SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REAL TIME SELF-PROVISIONING FOR A MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20110034161A1
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kruis, David P., Gilhuly, Barry J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,571,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A system and method of provisioning services for a mobile communication device are disclosed. A provisioning request including provisioning information and specifying a provisioning operation and a first communication service is prepared on the mobile communication device and sent to a provisioning system. Processing of the provisioning request is dependent upon whether or not a second communication service has been activated for the mobile communication device. If the mobile communication device is outside a coverage area of a wireless communication network when a provisioning request is prepared, the request is stored at the mobile communication device and sent to the provisioning system when the mobile communication device enters the coverage area. The provisioning system preferably manages service provisioning for multiple services, any of which may be hosted by different service providers.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning communication services using a mobile communication device configured to operate within a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a provisioning request from the mobile communication device at a provisioning authority, wherein the provisioning request is associated with a first communication service;

extracting provisioning information from the provisioning request; and

processing the provisioning information to make a decision whether to grant the provisioning request, wherein a decision to grant the provisioning request is based at least in part on a determination as to whether granting the provisioning request affects a second communication service on the mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, wherein if granting the provisioning request will affect the second communication service, then denying the provisioning request.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, wherein if granting the provisioning request will affect the second communication service, then:

sending an alert to the mobile communication device; and

receiving a response to the alert from the mobile communication device, the response to the alert specifying whether provisioning should be aborted or proceed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the response to the alert specifies new provisioning information to be processed.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, wherein based on a determination that granting the provisioning request will not affect the second communication service:

performing a provisioning operation specified in the provisioning request;

preparing a provisioning response indicating that the provisioning operation was successful; and

sending the provisioning response to the mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

distributing the provisioning information to a service provider associated with the provisioning operation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

distributing the provisioning information to a billing system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

distributing the provisioning information to a mobile communication device warranty tracking system.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the processing is performed by the service provider and comprises:

determining whether additional provisioning information is required to grant the provisioning request; and

requesting any required additional provisioning information from the mobile communication device where additional provisioning information is required to grant the provisioning request.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning request comprises a service activation request.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning request comprises a delete service provisioning request.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning request comprises a modify service provisioning request.

13. A mobile communication device configured to operate within a wireless communication network, the mobile communication device comprising:

a processor;

a memory device; and

a provisioning application stored on the memory device and executable by the processor, when executed by the processor the provisioning application being configured to;

generate a provisioning request that identifies a provisioning operation and specifies a first communication service and a second communication service for which the provisioning operation is requested; and

cause the mobile communication device to transmit the provisioning request to a provisioning authority over the wireless communication network, wherein the provisioning authority determines whether the second communication service is active before provisioning the first communication service.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the provisioning application is further configured to prompt for user information and mobile device information and incorporate the mobile device information and the user information into the provisioning request.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 14, wherein the mobile device information includes a mobile communication device identifier.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 14, wherein the user information includes a user name.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 14, wherein the user information includes billing information.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the provisioning request comprises a request selected from the group consisting of:

a service activation request, a delete service request and a modify service request.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the provisioning request is associated with a first communication service, and the provisioning application is further configured to:

determine whether the first communication service is related to any other mobile communication device communication services; and

complete the provisioning request based on a determination that the first communication service is not related to any other mobile communication device communication services.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 19, wherein the provisioning application is further configured to generate an alert based on a determination that the first communication service is related to any other mobile communication device communication services.

21. The mobile communication device of claim 20, wherein the provisioning application is further configured to receive a response to the alert that indicates whether the provisioning operation should be aborted or proceed.

22. The mobile communication device of claim 20, wherein the provisioning application is further configured to receive a response to the alert that includes new provisioning information and add the new provisioning information to the provisioning request.

23. The mobile communication device of claim 22, wherein the provisioning request comprises a modify service request, and the new provisioning information specifies how any other related mobile communication device communication services should be modified.

24. The mobile communication device of claim 22, wherein the provisioning request comprises a delete service request, and the new provisioning information specifies a new communication service to replace the first communication service.

25. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the provisioning application is further configured to receive a response to the provisioning request from the provisioning authority, the provisioning response indicating whether the provisioning request was successful.

26. The mobile communication device of claim 25, wherein the provisioning application configures the mobile communication device communication services in accordance with the provisioning response.