Method and system for enabling and activating a functionality of an electronic device

• US 10,009,759 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teletech Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teletech Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Tuchman, Kenneth D., Sharpe, Bruce A., Truong, Henry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Florian M
• Application Number:
  US14/863,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

A machine-readable code is received at a first server and decoded to obtain a device ID and a first provider ID that identifies a device provider providing the second electronic device. At least one of the machine-readable code or the device ID is transmitted to a second server. A subscribed service that can be activated on the second electronic device is determined based on device metadata of the second electronic device and service metadata of the subscribed service. A first message is transmitted to a mobile device of a user associated with the second electronic device for a permission to activate the subscribed service on the second electronic device. In response to a second message received from the mobile device, the device metadata and the service metadata are transmitted to a third server to request the third server to activate the subscribed service on the second electronic device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations of enabling and activating a functionality of an electronic device, the operations comprising:

receiving at a first server a machine-readable code from a first electronic device over a network, wherein the machine-readable code includes a device identifier (ID) identifying a second electronic device, wherein the first server is associated with a service center that provides support services to a plurality of users on behalf of a plurality of product providers and service providers;

decoding the machine-readable code to obtain the device ID and a first provider ID, wherein the first provider ID identifies a device provider that provides the second electronic device;

determining a second server that is associated with the device provider based on the first provider ID;

transmitting via a first application programming interface (API) at least one of the machine-readable code or the device ID to a second server over the network, wherein the second server is associated with the device provider;

receiving device information of the second electronic device from the second server over the network, wherein the device information is determined by the second server based on at least one of the device ID or the machine-readable code;

identifying a subscribed service that can be activated on the second electronic device based on the device information of the second electronic device and service information of the subscribed service, wherein the subscribed service is provided by a service provider;

transmitting a first message to a mobile device of a user associated with the second electronic device via a second API over the network, the first message requesting a permission to activate the subscribed service on the second electronic device; and

in response to a second message with the permission received from the mobile device, transmitting, by the activation module via a third API over the network, the device information and the service information to a third server associated with the service provider that provides the subscribed service, wherein the second message is to request the third server to activate the subscribed service on the second electronic device, and wherein the subscribed service is to allow the second electronic device to access one or more resources provided by the service provider based on the subscribed service.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a request for registering the subscribed service with the first server from the mobile device, the request including a service ID identifying the subscribed service;

transmitting the service ID to the third server to obtain the service information of the subscribed service; and

storing the service information of the subscribed service in a subscription store associated with the user, including a subscription identifier and the one or more credentials for accessing the service provider.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise storing the device information of the second electronic device in an asset store associated with the user, wherein the asset store is maintained by the first server.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise upon having successfully activated the subscribed service on the first device, transmitting a video stream to the mobile device providing illustration of operating the second electronic device with the subscribed service.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the video stream is retrieved from a remote facility associated with the device provider of the second electronic device or the service provider of the subscribed service without user directly accessing the remote facility.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, at the first server, whether a number of existing electronic devices activated with the subscribed service reaches a predetermined threshold; and

deactivating the subscribed service from a second device of the existing devices such that the first device can be activated replacing the second device.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting a third message to the mobile device to notify the user that the number of the existing devices associated with the subscribed service reaches the predetermined threshold;

transmitting to the mobile device a fourth message having a summary of existing devices that are currently activated with the subscribed service;

causing the mobile device to request the user to select one or more of the existing devices to be deactivated; and

receiving from the mobile device a request for deactivating the second device that was selected from the summary of the existing devices.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the service information includes one or more credentials of the user, and wherein the second message is to request the third server to authenticate the user based on the one or more credentials prior to activating the subscribed service on the second electronic device.

9. A computer-implemented method for enabling and activating a functionality of an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first server running on server hardware, a machine-readable code from a first electronic device over a network, wherein the machine-readable code includes a device identifier (ID) identifying a second electronic device, wherein the first server is associated with a service center that provides support services to a plurality of users on behalf of a plurality of product providers and service providers;

decoding, by a registration module hosted by the first server, the machine-readable code to obtain the device ID and a first provider ID, wherein the first provider ID identifies a device provider that provides the second electronic device;

determining by the registration module a second server that is associated with the device provider based on the first provider ID;

transmitting, by the registration module via a first application programming interface (API), at least one of the machine-readable code or the device ID to a second server over the network, wherein the second servers associated with the device provider;

receiving by the registration module device information of the second electronic device from the second server over the network, wherein the device information is determined by the second server based on at least one of the device ID or the machine-readable code;

identifying, by an activation module hosted by the first server, a subscribed service that can be activated on the second electronic device based on the device information of the second electronic device and service information of the subscribed service, wherein the subscribed service is provided by a service provider;

transmitting a first message to a mobile device of a user associated with the second electronic device via a second API over the network, the first message requesting a permission to activate the subscribed service on the second electronic device; and

