Mechanism to Activate and Manage a Standalone Device for Cellular Service

• US 20200137557A1
• Filed: 06/04/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Touati, Samy, Yu, Chenzhi, Li, Li, Rivera-Barreto, Rafael L., Malthankar, Rohan C.
• Granted Patent: US 11,516,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/654 International mobile subscriber identity [IMSI] numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4588 containing mobile subscriber information, e.g. home subscriber server [HSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Some embodiments relate to methods and systems for initiating and transferring cellular subscription service using associated cellular communication devices. Cellular service may be initiated for a first cellular communication device via a second cellular communication device. The first cellular communication device may be provisioned to operate in an independent mode. In other scenarios, cellular service may be transferred from the first cellular communication device operating in independent mode to a third cellular communication device, which may be provisioned to operate in independent mode.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising:

at least one memory element storing software instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the software instructions, wherein executing the software instructions causes the wireless communication device to;

receive an address of a web portal for managing the cellular service subscription of a remote cellular communication device while the remote cellular communication device is in an independent mode;

provide, to the web portal, an instruction to modify the cellular service subscription of the remote cellular communication device; and

notify the remote cellular communication device of the modifications to the cellular service subscription.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the address of the web portal is received from a cellular communication network.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a cellular radio configured to provide the instruction to the web portal; and

a non-cellular radio configured to receive the address of the web portal from the remote cellular communication device, wherein notifying the remote cellular communication device of the modifications to the cellular service subscription is performed via the non-cellular radio.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein executing the software instructions further causes the wireless communication device to:

determine whether the remote cellular communication device is associated with a subscription account of the wireless communication device; and

in response to determining that the remote cellular communication device is not associated with the subscription account of the wireless communication device, provide, to the remote cellular communication device, a request for the address of the web portal.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein executing the software instructions further causes the wireless communication device to:

receive identification information of the remote cellular communication device.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein executing the software instructions further causes the wireless communication device to:

determine, prior to providing the instruction, that the wireless communication device is authorized by the cellular communication network to perform subscription management functions for a device in independent mode.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the instruction to modify the cellular service subscription of the remote cellular communication device includes an instruction to switch the remote cellular communication device from the independent mode to a dependent mode.

8. A method for managing a cellular service subscription of a first cellular communication device via a second cellular communication device, the method comprising:

by the second cellular communication device;

receiving an address of a web portal for managing the cellular service subscription of the first cellular communication device while the first cellular communication device is in an independent mode;

providing, to the web portal, an instruction to modify the cellular service subscription of the first cellular communication device; and

notifying the first cellular communication device of the modifications to the cellular service subscription.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the address of the web portal is received from a cellular communication network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the address of the web portal is received from the first cellular communication device.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

by the second cellular communication device;

determining whether the first cellular communication device is associated with a subscription account of the second cellular communication device; and

in response to determining that the first cellular communication device is not associated with the subscription account of the second cellular communication device, providing, to the first cellular communication device, a request for the address of the web portal.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

by the second cellular communication device;

receiving identification information of the first cellular communication device.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

by the second cellular communication device;

determining that the second cellular communication device is authorized by the cellular communication network to perform subscription management functions for a device in independent mode.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the instruction to modify the cellular service subscription of the first cellular communication device includes an instruction to switch the first cellular communication device from the independent mode to a dependent mode.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software instructions executable by a processor of a wireless communication device, wherein the software instructions, when executed, cause the wireless communication device to:

receive an address of a web portal for managing the cellular service subscription of a remote cellular communication device while the remote cellular communication device is in an independent mode;

provide, to the web portal, an instruction to modify the cellular service subscription of the remote cellular communication device; and

notify the remote cellular communication device of the modifications to the cellular service subscription.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the address of the web portal is received from a cellular communication network.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the address of the web portal is received from the remote cellular communication device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the software instructions further cause the wireless communication device to:

determine whether the remote cellular communication device is associated with a subscription account of the wireless communication device; and

in response to determining that the remote cellular communication device is not associated with the subscription account of the wireless communication device, provide, to the remote cellular communication device, a request for the address of the web portal.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein executing the software instructions further causes the wireless communication device to:

determine, prior to providing the instruction, that the wireless communication device is authorized by the cellular communication network to perform subscription management functions for a device in independent mode.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instruction to modify the cellular service subscription of the remote cellular communication device includes an instruction to switch the remote cellular communication device from the independent mode to a dependent mode.