Cellular telephone service management

• US 20070072607A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jain, Nikhil, Radhakrishnan, Dhinakar
• Granted Patent: US 8,412,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A system and method are provided for the management of user terminal (UT) cellular network services. The method includes: registering a UT in a cellular telephone network; accessing a management server; receiving UT-specific management instructions for cellular network services; and, requesting cellular network services for the UT in response to the UT-specific management instructions. In one aspect, the management server is embedded in the UT. Alternately, the management server is accessed via the cellular network. The UT-specific management instructions can be uploaded in a message received via a common control channel, such as Short Message Service (SMS) message or a paging channel message. As another alternative, the management server can be accessed via a UT Broadband subsystem with a hardwire management server interface, or a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) subsystem with a wireless management server interface, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, or IEEE 802.15.

Claims

1. A method for managing user terminal (UT) cellular telephone network services, the method comprising:

registering a UT in a cellular telephone network;

receiving UT-specific management instructions for cellular network services; and

,

requesting cellular network services for the UT in response to the UT-specific management instructions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing a management server; and

,

wherein receiving the UT-specific management instructions includes loading the UT-specific management instructions in response to accessing the management server.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein accessing the management server includes accessing a management server embedded in the UT.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a management profile for establishing cellular network service parameters via an interface selected from the group consisting of a cellular network, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and a Broadband hardwired interface; and

,

creating the UT-specific management instructions in response to the management profile.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein accessing the management server includes accessing the management server via the cellular network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein accessing the management server via the cellular network includes accessing an Internet Protocol (IP) network-connected management server, via the cellular network.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein receiving the UT-specific management instructions includes uploading the UT-specific management instructions in a message received via a common control channel selected from the group consisting of a Short Message Service (SMS) message and a paging channel message.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein accessing the management server includes accessing a management server via a UT subsystem selected from the group consisting of a Broadband subsystem with a hardwire management server interface, and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) subsystem with a wireless management server interface selected from the group consisting of WiFi, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, and IEEE 802.15.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving the UT-specific management instructions includes automatically receiving the UT-specific management instructions from the management server in response to registering with the cellular network.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the UT-specific management instructions includes receiving instructions for the management of services selected from the group consisting of account credits, permitted call durations, permitted originating call numbers, permitted target call numbers, permitted call times, permitted call zones, permitted URLs, permitted originating email addresses, permitted target email addresses, permitted data services, a predetermined ring mode, permitted ring options, a predetermined screen, permitted screen options, and memory saves.

11. A user terminal (UT) with managed cellular telephone network services, the UT comprising:

a cellular subsystem having a wireless interface for registering the UT in a cellular telephone network; and

,

a service module having an interface connected to the cellular subsystem for requesting UT cellular network services in response to receiving UT-specific management instructions.

12. The UT of claim 11 wherein the service module has an interface for accessing a management server, and loading the UT-specific management instructions in response to accessing the management server.

13. The UT of claim 12 further comprising:

a UT-embedded management server having an interface to receive a management profile for establishing the cellular network service parameters, and an interface connected to the service module to supply UT-specific management instructions responsive to the management profile.

14. The UT of claim 13 wherein the cellular network wireless interface receives the management profile;

and,

wherein the UT-embedded management server has an interface connected to the cellular subsystem to receive the management profile, and to provide UT-specific management instructions responsive to the management profile.

15. The UT of claim 13 further comprising:

a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) subsystem, selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, and WiFi, with an wireless interface to receive the management profile; and

,

wherein the UT-embedded management server has an interface connected to the WLAN subsystem to receive the management profile, and to provide UT-specific management instructions responsive to the management profile.

16. The UT of claim 13 further comprising:

a broadband subsystem with a hardwire interface to receive the management profile; and

,

wherein the UT-embedded management server has an interface connected to the broadband subsystem to receive the management profile, and to provide UT-specific management instructions responsive to the management profile.

17. The UT of claim 12 wherein the service module uses the cellular subsystem to access the management server via the cellular network.

18. The UT of claim 17 wherein the cellular subsystem accesses an Internet Protocol (IP) network-connected management server, via the cellular network.

19. The UT of claim 17 wherein the cellular subsystem uploads the management instructions in a message received via a common control channel selected from the group consisting of a Short Message Service (SMS) message and a paging channel message.

20. The UT of claim 12 wherein the service module automatically receives UT-specific management instructions from the management server in response to registering with the cellular network.

21. The UT of claim 11 wherein the service module receives UT-specific instructions for the management of services selected from the group consisting of account credits, permitted call durations, permitted originating call numbers, permitted target call numbers, permitted call times, permitted call zones, permitted URLs, permitted originating email addresses, permitted target email addresses, permitted data services, a predetermined ring modes, permitted ring options, a predetermined screen, permitted screen options, and memory saves.

22. The UT of claim 12 further comprising:

a subsystem selected from the group consisting of a broadband subsystem with a hardwire interface and a WLAN subsystem, selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, and WiFi, with an wireless interface; and

,

wherein the service module uses the subsystem to access the management server via a network selected from the group consisting of a Broadband and a WLAN network, respectively.

23. A system for managing cellular telephone network user terminal (UT) services, the system comprising:

a UT comprising;

a cellular subsystem having a wireless interface for registering the UT in a cellular telephone network; and

,

a service module having an interface connected to the cellular subsystem for requesting cellular network services for the UT in response to receiving UT-specific management instructions;

a management server having an Internet Protocol (IP) network interface operatively connected to the UT cellular subsystem via the cellular network to supply the UT-specific management instructions to the UT service module.