Subscriber management and accounting using event detection in a wireless device

• US 20080274724A1
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xius Holding Corp. (Megasoft Limited)
• Original Assignee: Boston Communications Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Erskine, Thomas, Rudisill, Luther, Sonberg, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1457 using an account
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system and method performs real-time subscriber management and accounting for a wireless device by detecting predetermined events within the wireless device and communicating information pertaining to such events from the wireless device to a real-time subscriber management platform in association with each communication session. The information received by the real-time subscriber management platform is used to control the behavior of the wireless device and/or to update accounting information pertaining to the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the behavior of a wireless communication device comprising the steps of:

detecting at the wireless communication device a system event in the form of a power up event corresponding to the powering on of the wireless communication device or a change of location event corresponding to a change in location of the wireless communication device;

in response to the detection of the system event, in a first registration process, forwarding from said wireless communication device for receipt by a telecommunication switch a first registration message and, in response to receipt of said first registration message by said telecommunication switch, enabling data communication by said wireless communication device over a data network;

in response to the detection of the system event, in a second registration process, forwarding from said wireless communication device to a subscriber management server a second registration message over said data network;

in response to receipt of the second registration message by the subscriber management server, generating a response message that includes at least one directive;

forwarding the response message from the subscriber management server over the data network for receipt by the wireless communication device; and

in response to the receipt of the response message at the wireless communication device, performing at least one action at the wireless communication device specified by the directive contained in the response message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the change of location event comprises a change of location of the wireless communication device from a first cell site to a second cell site.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless communication device includes a removable module including a processor and a memory, and said step of forwarding from said wireless communication device a second registration message over said data network includes the step of executing an application out of said memory by said processor to initiate said forwarding of said second registration message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of forwarding said second registration message from said wireless communication device comprises the step of forwarding said second registration message as a short message service message or an unstructured supplemental services data message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating a response message that includes at least one directive comprises the step of generating a response message that includes a directive to display account information to a user of the wireless communication device;

and

the step of performing at least one action at the wireless device specified by the directive contained in the response message comprises the step of displaying the account information on a display associated with said wireless communication device in accordance with the directive contained within the response message.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of generating a response message that includes at least one directive includes the steps of accessing a database associated with the server that contains account information associated with the wireless communication device and retrieving said account information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating a response message that includes at least one directive includes the step of generating a response message that includes a status change directive containing configuration information;

and

the step of performing at least one action at the wireless device specified by the directive contained in the response message comprises the step of modifying the behavior of the wireless communication device based on the configuration information contained in the status change directive.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating a response message that includes at least one directive includes the step of generating a response message that includes a directive to re-route service to a specified address;

and

the step of performing at least one action at the wireless device specified by the directive contained in the response message comprises the step of reconfiguring the wireless communication device in response to the directive to re-route service to the specified address contained in the directive.

9. A method for controlling the behavior of a wireless communications device comprising the steps of:

detecting at the wireless communication device a system event in the form of a power up event corresponding to the powering on of the wireless communication device or a change of location event corresponding to a change in location of the wireless communication device;

in response to the detection of the system event, forwarding from said wireless communication device to a subscriber management server a registration message;

in response to receipt of the registration message by the subscriber management server, generating a response message that includes at least one directive to display account information to a user of the wireless communication device;

forwarding the response message from the subscriber management server for receipt by the wireless communication device; and

in response to the receipt of the response message at the wireless communication device displaying on a wireless communication device display, account information pertaining to said wireless communication device that is specified within said response message.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the change of location event comprises a change of location of the wireless communication device from a first cell site to a second cell site.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said wireless communication device includes a removable module including a processor and a memory, and said step of forwarding from said wireless communication device a registration message includes the step of executing an application out of said memory by said processor to initiate said forwarding of said registration message.

12. A method for controlling the behavior of a wireless communications device comprising the steps of:

detecting at the wireless communication device a system event in the form of a power up event corresponding to the powering on of the wireless communication device or a change of location event corresponding to a change in location of the wireless communication device;

in response to the detection of the system event, forwarding from said wireless communication device to a subscriber management server a registration message;

in response to receipt of the registration message by the subscriber management server, generating a response message that includes at least one status change directive containing configuration information;

forwarding the response message from the subscriber management server for receipt by the wireless communication device; and

in response to the receipt of the response message at the wireless communication device modifying the behavior of the wireless communication device based on the configuration information contained in the status change directive.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the change of location event comprises a change of location of the wireless communication device from a first cell site to a second cell site.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said wireless communication device includes a removable module including a processor and a memory, and said step of forwarding from said wireless communication device a registration message includes the step of executing an application out of said memory by said processor to initiate said forwarding of said registration message.

15. A method for controlling the behavior of a wireless communications device comprising the steps of:

detecting at the wireless communication device a system event in the form of a power up event corresponding to the powering on of the wireless communication device or a change of location event corresponding to a change in location of the wireless;

in response to the detection of the system event, forwarding from said wireless communication device to a subscriber management server a registration message;

in response to receipt of the registration message by the subscriber management server, generating a response message that includes at least one directive to re-route service to a specified address;

forwarding the response message from the subscriber management server for receipt by the wireless communication device; and

in response to the receipt of the response message at the wireless communication device reconfiguring the wireless communication device to re-route service to the specified address.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the change of location event comprises a change of location of the wireless communication device from a first cell site to a second cell site.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said wireless communication device includes a removable module including a processor and a memory, and said step of forwarding from said wireless communication device a registration message includes the step of executing an application out of said memory by said processor to initiate said forwarding of said registration message.