Multi-Phone Programming Application

• US 20060293081A1
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brightpoint Incorporated (HNA Technology Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Cellstar Ltd. (Pearl Healthcare Ltd.)
• Inventors: Overby, Terry A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

Abstract

Automated provisioning of radiotelephone handsets 20 at a fulfillment center and automated quality assurance uses a computer database of specifications 16 for authentication and activation from multiple handset manufacturing vendors, radiotelephone service providers, and distributors. A universal interface system 10 is provided to efficiently access diverse makes and models of handsets. The handsets are attached to the interface system in accordance with a build request, checked to see if the attached handset matches the build request, and automatically provisioned via the interface in accordance with the build request.

Claims

1. A universal provisioning system for radiotelephone handset units of varying model, manufacturer, and platform, comprising:

an interface having at least one universal connector adapted for connection to radiotelephone handsets having different specifications;

a computer operably connected to the interface;

memory storage in communication with the computer containing production provisioning data and instruction data for a specified radiotelephone handset connected via the interface; and

software for verifying connection of the specified handset and automatically transferring the production provisioning data to handset memory storage via the interface in accordance with the instruction data.

2. The universal provisioning system of claim 1, wherein the universal connector is chosen from the group consisting of male USB Type A connector, male USB Type B connector, male Mini USB connector, male Mini USB 2.0 connector, male 4-pin IEEE-1394 connector, male 6-pin IEEE-1394 connector, female USB Type A connector, female USB Type B connector, female Mini USB connector, female Mini USB 2.0 connector, female 4-pin IEEE-1394 connector, female 6-pin IEEE-1394 connector and combinations thereof.

3. The universal provisioning system of claim 1, wherein the interface is operably connected to the computer by one or more operable connections chosen from the group consisting of metallic wire, radiofrequency communication, infrared communication, fiber optic cable and combinations thereof.

4. The universal provisioning system of claim 1, wherein the memory storage is chosen from the group consisting of random access memory, non-volatile hard drive storage, non-volatile flash memory, volatile flash memory, removable magnetic media storage, optical storage, magnetic tape storage media, EPROM memory and combinations thereof.

5. The universal provisioning system of claim 1, wherein the provisioning data comprise number assignment module settings, roaming instructions, or a combination thereof.

6. The universal provisioning system of claim 1, wherein the provisioning data comprise number assignment module settings, roaming instructions, browser settings, message settings, or combinations thereof.

7. The universal provisioning system of claim 6, wherein the provisioning data further comprise user features, short messaging service settings, phone book entries, date book entries, carrier specific settings, user specific settings, or combinations thereof.

8. The universal provisioning system of claim 1, wherein the provisioning data comprise number assignment module (NAM) settings, preferred roaming list (PRL) settings, or a combination thereof.

9. The universal provisioning system of claim 8, wherein the provisioning data further comprise multimedia message service (MMS) settings, browser settings, binary runtime environment for wireless (BREW) settings, or a combination thereof.

10. The universal provisioning system of claim 9, wherein the provisioning data further comprise user features, short messaging service settings, phone book entries, date book entries, carrier specific settings, user specific settings, or combinations thereof.

11. The universal provisioning system of claim 1, wherein the instruction data comprise production build request number, quantity of phones to provision, carrier type, customer identification data, starting part number, final part number, handset manufacturer, handset technology type, handset model number, or a combination thereof.

12. The universal provisioning system of claim 1, wherein the software further comprises instructions for:

generating a build request comprising the radiotelephone handset specification and production provisioning and instruction data for the specified handset;

storing the build request in the memory storage;

retrieving data from the build request;

generating instructions to connect the provisioning system to a handset in accordance with the build request specification;

generating instructions to disconnect the provisioned handset from the provisioning system.

13. The universal provisioning system of claim 12, further comprising a first workstation networked with the computer for the build request generation and storage.

14. The universal provisioning system of claim 12 wherein the production provisioning data comprise service provider codes.

