instead of implementing a custom provisioning system.
The APIs define information formats, function calls and the like
that a service provider should support in order to communicate with
and interpret information received from the provisioning authority
21. In the system of FIG. 4, the provisioning authority 21 provides
potential clients of any of its associated service providers with a
choice of device-based, web-based or telephone-based provisioning,
while the service providers need support only a single interface to
the provisioning authority 21. Thus, a service provider allows
provisioning of its services via a mobile device 14 with a
provisioning application, while also providing for more traditional
provisioning schemes where a user of a mobile device 14 chooses to
use a traditional provisioning scheme or a mobile device for which
services are being provisioned is not capable of self-provisioning,
i.e. no provisioning application has been installed on the mobile
device.
[0065] A further advantage of a system as shown in FIG. 4,
incorporating a provisioning authority 21 that supports multiple
provisioning schemes, is that a user is not restricted to any
particular provisioning scheme. For example, a user may not feel
comfortable using a new mobile device 14 to provision mobile device
services and may instead use the secure web page 44 or telephone
system 46 for activation and any other initial service
provisioning. When the user has become more familiar with the
mobile device 14, however, the user may wish to provision new
services or manage existing services using the provisioning
application on the mobile device 14. Since all of these interfaces
are supported by the single provisioning authority 21, the user may
perform provisioning functions via any one of the interfaces at any
time.
[0066] As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the activation
of a mobile device on a communication network using the mobile
device itself can be problematic in that carriers are normally
reluctant to allow mobile devices to access communication networks
prior to activation of the mobile devices on the networks. Without
network access, a mobile device cannot communicate with a
provisioning system such as the provisioning authority 21 or 22.
One possible solution to this problem is to activate each mobile
device on the communication network within which it is intended to
operate, before the mobile device reaches the point of sale 16
(FIG. 1). For example, a mobile device could be activated before it
leaves a manufacturing plant or when the provisioning application
12 is installed. Where network operators charge for services
immediately after a mobile device is activated however, this
activation of the mobile device prior to sale incurs costs which
must either be absorbed by the mobile device manufacturer, the
vendor of the mobile device or the service provider, or passed on
to the consumer, none of which are desirable.
[0067] The provisioning system of FIG. 4 provides a more feasible
solution to this network access problem in that a mobile device 14
may be activated through one of the alternate provisioning
interfaces such as the web page 44 or the telephone system 46.
After the mobile device 14 has been activated, provisioning
requests and corresponding responses may be sent and received by
the mobile device 14. Any subsequent service management functions
can then be performed using the mobile device 14 and its resident
provisioning application 12.
[0068] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the provisioning
application 12 is the only software application that is permitted
to access communication resources on a mobile device 14 before the
mobile device 14 is activated on a network 18. All other
communication-related software applications are initially
restricted from performing any network communications functions. If
a messaging application is installed on the mobile device 14, for
example, a user may be able to compose and store a message, but
until the mobile device 14 is activated on the network 18, no such
message can be transmitted over the network 18. Software
applications not requiring network resources, such as calendar
applications, calculators, word processors, information
synchronization applications which provide for synchronization of
mobile device records with records on a user's PC, games,
short-range communications applications and the like may be fully
operational, but only the provisioning application is permitted to
send and receive via the network 18.
[0069] This restriction on initial communications functionality
effectively provides a mobile device 14 that, until properly
activated on a network, may only call a provisioning authority 21
or 22, or perform any other legally required operations, such as
placing 911 emergency calls where the mobile device 14 is a General
Packet Radio Service (GPRS) mobile device. As such, a carrier need
not be concerned that allowing the mobile device 14 to access the
network 18 will provide free communication services. Since only the
provisioning application 12 and other legally required software
applications and operations are able to send and receive on the
network 18, only provisioning functions and legally required
functions may be performed. According to this embodiment, only the
costs associated with the actual activation transaction must be
covered by the manufacturer, vendor, carrier or user. Where a
provisioning authority provides alternate provisioning interfaces,
as in FIG. 4, the user may activate a mobile device using an
alternate interface, such as the web page 44 or the telephone
system 46, and thereby avoid any airtime charges associated with
mobile device activation. Upon receipt of a provisioning response,
regardless of the provisioning scheme used for mobile device
activation, any other communication-related functions and software
applications on the mobile device are enabled.
[0070] Initial communications restriction as described above is
controlled on a mobile device itself. Such communications
restrictions may instead be imposed at the communication network
level or at a service provider level. For example, a carrier or
service provider may be configured to detect that a mobile device
has not been activated on a communication network or properly
registered for communication services. Any communication operation
between the mobile device and any other destination than the
provisioning authority 21 or 22 is rejected until the mobile device
is activated on the network and possibly registered for a
particular service, unless support for other communication
functions is required by law, as in the above example of 911
calls.
[0071] In a GPRS network, a subscriber identity module or SIM card
in a mobile device must be populated before the mobile device is
fully functional on the network. As those skilled in the art will
appreciate, a mobile device must also establish a packet data
protocol (PDP) context prior to communicating over the network.
According to an aspect of the invention, a carrier can easily
determine, from this PDP context, that the mobile device is not yet
activated on the network and thus can only communicate with a
provisioning authority such as 21 or 22. The carrier may then allow
the mobile device to send a provisioning request to the
provisioning authority in order to activate the mobile device for
network service. The information required by the SIM card is then
preferably provided in the provisioning response. The provisioned
network communication services are thereafter fully operational on
the mobile device. Alternatively, a GPRS carrier or service
provider may determine the status of a mobile device by accessing a
home location register (HLR) or possibly a visitor location
register (VLR) in the network.
[0072] It is apparent from the description above that different
provisioning schemes may be preferred or required for different
devices and different networks. In accordance with a further aspect
of the present invention, a provisioning authority manages service
provisioning for multiple networks and mobile devices. FIG. 5 is a
block diagram showing a variation of the provisioning system of
FIG. 4, in which a single provisioning authority 50 manages service
provisioning for networks 52, 54 and devices 14a, 14b. In FIG. 5,
service a, associated with service provider system 28a, is a
network communication service provided by a carrier for network 52
and service b, associated with service provider system 28b, is a
network communication service provided by a carrier for network
54.
[0073] The provisioning authority 50 is substantially the same as
provisioning authority 22 and 21, but is capable of communication
over more than one wireless network. Such multiple-network
communication functionality may be facilitated by different
communication modules in the provisioning authority 50, but is
preferably provided in the gateways (not shown) through which the
wireless networks 52 and 54 connect with the Internet 20. Such
gateways normally communicate with other systems, such as the
provisioning authority 50, over the Internet 20 using Transmission
Control Protocol over Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). The gateways
perform any required information format and protocol conversions to
enable communication with the mobile devices 14a and 14b over the
respective networks 52 and 54. These gateways may instead be
incorporated into a single gateway which implements an IP interface
for communication over the Internet 20 and wireless network
interfaces for communication with mobile devices 14a and 14b over
the networks 52 and 54.
[0074] The mobile devices 14a and 14b may be either similar devices
adapted for operation on the different networks 52 and 54 or
entirely different mobile devices. However, it is preferred that a
provisioning application is resident on at least one of the mobile
devices 14a, 14b. In FIG. 5, the provisioning application for the
provisioning authority 50 is installed on each mobile device 14a
and 14b. For the sole purpose of illustration, it is assumed that
the carrier for network 52 requires that the mobile device 14a be
activated on the network 52 before any network communications will
be permitted, whereas the mobile device 14b is configured with
restricted initial communications functionality as described above,
such that the carrier for network 54 allows the mobile device 14b
to communicate with the provisioning authority 50 to perform
initial service provisioning or activation.
