Over-the-air (OTA) device provisioning in broadband wireless networks

• US 20080108321A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Taaghol, Pouya, Venkatachalam, Muthaiah
• Application Number:
  US11/648,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20080108321A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention pertain to methods and systems for providing over-the-air provisioning to newly activate mobile station in a broadband wireless access (BWA) network. In one implementation, a newly activated mobile station accessing the BWA network will be checked for hardware compliance certification via a certificate authority. If the device is compliant certified and not yet provisioned for use in the network, the device will be hotlined to a provisioning server for subscriber activation via its OTA link with the BWA network. Additional variants and embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for communicating in a broadband wireless access (BWA) network, the method comprising:

establishing an over-the-air (OTA) connection with a mobile station;

determining whether the mobile station is a device certified to be compliant for use in the BWA network;

determining whether the mobile station has been provisioned to use the BWA network; and

directing the mobile station to a provisioning entity if it is determined the mobile station has not been provisioned.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the mobile station is a certified device comprises receiving device identity information from the mobile station via the OTA connection, the device identity information comprising a network access identification (NAI) derived from a medium access control (MAC) address stored in a tamper resistant memory in the mobile station.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the provisioning entity creates a subscriber account in response to user input at the mobile station via the OTA connection.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the provisioning entity transfers network configuration files to the mobile station via the OTA connection.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the BWA network uses protocols compatible with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.16-2005 standard.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the mobile station is certified comprises receiving a device identity via the OTA connection and querying a certificate authority outside the BWA network to identify whether the device identity is valid.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising denying the mobile station access to the BWA network if it is determined the device not certified.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising activating a device lock in the mobile station to force the mobile station to be able to connect only to BWA networks authorized by a service provider.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising linking an identification of the mobile station to a specific user'"'"'s identification and granting network access only to the specific user in connection with the mobile station.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein directing the mobile station to the provisioning entity is triggered by the mobile station.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein directing the mobile station to the provisioning entity is triggered by the BWA network.

12. A system for communicating in a broadband wireless access (BWA) network, the system comprising:

a network authenticator configured to determine whether a newly connected wireless device has been provisioned for use in the BWA network and, if not, to cause the wireless device to be hotlined to a provisioning server.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the network authenticator is further configured to determine whether the wireless device is certified as being compliant for use in the BWA network.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the network authenticator denies network access to the wireless device if it is not compliant certified.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the network authenticator determines whether the wireless device is certified via an exchange with a certificate authority outside of the BWA network.

16. The system of claim 12 further comprising the provisioning server and wherein the provisioning server is configured to enable a user of the wireless device to activate service with the BWA network via an over-the-air (OTA) connection.

17. The system of claim 12 further comprising a subscriber repository in communication with the network authenticator to identify whether the wireless device has been provisioned.

18. The system of claim 12 further comprising a radio access network (RAN) to facilitate over-the-air (OTA) communication between the wireless device and the network authenticator

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the RAN uses protocols compatible with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.16-2005 standard.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein hotlining to the provisioning server is trigged by activity by the wireless device.