OVER THE AIR PROGRAMMING VIA CELLULAR BROADCAST

• US 20090247138A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sennett, DeWayne Allan, Daly, Brian Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

In a communications system, one or more mobile devices may be programmed through the use of an assigned channel of a logical channel. For example, a broadcast control channel (BCCH) transmission may be received by one or more mobile devices, the transmission comprising a set of instructions to program the mobile devices. The BCCH transmission may be used to program certain mobile devices, such as a type or brand of device, or mobile devices having certain features, such as call waiting. The mobile device may be configured to accept a transmission, such as a packet in a GPRS network, on one channel while rejecting a transmission on other channels. Further, the mobile device may be reconfigured to accept additional channel transmissions or reject currently approved channel transmissions.

Claims

1. A method for programming a mobile device, comprising:

generating a message packet to configure the mobile device, wherein the message packet comprises;

a header portion configured to identify a logical channel of a broadcast channel of a cellular network; and

a data portion comprising at least one instruction to configure to the mobile device;

transmitting the message packet over the broadcast channel for receipt by the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to;

receive the message packet; and

accept the message packet if the mobile device is configured to accept the message packet transmitted over the logical channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the header portion comprises a message identification portion, wherein the message identification portion is configured to specify the logical channel of the broadcast channel the message packet is being transmitted over.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast channel is a broadcast control channel of a cellular network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is further configured to reject the message packet if the mobile device is not configured to accept the message packet transmitted over the logical channel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising reconfiguring the mobile device if the mobile device is configured to accept the message packet.

6. A mobile device, comprising:

an input/output portion configured to;

receive a message packet to configure the mobile device, wherein the message packet comprises;

a header portion configured to identify a logical channel of a broadcast channel of a cellular network; and

a data portion comprising a set of instructions to configure to the mobile device;

a processing portion configured to;

determine if the mobile device is configured to accept a transmission using the logical channel;

accept the message packet if the mobile device is configured to accept a transmission using the logical channel;

reject the message packet if the mobile device is not configured to accept a transmission using the logical channel; and

reconfigure the mobile device according to the set of instructions in the data portion if the mobile device is configured to accept the message packet; and

a memory portion configured to store;

the message packet; and

a list of logical channels for transmissions of which the mobile device is configured to accept.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the header portion comprises a message identification portion, wherein the message identification portion is configured to specify the logical channel of the broadcast channel.

8. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the broadcast channel is a broadcast control channel of a cellular network.

9. A system for configuring a function of a mobile device, comprising:

a processor for generating a message packet, the message packet comprising;

a header portion configured to identify a logical channel of a broadcast channel of a cellular network; and

a data portion comprising a set of instructions to configure to the mobile device;

a memory configured to;

store the memory packet; and

store a list of logical channels of a broadcast channel, wherein the broadcast channel is a broadcast control channel;

store an assignment of the function to at least one of the list of logical channels;

a transceiver for transmitting the message packet over the at least one of the list of logical channels of broadcast channel of a cellular network assigned to the function.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the header portion comprises a message identification portion, wherein the message identification portion is configured to specify the logical channel of the broadcast channel.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the broadcast channel is a broadcast control channel of a cellular network.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for:

generating a message packet to configure the mobile device, wherein the message packet comprises;

a header portion configured to identify a logical channel; and

a data portion comprising a set of instructions to configure to the mobile device;

transmitting the message packet over a broadcast channel of a cellular network for receipt by a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to;

receive the message packet; and

accept the message packet if the mobile device is configured to accept the logical channel.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the header portion comprises a message identification portion, wherein the message identification portion is configured to specify the logical channel of the broadcast channel.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the broadcast channel is a broadcast control channel of a cellular network.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for:

receiving a message packet to configure the mobile device, wherein the message packet comprises;

a header portion configured to identify a logical channel; and

a data portion comprising a set of instructions to configure to the mobile device;

determining if the mobile device is configured to accept a transmission using the logical channel;

accepting the message packet if the mobile device is configured to accept a transmission using the logical channel; and

reconfiguring the mobile device according to the set of instructions in the data portion; and

storing the message packet; and

storing a list of logical channels for transmissions of which the mobile device is configured to accept.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the header portion comprises a message identification portion, wherein the message identification portion is configured to specify the logical channel of the broadcast channel.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the broadcast channel is a broadcast control channel of a cellular network.