[0075] A user of the device 14a, intended to operate on the network
52, must therefore initially provision network services from the
service provider system 28a through the secure web page 44, the
telephone system 46, or possibly through another alternate
provisioning interface (not shown), if available. Once the mobile
device 14a is activated on the network 52, the provisioning
application may be executed to perform further provisioning
functions using only the device 14a. Although an alternate
provisioning interface must be used for initial provisioning or
activation of the mobile device 14a on the network 52, a user of
the mobile device 14b may use the provisioning application and the
mobile device 14b itself to accomplish mobile device activation
through the provisioning authority 50. As will be apparent, any
alternate provisioning interface may instead be used when desired
or required, such as when the mobile device 14b is out of coverage
of the network 52, for example. A user of mobile device 14b has a
choice of self-provisioning or alternate provisioning for
activation of the mobile device 14b.
[0076] The single provisioning authority 50 thereby independently
manages provisioning functions for multiple devices, networks and
service providers. Any provisioning scheme restrictions related to
one mobile device, network, or service provider associated with the
provisioning authority 50 have no effect on provisioning functions
of other mobile devices, networks or service providers associated
with the provisioning authority 50.
[0077] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a provisioning system
according to another embodiment of the invention. The system of
FIG. 6 is substantially the same as the system shown in FIG. 4 and
operates substantially as described above, but includes a service
provider system 28d, which communicates with the provisioning
authority 51 via the Internet 20. Alternatively, the service
provider system 28d may communicate with the provisioning authority
51 through a network other than the Internet 20, such as a local or
wide area network. Information and requests are exchanged between
the service provider system 28d and the provisioning server 51, as
described above, through the Internet 20. Other communication
schemes and arrangements providing for communications between the
provisioning authority 51 and the service provider system 28d will
be apparent to those skilled in the art. Although the particular
form of communications between the provisioning authority 51 and
service provider systems may vary, the overall provisioning scheme
is preferably substantially as described above.
[0078] The provisioning authority 51 supports more than one type of
communication interface to service provider systems. In FIG. 6, the
internal services 26 may use an internal computer interface and
protocol for communications with the provisioning authority 51,
service provider systems 28a, 28b and 28c may be associated with
local service providers in the vicinity of the provisioning
authority 51 and be configured for communication with the
provisioning authority 51 via specific local interfaces or
protocols, whereas a remote service provider system 28d is
configured for a further communications interface and protocol.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many different
combinations of provisioning authority to service provider
interfaces, including interfaces not shown in FIG. 6, are possible
in accordance with this aspect of the invention.
[0079] The provisioning authority 51, as described above, exchanges
different information with different systems. For example, the
provisioning authority 51 may provide different information to
different service provider systems. In a further extension of this
feature, the provisioning authority 51 may exchange information
with a particular service provider system while executing a
provisioning process for a different service provider. This
facilitates not only multi-tasking or simultaneous execution of
multiple provisioning processes for different independent services
possibly for different users, but also provisioning of related
services from different service providers for the same user. Those
skilled in the art will be familiar with the concept of
multi-tasking. The latter related-service provisioning scheme will
be described in further detail below.
[0080] This aspect of the invention is particularly applicable
where one service provider offers services related to a service
provided by a different service provider. In a particular preferred
embodiment, a service provider system such as 28d is associated
with a service provider d that provides messaging services, such as
email services. A service provider c which owns or operates another
service provider system, 28c for example, and provides some type of
enhanced email service to users of its own email service, may wish
to extend its customer base by offering the enhanced service to
users of other external email services such as those provided by
the service provider d. Enhanced email service includes, but is in
no way limited to, redirecting received email messages from an
email system to the mobile device 53 over the communication network
55. In this embodiment, the mobile device 53 is a wireless
communication device capable of at least sending and receiving
email. In order to complete a provisioning process for such an
extension of enhanced services, the provisioning authority 51
communicates with both service provider systems, 28c and 28d.
[0081] In the above example where the service provider c offers an
email redirection service, a mobile device user may wish to
provision the service for an existing email account associated with
the service provider d. The user may invoke the provisioning
application on the mobile device 55 or contact the provisioning
authority 51 through one of the alternate provisioning interfaces,
secure web page 44 or telephone system 46, as described above. The
overall provisioning process proceeds substantially as described
above and shown in FIG. 3, but involves additional processing
between the provisioning authority 51 and the external service
provider system 28d.
[0082] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a provisioning process for a
service which is related to a further service. The steps 738
through 744 and 746 through 750 are performed by the provisioning
authority 51 during processing of a provisioning request for a
service offered by a first service provider that is related to a
different service offered by a second service provider. The
remaining steps in the provisioning process are substantially the
same as similarly labeled steps in FIG. 3 and have been described
above. These steps therefore will be described further only to the
extent necessary to illustrate related-service provisioning.
[0083] At step 702, a provisioning request is prepared and
submitted to the provisioning authority. As described above,
information for the provisioning request is preferably retrieved
from the mobile device or requested from a user. Although it is
preferred that the provisioning request is prepared on and sent
from a mobile device, any of the alternate provisioning interfaces
shown in FIG. 6 may instead be used. The provisioning process then
proceeds as described above to extract and store provisioning
information (step 704), send pertinent information to such systems
as billing and warranty systems (step 706), and determine whether
the first service provider offering the requested service is
external to the provisioning authority (step 708). The first
service provider then checks to ensure that all required
information has been received, at step 710 if the first service
provider is internal, and at step 730, after the provisioning
information has been sent to the service provider system at step
728 where the service provider is external. Any missing information
is then requested if necessary at step 724. As described above,
device provisioning applications are preferably kept current, such
that all required information is provided in a provisioning
request.
[0084] Depending upon the nature of missing provisioning
information, the first service provider may continue to process the
request for service, as described above. When the required
information has been received at step 726, or the first service
provider determines that the service request processing should
continue without certain information, then an indication to that
effect is preferably sent to the provisioning authority at step
738, if the first service provider is an external service provider.
Since the enhanced service offered by the first service provider,
an email redirection service in the above example, is dependent
upon the related service (an email account) offered by the second
service provider, then the provisioning authority or first service
provider must at least verify that the user submitting the
provisioning request for the enhanced service has previously
provisioned the related service.
[0085] In FIG. 7, the first service provider attempts to verify the
related service before the request for its enhanced service is
processed. However, these processes may be performed in a different
order, according to the preferences of the particular first and/or
second service providers involved in the related-service
provisioning request, or by the provisioning authority as
independent processes. For example, the first service provider may
wish to verify user billing information or mobile device
information before attempting to verify or validate the related
service. The second service provider may also establish preliminary
checks that must be performed by the first service provider or
provisioning authority before a validation request will be
processed. These or other checks, including those involved in
approving or denying the requested service, may also be performed
simultaneously. The first service provider may, for example,
perform some of its associated service approval checks while a
related service validation request is pending or outstanding to the
second service provider. The particular order and type of checks
performed may be determined by the provisioning authority, the
first service provider, the second service provider, or some
combination thereof. These and similar request processing criteria
may also be specified in a service provider profile at the
provisioning authority.
