Method and apparatus to manage a resource

• US 20030083068A1
• Filed: 10/26/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,039,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• 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 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

A method includes selecting a registration resource at a first location and assigning the registration resource to a customer at a second location. The registration resource is released at the second location independently of the first location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting a registration resource at a first location;

assigning the registration resource to a customer at a second location; and

releasing the registration resource at the second location independently of the first location.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the first location causing the assigning of the registration resource at the second location.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

the second location communicating an error to the first location when a selected registration resource is already assigned.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

releasing the registration resource in response to assignment of a service resource to the customer.

5. A method comprising:

at a first location, selecting a first registration MSISDN number from a set;

communicating the first registration MSISDN number to a second location;

communicating a first request to the second location to assign the first registration MSISDN to a customer;

receiving an error from the second location indicating that the assignment failed;

at the first location, selecting a second registration MSISDN number from the set;

communicating the second registration MSISDN number to the second location; and

communicating a second request to the second location to assign the second registration MSISDN to the customer.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein selecting the first and second registration MSISDN numbers further comprises:

selecting the first and second registration MSISDN numbers using one of a random and pseudo-random selection process.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

the second location assigning the second registration MSISDN to the customer; and

the second location releasing the assignment of the second registration MSISDN independently of the first location.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

communicating service options to the customer;

the second location releasing the assignment of the second registration MSISDN upon a selection of a service plan by the customer; and

the second location assigning a service MSISDN to the customer.

9. A method comprising:

receiving at a second location a first registration resource selected at a first location;

receiving at the second location a request to assign the first registration resource to a customer;

determining at the second location that the first registration resource is already assigned to another customer;

returning to the first location an error;

receiving at the second location a second registration resource selected at the first location;

receiving at the second location a request to assign the second registration resource to the customer;

determining at the second location that the second registration resource is not already assigned to another customer; and

assigning the second registration resource to the customer.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving at the second location an indication that the customer has selected a service plan;

assigning a service resource to the customer; and

releasing the assignment of the second registration resource independently of the first location.

11. A system comprising:

a provisioning system comprising a set of registration resources;

a registry system comprising a customer registry and a list of assigned and otherwise unavailable registration resources;

wherein the provisioning system selects a registration resource independently of the registry system, the registry system assigns the registration resource to a customer in response to a request from the provisioning system, provided that the registration resource is not identified in the list of assigned and otherwise unavailable registration resources, and the registry system releases the registration resource independently of the provisioning system upon receiving an indication that the customer selected a service plan.

12. The system of claim 11, the registry further comprising:

an association of a customer number and the registration resource.

13. An article comprising:

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a data processing device, result in

receiving at a second location a first registration resource selected at a first location;

receiving at the second location a request to assign the first registration resource to a customer;

determining at the second location that the first registration resource is already assigned to another customer;

returning to the first location an error;

receiving at the second location a second registration resource selected at the first location;

receiving at the second location a request to assign the second registration resource to the customer;

determining at the second location that the second registration resource is not already assigned to another customer; and

assigning the second registration resource to the customer.

14. The article of claim 13 comprising instructions which, when executed by the data processing device, further result in:

receiving at the second location an indication that the customer has selected a service plan;

assigning a service resource to the customer; and

releasing the assignment of the second registration resource independently of the first location.

15. A method comprising:

in response to receiving an identification of a new customer, selecting a first registration resource from a set of registration resources to assign to the customer;

communicating the new customer identification and the first registration resource to a registry system;

receiving an error from the registry system, indicating an assignment of the first registration resource to the customer failed; and

in response to the error, selecting a second registration resource from the set to assign to the customer.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

communicating the new customer identification and the second registration resource to the registry system; and

receiving an acknowledgement from the registry system, indicating an assignment of the second registration resource to the customer succeeded.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a machine-readable media comprising instructions which, when executed by a data processing device, result in

in response to receiving an identification of a new customer, selecting a first registration resource from a set of registration resources to assign to the customer;

communicating the new customer identification and the first registration resource to a registry system;

receiving an error from the registry system, indicating an assignment of the first registration resource to the customer failed; and

in response to the error, selecting a second registration resource from the set to assign to the customer.

18. The media of claim 17 further comprising instructions which, when executed, result in:

communicating the new customer identification and the second registration resource to the registry system; and

receiving an acknowledgement from the registry system, indicating an assignment of the second registration resource to the customer succeeded.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a machine-readable media comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, result in

in response to receiving an identification of a new customer, selecting a first registration resource from a set of registration resources to assign to the customer;

communicating the new customer identification and the first registration resource to a registry system;

receiving an error from the registry system, indicating an assignment of the first registration resource to the customer failed; and

in response to the error, selecting a second registration resource from the set to assign to the customer.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, result in:

communicating the new customer identification and the second registration resource to the registry system; and

receiving an acknowledgement from the registry system, indicating an assignment of the second registration resource to the customer succeeded.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, result in

receiving at a second location a first registration resource selected at a first location;

receiving at the second location a request to assign the first registration resource to a customer;

determining at the second location that the first registration resource is already assigned to another customer;

returning to the first location an error;

receiving at the second location a second registration resource selected at the first location;

receiving at the second location a request to assign the second registration resource to the customer;

determining at the second location that the second registration resource is not already assigned to another customer; and

assigning the second registration resource to the customer.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, further result in:

receiving at the second location an indication that the customer has selected a service plan;

assigning a service resource to the customer; and

releasing the assignment of the second registration resource independently of the first location.