15. The universal provisioning system of claim 12 wherein the production provisioning data comprise authentication keys.

16. The universal provisioning system of claim 12, wherein the data retrieval comprises:

selecting a production build request number;

displaying the final part number;

displaying the handset manufacturer;

displaying the handset manufacturer'"'"'s model number;

displaying an image of the handset model;

displaying the customer name;

or

a combination thereof.

17. The universal provisioning system of claim 13, further comprising a second workstation to display the retrieved data and handset connection instructions.

18. The universal provisioning system of claim 1, wherein the software further comprises instructions to inspect the memory storage of the handset and verify provisioning data integrity.

19. The universal provisioning system of claim 18, wherein the software further comprises instructions to store data gathered from the verification and generate reports based on the verification data.

20. The universal provisioning system of claim 17 further comprising a third work station to inspect a plurality of the provisioned handsets and inspection software for an inspection method comprising the steps of:

entering a production build request number via the third workstation;

connecting to the third workstation a provisioned handset selected from the plurality of provisioned handsets according to the build request data associated with the production build request number;

comparing provisioning information in the memory storage of the provisioned handset to the provisioning data associated with the production build request number;

marking the handset with a passing indicator if the provisioning information matches the provisioning data;

marking the handset with a failed indicator if the provisioning information differs from the provisioning data;

repeating the connection, comparison, and marking on additional handsets for the production build request number;

determining whether the production build request passes or fails based on the instruction data associated with the production build request number and returning a pass/fail for the production build request;

sending failed handsets from a passing production build request to a repair station; and

sending handsets from a failing production build request to an area for segregation.

21. The universal provisioning system of claim 20 wherein the third workstation has access to a database comprising ANSI Quality tables for inspection under ANSI Z 1.4 to determine whether the production build request passes or fails.

22. The universal provisioning system of claim 12, wherein the software further comprises instructions for generating, storing in memory, and retrieving data from a plurality of the build requests.

23. The universal provisioning system of claim 13, wherein the software instructions for retrieving data from the build request comprise:

selecting a production build request number;

displaying the final part number;

displaying the handset manufacturer;

displaying the handset manufacturer'"'"'s model number;

displaying an image of the handset model;

displaying the customer name;

or

a combination thereof.

24. The universal provisioning system of claim 17, wherein the software instructions for retrieving data from the build request comprise:

selecting a production build request number;

displaying the final part number;

displaying the handset manufacturer;

displaying the handset manufacturer'"'"'s model number;

displaying an image of the handset model;

displaying the customer name;

or

a combination thereof.

25. The universal provisioning system of claim 12, wherein the software further comprises instructions for querying the connected handset to compare connected handset specification data with the build request specification data.

26. The universal provisioning system of claim 25, wherein the querying instructions further comprise instructions for:

communicating with the connected handset;

determining manufacturer and model number of the handset;

comparing the manufacturer and model number of the connected handset with the requested manufacturer and model number; and

continuing the provisioning or displaying instructions to the operator to connect a different handset based on the result of the comparison.

27. The universal provisioning system of claim 22 wherein the software further comprises instructions for inspecting the memory storage of the automatically provisioned handset to verify provisioning data integrity.

28. The universal provisioning system of claim 27 wherein the software further comprises instructions for storing data gathered from the data-integrity verification and generating reports based on the stored and gathered data.

29. The universal provisioning system of claim 27 wherein the software inspection instructions comprise:

entering a production build request number;

connecting the provisioned handset according to the build request data associated with the production build request number;

comparing the provisioning information in the memory storage of the connected handset to the provisioning data associated with the production build request number;

marking the handset with a passing indicator if the provisioning information matches the provisioning data;

marking the handset with a failed indicator if the provisioning information differs from the provisioning data;

repeating the connection, comparison, and marking for additional handsets for the production build request number;

determining whether the production build request passes or fails based on the instruction data associated with the production build request number and returning a pass/fail for the production build request;

sending failed handsets from a passing production build request to a repair station; and

sending handsets from a failing production build request to an area for segregation.

30. The universal provisioning system of claim 29 wherein the system has access to a database comprising ANSI Quality tables for inspection under ANSI Z 1.4 to determine whether the production build request passes or fails.