[0086] Related-service validation begins at step 740 for an
external service provider or step 746 for an internal service, in
which the provisioning authority sends a related-service validation
request to the second service provider. The validation request
includes information required by the second service provider to
authorize access to its user or service records. This information
may include, for example, a user name or identifier, an account
name or number for the related service and an authorization code
such as a password, and is preferably provided by the user in the
related-service provisioning request or in response to further
information requests from the first service provider or the
provisioning authority. Although not shown in FIG. 7, the second
service provider may be able to request from the user, the
provisioning authority, or the first service provider, any required
information that was not provided in the validation request. This
additional information request may be submitted substantially as
described above and illustrated in steps 724 and 726, with the
response information being provided to the second service
provider.
[0087] When a related-service validation response is received at
step 742 or step 748, it is determined whether the related service
was validated by the second service provider, at step 744 or step
750. This determination is preferably made at the first service
provider system when the requested service is provided by an
external service provider or by the provisioning authority when the
service is provided by an internal service provider which owns or
operates the provisioning authority. If the related service was
validated, then processing continues at step 732 or step 712,
wherein the first service provider determines whether access to the
requested service should be granted. If the first service provider
approves the service request, then the mobile device is registered
for service at step 714 or step 734. If the first service provider
is an external provider, then an appropriate indication is returned
to the provisioning authority at step 736. A provisioning response
is then prepared (step 716) and sent (step 718) to the mobile
device or alternate provisioning interface that was used to submit
the original related-service provisioning request, and the mobile
device services are updated accordingly at step 720, as described
above. The provisioning process is then complete, and ends at
722.
[0088] If the second service provider does not validate the related
service, then access to the requested service is denied, an
appropriate indication is returned to the provisioning authority at
step 736 if the first service provider is an external service
provider, and a provisioning response is prepared and returned to
the mobile device at steps 716 and 718. A denial of service by the
first service provider is similarly communicated to the user,
through an indication to the provisioning authority if necessary
and a provisioning response.
[0089] The first and second service providers may also provide a
conditional service approval or related-service validation. For
example, the second service provider may indicate in a validation
response that a user account is not in good standing, but may be
returned to good standing provided that the user takes some action
to restore the account. Access to the requested service may then be
granted to the user, conditional upon the user restoring the
account to good standing. If the first service provider determines
that access to the requested service should be denied, for example
where an invalid related-service account number, an incorrect
related-service account password, invalid billing information or
the like has been provided by the user, full access to the service
could be made conditional upon the user supplying correct
information and subsequent verification of the information by the
first and/or second service providers. In a similar manner, where
the second service provider does not validate the related service,
the first service provider may submit an additional information
request to the user through the provisioning authority to request
correct or valid information and submit a new validation request to
the second service provider when the additional information is
received. As described above, the number times the first or second
service provider requests additional information from the user is
preferably limited.
[0090] In the above example of an email redirection service offered
by the first service provider for existing email accounts provided
by the second service provider, registration of a mobile device for
redirection services at step 714 or step 734 involves not only a
registration process to register the user's mobile device on the
first service provider's system, but also some sort of registration
process at the second service provider. In a preferred embodiment
of the invention, setup of the user's email account for redirection
service is performed in conjunction with the validation by the
second service provider. Basic email forwarding information,
including at least a forwarding address, associated with the first
service provider, to which new messages arriving at the user's
email system or indications that new messages have arrived at the
user's email system should be sent, are provided to the second
service provider as part of the validation request. The forwarding
information may instead be sent to the second service provider when
the user's account has been validated, as determined at step 744 or
step 750, or when the provisioning request has been approved at
step 712 or step 732.
[0091] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the provisioning
authority sends an encrypted validation request, in the form of an
email message encrypted using Pretty Good Privacy. (PGP) or Secure
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME), for example, to the
second service provider. This message includes at least an email
account identifier and an email account password supplied by the
user and email forwarding information for the first service
provider system. A validation response from the second provider
then preferably includes not only a validation of the email account
information, but also a confirmation that the email forwarding has
been successfully enabled. Redirection of email from the first
service provider system to the mobile device may then be configured
at both the first service provider system and the mobile
device.
[0092] The provisioning process shown in FIG. 7 assumes that the
user wishes to provision a service from a first service provider
that is related to an existing service from a second service
provider. According to a further aspect of the invention, a first
service and a related second service are provisioned via a single
provisioning request. FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a
variation of the provisioning process of FIG. 7, in which both a
service and a related service are requested. For illustrative
purposes, the above example of an email redirection service offered
by a first service provider for an email account hosted by a second
service provider will be used.
[0093] The provisioning process shown in FIG. 8 is substantially
the same as the provisioning process of FIG. 7, except that the
first service provider provisions the related service instead of
validating the related service. In this respect, the provisioning
request prepared and sent at step 802 differs from the provisioning
request prepared and sent at step 702. For example, where a new
email account is to be provisioned as the related service offered
by the second service provider, the provisioning request includes
at least a preferred user name and password, and any billing
information as may be required by the second service provider.
Steps 802 through 838 are otherwise substantially the same as
similarly labeled steps in FIG. 7. Steps 840 through 850, by which
the process in FIG. 8 differs from the process in FIG. 7, are
described in further detail below.
[0094] When required provisioning information has been received or
the first service provider determines that the service request
processing should continue without certain information, as
determined at step 810 or 830, then an indication to that effect is
preferably sent to the provisioning authority at step 838 if the
first service provider is an external provider. Where the first
service provider is internal to the provisioning authority system,
it should be apparent that no such indication need be sent to the
provisioning authority.
[0095] The provisioning authority then attempts to provision the
related service, a new email account, from the second service
provider before the request for the service, an enhanced email
service in this example, is processed. However, as above, these
processes may be performed in a different order, according to the
preferences of the particular first and/or second service
providers, or possibly simultaneously. For example, the first
service provider or provisioning authority may first verify user
billing information or mobile device information before the service
and/or related service are provisioned. The first service provider
may instead perform some of its associated service approval checks
while a related service provisioning request is outstanding from
the provisioning authority. The particular order and type of checks
performed may be determined by the provisioning authority, the
first service provider, the second service provider, or some
combination thereof.
[0096] Related-service provisioning, in this example email account
provisioning, is initiated by sending the related-service
provisioning request to the second service provider at step 840 or
step 846. The related-service provisioning request may be in the
form of an encrypted email message to the second service provider
as described above, and includes any information required by the
second service provider to process the related-service provisioning
request. This information may include, for example, a preferred
user name and password and billing information required by the
second service provider, which was provided by the user in the
original multiple-service provisioning request. The second service
provider is also preferably able to request from the user, the
provisioning authority, or the first service provider, any required
information that was not provided in the related-service
provisioning request, substantially as described above and
illustrated in steps 824 and 826, with the response information
being provided to the second service provider.
[0097] When a related-service provisioning response is received at
step 842 or step 848, the first service provider or provisioning
authority determines whether the related service was successfully
provisioned, at step 844 or step 850. The first service provider
continues its processing at step 812 or step 832, to determine
whether access to the requested service should be granted, where
the related service was successfully provisioned. The process
continues at step 834 or step 814, substantially as described
above.
[0098] If the second service provider denies the related-service
provisioning request, as determined at step 844 or step 848, then
access to the requested service may be denied, an appropriate
indication is returned to the provisioning authority (step 836) if
the first service provider is an external service provider, and a
provisioning response is prepared and returned to the user at steps
816 and 818. A denial of service by the first service provider
following successful provisioning of the related service is
similarly communicated to the user, through an indication to the
provisioning authority if necessary, and a provisioning response.
