System, Apparatus and Method for Creating Service Accounts and Configuring Devices for Use Therewith

• US 20100217780A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Warsta, Ville, Erola, Esa
• Granted Patent: US 9,917,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating creation of service provider accounts and configuration of devices associated therewith. Device parameters (306) are transmitted (700) from a device (302). In response, a service activation server (206) provides (308) a list of available service providers for that device (302), where the list is derived (702) using the device parameters to identify the appropriate available service providers. The device (302) enables the user (300) to select (704) a listed service provider(s), and communication is redirected (706) between the device (302) and the selected service provider (208) to enable the creation of the service account. The device (302) can then be configured for use with the established service account. Where a service account already exists for the user (300), the user (300) can provide a service-related identifier (506) from which the service activation server (206) can identify an appropriate service account to be configured for use on the device (302).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting one or more parameters associated with a device;

receiving a list of one or more service providers at the device, the list being derived, using one or more of the parameters, from a set of service providers;

facilitating user-selection via the device of at least one of the service providers in the list; and

facilitating communication between the device and the selected service provider to enable the user to create a service account with the selected service provider from the device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising presenting a selectable option for at least one of the following:

create a new service account or bypass creation of a new service account and configure an existing service account for use on the device.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

recognizing selection of the option to configure an existing service account for use on the device, and in response providing a service account identifier indicative of an existing service provider of the existing service account;

receiving configuration data associated with the existing service provider; and

configuring the device to operate with the existing service provider using the received configuration data.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the existing service account comprises an existing e-mail account, and wherein providing a service account identifier indicative of an existing service provider of the existing service account comprises providing an e-mail address associated with the existing e-mail account.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising redirecting communication to the existing service provider to authenticate a user of the device for the existing service account, and wherein receiving configuration data associated with the existing service provider comprises receiving the configuration data if the user of the device is authenticated for the existing service account.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising associating a network address with each of the service providers in the list, and wherein facilitating communication with the selected service provider comprises communicating with the selected service provider at the network address of the selected service provider.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein facilitating communication with the selected service provider comprises directing a browser application on the device to a network address of the selected service provider to create the service account with the selected service provider.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein facilitating communication with the selected service provider further comprises:

presenting one or more web pages provided by the selected service provider;

facilitating entry of account data associated with one or both of the user and the device; and

communicating the account data to the selected service provider to facilitate the creation of the service account.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting one or more parameters associated with the device comprises automatically transmitting the parameters with a request to create the service account in response to an attempt to invoke a client not yet configured for use with the selected service provider.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising configuring the device with configuration data obtained in response to the creation of the new service account.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a contact record including at least a user-service identifier identifying a user of the device for the created service account, and storing the received contact record in a contacts database.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising creating, at the device, a contact record including at least a received user-service identifier identifying a user of the device for the created service account, and storing the created contact record in a contacts database.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a contact record including at least identification information resulting from the creation of the service account, and modifying at least one existing local contact record with the information from the received contact record.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a contact record including at least identification information resulting from the creation of the service account, and creating a new local contact record from the received contact record.

15. A method comprising:

receiving one or more first parameters associated with a device;

deriving a list of one or more service providers from a set of service providers using one or more of the first parameters;

providing the list to the device;

receiving second parameters associated with a service account established between the device and a device-selected one of the service providers from the list; and

creating configuration data based on the first and second parameters and providing the configuration data to the device.

22. The method according to claim 15, further comprising creating a contact record including at least a user-service identifier corresponding to the established service account, and providing the contact record to the device.

23. The method according to claim 15, further comprising invoking a test mode in response to receiving a test identifier, concealing the service provider being tested from the derived list, and testing for proper service establishment.

24. The method according to claim 15, further comprising providing to the device at least one software module related to the service associated with the established service account.

16-21. -21. (canceled)

25-33. -33. (canceled)

34. A apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive one or more first parameters associated with a device;

a processor configured to derive a list of one or more service providers from a set of service providers using one or more of the first parameters;

a transmitter configured to provide the list to the device;

the receiver further configured to receive second parameters associated with a service account established between the device and a user-selected one of the service providers from the list;

the processor further configured to create configuration data for transmission to the device based at least in part on the first and second parameters.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the processor is further configured to create a contact record including at least a user-service identifier identifying a user of the device for the established service account.