Methods, systems and computer program products for non-intrusive subsequent provisioning of a mobile terminal

• US 20040103171A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mullis, Samuel L. II, Hicks, Scott G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include methods, terminals and circuits for updating provisioning data of a mobile terminal. A network initiated subsequent provisioning message requesting that the mobile terminal initiate a session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal is received and it is determined if the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing a current registered Internet Protocol (IP) session. An IP session is selectively initiated to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal based on the determination of whether the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing a current registered IP session.

Claims

1. A method of updating provisioning data of a mobile terminal, comprising:

receiving a network initiated subsequent provisioning message requesting that the mobile terminal initiate a session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal;

determining if the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing a current registered Internet Protocol (IP) session; and

selectively initiating an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal based on the determination of whether the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing a current registered IP session.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile terminal establishes IP sessions utilizing one of a default profile and a custom profile and wherein determining if the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing a current registered IP session comprises:

determining if the mobile terminal has a current IP session utilizing the custom profile; and

determining if a foreground data application is utilizing the current IP session if the mobile terminal has a current IP session utilizing the custom profile.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein selectively initiating an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal comprises initiating an IP session utilizing the default profile to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that the mobile terminal does not have a current registered IP session utilizing the custom profile.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein selectively initiating an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal comprises initiating an IP session utilizing the default profile to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that the mobile terminal has a current registered IP session utilizing the custom profile and does not have a foreground data application utilizing the current registered IP session.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of initiating an IP session comprises:

terminating the current registered IP session; and

initiating an IP session utilizing the default profile.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively initiating an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal comprises queuing a request to initiate an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing the current registered IP session.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining if an update to the provisioning data of the mobile terminal has completed successfully; and

de-queuing a request corresponding to the update to the provisioning data if the update to the provisioning data has completed successfully.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining if an update to the provisioning data of the mobile terminal has failed;

determining if the failure of the update to the provisioning data is a recoverable failure; and

de-queuing a request corresponding to the update to the provisioning data if the failure is not a recoverable failure.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising retrying the update to the provisioning data if the failure is a recoverable failure.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining if the mobile terminal has terminated the current registered IP session; and

wherein selectively initiating an IP session further comprises;

determining if a request to initiate an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal is queued if it is determined that the mobile terminal has terminated a registered IP session; and

initiating an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that a request to initiate an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal is queued and it is determined that the mobile terminal has terminated a registered IP session.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining if all foreground data applications utilizing the registered IP session have terminated; and

wherein selectively initiating an IP session further comprises;

determining if a request to initiate an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal is queued if it is determined that the mobile terminal has terminated all foreground data applications utilizing the registered IP session; and

initiating an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that a request to initiate an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal is queued and it is determined that the mobile terminal has terminated all foreground data applications utilizing the registered IP session.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining if the mobile terminal is initiating a re-registration of the current registered IP session; and

wherein selectively initiating an IP session further comprises;

determining if a request to initiate an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal is queued if the mobile terminal is initiating a re-registration of the current registered IP session; and

initiating an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that a request to initiate an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal is queued and it is determined that the mobile terminal is initiating a re-registration of the current registered IP session.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining if an update to the provisioning data of the mobile terminal has completed successfully;

de-queuing a request corresponding to the update to the provisioning data if the update to the provisioning data completes successfully;

determining if the successfully completed update to the provisioning data interrupted a registered IP session; and

re-initiating the interrupted registered IP session utilizing the updated provisioning data if the successfully completed update to the provisioning data interrupted a registered IP session.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising terminating an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if an incoming or outgoing voice call is initiated during the IP session to update the provisioning data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the current registered IP session is a mobile IP (MIP) session.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a network initiated subsequent provisioning message requesting that the mobile terminal initiate a session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal comprises receiving a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) PUSH message containing a network initiated subsequent provisioning message.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the WAP PUSH message is received by the mobile terminal via a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the WAP PUSH message is received by the mobile terminal over the current registered IP session.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a network initiated subsequent provisioning message requesting that the mobile terminal initiate a session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal comprises receiving a Short Message Service (SMS) text message, wherein the text message includes a network initiated subsequent provisioning trigger message.