The user is preferably able to specify, either in the original
multiple-service provisioning request or a further message sent to
the provisioning authority in response to the provisioning
response, any actions to be taken if provisioning of only one or
the other of the requested service and the related service is
successful. For example, the user may wish to maintain a new email
account even if the request for email redirection service is
denied. The user might instead prefer that the new related service
be cancelled if access to the requested service is denied.
[0099] The first and second service providers may also provide a
conditional service approval or related-service validation. For
example, the second service provider may indicate in the
related-service provisioning response that the preferred user name
is already used in its email system or that the preferred password
does not conform to its length or other formatting requirements,
such that an email account could not be established. Access to the
requested service may then be granted to the user by the first
service provider, conditional upon the user establishing an email
account and providing any information required by the email account
provider to allow email forwarding rules to be configured on the
account. When such information is provided by the user, the first
service provider need only validate the existing account as
described above in conjunction with FIG. 7. Alternatively, in
response to such user name or password problems, the first or
second service provider may send an additional information request
to the user to prompt the user to select and submit a different
user name and/or password. The second service provider then
preferably re-executes its processing of the related-service
provisioning request with the new information from the user. As
above, if the provisioning application remains current with any
changes in service provider requirements, such properties as
password formatting requirements may be checked at the mobile
device (or web interface, if used for provisioning) before a
provisioning request is submitted.
[0100] Where invalid billing information or the like has been
provided by the user, full access to one or both of the service and
the related service could be made conditional upon the user
supplying correct information and subsequent verification of the
information by the first and/or second service provider. As
described above, the number times the first or second service
provider requests additional information from the user is
preferably limited.
[0101] Although FIGS. 7 and 8 show separate provisioning processes,
dependent upon whether or not the related service exists or must
also be provisioned, a hybrid type of provisioning process, wherein
the provisioning authority or first service provider determines
whether the related service must be provisioned or merely
validated, is also contemplated. Such a hybrid process includes a
step to make this determination and proceed to either validate
(steps S702 through S708a or S708b) or provision (steps S802
through S808a or S808b) the related service.
[0102] FIGS. 9a-9c form a flow diagram illustrating a further
variation of the provisioning processes shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The
related-service and multiple-service provisioning process in FIGS.
9a-9c includes both validation and provisioning steps for the
related service, in which a mobile device user has the option of
using a related service offered by either the first service
provider or a second service provider. Continuing with the above
example of an email redirection service and a related email
service, in this embodiment of the invention, the first service
provider hosts not only the redirection service but also email
services.
[0103] The process steps 902 through 936 are substantially the same
as similarly labeled steps in FIGS. 7 and 8, although the
provisioning requests and responses used in the process of FIGS.
9a-9c may include different provisioning information.
[0104] A provisioning request is prepared and sent to a
provisioning authority at step 902. The provisioning process
proceeds to execute the operations in steps 904 through 908 as
described above. The first service provider then checks to ensure
that all required information has been received, at step 910 or
step 930 and requests any missing information if necessary at step
924.
[0105] When the first service provider is an internal service
provider associated with the provisioning authority and all
required information has been received or the first service
provider determines that the service request processing should
continue without certain information, at step 910, then the
provisioning process proceeds as shown in FIG. 9b.
[0106] At step 938, it is determined whether the related service is
an existing service, i.e., whether the user has an email account
with which the email redirection service is to be established. If
so, then the first service provider preferably determines whether
the related service is hosted by a second service provider at step
904, for example by checking the domain name associated with email
account information provided by the user in the provisioning
request. Where the existing service is hosted by the first service
provider, the first service provider checks the related service
information to validate the user's related service, at step 942.
Where the related service is provided by a second service provider,
then a validation request is sent to the second provider at step
944. The internal validation result from step 942 or the validation
response received from the second provider at step 946 is then
analyzed to determine whether the related service was validated by
the associated first or second service provider, at step 948.
[0107] Where the related service is validated, the provisioning
process continues at step 912 (FIG. 9a). The user is either
approved or denied access to the requested service via steps 912
through 922 substantially as described above.
[0108] Although described only briefly above, FIG. 9b shows
exception or error processing steps executed when an existing
related service is not validated. At step 950, the first service
provider determines whether validation of the existing related
service should be re-tried. For example, the provisioning
authority, first service provider or second service provider may
automatically re-try validation a specific number of times after a
first validation failure, or upon other conditions being satisfied.
The first or second service provider or the provisioning authority
may then request that the user re-enter some or all related-service
information at step 952 before re-trying the validation. Where a
validation response indicates an incorrect related-service password
for example, the user may be prompted to re-enter the password.
[0109] Where the validation fails and will not be re-tried, then
the user may be given the option of provisioning a new related
service 954. This allows the user to provision a new email account
if the existing account information provided in the provisioning
request or during the provisioning process cannot be validated.
When the user chooses to provision a new related service, new
related-service provisioning information, possibly including a
preferred service provider, user name, password, billing
information and any further information as may be required by the
specified service provider, is requested from the user at step 956.
The first service provider then attempts to provision a new email
account on behalf of the user, as will be described in further
detail below. When related-service validation has failed and will
not be re-tried, and the user does not wish to provision a new
related service, processing continues at step 916, as described
above.
[0110] If the user does not yet subscribe to a related service or
has chosen to provision a new related service, the first service
provider determines, at step 958, whether the requested new related
service is hosted by the first service provider or a third service
provider. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that when the
new related service is being provisioned after a related service
validation failure, the third service provider may be the second
service provider or a further different service provider. Where the
requested related service is hosted by a third service provider,
then a related-service provisioning request is sent to the third
service provider at step 960 for processing. A related-service
provisioning response is then returned to the provisioning
authority or the first service provider, as indicated at step 962.
If the requested related service is hosted by the first service
provider, the first service provider processes the related service
request at step 964. Where both the service and the related service
are to be provisioned from the first service provider, the step 964
may instead be incorporated into step 912, such that processing
continues at step 912 following an affirmative determination at
step 958.
[0111] At step 966, the first service provider or provisioning
authority determines whether the related service was successfully
provisioned. Where the related service was successfully
provisioned, the first service provider continues its processing at
step 912 to determine whether access to the requested service
should be granted. The process then concludes at steps 914 through
922 as described above.
[0112] When the related-service provisioning is unsuccessful, the
first service provider may re-try to provision the related service,
at step 968. Similar to the validation re-try described above, the
provisioning authority, the first service provider or the third
service provider may attempt to provision the related service a
predetermined number of times or upon certain conditions being
satisfied. The user might instead be prompted to select whether or
not related-service provisioning should be re-tried. If
provisioning of the related service was unsuccessful and is not
retried, the provisioning process continues at step 916, and an
appropriate provisioning response is prepared and returned to the
mobile device at step 918.
[0113] When related-service provisioning is to be re-tried, the
user is prompted to enter some or all of the provisioning
information, at step 970. For example, if the requested related
service was denied because a preferred user name is already in use,
then the user might be prompted for either a new user name or a
different service provider prior to re-trying the related-service
provisioning. In this example, if the unsuccessful related-service
provisioning was executed for a third service provider, the first
service provider may also indicate to the user whether the
preferred user name is currently available on its system or check
with one or more other service providers to determine if the user
name is available on their respective systems and indicate which
service providers may be able to provide the related service with
the preferred user name. Similarly, alternate available user names
on the third service provider system or a system of another service
provider may be suggested to the user. The user may then choose to
re-try related-service provisioning with the same service provider
or a different service provider. By selecting one of the suggested
user names or service providers, the user increases the likelihood
of successfully provisioning the related service.
