Service preferences for multiple-carrier-enabled devices

• US 10,375,629 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Zhang, Hongliang
• Primary Examiner(s): Murphy, Rhonda L
• Application Number:
  US14/137,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20140187242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,055 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Techniques are described herein for generating service preferences for a telecommunication device. Those service preferences are then provided to the telecommunication device to enable the telecommunication device to select a network connectivity from a plurality of network connectivities based at least in part on the service preferences. The network connectivities are respectively associated with a plurality of network operators. The service preferences may be generated and provided by any of a network operator, a service broker, or a management service.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

generating, by one or more computing devices, service preferences for a telecommunication device, wherein the service preferences are associated with at least a first packet-based cellular network corresponding to a first network operator and a second packet-based cellular network corresponding to a second network operator, the service preferences including different fees respectively associated with different levels of usage of at least the first packet-based cellular network and being based at least in part on;

a first set of one or more network conditions associated with the first network operator and a second set of one or more network conditions associated with the second network operator;

a first network operator policy associated with the first network operator and a second network operator policy associated with the second network operator;

or

a first network usage history associated with the first network operator and a second network usage history associated with the second network operator;

associating the service preferences with an open subscriber identity module (SIM) that includes at least first authentication information for authenticating the telecommunication device with respect to the first network operator to enable access to the first packet-based cellular network and second authentication information for authenticating the telecommunication device with respect to the second network operator to enable access to the second packet-based cellular network; and

providing, by the one or more computing devices, the service preferences to the telecommunication device to enable the telecommunication device to select between the first packet-based cellular network corresponding to the first network operator and the second packet-based cellular network corresponding to the second network operator based at least in part on the service preferences,

wherein the first network operator operates a first telecommunication infrastructure that includes at least one first access network and a first core network, and the second network operator operates a second telecommunication infrastructure that includes at least one second access network and a second core network, the first telecommunication infrastructure being separate and distinct from the second telecommunication infrastructure, and

wherein both the first packet-based cellular network and the second packet-based cellular network are available for selection by the telecommunication device at a same time.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating updated service preferences and providing the updated service preferences to the telecommunication device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein generating the updated service preferences comprises generating the updated service preferences based at least in part on network usage at a location of the telecommunication device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein generating the updated service preferences comprises generating the updated service preferences based at least in part on a user request or a user change to the service preferences.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein generating the updated service preferences comprises generating the updated service preferences in response to a user change to the service preferences.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a location of the telecommunication device and performing the generating of the service preferences based at least in part on the location.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the service preferences include preferences between the first network operator and the second network operator.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the service preferences prioritize at least one of connection performance, cost, power consumption, bandwidth, packet delivery efficiency, security level, coverage, or user experience.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a user of the telecommunication device does not have a set-term service contract with the first network operator.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the service preferences are provided responsive to a request from the telecommunication device or are provided automatically.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing the open SIM to the telecommunication device in response to the one or more computing devices receiving a subscription request from the telecommunication device for services provided by the one or more computing devices.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first network operator is associated with a first set of packet-based cellular networks and the second network operator is associated with a second set of packet-based cellular networks, the first set of packet-based cellular networks including at least one packet-based cellular network that is not included in the second set of packet-based cellular networks.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon a plurality of programming instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, perform operations comprising:

receiving, from at least a first network operator and a second network operator, service preferences that include at least one of service policies, indications of network conditions, usage histories, or service fees, wherein the first network operator operates a first telecommunication infrastructure that includes at least one first access network and a first core network and the second network operator operates a separate second telecommunication infrastructure that includes at least one second access network and a second core network;

generating telecommunication device service preferences for a telecommunication device based at least in part on the service policies, the indications of network conditions, the usage histories, or the service fees, wherein generating the telecommunication device service preferences comprises aggregating the service preferences received from the first network operator and the second network operator; and

providing the telecommunication device service preferences to the telecommunication device to enable the telecommunication device to select between a first cellular network corresponding to the first network operator and a second cellular network corresponding to the second network operator based at least in part on the telecommunication device service preferences and authentication information provided by an open subscriber identity module (SIM) configured to enable authentication of the telecommunication device with respect to each of the first network operator and the second network operator,

wherein the one or more computing devices are remote from the telecommunication device and are connected to the telecommunication device via at least one of the first cellular network or the second cellular network.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the one or more computing devices are associated with a service broker that enables the telecommunication device to access the first cellular network of the first network operator and the second cellular network of the second network operator.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise providing the open subscriber identity module (SIM) to a user of the telecommunication device.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise providing a packet routing module to the telecommunication device.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the telecommunication device service preferences include preferences between the first network operator and the second network operator.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the telecommunication device service preferences prioritize at least one of connection performance, cost, power consumption, bandwidth, packet delivery efficiency, security level, coverage, and user experience.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the telecommunication device service preferences are provided responsive to a request from the telecommunication device or are provided automatically.

20. A telecommunication device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors;

a service preferences interface stored in the memory and configured to be operated by the one or more processors to;

receive service preferences, for the telecommunication device, that are based at least in part on a policy of a subscriber associated with the telecommunication device, the service preferences to enable the telecommunication device to select a network connectivity from a plurality of network connectivities based at least in part on the service preferences, the plurality of network connectivities being respectively associated with a plurality of network operators; and

a packet routing module stored in the memory and configured to be operated by the one or more processors to;

store, in at least one queue, a plurality of network packets that are received from a plurality of applications operating on the telecommunication device;

collect, for individual network packets of the plurality of network packets, network packets attributes; and

select, for the individual network packets, individual network connectivities of the plurality of network connectivities based at least partially on the network packets attributes corresponding to the individual network packets and the service preferences,

wherein each of the plurality of network operators operates a telecommunication infrastructure that includes access networks and a core network, and the telecommunication infrastructure of the plurality of network operators are separate and distinct from each other, and

wherein at least two of the individual network connectivities are available for selection by the telecommunication device at a same time, the at least two of the individual network connectivities each being associated with a different one of the plurality of network operators.

21. The telecommunication device of claim 20, wherein the service preferences each include a policy to be enforced by the packet routing module of the telecommunication device.

22. The telecommunication device of claim 20, wherein the subscriber subscribes to a service for managing the telecommunication device through the service preferences.