in response to a second message with the permission received from the mobile device, transmitting, by the activation module via a third API over the network, the device information and the service information to a third server associated with the service provider that provides the subscribed service, wherein the second message is to request the third server to activate the subscribed service on the second electronic device, and wherein the subscribed service is to allow the second electronic device to access one or more resources provided by the service provider based on the subscribed service.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a request for registering the subscribed service with the first server from the mobile device, the request including a service ID identifying the subscribed service;

transmitting the service ID to the third server to obtain the service information of the subscribed service; and

storing the service information of the subscribed service in a subscription store associated with the user, including a subscription identifier and the one or more credentials for accessing the service provider.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing the device information of the second electronic device in an asset store associated with the user, wherein the asset store is maintained by the first server.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising upon having successfully activated the subscribed service on the first device, transmitting a video stream to the mobile device providing illustration of operating the second electronic device with the subscribed service.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the video stream is retrieved from a remote facility associated with the device provider of the second electronic device or the service provider of the subscribed service without user directly accessing the remote facility.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, at the first server, whether a number of existing electronic devices activated with the subscribed service reaches a predetermined threshold; and

deactivating the subscribed service from a second device of the existing devices such that the first device can be activated replacing the second device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting a third message to the mobile device to notify the user that the number of the existing devices associated with the subscribed service reaches the predetermined threshold;

transmitting to the mobile device a fourth message having a summary of existing devices that are currently activated with the subscribed service;

causing the mobile device to request the user to select one or more of the existing devices to be deactivated; and

receiving from the mobile device a request for deactivating the second device that was selected from the summary of the existing devices.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the service information includes one or more credentials of the user, and wherein the second message is to request the third server to authenticate the user based on the one or more credentials prior to activating the subscribed service on the second electronic device.

17. A data processing system operating as a first server, the system comprising:

a processor;

a registration module executed by the processor;

an activation module executed by the processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions therein, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations including

receiving a machine-readable code from a first electronic device over a network, wherein the machine-readable code includes a device identifier (ID) identifying a second electronic device, wherein the first server is associated with a service center that provides support services to a plurality of users on behalf of a plurality of product provides and service providers,

decoding, by the registration module, the machine-readable code to obtain the device ID and a first provider ID, wherein the first provider ID identifies a device provider that provides the second electronic device,

determining by the registration module a second server that is associated with the device provider based on the first provider ID, wherein the second server is associated with the device provider,

transmitting, by the registration module via a first application programming interface (API), at least one of the machine-readable code or the device ID to a second server over the network,

receiving by the registration module device information of the second electronic device from the second server over the network, wherein the device information is determined by the second server based on at least one of the device ID or the machine-readable code,

identifying, by the activation module, a subscribed service that can be activated on the second electronic device based on the device information of the second electronic device and service information of the subscribed service, wherein the subscribed service is provided by a service provider,

transmitting a first message to a mobile device of a user associated with the second electronic device via a second API over the network, the first message requesting a permission to activate the subscribed service on the second electronic device, and

in response to a second message with the permission received from the mobile device, transmitting, by the activation module via a third API over the network, the device information and the service information to a third server associated with the service provider that provides the subscribed service, wherein the second message is to request the third server to activate the subscribed service on the second electronic device, and wherein the subscribed service is to allow the second electronic device to access one or more resources provided by the service provider based on the subscribed service.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a request for registering the subscribed service with the first server from the mobile device, the request including a service ID identifying the subscribed service;

transmitting the service ID to the third server to obtain the service information of the subscribed service; and

storing the service information of the subscribed service in a subscription store associated with the user, including a subscription identifier and the one or more credentials for accessing the service provider.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise storing the device information of the second electronic device in an asset store associated with the user, wherein the asset store is maintained by the first server.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise upon having successfully activated the subscribed service on the first device, transmitting a video stream to the mobile device providing illustration of operating the second electronic device with the subscribed service.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the video stream is retrieved from a remote facility associated with the device provider of the second electronic device or the service provider of the subscribed service without user directly accessing the remote facility.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, at the first server, whether a number of existing electronic devices activated with the subscribed service reaches a predetermined threshold; and

deactivating the subscribed service from a second device of the existing devices such that the first device can be activated replacing the second device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting a third message to the mobile device to notify the user that the number of the existing devices associated with the subscribed service reaches the predetermined threshold;

transmitting to the mobile device a fourth message having a summary of existing devices that are currently activated with the subscribed service;

causing the mobile device to request the user to select one or more of the existing devices to be deactivated; and

receiving from the mobile device a request for deactivating the second device that was selected from the summary of the existing devices.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the service information includes one or more credentials of the user, and wherein the second message is to request the third server to authenticate the user based on the one or more credentials prior to activating the subscribed service on the second electronic device.