[0114] Upon successful provisioning of the related service, the
process proceeds with the service provisioning step 912 and 914 if
appropriate. A provisioning response is then prepared at step 916
and returned to the user at step 918, device services are updated
at step 920 and the process ends at step 922. If the related
service cannot be successfully provisioned and will not be retried,
processing proceeds to step 926 and concludes with steps 918
through 922.
[0115] FIG. 9c shows a similar process for an external service
provider. The provisioning process for an external service provider
is substantially the same as that for an "internal" service
provider associated with the provisioning authority system and thus
only the differences between these processes will be described in
detail.
[0116] At step 972, the external service provider returns an
indication to the provisioning authority that provisioning request
processing will proceed, either when all required provisioning
information is received or the external service provider determines
that the provisioning request will be processed in the absence of
any missing information. The provisioning process then continues at
step 974 and proceeds to validate (steps 976 through 982) or
provision (steps 993 through 996) the related service as described
above. If the related service is validated (step 984) or
successfully provisioned (step 997), then the process proceeds at
step 932 to determine whether the user will be granted access to
the requested service, the device is registered for service if
appropriate (step 934) and an indication of approval or denial of
service is returned to the provisioning authority at step 936. The
provisioning process then concludes at step 922, following
preparation and transmission of a provisioning response (steps 916
and 918) and updating of device services (step 920).
[0117] The external provider process may also include
related-service validation and provisioning re-try procedures, via
steps 986 and 998, respectively. In the event of a related-service
validation or provisioning failure, the validation or provisioning
may be re-tried, with either the same information or new
information requested from the user (step 988 or step 999). When
validation will not be re-tried, the user may also be given an
option to attempt to provision a new related service, at steps 992
through 999, as described above. If related-service validation or
provisioning has failed and will not be re-tried, or validation has
failed and provisioning of a new related service will not be
attempted, processing continues at step 936 to return an
appropriate indication to the provisioning authority and the
overall process concludes with steps 916 through 922.
[0118] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the
above operations may be performed in a different order than
described and shown in the FIGS. 9a-9c. Also, some of the process
steps and associated operations, such as the re-try procedures and
the new related-service provisioning after a validation failure,
are optional.
[0119] The illustrative embodiments of provisioning systems and
processes in accordance with aspects of the invention have been
described above primarily in the context of subscribing to or
adding a new mobile device service. However, other provisioning
requests, to delete or modify existing services for example, are
also contemplated. The overall provisioning system and processes
would be substantially as described above. A delete service or
modify service provisioning request would preferably be submitted
to a provisioning authority and processed by the provisioning
authority and possibly a service provider. When the provisioning
request has been processed, a provisioning response is returned to
the user, via the mobile device to which the service provisioning
request relates or an alternate provisioning interface through
which the provisioning request was submitted.
[0120] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram showing a delete service
provisioning process, which effectively removes a service for a
particular mobile device or user. It should be understood that a
delete service provisioning request is prepared and sent to the
provisioning authority and initial provisioning request processing
is substantially as described above. In particular, the process
steps which precede the step of determining whether all required
provisioning information has been received, as well as the steps
following service approval or denial have not been shown in FIG. 10
in order to avoid congestion in the flow diagram.
[0121] A provisioning request is prepared using either the mobile
device or possibly an alternate provisioning interface and
submitted to the provisioning authority, which extracts
provisioning information and determines whether the service
provider which hosts the service to be deleted is associated with
the provisioning authority system or an external service provider.
As indicated in FIG. 10, provisioning request preparation and
initial processing steps such as 302 through 316 and possibly 336
in FIG. 3 or corresponding steps from FIG. 7, 8 or 9a, precede step
1001. The service provider or provisioning authority then
determines whether all required information has been received or,
if not, whether processing should continue in the absence of any
missing information, at step 1001, as described above.
[0122] The provisioning request preferably has a common format,
including, for example, a request type field to indicate the type
of provisioning request (add service, delete service, modify
service) and information fields. Those skilled in the art will
appreciate that different types of requests may include different
information. For example, credit card and other billing information
may be required in an add service provisioning request but not in a
delete service request. Although the specific required information
may be different for different types of requests, the checks in
step 1001 are preferably performed similarly regardless of the type
of request.
[0123] When processing of a delete service provisioning request is
to continue, the service to be deleted is first validated to verify
that the service actually exists. The service information provided
by the user is checked at step 1002, and at step 1004, it is
determined whether the service was validated. As described above,
the validation may be re-tried at step 1006, possibly after new
information is provided by the user at step 1008 following a
validation failure. If the service cannot be validated and
validation will not be re-tried, then processing continues at step
324 or at step 344 (FIG. 3) for an external provider, or at
corresponding steps from FIG. 7, 8, or 9a. An appropriate
provisioning response is prepared and returned, records, menus or
lists on the mobile device may be updated to indicate a delete
service operation error or failure, and the delete service
provisioning process ends. Deletion of a service, similar to add
service provision as described above, may be conditional, for
example where some further information may be required for
completion of processing, the user has a billing amount
outstanding, or perhaps some other service or account condition has
not been satisfied.
[0124] Where the service to be deleted is validated at step 1004,
the service provider or the provisioning authority the checks to
determine whether the service to be deleted is related to any other
mobile device services, at step 1010. This step is preferred to
avoid problems with any related services, but is optional. A check
may instead be made at the mobile device while a delete service
provisioning request is being prepared, before the provisioning
request is submitted to the provisioning authority, or after the
service has been deleted. Where the service is not related to any
other device services, or if the related-service check is not
performed, the service is deleted by the service provider at step
1011 and the process continues as described above. A delete service
provisioning response confirms that the service has been deleted at
the service provider and preferably initiates deletion of the
service at the mobile device, by updating device functions, service
lists or menus, and possibly deleting applications related to the
particular service. Deletion of a service preferably does not
prevent the user from subscribing to the service at a later time
through a further add service provisioning request.
[0125] Where a deleted service is related to another mobile device
service, such as in the above example of an email account and an
email redirection service, the user must reconfigure the other
device service for an alternate related service. Since the
provisioning authority preferably manages provisioning of all
device services, the provisioning authority may perform the check
at step 1010. This related-service check may instead be performed
by a service provider, such as the service provider hosting the
service to be deleted or the service provider hosting the related
service.
[0126] If a related mobile device service is found, then the
provisioning authority or a service provider sends an alert to the
mobile device, at step 1012. Alternatively, the delete service
processing may be aborted, and the delete service provisioning
response may indicate the reason for delete service failure. When
the alert is sent to the mobile device at step 1012, delete service
processing preferably stops until a response is received from the
user. The user further preferably has the option to specify in the
response whether or not a new replacement service with which the
related service may be configured to operate should be provisioned
before the delete service provisioning processing is completed, as
shown at step 1014. If the user chooses to provision a new service
to replace the service to be deleted, then the new service is
provisioned at step 1016.
[0127] The user's response to the alert preferably also indicates
whether the delete service process should continue. As shown in
FIG. 10, this allows the user to choose to (i) provision a new
replacement service at step 1016 and delete the old service at step
1011 when the new service has been successfully added, (ii) not
provision a new replacement service but nonetheless delete the
existing service at step 1011, or (iii) not provision a new
replacement service and abort the delete service process at step
1018. In the latter case, a new service could then be provisioned
and configured to operate with the related service and the old
service deleted if necessary at a later time. The delete service
provisioning process may also be adapted to abort to step 324 or
344 or corresponding steps in FIG. 7, 8 or 9a after a predetermined
amount of time has elapsed without a response to the alert. As an
alternative to steps 1012 through 1018, the delete service process
may first be concluded and an add service provisioning process may
then be invoked to add a new service to replace the deleted
service.
