Method, apparatus and article to remotely associate wireless communications devices with subscriber identities and/or proxy wireless communications devices

• US 20030220101A1
• Filed: 07/11/2002
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RcatsOne Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Casabyte, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Read, John S., Castrogiovanni, Benedetto
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7254 Multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/45 using multiple identity modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Apparatus and methods provide remote access to subscriber identity information and subscriber configuration information stored on one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), to allow remote configuration of wireless communications devices. A SIM server provides access to the SIMs, a SIM librarian catalogs the SIMs, and a SIM accounting system tracks and/bills for SIM usage. Apparatus and methods provide remote access to proxy wireless communications devices, allowing such devices to operate as if actually present in the remote locations.

Claims

1. A subscriber identity module server to remotely associate a client wireless communications device with subscriber identity information, comprising:

a processor;

a communications port to receive requests for subscriber identity modules, the communications port coupled to the processor; and

at least one computer-readable media storing instructions that cause the processor to cause subscriber identity information from the requested subscriber identity module to be provided to the client wireless communications device in response to the request, where the client wireless communications device is remote from the subscriber identity module server.

2. The subscriber identity module server of claim 1 wherein the instructions stored in the computer-readable media cause the processor to cause subscriber identity information to be provided to the client wireless communications device, by:

communicatingly coupling the client wireless communications device to a subscriber identity module.

3. The subscriber identity module server of claim 1 wherein the instructions stored in the computer-readable media cause the processor to cause subscriber identity information to be provided to the client wireless communications device, by:

providing a random number received from the wireless communications device to the subscriber identity module; and

providing a signed response received from the subscriber identity module to the client wireless communications device, where the signed response is algorithmically based on the random number and the subscriber identity information stored in the subscriber identity module in the form of a secret key.

4. The subscriber identity module server of claim 1 wherein the instructions stored in the computer-readable media cause the processor to cause subscriber identity information to be provided to the client wireless communications device, by:

providing a random number received from the wireless communications device to the subscriber identity module;

providing a signed response received from the subscriber identity module to the client wireless communications device, where the signed response is algorithmically based on the random number and the subscriber identity information stored in the subscriber identity module in the form of a secret key; and

providing a number of intermediate messages to the wireless communications device between providing the random number and providing the signed response.

5. A subscriber identity module server to remotely associate a remote client wireless communications device with subscriber identity information, comprising:

a processor;

a communications port to receive requests for a subscriber identity module, the communications port coupled to the processor; and

at least one computer-readable media storing instructions that cause the processor to determine whether the subscriber identity module server has access to the requested subscriber identity module and to cause a set of subscriber identity information from the requested subscriber identity module to be provided to the client wireless communications device if has subscriber identity module server has access to the requested subscriber identity module.

6. The subscriber identity module server of claim 5 wherein the instructions stored in the computer-readable media cause the processor to cause subscriber identity information to be provided to the client wireless communications device, by:

establishing a persistent communications coupling of the client wireless communications device and a subscriber identity module until a request to end an association between the wireless communications device and the subscriber identity module is received.

7. The subscriber identity module server of claim 5 wherein the instructions stored in the computer-readable media cause the processor to cause subscriber identity information to be provided to the client wireless communications device, by:

establishing a socket communications coupling of the client wireless communications device and a subscriber identity module.

8. The subscriber identity module server of claim 5 wherein the instructions stored in the computer-readable media cause the processor to cause subscriber identity information to be provided to the client wireless communications device, by:

establishing a communications coupling of the client wireless communications device and a subscriber identity module providing the subscriber identity information by way of a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter.

9. The subscriber identity module server of claim 5 wherein the instructions stored in the computer-readable media cause the processor to cause subscriber identity information to be provided to the client wireless communications device, further by:

determining a routable address for the requested subscriber identity module from a human recognizable identifier for the requested subscriber identity module.

10. The subscriber identity module server of claim 5 wherein the instructions stored in the computer-readable media cause the processor to cause subscriber identity information to be provided to the client wireless communications device, further by:

monitoring the communications port for an instance of a span protocol.

11. The subscriber identity module server of claim 5 wherein the instructions stored in the computer-readable media cause the processor to cause subscriber identity information to be provided to the client wireless communications device, further by:

determining an alternative address for the requested subscriber identity module if the subscriber identity module server does not have access to the requested subscriber identity module.

