System and method for automatic registration notification for over-the-air activation

• US 6,915,132 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daly, Brian Kevin, Leuca, Ileana A., Holmes, David William James, Chatterjee, Arun K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Young
• Application Number:
  US09/896,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20020037724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: H04/Q00.7/20, 455418-419, 455/551, 455/432, 455/445, 455/560, 455/435, 455/435.1, 379/91.01, 379/387
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A method and system automatically activates a mobile station in a wireless communications network. The system includes an over the air activation function (OTAF) processor in the network that initiates an activation process in response to receiving a registration message from a mobile switching center serving the mobile station requesting the activation. Each mobile station has a unit of information stored into it at the time of its manufacture to enable it to request over the air activation. That unit of information is either the network routing address of the OTAF processor, or alternately, it is a value that is translatable into that address, either an OTAF ID number that is the same value for every mobile station or it is a sequentially serialized dummy value for the mobile identification number (a dummy MIN). When the mobile station is turned on for the first time in the network, it requests activation over the air by transmitting to the local mobile switching center a registration order. The registration order will include one of the three alternative forms of the information unit described above, either the routing address of the OTAF processor, or the OTAF ID number, or a dummy MIN.

Claims

1. A method for activating a mobile station in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

receiving at a network node a registration message including distinctive information, wherein the registration message has a format of an ordinary registration message used in a registration process, wherein the registration process is operable to determine the location of the mobile station and enable the wireless communications network to direct incoming calls to an appropriate base station;

processing the registration message as an over-the-air activation message based on inclusion of the distinctive information, wherein the distinctive information comprises at least one of the following;

a dummy MIN, an address of an over-the-air activation processor, and an over-the-air activation function ID number;

routing notification of the registration message to the over-the-air activation processor;

initiating an activation process at the over-the-air activation processor in response to the received registration message notification; and

transmitting activation parameters to the mobile station in response to the activation process.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing is performed at least in part at a mobile switching center.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the distinctive information comprises the dummy MIN, the method further comprising:

translating the dummy MIN into an address for the over-the-air activation processor.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the distinctive information comprises the over-the-air activation function ID number, the method further comprising:

translating the over-the-air activation function ID number into an address for the over-the-air activation processor.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein

the distinctive information comprises the over-the-air activation function ID number;

and

the ID number is a non-dialable number not supporting voice circuits.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein

the distinctive information comprises the address of an over-the-air activation processor;

and

the address is a non-dialable number not supporting voice circuits.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing at least portions of the mobile station'"'"'s serial number in a visitor location register as a portion of a record associated with the mobile station;

wherein transmitting activation parameters to the mobile station is performed via the record associated with the mobile station.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein

the distinctive information comprises the address of the over-the-air activation processor;

and

the network node receives a plurality of registrations messages from a plurality of mobile stations, the registration messages including a non-unique mobile station identifier.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the address of the over-the-air activation processor is an SS7 network address.

10. A method for activating a mobile station in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

receiving at a network node a registration message including an address of an over-the-air activation processor and at least a portion of an ESN, wherein the registration message has a format of a standard registration message used in a registration process;

storing the at least a portion of an ESN in a visitor location register as at least a portion of a visitor record;

processing the registration message based on inclusion of the address of the over-the-air activation processor;

routing notification of the registration message to the over-the-air activation processor having the address included in the message;

initiating an activation process at the over-the-air activation processor in response to the received notification of the registration message; and

transmitting activation parameters to the mobile station in response to the activation process via the visitor record;

wherein activation is accomplished without the mobile station having a valid MIN.

11. A method of providing over-the-air activation for a mobile device, the method comprising:

pre-programming the mobile device with distinctive information comprising at least one of the following;

a dummy MIN, an address of an over-the-air activation processor, and an over-the-air activation function ID number;

sending the distinctive information from the mobile device via a registration messages wherein the registration message has a standard format used in a registration process, wherein the registration process is operable to determine the location of the mobile station and enable the wireless communications network to direct incoming calls to an appropriate base station; and

activating the mobile device over the air via the distinctive information.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein over-the-air activation is achieved over an SS7 network.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the activating comprises transmitting activation parameters to a mobile device without a valid MIN.

14. A network node operable to receive a registration message from an unactivated mobile station, the network node comprising:

means for mapping an over-the-air activation function ID number associated with the registration message from the unactivated mobile station to an address of an over-the-air activation processor; and

means for directing the registration message from the unactivated mobile station to the address of the over-the-air activation processor to thereby facilitate activation of the unactivated mobile station;

wherein the means for mapping is operable to map data associated with a registration message for an activated mobile station during a registration process to achieve registration of the activated mobile station.

15. The network node of claim 14 wherein the address is an SS7 network address.

16. The network node of claim 14 wherein the means for mapping is further operable to map an activation phone number to a network address of a business office activation center.

17. A network node operable to receive a registration message from a an unactivated mobile station, the network node comprising:

means for mapping a dummy MIN to an address of an over-the-air activation processor; and

means for directing notification of the registration message to the address of the over-the-air activation processor to thereby facilitate activation of the unactivated mobile station;

wherein the means for mapping the dummy MIN is further operable to map a valid MIN of an activated mobile station to achieve registration of the activated mobile station.

18. The network node of claim 17 wherein the address is an SS7 network address.

19. The network node of claim 17 wherein the means for mapping is operable to map plural dummy MINs to a same address.

20. The network node of claim 17 wherein the means for mapping is further operable to map an activation phone number to a network address of a business office activation center.

21. A mobile device operable to be activated over the air, the mobile device comprising:

pre-programmed distinctive information comprising at least one of the following;

a dummy MIN, an address of an over-the-air activation processor, and an over-the-air activation function ID number; and

means for communicating the distinctive information over the air via a registration message to acquire activation parameters;

wherein the means for communicating is further operable to communicate information over the air via a registration message to achieve registration of the mobile device.

22. A mobile device operable to be activated over the air, the mobile device comprising:

an antenna;

transmit and receive circuits couple to the antenna;

digital circuits coupled to the transmit and receive circuits;

memory coupled to the digital circuits, the memory pre-programmed with a unit of information and instructions to enable the digital circuits to perform over-the-air activation with a wireless communication network;

the unit of information comprising at least one of the following;

an address of an over-the-air activation processor and information translatable to an address of an over-the-air activation processor; and

the instructions comprising;

transmitting the unit of information to the wireless communication network via a registration message, receiving activation parameters from the wireless network in response to the transmission, and storing the activation parameters in the memory;

wherein the registration message is of a format of that used in a registration process, wherein the registration process is operable to determine the location of the mobile station and enable the wireless communications network to direct incoming calls to an appropriate base station.

23. The mobile device of claim 22 wherein the information translatable to an address of an over-the-air activation processor comprises an over-the-air activation function ID number.

24. The mobile device of claim 22 wherein the information translatable to an address of an over-the-air activation processor comprises a dummy MIN.

25. The mobile device of claim 22 wherein the instructions further comprise transmitting a registration order to the wireless communication network.

26. The mobile device of claim 22 wherein the activation parameters comprise at least one NAM parameter.

27. The mobile device of claim 22 wherein the activation parameters comprise a valid MIN.