METHOD AND SYSTEM FACILITATING WEB BASED PROVISIONING OF TWO-WAY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES

• US 20020068554A1
• Filed: 04/09/1999
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: DUSSE, STEVE
• Granted Patent: US 6,647,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A system and method for provisioning a two-way mobile communications device having a display screen and user interface that is initiated from the device to be provisioned. The device to be provisioned establishes a secure communications session with a provisioning server device. The subject communications path may utilize an intermediate server device. The user of the device is then presented with a plurality of input and choice screens, which may be used in conjunction with the user interface to provide user information, select device features and services. The user information and selected feature and service requests are then forwarded to the provisioning server device. The provisioning server device processes the received information and generates provisioning packages, registration requests and notifications for the subject mobile device and for any associated server device providing services. The provisioning packages may comprise software modules, parameters and any required security information.

Claims

1. A method for provisioning a two-way mobile communications device having a display and a user interface:

generating a request for provisioning content wherein said request comprises information entered by a user;

forwarding said request over an airnet to a provisioning server device coupled to a landnet;

receiving said requested provisioning content; and

installing said received provisioning content to update operational capabilities of said two-way mobile communications device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the entry of said information entered by said user is guided by content displayed on said display of said two-way mobile communications device.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said content is generated from a file stored in said two-way mobile communications device.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said file is selected from a group consisting of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Compact Hypertext Markup Language (cHTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Wireless Markup Language (WML) and Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML).

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising;

exchanging security information with a proxy server device prior to forwarding said generated request to said provisioning server device;

wherein said proxy server bridges between said two-way mobile communications device and said provisioning server; and

utilizing said exchanged security information to establish a secure session between said proxy server device and said two mobile communications device for transferring said generated request to said provisioning server device.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein a first communications protocol between said two mobile communications device and said proxy server device is a wireless protocol.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein said wireless protocol is selected from a group consisting of Wireless Access Protocol (WAP), HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Handheld Device Transport Protocol (HDTP).

8. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein a second communications protocol for said proxy server device and said provisioning server device is Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) or secure Hypertext Transport Protocol (sHTTP).

9. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving notifications relating to terms and conditions associated with said request for provisioning content;

obtaining said users consent to said received terms and conditions;

generating acknowledgements upon successful installation of said provisioning content; and

forwarding said generated acknowledgements to said provisioning server device.

10. The method as described in claim 9, wherein said received notifications are Short Message Service (SMS) messages.

11. A method for provisioning a two-way mobile communications device having a display and a user interface:

receiving a request for provisioning content from said two-way mobile communications device wherein said request includes user information;

obtaining qualification approval for the user associated with said user information from an outside entity;

processing said received request for provisioning content upon receiving said qualification approval; and

forwarding said requested provisioning content to said two-way mobile communications device via a proxy server device communicating with said provisioning server device over a landnet and with said two-way mobile communications device over an airnet.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein a communication protocol for said landnet is Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) or secure Hypertext Transport Protocol (sHTTP).

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein a communication protocol for said airnet is a wireless protocol.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said wireless protocol is selected from a group consisting of Wireless Access Protocol (WAP), Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) and Handheld Device Transport Protocol (HDTP).

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said outside entity is a credit authority.

16. The method as recited in claim 11 still further comprising:

generating notifications relating to terms and conditions associated with said provisioning content requested;

forwarding said generated notifications to said two way mobile communications device; and

receiving user acceptance of said terms and conditions associated with said provisioning content requested.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein said program code comprises:

program code for processing and initial provisioning script wherein said initial provisioning script guides a user through the provisioning process; and

program code which allows said user to communicate with a customer service center.

19. The system as recited in claim 18 wherein said communication with said customer service center is via data and voice communications channels.

17. A system for provisioning a two-way mobile communications device having a display and a user interface, said system comprising:

a storage device for storing provisioning content;

a memory for storing program code for a processor;

a processor coupled to said storage device and said memory, wherein said processor operates to execute said program code stored in said memory to generate a request for provisioning content, forward said generated request to a provisioning server device, receive the provisioning content requested and install the received content requested.

20. A system for provisioning a two-way mobile communications device having a display and a user interface, said system comprising:

a storage device for storing provisioning content;

a memory for storing program code for a processor;

a processor coupled to said storage device and said memory, wherein said processor operates to execute said program code stored in said memory to receive requests for provisioning content from said two-way mobile communications device, process said received request, forward requested provisioning content to said two-way mobile communications device and register said two-way mobile communications device.

21. A system for provisioning a two-way mobile communications device having a display and a user interface, said system comprising:

a storage device for storing provisioning content;

a memory for storing program code for a processor;

a processor coupled to said storage device and said memory, wherein said processor operates to execute said program code stored in said memory to initiate the transfer of provisioning content to said two-way mobile communications device and server devices providing services when a request is received from a remote server device.

22. The system as recited in claim 21;

wherein said program code comprises;

program code for processing said request received from said remote server device wherein said request includes security information for said two-way mobile communications device; and

program code for verifying said security information contained in said request.