20. A mobile terminal comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive packet data over a communications media;

a network interface subsequent provisioning (NISP) processing circuit operably associated with the transceiver and configured to receive NISP requests from the transceiver and selectively initiate an IP session to respond to the received NISP requests based on a determination of whether the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing a current registered IP session.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the NISP processing circuit is further configured to initiate an IP session to respond to a received NISP request utilizing a default network access identifier (NAI) profile to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that the mobile terminal does not have a current registered IP session utilizing a custom NAI profile.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 20 wherein the NISP processing circuit is further configured to initiate an IP session to respond to a received NISP request utilizing a default network access identifier (NAI) profile to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that the mobile terminal has a current registered IP session utilizing a custom NAI profile and does not have a foreground data application utilizing the current registered IP session.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the NISP processing circuit is further configured to terminate a current registered IP session and initiate an IP session utilizing a default profile based on the determination of whether the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing a current registered IP session.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 20, further comprising:

a queue configured to store NISP requests; and

wherein the NISP processing circuit is operably associated with the queue and is further configured to selectively store received NISP requests in the queue based on a determination of whether the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing a current registered IP session.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 24, wherein the NISP processing circuit is further configured to queuing a NISP request if it is determined that the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing the current registered IP session when a NISP request is received.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the NISP processing circuit is further configured to determine if an update to the provisioning data of the mobile terminal has completed successfully and remove a NISP request corresponding to the update to the provisioning data from the queue if the update to the provisioning data completes successfully.

27. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the NISP processing circuit is further configured to determine if an update to the provisioning data of the mobile terminal has failed, determine if the failure of the update to the provisioning data was a recoverable failure and remove a NISP request corresponding to the update to the provisioning data from the queue if the failure is not a recoverable failure.

28. The mobile terminal of claim 27, wherein the NISP processing circuit is further configured to retry the update of the provisioning if the failure of the update is a recoverable failure.

29. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the NISP processing circuit is further configured to determine if the mobile terminal has terminated a current registered IP session, determine if a NISP request is queued and initiate an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that a NISP request is queued and it is determined that the mobile terminal has terminated a registered IP session.

30. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the NISP processing circuit is further configured to determine if all foreground data applications utilizing a registered IP session have terminated, determine if a NISP request is queued and initiate an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that a NISP request is queued and it is determined that the mobile terminal has terminated all foreground data applications utilizing the registered IP session.

31. The mobile terminal of claim 25, wherein the NISP processing circuit is further configured to determine if the mobile terminal is initiating a re-registration of the current registered IP session, determine if a NISP request is queued and initiate an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that a NISP request is queued and it is determined that the mobile terminal is initiating a re-registration of the current registered IP session.

32. The mobile terminal of claim 26, wherein the NISP processing circuit is further configured to determine if the successfully completed update to the provisioning data interrupted a registered IP session and re-initiate the interrupted registered IP session utilizing the updated provisioning data if the successfully completed update to the provisioning data interrupted a registered IP session.

33. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the initiated IP session and the current registered IP session comprise mobile IP (MIP) sessions.

34. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the mobile terminal comprises a radiotelephone.

35. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the communications media comprises a wireless communications media.

36. A mobile terminal comprising:

means for receiving a network initiated subsequent provisioning message requesting that the mobile terminal initiate a session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal;

means for determining if the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing a current registered Internet Protocol (IP) session; and

means for selectively initiating an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal based on the determination of whether the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing a current registered IP session.

37. A computer program product updating provisioning data of a mobile terminal, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive a network initiated subsequent provisioning message requesting that the mobile terminal initiate a session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal;

computer readable program code configured to determine if the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing a current registered Internet Protocol (IP) session; and

computer readable program code configured to selectively initiate an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal based on the determination of whether the mobile terminal is executing a foreground data application utilizing a current registered IP session.

38. A method of updating provisioning data of a mobile terminal having a queue for storing network initiated subsequent provisioning (NISP) requests, comprising:

determining if the mobile terminal has terminated a current registered IP session;

determining if a NISP request is queued if it is determined that the mobile terminal has terminated a registered IP session; and

initiating an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that a NISP request is queued and it is determined that the mobile terminal has terminated a registered IP session.

39. A method of updating provisioning data of a mobile terminal having a queue for storing network initiated subsequent provisioning (NISP) requests, comprising:

determining if all foreground data applications utilizing a registered IP session have terminated;

determining if a NISP request is queued if it is determined that the mobile terminal has terminated all foreground data applications utilizing the registered IP session; and

initiating an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that a NISP request is queued and it is determined that the mobile terminal has terminated all foreground data applications utilizing the registered IP session.

40. A method of updating provisioning data of a mobile terminal having a queue for storing network initiated subsequent provisioning (NISP) requests, comprising:

determining if the mobile terminal is initiating a re-registration of a current registered IP session;

determining if a NISP request is queued if the mobile terminal is initiating a re-registration of the current registered IP session; and

initiating an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that a NISP request is queued and it is determined that the mobile terminal is initiating a re-registration of the current registered IP session.

41. A method of updating provisioning data of a mobile terminal having a queue for storing network initiated subsequent provisioning (NISP) requests, comprising:

determining if the mobile terminal is in a power-up sequence;

determining if a NISP request is queued if the mobile terminal is in a power-up sequence; and

initiating an IP session to update the provisioning data of the mobile terminal if it is determined that a NISP request is queued and it is determined that the mobile terminal is in a power-up sequence.