WIRELESS PROVISIONING SOLUTION FOR TARGET DEVICES

• US 20110014898A1
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Doyle, Thomas F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,331,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

Systems and methods to provision a non-handset target device with wide-area communication service, such as wireless wide area network (WWAN) technology. Identifying information of the target device can be provided to a provisioning service provider (PSP) via a mobile provisioning device over a communication network. The PSP can determine the service carrier associated with the mobile provisioning device and enable the provisioning of the target device with the wide-area communication service to the service carrier via the mobile provisioning device. A billing plan can be instituted for the service of the target non-handset device relating to a billing plan of the mobile provisioning device.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning a target device, comprising:

detecting identifying information relating to the target device;

providing, to a provisioning service provider (PSP), the detected identifying information via a provisioning device having communications capability on a carrier; and

enabling a provisioning of communication service on the target device to the carrier of the provisioning device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a price plan for the communication service on the target device, wherein the price plan is combined with an existing billing account associated with service on the provisioning device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an indication of the price plan is provided to the PSP with the detected identifying information relating to the target device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected identifying information is provided to the PSP via the carrier of the provisioning device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected identifying information is provided from the target device to the provisioning device via a communication network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the detected identifying information relating to the target device via the provisioning device comprises:

sending a short message service (SMS) message from the provisioning device to the PSP via the carrier of the provisioning device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the detected identifying information relating to the target device via the provisioning device comprises:

providing the detected information relating to the target device and an indication of the carrier of the provisioning device to the PSP via a communication network other than the carrier of the provisioning device.

8. A target device, comprising:

a wireless interface; and

a processor, communicating with the wireless interface, the processor being configured to—

detect identifying information relating to the target device;

provide, to a provisioning service provider (PSP), the detected identifying information via a provisioning device having communications capability on a carrier; and

enable a provisioning of communication service on the target device to the carrier of the provisioning device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

initiate a price plan for the communication service on the target device, wherein the price plan is combined with an existing billing account associated with service on the provisioning device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein an indication of the price plan is provided to the PSP with the detected identifying information relating to the target device.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the detected identifying information relating to the target device is provided to the PSP via the carrier of the provisioning device.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the detected identifying information relating to the target device is provided to the PSP by sending an SMS message from the provisioning device to the PSP via the carrier of the provisioning device.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the detected identifying information relating to the target device is provided, with an indication of the carrier of the provisioning device, to the PSP via a communication network other than the carrier of the provisioning device.

14. A system for provisioning a target device, comprising:

means for providing a wireless interface; and

means for processing data from a provisioning service provider (PSP), communicating with the means for providing a wireless interface, the processor being configured to—

detect identifying information relating to the target device;

provide, to the PSP, the detected identifying information via a provisioning device having communications capability on a carrier; and

enable a provisioning of communication service on the target device to the carrier of the provisioning device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for processing data is further configured to:

initiate a price plan for the communication service on the target device, wherein the price plan is combined with an existing billing account associated with service on the provisioning device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein an indication of the price plan is provided to the PSP with the detected identifying information relating to the target device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the detected identifying information relating to the target device is provided to the PSP via the carrier of the provisioning device.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the detected identifying information relating to the target device is provided to the PSP by sending an SMS message from the provisioning device to the PSP via the carrier of the provisioning device.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the detected identifying information relating to the target device is provided, with an indication of the carrier of the provisioning device, to the PSP via a communication network other than the carrier of the provisioning device.

20. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

at least one instruction for causing a computer to detect identifying information relating to a target device;

at least one instruction for causing a computer to provide, to a provisioning service provider (PSP), the detected identifying information via a provisioning device having communications capability on a carrier; and

at least one instruction for causing a computer to enable a provisioning of communication service on the target device to the carrier of the provisioning device.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises at least one instruction for causing a computer to initiate a price plan for the communication service on the target device, wherein the price plan is combined with an existing billing account associated with service on the provisioning device.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein an indication of the price plan is provided to the PSP with the detected identifying information relating to the target device.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the detected identifying information relating to the target device is provided to the PSP via the carrier of the provisioning device.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the detected identifying information relating to the target device is provided to the PSP by sending an SMS message from the provisioning device to the PSP via the carrier of the provisioning device.

25. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the detected identifying information relating to the target device is provided, with an indication of the carrier of the provisioning device, to the PSP via a communication network other than the carrier of the provisioning device.

26. A method of provisioning a target device, comprising:

receiving identifying information relating to the target device from a provisioning device having communications capability on a carrier;

retrieving provisioning information for the carrier of the provisioning device; and

provisioning the target device with communication service to the carrier of the provisioning device using the provisioning information.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

initiating a price plan for the communication service on the target device, wherein the price plan is combined with an existing billing account associated with service on the provisioning device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein an indication of the price plan is received with the identifying information relating to the target device.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the identifying information relating to the target device is received via the carrier of the provisioning device.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the identifying information relating to the target device is provided from the target device to the provisioning device via a communication network.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the identifying information relating to the target device is received in an SMS message sent from the provisioning device via the carrier of the provisioning device.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the detected information relating to the target device and an indication of the carrier of the provisioning device is received via a communication network other than the carrier of the provisioning device.

33. A system for provisioning a target device, comprising:

a server being configured to—

receive identifying information relating to the target device from a provisioning device having communications capability on a carrier;

retrieve provisioning information for the carrier of the provisioning device; and

provision the target device with communication service to the carrier of the provisioning device using the provisioning information.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the server is further configured to initiate a price plan for the communication service on the target device, wherein the price plan is combined with an existing billing account associated with service on the provisioning device.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein an indication of the price plan is received with the identifying information relating to the target device.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the identifying information relating to the target device is received via the carrier of the provisioning device.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the identifying information relating to the target device is received in an SMS message sent from the provisioning device via the carrier of the provisioning device.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the detected information relating to the target device and an indication of the carrier of the provisioning device is received via a communication network other than the carrier of the provisioning device.

39. A system for provisioning a target device, comprising:

means for serving data to the target device, the means for serving being configured to—

receive identifying information relating to the target device from a provisioning device having communications capability on a carrier;

retrieve provisioning information for the carrier of the provisioning device; and

provision the target device with communication service to the carrier of the provisioning device using the provisioning information.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the means for serving data is further configured to initiate a price plan for the communication service on the target device, wherein the price plan is combined with an existing billing account associated with service on the provisioning device.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein an indication of the price plan is received with the identifying information relating to the target device.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein the identifying information relating to the target device is received via the carrier of the provisioning device.

43. The system of claim 39, wherein the identifying information relating to the target device is received in an SMS message sent from the provisioning device via the carrier of the provisioning device.

44. The system of claim 39, wherein the detected information relating to the target device and an indication of the carrier of the provisioning device is received via a communication network other than the carrier of the provisioning device.

45. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

at least one instruction for causing a computer to receive identifying information relating to a target device from a provisioning device having communications capability on a carrier;

at least one instruction for causing a computer to retrieve provisioning information for the carrier of the provisioning device; and

at least one instruction for causing a computer to provision the target device with communication service to the carrier of the provisioning device using the provisioning information.

46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises at least one instruction for causing a computer to initiate a price plan for the communication service on the target device, wherein the price plan is combined with an existing billing account associated with service on the provisioning device.

47. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein an indication of the price plan is received with the identifying information relating to the target device.

48. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the identifying information relating to the target device is received via the carrier of the provisioning device.

49. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the identifying information relating to the target device is received in an SMS message sent from the provisioning device via the carrier of the provisioning device.

50. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the detected information relating to the target device and an indication of the carrier of the provisioning device is received via a communication network other than the carrier of the provisioning device.