APPARATUS, AND AN ASSOCIATED METHOD, BY WHICH TO ACTIVATE A WIRELESS DEVICE FOR A TEMPORARY PERIOD

• US 20120040654A1
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Martin, Daryl Joseph, Godfrey, James Andrew, Wilson, John Ferguson
• Granted Patent: US 9,014,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

An apparatus, and an associated method, for providing secured effectuation of a communication service at a substitute mobile station. A user desiring temporarily to use a substitute mobile station to carry out the communication service initiates a request at the mobile station for its use. The communication service is available to be performed at the substitute mobile station for a selected period. Upon termination of the selected period, the communication service session ends, and data associated with the communication service session is deleted from the substitute mobile station.

Claims

1. An apparatus for facilitating access to temporary-user data pursuant to a selected temporary-user communication service at a first wireless device, said apparatus comprising:

an approver configured to effectuate approval of temporary use of the first wireless device to be used for access to the temporary-user data pursuant to the temporary-user communication service; and

a session terminator configured to terminate access to the temporary-user data pursuant to the temporary-user communication service at the first wireless device upon termination of a selected period.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said approver comprises key generator configured to generate a shared key usable to encrypt or de-encrypt the temporary-user data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the shared key is configured to encrypt usage of an enabled communication medium.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said approver further comprises a selector configured to provide for selection of the selected temporary-user communication service.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a user interface configured to receive an input selection, a received input selection provided to said selector.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said user interface is further configured to display a list of available communication services and wherein the received input selection comprises a communication service contained in the list of available communication services displayed at said user interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a communication-service controller configured to control performance of the temporary-user communication service.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cache configured to store the temporary-user data communicated pursuant to the temporary-user communication service.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a password protector configured to password protect the temporary-user data at said cache.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said session terminator is configured to terminate the temporary-user communication service upon termination of a temporary-user-selected time period.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the temporary-user-selected time period comprises a network-configured time period.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the temporary-user-selected time period comprises a wireless-device configured time period.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said session terminator is configured to terminate the temporary-user communication service at the first wireless responsive to a termination selection, the termination selection determinative of the termination of the selected period.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said session terminator is further configured to cause deletion of the temporary-user data communicated pursuant to the temporary-user communication service.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first wireless device is further operable to communicate permanent-user data pursuant to a selected permanent-user communication service.

16. An apparatus for a network device of a radio network, said apparatus comprising:

a user account manager configured to manage a multiple-device, single-user account that permits both a first-device, temporary-user communication service and a second-device permanent-user communication service;

a data communicator configured to effectuate first-device data communication pursuant to the temporary-user communication service and to effectuate second-device data communication pursuant to the second-device permanent-user communication service.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said user account manager further comprises a key generator configured to generate a first key usable to encrypt or de-encrypt temporary-user data communication pursuant to the first-device, temporary-user communication service.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said key generator is configured to generate a second key usable to encrypt or de-encrypt permanent-user data communicated pursuant to the second-device, permanent-user communication service.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the temporary-user data and the permanent-user data are of equivalent informational content.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said user account manager is configured to permit the first-device, temporary-user communication service responsive to a first-device-generated request.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said user account manager is further configured to terminate communication of the temporary-user data upon termination of a selected period.

22. A method for facilitating access to temporary-user data pursuant to a selected temporary-user communication service at a first wireless device, said method comprising:

approving temporary use of the first wireless device for the communication of the temporary-user data pursuant to the temporary-user communication service; and

terminating the temporary-user communication service at the first wireless device upon termination of a selected period.

23. A method for facilitating performance of communication services, said method comprising:

managing a multiple-device, single-user account that permits both a first-device, temporary-user communication service and a second-device permanent-user communication service; and

effectuating first-device data communication pursuant to the temporary-user communication service.