METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRACKING THE PROGRAMMING OF A MOBILE DEVICE WITH MULTIPLE SERVICE ACCOUNTS

• US 20100291910A1
• Filed: 05/17/2009
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: VAIDYANATHAN, Balaji, SANDING, Anthony, TUGNAWAT, Yogesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

Methods and systems enable mobile devices equipped with software defined radio based chipset modules to seamlessly re-program the mobile device to operate on any of a variety of service provider networks. By re-programming a mobile device equipped with software defined radio based chipset module, the mobile device can support communications over both GSM and CDMA communication networks. The re-programming of the mobile device may commence with the launching of a connection manager supporting a selected service provider. Various embodiment methods and systems are provided to track and monitor a currently activated first connection manager and prevent the launching of a second connection manager while the first connection manager is still active in order to avoid potentially fatal collisions.

Claims

1. A method of preventing simultaneous connection manager activation on a mobile device comprising:

receiving a request to launch a first connection manager supporting a first service provider account;

determining whether a second connection manager supporting a second service provider account is already active; and

preventing a first connection manager from launching until the second connection manager is closed if the second connection manager is already active.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initializing a parameters value indicating a status of a current connection manager in use, parameter value indicating a status of a software build for the current connection manager, and a parameter value indicating a stats of a last software build used; and

storing the initialized parameter values in a memory,

wherein determining whether the second connection manager supporting the second service provider account is already active comprises determining if the current connection manager parameter value has been changed from its initialized value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an error message indicating that the first connection manager may not be launched if the parameter value of current connection manager has been changed from its initialized value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the error message indicates that the second connection manager must be closed before launching the first connection manager.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprises:

changing the current connection manager parameter value and software build for the current connection manager parameter value stored in memory to indicate a service provider supporting the first connection manager;

comparing the software build for current connection manager parameter value to the last software build used parameter value;

programming and provisioning the mobile device with a software build for the service provider supporting the first connection manager if the software build for current connection manager parameter value does not match the last software build used parameter value; and

changing the last software build used parameter value stored in memory to indicate the service provider supporting the first connection manager.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to close the second connection manager; and

re-initializing the parameters values indicating a status of connection manager in use parameters value, the software build for current connection manager parameters value, and last software build used parameters values.

7. A mobile device comprising:

means for receiving a request to launch a first connection manager supporting a first service provider account;

means for determining whether a second connection manager supporting a second service provider account is already active; and

means for preventing a first connection manager from launching until the second connection manager is closed if the second connection manager is already active.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, further comprising:

means for initializing a parameters value indicating a status of a current connection manager in use, parameter value indicating a status of a software build for the current connection manager, and a parameter value indicating a stats of a last software build used; and

means for storing the initialized parameter values in a memory,

wherein means for determining whether the second connection manager supporting the second service provider account is already active comprises means for determining if the current connection manager parameter value has been changed from its initialized value.

9. The mobile device of claim 7, further comprising means for displaying an error message indicating that the first connection manager may not be launched if the parameter value of current connection manager has been changed from its initialized value.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the means for displaying an error message indicates that the second connection manager must be closed before launching the first connection manager.

11. The mobile device of claim 8, further comprises:

means for changing the current connection manager parameter value and software build for the current connection manager parameter value stored in memory to indicate a service provider supporting the first connection manager;

means for comparing the software build for current connection manager parameter value to the last software build used parameter value;

means for programming and provisioning the mobile device with a software build for the service provider supporting the first connection manager if the software build for current connection manager parameter value does not match the last software build used parameter value; and

means for changing the last software build used parameter value stored in memory to indicate the service provider supporting the first connection manager.

12. The mobile device of claim 7, further comprising:

means for receiving a request to close the second connection manager; and

means for re-initializing the parameters values indicating a status of connection manager in use parameters value, the software build for current connection manager parameters value, and last software build used parameters values.

13. A mobile device, comprising:

an internal memory unit, the internal memory unit including a provisioning data buffer; and

a processor coupled to the internal memory unit, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform steps comprising;

receiving a request to launch a first connection manager supporting a first service provider account;

determining whether a second connection manager supporting a second service provider account is already active; and

preventing a first connection manager from launching until the second connection manager is closed if the second connection manager is already active.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform further steps comprising:

initializing a parameters value indicating a status of a current connection manager in use, parameter value indicating a status of a software build for the current connection manager, and a parameter value indicating a stats of a last software build used; and

storing the initialized parameter values in a memory,

wherein determining whether the second connection manager supporting the second service provider account is already active comprises determining if the current connection manager parameter value has been changed from its initialized value.

15. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform further steps comprising displaying an error message indicating that the first connection manager may not be launched if the parameter value of current connection manager has been changed from its initialized value.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the error message indicates that the second connection manager must be closed before launching the first connection manager.

17. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform further steps comprising:

changing the current connection manager parameter value and software build for the current connection manager parameter value stored in memory to indicate a service provider supporting the first connection manager;

comparing the software build for current connection manager parameter value to the last software build used parameter value;

programming and provisioning the mobile device with a software build for the service provider supporting the first connection manager if the software build for current connection manager parameter value does not match the last software build used parameter value; and

changing the last software build used parameter value stored in memory to indicate the service provider supporting the first connection manager.

18. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform further steps comprising:

receiving a request to close the second connection manager; and

re-initializing the parameters values indicating a status of connection manager in use parameters value, the software build for current connection manager parameters value, and last software build used parameters values.

19. A tangible storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving a request to launch a first connection manager supporting a first service provider account;

determining whether a second connection manager supporting a second service provider account is already active; and

preventing a first connection manager from launching until the second connection manager is closed if the second connection manager is already active.

20. The tangible storage medium of claim 19, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

initializing a parameters value indicating a status of a current connection manager in use, parameter value indicating a status of a software build for the current connection manager, and a parameter value indicating a stats of a last software build used; and

storing the initialized parameter values in a memory,

wherein determining whether the second connection manager supporting the second service provider account is already active comprises determining if the current connection manager parameter value has been changed from its initialized value.

21. The tangible storage medium of claim 19, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

displaying an error message indicating that the first connection manager may not be launched if the parameter value of current connection manager has been changed from its initialized value.

22. The tangible storage medium of claim 21, wherein the error message indicates that the second connection manager must be closed before launching the first connection manager.

23. The tangible storage medium of claim 20, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

changing the current connection manager parameter value and software build for the current connection manager parameter value stored in memory to indicate a service provider supporting the first connection manager;

comparing the software build for current connection manager parameter value to the last software build used parameter value;

programming and provisioning the mobile device with a software build for the service provider supporting the first connection manager if the software build for current connection manager parameter value does not match the last software build used parameter value; and

changing the last software build used parameter value stored in memory to indicate the service provider supporting the first connection manager.

24. The tangible storage medium of claim 19, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

receiving a request to close the second connection manager; and

re-initializing the parameters values indicating a status of connection manager in use parameters value, the software build for current connection manager parameters value, and last software build used parameters values.