Method and system for managing trial service subscriptions for a mobile communications device

• US 20080051069A1
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Chin, Jia-Lin
• Application Number:
  US11/509,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20080051069A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8094 Trial service, i.e. free of charge service for trial purposes

Abstract

A method and system for managing trial service subscriptions for a user of a mobile communications device in a communications network. The system and method provide the capability to allocate one or more trial services to the mobile communications device of a new user. A new user includes a subscriber having an active billing identifier and an identification record (e.g. a SIM) that was created within a grace period, or a subscriber that is currently deactivated but has a SIM record that is created within a grace period. A new user can also include a subscriber changing to a new mobile communications device and registering within a grace period.

Claims

1. A method for activating a trial service for a user of a mobile communications device, said method comprising the steps of:

determining if the user is a new user;

providing a trial service if the user qualifies as a new user;

wherein qualifying the user as a new user comprises determining if there is a billing identifier for the user in a provisioning system, and if an identification record was created for the user within a grace period.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of qualifying comprises determining if an identification record was created for the user within a predetermined period and if the user is currently deactivated and has a billing identifier in the provisioning system.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said billing identifier is based on presence of an active account for the user.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said identification record comprises a SIM record.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of qualifying comprises determining if the user is registered with the provisioning system and an identifier assigned to the user is changed for a new carrier and the user registers with the new carrier within a grace period.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said new carrier comprises a value added reseller.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein a regular service is provided if user registers with the new carrier outside of said grace period.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a new user comprises a user acquiring a new mobile communications device and registering said new mobile communications device with the provisioning system within a predetermined period.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said predetermined period comprises a grace period, and said grace period being defined by a carrier.

10. In a communications network, a system for allocating a trial service to a user of a mobile communications device, said system comprising:

means for registering the user with a provisioning system in the communications network;

means for determining if the user is associated with a new subscription;

means for providing a trial service to the user if said subscription is new;

wherein said new subscription comprises a billing identifier in said provisioning system for the user, and an identification record being created for the user within a grace period.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said new subscription comprises a billing identifier in said provisioning system with the user being currently deactivated and having an identification record created within a grace period.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said grace period is associated with a service provider, and comprises at least one day up to a maximum number of days.

13. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said new subscription comprises an identifier assigned to the user and the user is registered with a new carrier within a grace period.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said new carrier comprises a value added reseller.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, further including means for providing a regular service if the user is registered with the new carrier outside of said grace period.

16. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said means for providing a trial service comprises means for providing a plurality of trial services to a user having a new subscription.

17. A computer program product for managing a trial service for a user of a mobile communications device, the trial service and other services being allocated via a provisioning system, said computer program product comprising:

a medium for storing computer-readable instructions;

said computer-readable instructions including,

determining a new user by checking if there is a billing identifier for the user in the provisioning system and if an identification record was created for the user within a predetermined period of time; and

providing a trial service if the user qualifies as a new user.

18. The computer program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein said computer-readable instructions for determining a new user comprises determining if an identification record was created for the user within a predetermined period and if the user is currently deactivated and has a billing identifier in the provisioning system.

19. The computer program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein said computer-readable instructions for determining a new user comprises determining if the user has registered with the provisioning system and an identifier assigned to the user has changed for a new carrier and if the user registers with the new carrier within a predetermined period of time.

20. The computer program product as claimed in claim 17, further including computer-readable instructions for providing the user with a regular service if the user registers outside of said predetermined period.