METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ON-DEMAND CLIENT-INITIATED PROVISIONING

• US 20170099184A1
• Filed: 10/12/2016
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: OOMMEN, Paul, BAJKO, Gabor
• Granted Patent: US 10,230,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 Plug-and-play configuration

Abstract

An approach is presented for client initiated provisioning. A provisioning manager determines a client-based trigger for requesting a provisioning of a client device to access a network. The provisioning manager processes and/or facilitates a processing of the client-based trigger to generate a provisioning request, and then causes, at least in part, transmission of the provisioning request to a provisioning server associated with the network. The provisioning manager receives provisioning information from the provisioning server for processing to gain access to the network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a client-based trigger for requesting a provisioning of a client device to access a network;

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the client-based trigger to generate a provisioning request;

determining network provisioning information based, at least in part, on the provisioning request; and

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the network provisioning information to gain access to the network.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to include metadata in the client-based trigger, the provisioning request, or a combination thereof,

wherein the metadata provides, at least in part, information on a purpose of the client-based trigger, the provisioning request, or a combination thereof.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein the metadata is provided in a standardized format.

4. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a directing of a browser application executing at the client device to the registration URI; and

causing, at least in part, an exchange of registration data between the client device and a provisioning server through the browser application,

wherein access to the network is based, at least in part, on the registration data.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein the registration data includes, at least in part, identity information of the client device, identity information of a user of the client device, a selection of a rate plan, account information, payment information, or a combination thereof.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the network provisioning information includes status information with respect to creation of subscription information for access to the network, further comprising:

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the status information to determine a location of the subscription information; and

causing, at least in part, a retrieval of the subscription information from the location to gain access to the network.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, an association of the client-based trigger, the provisioning request, the network provisioning information, or a combination thereof with at least one correlation identifier,

wherein the correlation identifier facilitates identification of the client-based trigger, the provisioning request, the network provisioning information, or a combination thereof across a plurality of provisioning sessions.

8. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the network provisioning information to gain access to one or more services of the network.

9. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a connection between the client device and a provisioning server;

determining authentication credentials over the connection; and

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the authentication credentials to determine one or more credential types,

wherein the network provisioning information is based, at least in part, on the one or more credential types.

10. A method of claim 1, wherein the client device includes no prior information related to a provisioning of the network.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine a client-based trigger for requesting a provisioning of a client device to access a network;

process and/or facilitate a processing of the client-based trigger to generate a provisioning request;

determine network provisioning information based, at least in part, on the provisioning request; and

process and/or facilitate a processing of the network provisioning information to gain access to the network.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to include metadata in the client-based trigger, the provisioning request, or a combination thereof,

wherein the metadata provides, at least in part, information on a purpose of the client-based trigger, the provisioning request, or a combination thereof.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the metadata is provided in a standardized format.

14. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the network provisioning information includes, at least in part, a registration universal resource identifier (URI), and wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, directing of a browser application executing at the client device to the registration URI; and

cause, at least in part, exchanging of registration data between the client device and a provisioning server through the browser application,

wherein access to the network is based, at least in part, on the registration data.

15. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the registration data includes, at least in part, identity information of the client device, identity information of a user of the client device, a selection of a rate plan, account information, payment information, or a combination thereof.

16. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the network provisioning information includes status information with respect to creation of subscription information for access to the network, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitating a processing of the status information to determine a location of the subscription information; and

cause, at least in part, a retrieval of the subscription information from the location to gain access to the network.

17. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to associate the client-based trigger, the provisioning request, the network provisioning information, or a combination thereof with at least one correlation identifier,

wherein the correlation identifier facilitates identification of the client-based trigger, the provisioning request, the network provisioning information, or a combination thereof across a plurality of provisioning sessions.

18. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitating a processing of the network provisioning information to gain access to one or more services of the network.

19. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, creation of a connection between the client device and the provisioning server;

cause, at least in part, determination of authentication credentials over the connection; and

process and/or facilitate a processing of the authentication credentials to determine one or more credential types,

wherein the network provisioning information is based, at least in part, on the one or more credential types.

20. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the client device includes no prior information related to a provisioning of the network.