Method and apparatus for over-the-air service provisioning of a mobile telephone

• US 6,144,849 A
• Filed: 02/23/1998
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nordic Interactive Technologies LLC (Tanit Ventures Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Newnet, Inc. (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Nodoushani, Paiman, Brukman, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Persino, Raymond B.
• Application Number:
  US09/028,071
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/418, 455/423, 370/338, 370/352, 370/354, 370/522, 370/524, 379/230, 379/207, 379/229, 709/229, 709/249
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/54 Object oriented software
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42144 by service provider
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/06 using auxiliary connections for control or supervision , e.g. where the auxiliary connection is a signalling system number 7 link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

An object-oriented over-the-air service provisioning (OTASP) computer program is disclosed. The OTASP program is implemented in a client-server architecture, wherein a plurality of client programs operating, on client platforms in a customer service centers, optionally in diverse geographical locations, communicate with the OTASP computer program. The OTASP computer program communicates with one or more mobile switching centers (MSC'"'"'s) to process requests from the client programs and to request communication with mobile telephones using an over-the-air interface, in order to accomplish over-the-air service provisioning.

Claims

1. An over-the-air service provisioning (OTASP) system for provisioning service for a mobile telephone through a mobile switching center (MSC) communicating with the mobile telephone over a wireless network, comprising:

a server platform having a single server computer system connected for communication to at least one MSC over a SS7 signaling network;

one or more instances of an OTASP computer program executing on the server platform, wherein each instance handles OTASP for a different type of wireless service;

a plurality of client platforms;

at least one client computer program executing on each client platform;

the client computer program and the OTASP computer program connected over a computer network in a client-server architecture;

each instance of OTASP computer program supporting one or more OTASP sessions, wherein each session is initiated by one of the client programs, and wherein each session includes the steps of;

a) the client program sending a request to the instance of the OTASP computer program over the computer network;

b) in response to the request from the client program, the OTASP computer program sending a request to a MSC over the SS7 signaling network;

c) in response to the request from the OTASP computer program, the MSC sending a request to the mobile telephone over-the-air;

d) in response to the request from the MSC, the mobile telephone sending a reply to the OTASP computer program over-the-air;

e) in response to the reply from the mobile telephone, the MSC sending a reply to the OTASP computer program over the SS7 signaling network; and

f) in response to the reply from the MSC, the OTASP computer program sending a reply to the client program over the computer network; and

wherein the requests and responses sent between the client computer program, the OTASP computer program and the MSC accomplishes the service provisioning of a mobile telephone over-the-air.

2. A system according to claim 1 further wherein at least two of the client platforms are located at geographically remote locations.

3. A system according to claim 1 further wherein the server platform is connected to a plurality of MSC'"'"'s through one or more SS7 signaling networks.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein each instance of the OTASP computer program execute on the server platform simultaneously.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein each instance of the OTASP computer program handles a plurality of sessions simultaneously.

6. A system according to claim 1 wherein the service type is CDMA or TDMA.

7. An over-the-air service provisioning (OTASP) computer software product, comprising:

object-oriented OTASP computer software encoded on a machine readable media, the OTASP computer software executable on a server platform to form one or more instances of an OTASP object-oriented computer program, wherein each instance of the OTASP computer program instance handles OTASP for a different type of wireless service, and wherein each instance of OTASP computer program executes on the server platform and supports one or more OTASP sessions, wherein each session includes the steps of;

a) receiving a client request generated by a client connected to the server;

b) in response to the client request, sending a request to a MSC using a SS7 signaling protocol, wherein the request includes data to be used by the MSC to communicate with a mobile telephone over-the-air;

c) receiving reply from the MSC in a SS7 signaling protocol, wherein the reply from the MSC includes data obtained from a mobile telephone over-the-air; and

f) in response to the reply from the MSC, sending a reply to the client; and

wherein the requests and responses sent between the client and the instance of the OTASP computer program accomplish the service provisioning of a mobile telephone over-the-air.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein each instance of the OTASP computer program execute on the server platform simultaneously.

9. A system according to claim 7 wherein each instance of the OTASP computer program handles a plurality of sessions simultaneously.

10. A system according to claim 9 wherein the service type is CDMA or TDMA.

11. A system according to claim 9 wherein the server platform includes a single server computer system.

12. A system according to claim 7 wherein each session communicates with a different client.

13. A method for over-the-air service provisioning (OTASP) of a mobile telephone through a mobile switching center (MSC) which communicates with the mobile telephone over a wireless network, comprising the steps of:

executing one or more instances of an OTASP computer program on server platform connected in a client-server configuration with a plurality of client platforms, and to at least one MSC over a SS7 signaling network, wherein each instance handles OTASP for a different type of wireless service and supports one or more OTASP sessions, wherein each session includes the steps of;

a) receiving a client request generated by a client connected to the server;

b) in response to the client request, sending a request to a MSC using a SS7 signaling protocol, wherein the request includes data to be used by the MSC to communicate with a mobile telephone over-the-air;

c) receiving reply from the MSC in a SS7 signaling protocol, wherein the reply from the MSC includes data obtained from a mobile telephone over-the-air; and

f) in response to the reply from the MSC, sending a reply to the client; and

wherein the requests and responses sent between the client and the instance of the OTASP computer program accomplish the service provisioning of a mobile telephone over-the-air.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein each instance of the OTASP computer program execute on the server platform simultaneously.

15. A method according to claim 13 wherein each instance of the OTASP computer program handles a plurality of sessions simultaneously.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein the service type is CDMA or TDMA.

17. A method according to claim 13 wherein each session communicates with a different client.

18. A method according to claim 13 wherein the server platform includes a single server computer system.