[0128] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing a modify service
provisioning process. A user may wish to modify a service to
subscribe to a different service plan for the same service, to add
a mobile device to or remove a mobile device from an existing
service account, to modify the mobile device registered for a
service when a new mobile device is purchased, or to modify a
billing address when a user relocates, for example. If the mobile
device registered for a service incorporates a SIM card, a modify
service provisioning request may also be prepared and submitted
whenever the SIM card is to be used in a different mobile device,
when a new SIM card is to be used in the mobile device, and other
similar situations in which mobile device or user information
changes. When a service may be configured according to
user-established preferences, the user may submit a modify service
provisioning request to initially set preferences or modify
existing settings.
[0129] A modify service provisioning request is preferably prepared
and submitted to a provisioning authority, and initial provisioning
request processing is substantially as described above. As in FIG.
10, process steps which precede step 1101 and follow step 1111 have
not been shown in FIG. 11, but are common operations that are
executed during add service, delete service, modify service and
possibly other provisioning processes.
[0130] The modify service provisioning request preferably conforms
to a common request format as described above, and includes at
least a modify service indicator, to specify that the provisioning
request is a modify service request, and any required provisioning
information. The specific provisioning information required for a
modify service request may be different than for other types of
requests, but will preferably include at least sufficient
information to identify the particular service to which the request
relates and authorization information to ensure that the entity
submitting the request is authorized to effect changes in the
service. The details on information required for a modify service
request might also be sent to a mobile device by the provisioning
authority based on a service provider profile. At step 1101, the
provisioning authority or service provider hosting the service to
be modified determines whether all required information has been
provided. As in the provisioning processes described above, further
information may be requested if necessary.
[0131] When all information is received or processing of a modify
service provisioning request is to continue without any missing
information, as determined at step 1101, the service is validated.
The provisioning information provided in the provisioning request
is checked at step 1102, and at step 1104, it is determined whether
the service was validated. The validation may preferably be
re-tried at step 1106, possibly after new information is requested
from user at step 1108, following a validation failure. If the
service cannot be validated and validation will not be re-tried,
then processing continues at step 324 (FIG. 3), at step S344 for an
external provider, or at corresponding steps in FIG. 7, 8 or 9a. A
provisioning response is prepared and returned, records, menus or
lists on the mobile device may then be updated to indicate that a
modify service error or failure has occurred, and the provisioning
process ends. Any changes to a service may be conditional, for
example where any further information may be required for
completion of processing, the user's service account is not in good
standing, and the like.
[0132] Upon validation of the service at step 1104, the service
provider or the provisioning authority checks to determine if any
of the requested changes to the service will affect any other
mobile device services, at step 1110. This step is optional, but
preferred in order to avoid problems with such related services. A
similar check may instead be made at the mobile device, as
described above for a delete service provisioning request, while a
modify service provisioning request is being prepared, before the
modify service provisioning request is submitted to the
provisioning authority, or after the service has been modified. If
the service is not related to any other mobile device services, or
if the related-service check is not performed, the service is then
modified by the service provider at step 1111 and the process
continues at step S324 or step S344 (FIG. 3) or the corresponding
step in FIG. 7, 8 or 9a. A provisioning response to a modify
service provisioning request confirms that the service has been
modified at the service provider and preferably initiates any
required changes to the service or service-related applications at
the mobile device. If necessary, further changes to the same
service may also be made at a later time through a further modify
service provisioning request.
[0133] Where the service is related to another device service, such
as in the above example of an email account and an email
redirection service, the user may be required to reconfigure the
other mobile device service to reflect any service changes. Since
the provisioning authority preferably manages provisioning of all
mobile device services, the provisioning authority may perform this
check at step 1110. This related-service check may instead be
performed by a service provider, such as the service provider
hosting the service to be changed or the service provider hosting
the related service.
[0134] Where a related mobile device service is found and will be
affected by any change requested in the provisioning request, then
the provisioning authority or a service provider sends an alert to
the mobile device, at step 1112. Alternatively, the modify service
processing may be aborted at step 1110, and the modify service
provisioning response indicates the reason for the modify service
process failure. When the alert is sent to the mobile device at
step 1112, processing preferably stops until a response is received
from the user of the mobile device. The user further preferably has
the option to specify in the response whether he or she wishes to
redefine the requested changes, including but in no way limited to
specifying new changes or effectively cancelling certain requested
changes, and whether the modify service processing should proceed.
If the user chooses to redefine the requested changes, by
specifying new changes or cancelling some of the requested changes,
for example, then the new changes are detected at step 1116, the
new changes are made at the service provider system at step 1111,
and the modify service processing continues as described above.
[0135] The user's response to the alert may instead indicate that
the requested changes will not be redefined and that the modify
process should either proceed or be aborted, which is determined at
step 1118. If the user chooses to proceed with the requested
changes, then the changes are made at step 1111 and the process
continues at step 324 or step 344. If the user chooses to abort the
modify process, no changes to the service are made and the process
continues at step 324 or step 344. The modify service provisioning
process may also be adapted to abort to step 324 or step 344 as
described above after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed
without a response to the alert.
[0136] Add service provisioning, delete service provisioning and
modify service provisioning have been described above and shown in
the drawings as separate processes. However, the provisioning
application at a mobile device and associated provisioning
arrangements at the provisioning authority and service provider
systems may be configured to determine a type of any received
provisioning request, such that the provisioning process includes
common provisioning request preparation, submission, and
information extraction and distribution operations, as well as
common provisioning response preparation and transmission
operations, with different but possibly inter-related processing
operations for the particular types of provisioning requests.
Incorporation of the add, delete and modify service processes shown
in the drawings into a single overall flow diagram for such a
combined provisioning process adapted for multiple provisioning
request types will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
[0137] Thus, a provisioning system and method in accordance with
various aspects of the invention may manage multiple provisioning
functions for a plurality of internal and external service
providers.
[0138] Having described provisioning systems and methods, a mobile
communication device in which the provisioning application may be
installed will now be described. FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a
mobile communication device.
[0139] The mobile device 1200 is preferably a two-way communication
device having at least voice and data communication capabilities.
The mobile device 1200 preferably has the capability to communicate
with other computer systems on the Internet. Depending on the
functionality provided by the mobile device, the mobile device may
be referred to as a data messaging device, a two-way pager, a
cellular telephone with data messaging capabilities, a wireless
Internet appliance, or a data communication device (with or without
telephony capabilities). As mentioned above, such devices are
referred to generally herein simply as mobile devices.
[0140] The mobile device 1200 includes a transceiver 1211, a
microprocessor 1238, a display 1222, non-volatile memory 1224,
random access memory (RAM) 1226, auxiliary input/output (I/O)
devices 1228, a serial port 1230, a keyboard 1232, a speaker 1234,
a microphone 1236, a short-range wireless communications sub-system
1240, and other device sub-systems 1242. The transceiver 1211
preferably includes transmit and receive antennas 1216, 1218, a
receiver (Rx) 1212, a transmitter (Tx) 1214, one or more local
oscillators (LOs) 1213, and a digital signal processor (DSP) 1220.
