Mobile phone differentiated user set-up

• US 10,306,433 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Indurkar, Dhananjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Shen, Qun
• Application Number:
  US15/584,001
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/76 Group identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method of configuring user settings on a mobile communication device. The method comprises sending a message by a software service layer of a mobile communication device to a first computer system to request an identity of a second computer system from which to obtain user settings configuration instructions, receiving a response message by the software service layer from the first computer system, wherein the response message comprises the identity of the second computer system, sending a user settings request message by the software service layer to the second computer system, receiving a user settings response message by the software service layer from the second computer system, and configuring user settings on the mobile communication device by the software service layer by executing instructions received in the user settings response message.

Claims

1. A method of activating a mobile communication device and processing messages by a software service layer of the mobile communication device to configure user settings on the mobile communication device, comprising:

performing an activation of the mobile communication device by an activation application that executes on the mobile communication device, wherein the activation process installs wireless network access credentials into the mobile communication device;

monitoring the activation application by the software service layer;

determining by the software service layer that the mobile communication device activation has completed;

sending, by the software service layer in response to determining that the mobile communication device activation has completed, a message comprising an identity of the mobile communication device to a wireless communication service provider operated computer system to request an identity of an enterprise computer system associated with an enterprise that is different from the wireless communication service provider from which to obtain user settings configuration instructions;

receiving, by the software service layer, a response message from the wireless communication service provider operated computer system, wherein the response message comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), an Internet Protocol (IP) address, or domain name of the enterprise computer system;

sending, by the software service layer, a user settings request message comprising the identity of the mobile communication device to the URL, IP address, or domain name of the enterprise computer system;

receiving, by the software service layer, a user settings response message from the enterprise computer system; and

configuring, by the software service layer, user settings on the mobile communication device by executing instructions received in the user settings response message, wherein the user settings comprise enterprise applications and a contacts list associated with the enterprise.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the software service layer is a component of an operating system of the mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the software service layer rides on top of an operating system of the mobile communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is provided by the enterprise to an employee.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is owned by a private individual.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user settings further comprise an email address list, a security certificate for accessing a virtual private network (VPN) resource, and an enterprise password.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by a package builder application that is stored on and executed by the second computer system, inputs from a user interface of the package builder application, where the inputs define rules for associating a plurality of user settings to a user based on a group membership of the user;

receiving, by the package builder application, the user settings request message from the software service layer, where the request message comprises an identity of the mobile communication device;

determining, by the package builder application, a group membership of the mobile communication device based on the identity of the mobile communication device;

based on the group membership of the mobile communication device and based on rules for associating user settings to a user based on group membership, creating, by the package builder application, a package comprising user settings and instructions to be executed by the mobile communication device to configure itself according to the user settings; and

sending, by the package builder application, the package comprising user settings and the instructions to be executed by the mobile communication device to the mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising completing, by the package builder application, a registration process for use of a third party mobile application, wherein the package further comprises a file associated with the third party mobile application for installing on the mobile communication device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating, by the package builder application, a unique password for the mobile communication device that comprises one of the user settings in the package.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein activation of the mobile communication device configures the mobile communication device for wireless communication according to a long term evolution (LTE), a code division multiple access (CDMA), a global system for mobile communications (GSM), or a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) wireless communication protocol.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a brand configuration package by a branding application executing on the mobile communication device, wherein the brand configuration package comprises one of a power-on animation, a power-off animation, wallpaper, a ringtone, a link to an application store, a short code of a customer care center, a short code of voice mail, or a combination thereof; and

storing the brand configuration package by the branding application into a non-volatile portion of a memory of the mobile communication device, whereby a brand is configured on the mobile communication device by the branding application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the brand configuration package comprises a brand logo for presentation on a display of the mobile communication device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a media player, a wearable computer, a headset computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or a notebook computer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user settings response message comprises a user set-up package that comprises the instructions for performing user set-up and further comprises user settings.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user settings comprise one or more of an email address list, a contact list, a security certificate for accessing a virtual private network (VPN) resource, or an enterprise password.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the user set-up package further comprises a mobile application, where the mobile application is a third party application that is registered for fee based use to the enterprise.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication service provider operated computer system maps the identity of the mobile communication device to the URL, IP address, or domain name of the enterprise computer system.