12. The subscriber identity module server of claim 5 wherein the instructions stored in the computer-readable media cause the processor to cause subscriber identity information to be provided to the client wireless communications device, further by:

limiting access to the subscriber identity module only to a request for the subscriber identity module that includes a sufficient indication of authorization.

13. The subscriber identity module server of claim 5 wherein the instructions stored in the computer-readable media cause the processor to cause subscriber identity information to be provided to the client wireless communications device, further by:

maintaining an exclusive association between the wireless communications device and the requested subscriber identity module until a request to release the requested subscriber identity module is received at the communications port.

14. The subscriber identity module server of claim 5 wherein the instructions stored in the computer-readable media cause the processor to cause a set of subscriber identity information to be provided to the client wireless communications device, by:

providing a random number received from the wireless communications device to the subscriber identity module;

providing a series of messages to the wireless communications device while waiting for a signed response from the subscriber identity module, where the signed response is based on the random number an the subscriber identity information stored in the subscriber identity module in the form of a secret key; and

providing the signed response received from the subscriber identity module to the client wireless communications device.

15. A method to remotely associate a remote client wireless communications device with subscriber identity information, comprising:

receiving a request for a subscriber identity module at a first subscriber identity module server;

determining whether the first subscriber identity module server has access to the requested subscriber identity module; and

causing a set of subscriber identity information from the requested subscriber identity module to be provided to the client wireless communications device if the subscriber identity module server has access to the requested subscriber identity module.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein causing a set of subscriber identity information from the requested subscriber identity module to be provided to the client wireless communications device includes establishing a communications coupling of the client wireless communications device to the requested subscriber identity module storing the subscriber identity information.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein causing a set of subscriber identity information from the requested subscriber identity module to be provided to the client wireless communications device includes establishing a persistent communications coupling of the client wireless communications device to the requested subscriber identity module storing the subscriber identity information until a request to release the requested subscriber identity module is received.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein causing a set of subscriber identity information from the requested subscriber identity module to be provided to the client wireless communications device includes receiving a seed from a requesting entity via the wireless communications device, providing the seed to the requested subscriber identity module, receiving a response to the seed from the requested subscriber identity module, and providing the response to the requesting entity via the wireless communications device.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein causing a set of subscriber identity information from the requested subscriber identity module to be provided to the client wireless communications device includes receiving a seed from a requesting entity via the wireless communications device, providing the seed to the requested subscriber identity module, providing a number of wait messages to the requesting entity via the wireless communications device, receiving a response to the seed from the requested subscriber identity module, and providing the response to the requesting entity via the wireless communications device.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein causing a set of subscriber identity information from the requested subscriber identity module to be provided to the client wireless communications device includes establishing a communications coupling of the client wireless communications device to the requested subscriber identity module by way of a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein causing a set of subscriber identity information from the requested subscriber identity module to be provided to the client wireless communications device includes establishing a communications coupling of the client wireless communications device to the requested subscriber identity module by way of a socket and a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a routable address for the requested subscriber identity module from a human recognizable name for the requested subscriber identity module.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring a communications port for instances a span protocol.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a routable address for the requested subscriber identity module if the subscriber identity module server does not have access to the requested subscriber identity module.

25. A method to remotely associate a remote client wireless communications device with subscriber identity information, comprising:

receiving a set of subscriber identity information from the remotely located subscriber identity module in response to a requests for a subscriber identity module; and

operating the wireless communications device using the received subscriber identity information.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein operating the wireless communications device using the received subscriber identity information includes configuring a set of user options based on the received subscriber identity information.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein operating the wireless communications device using the received subscriber identity information includes transmitting wireless communications using the received subscriber identity information.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein operating the wireless communications device using the received subscriber identity information includes transmitting wireless communications using a unique identifier received as a portion of the subscriber identity information.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein operating the wireless communications device using the received subscriber identity information includes confirming an authentication request by returning to a requesting entity a response to a seed, the response received from the subscriber identity module via a subscriber identity module server, the response being algorithmically generated by the subscriber identity module from the seed and a secret key stored in the subscriber identity module.