Within the non-volatile memory 1224, the mobile device 1200
includes a plurality of software modules 1224A-1224N that can be
executed by the microprocessor 1238 (and/or the DSP 1220),
including a voice communication module 1224A, a data communication
module 1224B, and a plurality of other operational modules 1224N
for carrying out a plurality of other functions. The provisioning
application described above may be implemented on the mobile device
1200 as one of the software modules 1224N.
[0141] The mobile device 1200 is preferably a two-way communication
device having voice and data communication capabilities. Thus, for
example, the mobile device 1200 may communicate over a voice
network, such as any of the analog or digital cellular networks,
and may also communicate over a data network. The voice and data
networks are depicted in FIG. 12 by the communication tower 1219.
These voice and data networks may be separate communication
networks using separate infrastructure, such as base stations,
network controllers, etc., or they may be integrated into a single
wireless network. References to the network 1219 should therefore
be interpreted as encompassing both a single voice and data network
and separate networks.
[0142] The communication subsystem 1211 is used to communicate with
the network 1219. The DSP 1220 is used to send and receive
communication signals to and from the transmitter 1214 and receiver
1212, and also exchange control information with the transmitter
1214 and receiver 1212. If the voice and data communications occur
at a single frequency, or closely-spaced set of frequencies, then a
single LO 1213 may be used in conjunction with the transmitter 1214
and receiver 1212. Alternatively, if different frequencies are
utilized for voice communications versus data communications or the
mobile device 1200 is enabled for communications on more than one
network 1219, then a plurality of LOs 1213 can be used to generate
frequencies corresponding to those used in the network 1219.
Although two antennas 1216, 1218 are depicted in FIG. 12, the
mobile device 1200 could be used with a single antenna structure.
Information, which includes both voice and data information, is
communicated to and from the communication module 1211 via a link
between the DSP 1220 and the microprocessor 1238.
[0143] The detailed design of the communication subsystem 1211,
such as frequency band, component selection, power level, etc., is
dependent upon the communication network 1219 in which the mobile
device 1200 is intended to operate. For example, a mobile device
1200 intended to operate in a North American market may include a
communication subsystem 1211 designed to operate with the Mobitex
or DataTAC mobile data communication networks and also designed to
operate with any of a variety of voice communication networks, such
as AMPS, TDMA, CDMA, PCS, etc., whereas a mobile device 1200
intended for use in Europe may be configured to operate with the
GPRS data communication network and the GSM voice communication
network. Other types of data and voice networks, both separate and
integrated, may also be utilized with the mobile device 1200.
[0144] As described above, communication network access
requirements for the mobile device 1200 also vary depending upon
the type of network 1219. For example, in the Mobitex and DataTAC
data networks, mobile devices are registered on the network using a
unique identification number associated with each device. In GPRS
networks, access is associated with a subscriber or user of the
mobile device 1200. Local or non-network communication functions
(if any) may be operable, without the SIM, but the mobile device
1200 is unable to carry out functions involving communications over
the network 1219, other than any legally required operations, such
as `911` emergency calling. Depending on the configuration of the
mobile device 1200 and its provisioning application, network access
for the mobile device 1200 may be arranged using the techniques
described above.
[0145] After any required network registration or activation
procedures have been completed, the mobile device 1200 is able to
send and receive communication signals, preferably including both
voice and data signals, over the network 1219. Signals received by
the antenna 1216 from the communication network 1219 are routed to
the receiver 1212, which provides for signal amplification,
frequency down conversion, filtering, and channel selection, for
example, as well as analog to digital conversion. Analog to digital
conversion of the received signal allows more complex communication
functions, such as digital demodulation and decoding, to be
performed using the DSP 1220. In a similar manner, signals to be
transmitted to the network 1219 are processed, including modulation
and encoding, for example, by the DSP 1220 and are then provided to
the transmitter 1214 for digital to analog conversion, frequency up
conversion, filtering, amplification and transmission to the
communication network 1219 via the antenna 1218. Although a single
transceiver 1211 is shown for both voice and data communications,
in alternative embodiments, the mobile device 1200 may include
multiple distinct transceivers, such as a first transceiver for
transmitting and receiving voice signals, and a second transceiver
for transmitting and receiving data signals, or a first transceiver
configured to operate within a first frequency band, and a second
transceiver configured to operate within a second frequency
band.
[0146] In addition to processing the communication signals, the DSP
1220 also provides for receiver and transmitter control. For
example, the gain levels applied to communication signals in the
receiver 1212 and transmitter 1214 may be adaptively controlled
through automatic gain control algorithms implemented in the DSP
1220. Other transceiver control algorithms could also be
implemented in the DSP 1220 in order to provide more sophisticated
control of the transceiver 1211.
[0147] The microprocessor 1238 preferably manages and controls the
overall operation of the mobile device 1200. Many types of
microprocessors or microcontrollers could be used here, or,
alternatively, a single DSP 1220 could be used to carry out the
functions of the microprocessor 1238. Low-level communication
functions, including at least data and voice communications, are
performed through the DSP 1220 in the transceiver 1211. High-level
communication applications, including the voice communication
application 1224A, the data communication application 1224B, and
the provisioning application are stored in the non-volatile memory
1224 for execution by the microprocessor 1238. For example, the
voice communication module 1224A provides a high-level user
interface operable to transmit and receive voice calls between the
mobile device 1200 and a plurality of other voice devices via the
network 1219. Similarly, the data communication module 1224B
provides a high-level user interface operable for sending and
receiving data, such as e-mail messages, files, organizer
information, short text messages, etc., between the mobile device
1200 and a plurality of other data devices via the network
1219.
[0148] The microprocessor 1238 also interacts with other device
subsystems, such as the display 1222, RAM 1226, auxiliary I/O
devices 1228, serial port 1230, keyboard 1232, speaker 1234,
microphone 1236, a short-range communications subsystem 1240 and
any other device subsystems generally designated as 1242. For
example, the modules 1224A-N are executed by the microprocessor
1238 and may provide a high-level interface between a user of the
mobile device and the mobile device. This interface typically
includes a graphical component provided through the display 1222,
and an input/output component provided through the auxiliary I/O
devices 1228, keyboard 1232, speaker 1234, or microphone 1236.
[0149] Some of the subsystems shown in FIG. 12 perform
communication-related functions, whereas other subsystems may
provide "resident" or on-device functions. Notably, some
subsystems, such as keyboard 1232 and display 1222 may be used for
both communication-related functions, such as entering a text
message for transmission over a data communication network, and
device-resident functions such as a calculator or task list or
other PDA type functions.
[0150] Operating system software used by the microprocessor 1238 is
preferably stored in a persistent store such as the non-volatile
memory 1224. In addition to the operating system and communication
modules 1224A-N, the non-volatile memory 1224 may include a file
system for storing data. The operating system, specific device
applications or modules, or parts thereof, may be temporarily
loaded into a volatile store, such as RAM 1226 for faster
operation. Moreover, received communication signals may also be
temporarily stored to RAM 1226, before permanently writing them to
a file system located in the non-volatile memory 1224. The
non-volatile memory 1224 may be implemented, for example, with
Flash memory, non-volatile RAM, or battery backed-up RAM.
[0151] Another exemplary application module 1224N that may be
loaded onto the mobile device 1200, in addition to the provisioning
application described above, is a PIM application providing PDA
functionality, such as calendar events, appointments, and task
items. This module 1224N may also interact with the voice
communication module 1224A for managing phone calls, voice mails,
etc., and may also interact with the data communication module
1224B for managing e-mail communications and other data
transmissions. Alternatively, all of the functionality of the voice
communication module 1224A and the data communication module 1224B
may be integrated into the PIM module.
