Automatic expiration of wireless communication service subscriptions

• US 6,529,727 B1
• Filed: 09/07/1999
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Carlsson, Hans, Findikli, Nadi S., Raith, Alex K., Ahluwalia, Inderpreet S., Lindh, Annika B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): CORSARO, NICK
• Application Number:
  US09/390,817
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435, 455/433, 455/407, 455/408, 455/409, 455/418, 455/419, 455/414, 455/551, 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing over-the-air activation for wireless communications service subscriptions within a wireless communications system. The method includes providing a plurality of subscription modules each having a unique identifier that corresponds to a plurality of non-activated service subscriptions. An activation period is established for each of the non-activated service subscriptions within which the corresponding subscriptions must be activated or deleted from the system. A list of unique identifiers and their associated activation periods is stored in the wireless communications system. To activate the subscription, a subscription module is mated with a mobile equipment device. An over-the-air activation request is transmitted to the wireless communications system that includes the unique identifier associated with said selected subscription module. The service subscription associated with the unique identifier is activated when the unique identifier is stored on the list and the activation period is valid.

Claims

1. A method of activating subscriptions in a wireless communication system comprising the steps of:

receiving an activation request for a subscription;

fetching an activation period associated with the subscription;

determining a current time;

comparing the current time against the activation period and denying the activation request when the current time is beyond the activation period; and

prior to said receiving, joining a subscription module with a mobile equipment device and generating said activation request at said combined subscription module and mobile equipment device.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the mobile equipment device determining the current time through an internal clock.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the mobile equipment device determining the current time through broadcast signals from the system.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the mobile equipment device comparing the activation period with the current time and denying access to the system when the activation period is expired.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said subscription module includes said activation period and wherein said mobile equipment device reads the activation period from said subscription module.

6. The method of claim 1 further including the system receiving the activation request and comparing the activation period and current time.

7. The method of claim 6 further including the system receiving the activation period as a part of the activation request.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said activation period and current time each correspond to a date.

9. A method of over-the-air activation for wireless communications service subscriptions, comprising:

providing a plurality of subscription modules, each module having a unique identifier corresponding to each of a plurality of non-activated service subscriptions;

establishing an activation period for each of said non-activated service subscriptions within which the corresponding subscription must be activated;

storing a list of said unique identifiers and their associated activation periods in at least one location in a wireless communications system;

mating a selected subscription module to a mobile equipment device and initiating an over-the-air activation request including transmitting the unique identifier associated with said selected subscription module to said wireless communications system;

activating said service subscription associated with said unique identifier if said unique identifier is on said list and said activation period for said non-activated service subscription is valid; and

said wireless communications system automatically purging said list of unique identifiers whose corresponding activation periods have expired.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said wireless communications system rejects said activation request if the unique identifier is no longer on said list.

11. The method of claim 9 further including assigning a security key value to each of said un-activated subscriptions and storing said security key values in the corresponding subscription modules and in said list prior to said activation request.

12. The method of claim 9 further including storing said list of said unique identifiers and their associated activation periods in a plurality of locations in said wireless communications system.

13. The method of claim 12 further including said wireless communications system purging said list of unique identifiers whose activation periods have expired from said plurality of locations.

14. A method of over-the-air activation for wireless communications service subscriptions, comprising:

providing a plurality of subscription modules, each module having a unique identifier corresponding to each of a plurality of non-activated service subscriptions;

establishing an activation period for each of said non-activated service subscriptions within which the corresponding subscription must be activated;

storing a list of said unique identifiers and their associated activation periods in at least one location in a wireless communications system;

mating a selected subscription module to a mobile equipment device and initiating an over-the-air activation request including transmitting the unique identifier associated with said selected subscription module to said wireless communications system;

activating said service subscription associated with said unique identifier if said unique identifier is on said list and said activation period for said non-activated service subscription is valid; and

checking said activation period at said mobile equipment device prior to transmitting said activation request to said wireless communications system and aborting said activation request if said activation period has expired.

15. The method of claim 14 further including storing the activation period of each non-activated service subscription on the corresponding subscription module.

16. The method of claim 15 further including sending the activation period stored in said subscription module to the wireless communications system during the activation request.

17. A method of activating wireless communications service subscriptions comprising the steps of:

establishing a plurality of subscription accounts each having a fixed identifier and a corresponding activation period;

creating a record for each of the subscription accounts within a first database at a plurality of authentication centers;

deleting the records from each of the first databases after their activation period has expired;

receiving an activation request for activating one of the subscription accounts, said activation request including said corresponding fixed identifier, and, in response to said activation request, flagging an activated subscription database record as activated if said corresponding fixed identifier is found within said first database; and

deleting the record in the first database corresponding to said activation request substantially concurrently with said flagging of an activated subscription database record as activated.

18. The method of claim 17 further including creating a record, for at least some of said plurality of subscription accounts at a customer service center, each of the records includes one of the fixed identifiers and subscription data.

19. The method of claim 17 further including, in response to said activation request, sending a message to the source of said activation request indicating non-success of said activation request if said corresponding fixed identifier is not found within said first database.

20. A method of activating wireless communications service subscriptions within a wireless communications system comprising:

creating a plurality of non-activated service subscriptions;

storing records of said non-activated service subscriptions at a plurality of authentication centers;

receiving an activation request at one of said authentication centers to activate one of the non-activated service subscriptions;

matching the service subscription activation request with the non-activated service subscriptions maintained at one of said authentication centers;

activating the service subscription associated with said activation request and deleting the corresponding non-activated service subscription record at a remainder of the authentication centers; and

assigning an activation period to each of said non-activated subscriptions and said wireless communication system deleting said records of said non-activated subscriptions at each of said plurality of authentication centers upon the expiration of the corresponding activation period.