30. A method of operating a subscriber identity module server, comprising:

receiving a request at a first subscriber identity module server for a first subscriber identity module;

providing subscriber identity information from the first subscriber identity module to a remote client communications device if the requested first subscriber identity module is accessible by the first subscriber identity module server; and

providing a computer routable address to the remote client communications device if the requested first subscriber identity module is not accessible by the first subscriber identity module server and is accessible by a second subscriber identity module server for which the first subscriber identity module server stores address information.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

requesting address information for the first subscriber identity module if the requested first subscriber identity module is not accessible by the first subscriber identity module server and is not accessible by a second subscriber identity module server for which the first subscriber identity module server stores address information;

receiving a computer routable address for the first subscriber identity module from a subscriber module librarian system in response to the request for address information; and

providing the received computer routable address to the remote client communications device if the requested first subscriber identity module is not accessible by the first subscriber identity module server and is not accessible by a second subscriber identity module server for which the first subscriber identity module server stores address information.

32. A method of remotely associating a wireless communications device with subscriber identities, comprising:

receiving a first request for a subscriber identity;

determining a first subscriber identity module corresponding to the subscriber identity of the first request; and

exclusively allocating the determined first subscriber identity module to a wireless communications device.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving an authentication request;

passing the authentication request to the first subscriber identity module;

receiving a response to the authentication request from the first subscriber identity module; and

passing the received response to an authenticating requester via the wireless communications device.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving an authentication request including a seed;

passing the seed to the first subscriber identity module;

receiving a response to the seed from the first subscriber identity module; and

passing the received response to an authenticating requester via the wireless communications device.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

determining whether the received first request includes a sufficient indication of authorization before exclusively allocating the determined first subscriber identity module to a wireless communications device.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving a request to release the first subscriber identity module; and

releasing the first subscriber identity module from the exclusive allocation to the wireless communications device in response to the received request to release the first subscriber identity module.

37. The method of claim 32 wherein determining a first subscriber identity module corresponding to the subscriber identity of the first request includes determining a routable address for the first subscriber identity module from a human-recognizable name contained in the first request for a subscriber identity.

38. The method of claim 32 wherein exclusively allocating the determined first subscriber identity module to a wireless communications device includes establishing a persistent communications link between the wireless communications device and the first subscriber identity module until a request to release the first subscriber identity module is received.

39. A method of facilitating remote access to subscriber identity modules by wireless communications devices, the method comprising:

receiving a first request from a wireless communications device for an action by a subscriber identity module;

passing the received first request to the subscriber identity module;

receiving a first response to the first request from the subscriber identity module;

passing the first response from the subscriber identity module to the wireless communications device; and

caching the first response received from the subscriber identity module.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

receiving a second request from a wireless communications device for an action by a subscriber identity module;

determining that the received second request is the same as the received first request; and

passing the first response from the subscriber identity module to the wireless communications device without passing the second request to the subscriber identity module.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

receiving a second request from a wireless communications device for an action by a subscriber identity module;

determining that the received second request is the same as the received first request;

retrieving the first response from a data cache; and

passing the retrieved first response to the wireless communications device.

42. The method of claim 39 wherein caching the first response received from the subscriber identity module includes storing the first response in a data cache with a defined relationship to the first request and the subscriber identity module.

43. The method of claim 39 wherein caching the first response received from the subscriber identity module includes storing the first response in a data cache with a defined relationship to the first request and the subscriber identity module, and with an indication of a direction of data flow with respect to the subscriber identity module.

44. A method of facilitating remote access to subscriber identity modules by wireless communications devices, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of requests from a wireless communications device for an action by a subscriber identity module;

passing a number of the received plurality of requests to the subscriber identity module;

receiving a number of responses to the respective requests from the subscriber identity module;

passing the number of received responses from the subscriber identity module to the wireless communications device;

recognizing a relationship between at least one of the requests and at least one of the responses; and

caching the at least one of the responses having a recognized relationship to the at least one of the requests.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

for each of a number of the requests, determining whether the response to the request is cached; and

passing the cached response to the wireless communications device without passing the corresponding request to the subscriber identity module.

46. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

for each of a number of the requests, determining whether the response to the request is cached;

retrieving the corresponding one of the responses from a data cache if the response to the request is cached; and

passing the retrieved one of the responses to the wireless communications device.

47. The method of claim 44 wherein recognizing a relationship between at least one of the requests and at least one of the responses includes at least one of recognizing the request as one of a number of requests identified as suitable for caching, recognizing a level of consistency in the response to the request over a number of identical requests to the subscriber identity module, and recognizing a frequency of the occurrence of the request during operation.

48. A remote access system to remotely access proxy wireless communications devices, the remote access system comprising:

a wireless communications device rack having a number of positions for respectively receiving proxy wireless communications devices; and

a wireless device server having a communications port to receive a request for remote access to a proxy wireless communications device and configured to provide a communications link with at least one of the proxy wireless communications devices received in the respective positions of the wireless communications rack, if any, to a controlling wireless communications device located remotely from the wireless communications rack in response to the received request for remote access to a proxy wireless communications device.

