Method for programming a mobile station using a permanent mobile station identifier

• US 6,879,825 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2000
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daly, Brian Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US09/703,858
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 455/419, 455/418, 455/433, 455/410, 455/435.1, 455/411, 455/466, 380/247, 380/249
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

A method of activating a mobile station for communicating with a telecommunications network, the method encompassing a two-stage registration procedure whereby in the first registration procedure, a permanent mobile station ID is obtained by the mobile station and in the second registration procedure, the permanent mobile station ID is used to identify the mobile station when downloading programming data from the telecommunications network. The invention allows for programming the mobile station with a permanent MSID of either a MIN or IMSI format, without requiring a TIA/EIA-136 SPACH notification process to notify the MS of incoming programming data. In particular, the steps of the method comprise: receiving at the telecommunications network a temporary activation ID from a mobile station; the network verifying the temporary activation ID; the network communicating a permanent MSID to the mobile station; the network receiving a permanent MSID from the mobile station; the network verifying the permanent MSID and then downloading programming data to the MS.

Claims

1. A method of activating a mobile station for communicating with a telecommunications network, comprising the step of

(a) receiving a temporary activation mobile station ID and ESN from a mobile station at a mobile switching center and sending a registration notification to an over-the-air activation function;

(b) verifying the temporary activation mobile station ID and sending a registration notification from the over-the-air activation function containing the permanent mobile station ID to the mobile switching center;

(c) communicating a permanent mobile station ID to the mobile station;

(d) receiving the permanent mobile station ID and ESN from the mobile station at the mobile switching center;

(e) verifying the permanent mobile station ID; and

sending a registration notification to a home location register assigned to the permanent mobile station ID; and

(f) the over-the-air activation function sending programming data to the serving mobile switching center identified by the home location register;

(g) the mobile switching center sending a SPACH notification of R-data to the mobile station;

(h) the serving mobile switching center receiving a SPACH confirmation from the mobile station; and

(i) the mobile switching center sending programming data to the mobile station.

2. A method of activating a mobile station for communicating with a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a temporary activation mobile station ID and an ESN from a mobile station, wherein the temporary activation mobile station ID and the ESN are received at a mobile switching center, and a registration notification is sent to an over-the-air activation function;

(b) verifying the temporary activation mobile station ID, wherein a registration notification containing the permanent mobile station ID is sent from the over-the-air activation function to the mobile switching center;

(c) communicating a permanent mobile station ID to the mobile station;

(d) receiving the permanent mobile station ID and ESN from the mobile station at the mobile switching center;

(e) verifying the permanent mobile station ID, wherein a registration notification is sent by the mobile switching center to a home location register assigned to the permanent mobile station ID; and

(f) communicating programming data to the mobile station, wherein;

the over-the-air activation function sends programming data to the mobile switching center identified by the home location register;

the mobile switching center sends a SPACH notification of R-data to the mobile station;

the mobile switching center receives SPACH confirmation from the mobile station;

the mobile switching center sends programming data to the mobile station;

the mobile switching center receives from the mobile station an acknowledgement of receipt of the programming data; and

the mobile switching center notifies the over-the-air activation function of a successful download of programming data to the mobile station.

3. A method of activating a mobile station for communicating with a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a temporary activation mobile station ID and an ESN of the mobile station at a mobile switching center, and sending a registration notification to an over-the-air activation function;

(b) verifying the temporary activation mobile station ID by sending a registration notification containing the permanent mobile station ID from the over-the-air activation function to the mobile switching center;

(c) communicating a permanent mobile station ID to the mobile station;

(d) receiving the permanent mobile station ID and ESN from the mobile station at the mobile switching center;

(e) verifying the permanent mobile station ID by sending, from the mobile switching center, a registration notification to a home location register assigned to the permanent mobile station ID;

(f) the over-the-air activation function sending programming data to the mobile switching center identified by the home location register;

(g) the mobile switching center sending a SPACH notification of R-data to the mobile station;

the mobile switching center receiving SPACH confirmation from the mobile station;

(h) the mobile switching center sending programming data to the mobile station;

(i) the mobile switching center receiving from the mobile station an acknowledgement of

(j) the mobile switching center notifying the over-the-air activation function of a successful download of programming data to the mobile station.