[0152] The non-volatile memory 1224 preferably provides a file
system to facilitate storage of PIM data items on the device. The
PIM application preferably includes the ability to send and receive
data items, either by itself, or in conjunction with the voice and
data communication modules 1224A, 1224B, via the wireless network
1219. The PIM data items are preferably seamlessly integrated,
synchronized and updated, via the wireless network 1219, with a
corresponding set of data items stored or associated with a host
computer system, thereby creating a mirrored system for data items
associated with a particular user.
[0153] The mobile device 1200 is manually synchronized with a host
system by placing the mobile device 1200 in an interface cradle,
which couples the serial port 1230 of the mobile device 1200 to a
serial port of the host system. The serial port 1230 may also be
used to download other application modules 1224N for installation
on the mobile device 1200. This wired download path may further be
used to load an encryption key onto the mobile device 1200 for use
in secure communications, which is a more secure method than
exchanging encryption information via the wireless network
1219.
[0154] Additional application modules 1224N may also be loaded onto
the mobile device 1200 through the network 1219, through an
auxiliary I/O subsystem 1228, through the short-range
communications subsystem 1240, or through any other suitable
subsystem 1242, and installed by a user in the non-volatile memory
1224 or RAM 1226. Such flexibility in application installation
increases the functionality of the mobile device 1200 and may
provide enhanced on-device functions, communication-related
functions, or both. For example, secure communication applications
may enable electronic commerce functions and other such financial
transactions to be performed using the mobile device 1200.
[0155] When the mobile device 1200 is operating in a data
communication mode, a received signal, such as a text message or a
web page download, will be processed by the transceiver 1211 and
provided to the microprocessor 1238, which preferably further
processes the received signal for output to the display 1222, or,
alternatively, to an auxiliary I/O device 1228. Owner information,
owner control information, commands or requests related to owner
information or owner control information, and software applications
received by the transceiver 1211 are processed as described above.
A user of mobile device 1200 may also compose data items, such as
email messages, using the keyboard 1232, which is preferably a
complete alphanumeric keyboard laid out in the QWERTY style,
although other styles of complete alphanumeric keyboards such as
the known DVORAK style may also be used. User input to the mobile
device 1200 is further enhanced with the plurality of auxiliary I/O
devices 1228, which may include a thumbwheel input device, a
touchpad, a variety of switches, a rocker input switch, etc. The
composed data items input by the user are then transmitted over the
communication network 1219 via the transceiver 1211.
[0156] When the mobile device 1200 is operating in a voice
communication mode, the overall operation of the mobile device 1200
is substantially similar to the data mode, except that received
signals are output to the speaker 1234 and voice signals for
transmission are generated by a microphone 1236. In addition, the
secure messaging techniques described above might not necessarily
be applied to voice communications. Alternative voice or audio I/O
devices, such as a voice message recording subsystem, may also be
implemented on the mobile device 1200. Although voice or audio
signal output is accomplished through the speaker 1234, the display
1222 may also be used to provide an indication of the identity of a
calling party, the duration of a voice call, or other voice call
related information. For example, the microprocessor 1238, in
conjunction with the voice communication module 1224A and the
operating system software, may detect the caller identification
information of an incoming voice call and display it on the display
1222.
[0157] A short-range communications subsystem 1240 is also be
included in the mobile device 1200. For example, the subsystem 1240
may include an infrared device and associated circuits and
components, or a Bluetooth. or 802.1. short-range wireless
communication module to provide for communication with
similarly-enabled systems and devices. Thus, software applications,
PIM data and other information may be enabled on the mobile device
1200 via the serial port 1230 or other short-range communications
subsystem 1240.
[0158] FIG. 12 represents a specific example of a mobile device in
conjunction with which provisioning systems and methods described
above may be implemented. Implementation of such systems and
methods in other mobile devices having further, fewer, or different
components than those shown in FIG. 12 would be obvious to one
skilled in the art to which this application pertains and are
therefore considered to be within the scope of the present
invention. For example, although a SIM card has not been explicitly
shown in FIG. 12, it should be appreciated that implementation of
provisioning systems and methods in conjunction with mobile devices
with SIM cards is contemplated. Since SIM cards currently
incorporate a memory component information for a provisioning
request, information extracted from a provisioning response, or
both, may be stored on a SIM card.
[0159] It will be appreciated that the above description relates to
the preferred embodiment by way of example only. Many variations on
the invention will be obvious to those knowledgeable in the field,
and such obvious variations are within the scope of the invention
as described and claimed, whether or not expressly described.
[0160] For example, although a single provisioning authority
preferably provides a provisioning interface between multiple
service providers and devices which may use services hosted by such
service providers, it will be apparent that more than one such
provisioning authority, each serving one or more service providers,
may be implemented in a system.
[0161] In multiple provisioning authority systems, each authority
is preferably adapted to operate with a common provisioning
application. However, it is also contemplated that different
provisioning authorities may use different provisioning
applications. Intermediate interface or translation systems may
provide for communication between a mobile device provisioning
application and a provisioning authority adapted for a different
provisioning application. Alternatively, a mobile device may
download a corresponding different provisioning application from a
particular provisioning authority, a service provider that uses the
particular provisioning authority, or possibly from another
provisioning application source such as a central repository of
provisioning applications. Depending upon the service to be
provisioned, the service provider hosting the service, or its
associated provisioning authority, a particular corresponding one
of a plurality of stored provisioning applications may be invoked
on a mobile device.
[0162] Further contemplated aspects of the invention relate to
service query and notify functions. In accordance with these
aspects of the invention, a mobile device may query a provisioning
authority to determine which services may be provisioned via the
provisioning authority, and possibly which service providers host
such services. If necessary, a user may then download a
corresponding provisioning application and provision any desired
services using the provisioning application and provisioning
authority. A service notify feature may be implemented by a service
provider or a provisioning authority as an advertising mechanism,
whereby the service provider or provisioning authority notifies
mobile devices of available services. A service notify message may
be sent to a mobile device upon conclusion of an initial
provisioning (activation) operation for the mobile device, as an
attachment to or following a transmission of a provisioning
response, for example. Such a message might also be sent to all
mobile devices that have previously used a particular provisioning
authority or service provider, when a new service or service
provider becomes available.
[0163] Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that other
alternate provisioning interfaces in addition to those shown in the
drawings may be provided. One such alternate interface that may not
be immediately apparent is another mobile communication device. For
example, a user may wish to provision mobile device services using
a mobile device on which a provisioning application has not been
installed, or perhaps when the mobile device is out of mobile
communication network coverage or would incur roaming charges for
any network communications. If the mobile device and a second
available mobile device are enabled for short-range communications
as described above, then "proxy" type provisioning may be possible.
The second mobile device may download, if necessary, the
appropriate provisioning application. Any information required for
the intended provisioning operation is transferred from the first
mobile device to the second mobile device via the short-range link,
and the provisioning application on the second mobile device
prepares and submits the provisioning request and receives the
provisioning response on behalf of the user of the first mobile
device. If the provisioning application is resident on the first
mobile device, then the provisioning application may be transferred
to the second mobile device from the first device via the
short-range communications link if necessary, or the provisioning
request could be prepared on the first mobile device and submitted
to the provisioning authority via the second mobile device. The
provisioning response may then be received by the second mobile
device and similarly transferred to the first mobile device via the
short-range link.
* * * * *