49. The remote access system of claim 48, further comprising:

a number of proxy wireless communications devices received at respective ones of at least some of the number of positions of the wireless communications device rack, each of the proxy wireless communications devices separately operable from the one another.

50. The remote access system of claim 48, further comprising:

a number of proxy wireless personal digital assistants received at respective ones of at least some of the number of positions of the wireless communications device rack, each of the proxy wireless personal digital assistants separately operable from the one another.

51. The remote access system of claim 48 wherein each of the positions in the wireless communications device rack includes an interface to communicatingly couple with an interface on a respective one of the proxy wireless communications devices located at the position.

52. The remote access system of claim 48 wherein the controlling wireless communications device is a cellular phone.

53. The remote access system of claim 48 wherein the controlling wireless communications device is a first cellular phone in a remote test platform having at least two cellular phones and a switch selectively operable to cross an input from the first cellular phone to an output of a second of the cellular phones, and to cross an output from the first of the cellular phones to an input of the second of the cellular phones.

54. The remote access system of claim 48, further comprising:

a wireless communications device usage accounting computing system coupled to the wireless device server to maintain track of usage of the proxy wireless communications devices by the controlling wireless communications clients.

55. A method of providing remote access to proxy wireless communications devices by controlling wireless communications devices, comprising:

receiving a first request for remote access to a proxy wireless communications device;

determining a first proxy wireless communications device corresponding to the first request for remote access to the proxy wireless communications device; and

automatically linking the first proxy wireless communications device to a first controlling wireless communications device over a communications path where the first controlling wireless communications device is remote from the first proxy wireless communications device in response to the first request for remote access to a proxy wireless communications device.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein receiving a first request for remote access to a proxy wireless communications device includes receiving a secure hypertext transfer protocol request.

57. The method of claim 55 wherein receiving a first request for remote access to a proxy wireless communications device includes receiving a request from a controller which is remote to the first controlling wireless communications client.

58. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

receiving a second request for remote access to a proxy wireless communications device;

determining a second proxy wireless communications device corresponding to the second request for remote access to a proxy wireless communications device; and

automatically linking the second proxy wireless communications device to a second controlling wireless communications device over a communications path where the controlling wireless communications device is remote from the second proxy wireless communications device in response to the second request for remote access to a proxy wireless communications device.

59. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

determining whether the received first request for remote access to a proxy wireless communications device includes a sufficient indication of authorization before automatically linking the first proxy wireless communications device to the first controlling wireless communications device.

60. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

determining whether the determined first proxy wireless communications device is available for use.

61. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

determining whether the determined first proxy wireless communications device is available for use; and

notifying a requester if the determined first proxy wireless communications device is not available for use.

62. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

determining whether the determined first proxy wireless communications device is available for use;

notifying a requester if the determined first proxy wireless communications device is not available for use;

waiting a determined period; and

again determining whether the determined first proxy wireless communications device is available for use, after the determined period.

63. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

determining whether the determined first proxy wireless communications device is available for use;

notifying a requester if the determined first proxy wireless communications device is not available for use; and

again determining whether the determined first proxy wireless communications device is available for use after a determined period, wherein automatically linking the first proxy wireless communications device to the first controlling wireless communications device occurs after the again determining whether the determined first proxy wireless communications device is available for use after the determined period.

64. The method of claim 55 wherein determining a first proxy wireless communications device corresponding to the first request for remote access to the proxy wireless communications device includes at least one of resolving a human-recognizable name into a computer-recognizable name, and matching at least one desired characteristic in the request against a list of device characteristics for each of a number of the proxy wireless communications devices.

65. A remote access system, comprising:

a networking device;

a communication device coupled to the networking device; and

a remote wireless communications client selectively couplable to the communications device via the networking device and remotely operable thereby.

66. The remote access system of claim 65 wherein the networking device is a personal computer, the communications device is a personal digital assistant and the remote wireless communications device is a remote test platform having at least one wireless communications device.

67. A method of remote access, comprising:

a networking device;

coupling a communication device to a networking device; and

providing a network communications link between a remote wireless communications client and the networking device; and

operating the communications device.

68. The method of claim 67 wherein coupling a communications device to a networking device includes providing a cable therebetween.