Generic activation and registration framework for wireless devices

• US 6,961,567 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2000
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuhn, Brian Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US09/732,076
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/426.1, 455/422.1, 455/425, 340/506, 340/505, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• 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 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A system and a method are provided for managing network activation with a carrier and registration with a service provider. In one example, the method determines a network activation status. If the network is not activated, a utility is used to perform the activation. Further, the status of registration with a provider is determined. If not registered, a request is sent to a server of the service provider for a registration file configured to gather user registration information. The registration file is then received from the server. The registration file is executed on the personal computer. Data gathered by the registration file is then returned to the service provider'"'"'s server to complete the registration procedures.

Claims

1. A generic framework for network activation and registration comprising:

a generic driver device configured to manage network activation procedures with a carrier and registration procedures with a service provider; and

a plug-in device configured to initiate registration procedures based on commands received from the driver, wherein the plug-in device is tailored to a particular service provider;

wherein the generic device driver, via the plug-in device, is configured to,

determine network activation status with the carrier, and, if not activated, performing network activation procedures,

determine a registration status with the service provider, and, if not registered, sending a request to a server of the service provider for a registration file configured to gather user registration information,

receive the registration file from the server, and

execute the registration file.

2. The framework of claim 1, wherein the generic driver device and the plug-in device are applications in a personal digital assistant.

3. The framework of claim 1, wherein the generic driver device comprises a selection mechanism configured to launch the generic driver device upon selection by a user, and wherein the generic driver device is further configured to launch the plug-in device.

4. The framework of claim 1, wherein the generic driver device is compatible with at least (1) a wireless network operating in a particular verbal language and (2) the plug-in device.

5. The framework of claim 4, further comprising another plug-in device tailored to another service provider, wherein the generic driver device is further compatible with the other plug-in device.

6. The framework of claim 1, wherein the plug-in device includes an address to a registration file configured to gather user registration information for the particular service provider.

7. The framework of claim 6, wherein the generic driver device is further configured to send a request to a server of the particular service provider upon receiving the address of the registration file from the plug-in device.

8. The framework of claim 6, wherein the address of the registration file is a uniform resource locator (URL), and wherein communications between the generic driver device and the server are handled in a protocol that includes Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) over Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

9. The framework of claim 1, wherein the generic driver device is further configured to receive a network registration file from the service provider and to launch the network registration file upon receiving the network registration file from the service provider.

10. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for managing network activation with a carrier and registration with a service provider, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

determining a network activation status with the carrier;

if not activated, performing network activation procedures;

determining a registration status with the service provider;

if not registered, sending a request to a server of the service provider for a registration file configured to gather user registration information;

receiving the registration file from the server; and

executing the registration file.

11. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to carry out the step of returning data gathered by the registration file to the server to complete network activation.

12. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the step of determining a network activation status further causes the processor to carry out the steps of checking for network enablement of a mobile radio device.

13. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the step of determining a registration status further comprises receiving an address of the registration file from the plug-in device.

14. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the address is a uniform resource locator (URL) and the request is a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

15. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the step of executing the registration file further causes the processor to carry out the steps of:

determining if an account with the service provider is to be setup;

receiving the registration information from a user; and

determining if registration is to be confirmed with the service provider.

16. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to carry out the step of determining if the returned data is acceptable to the service provider.

17. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the step of determining an activation status further causes the processor to carry out the steps of:

launching a driver device configured to manage network activation procedures; and

launching a plug-in device tailored to a particular service provider.

18. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the request to the server is a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request including a uniform resource locator (URL), and wherein the registration file is located at the URL.

19. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the step of executing the registration file further causes the processor to carry out the step of displaying dialog screens to query a user for registration information.

20. A method for managing network activation with a carrier and registration with a service provider, the method comprising:

determining a network activation status with the carrier;

if not activated, performing network activation procedures;

determining a registration status with the service provider;

if not registered, sending a request to a server of the service provider for a registration file configured to gather user registration information;

receiving the registration file from the server; and

executing the registration file.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising returning data gathered by the registration file to the server to complete registration.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of determining a network activation status comprises checking for network enablement of a mobile radio device.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of determining a registration status comprises receiving an address of the registration file from the plug-in device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the address is a uniform resource locator (URL) and the request is a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of executing the registration file comprises at least one of:

determining if an account with the service provider is to be setup;

receiving the registration information from a user; and

determining if registration is to be confirmed with the service provider.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining if the returned data is acceptable to the service provider.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of determining an activation status comprises:

launching a driver device configured to manage network activation procedures; and

launching a plug-in device tailored to a particular carrier.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the request to the server is a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request including a uniform resource locator (URL), and wherein the registration file is located at the URL.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of executing the registration file comprises displaying dialog screens to query a user for registration information.

30. The method according to claim 20, wherein the registration file is executed on a wireless device having a PDA form factor having PDA functionality built into an operating system of the wireless device.

31. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

downloading the registration file from a service provider'"'"'s web-clipping enabled server to a wireless device having a PDA form factor and comprising a display screen, a Graffitti™

style handwriting recognition area separate from the display screen, and PDA functionality built into an operating system of the wireless device;

wherein the step of executing comprises executing the registration file on the wireless PDA device.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the method is embodied in a plug-in device installed on the wireless PDA device.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein:

the plug-in device comprises a series of launch procedures for implementing the steps of the method and procedures for implementing the steps of the method and as directed by a generic activation and registration framework;

the plug-in device is tailored to a specific wireless carrier service provider combination.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein the method is separately embodied in multiple plug-in devices, each installed in the wireless PDA device and each specifically tailored for a specific carrier and service provider combination.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the method embodied in each plug-in device further comprises steps to deactivate or de-register.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the multiple plug-in devices include plug-in devices for each of wireless packet data, cellular, PCS, and GSM networks.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein each plug-in device includes a set of verbal user interfaces tailored to at least each of English, French, German, and Spanish.

38. The method according to claim 36, wherein:

the method is performed on the wireless PDA device; and

the method further comprises the step of launching a driver device from a Clipper™

type application in an operating system of the wireless PDA device when network activation has not yet been established for the wireless PDA device.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the device driver includes a set of launch codes that the device driver may include in a command sent to the plug-in device, the launch codes comprising,

PLUGIN TYPE, return a type of plug-in,

WN RESET, set system features needed for network stack of device release,

SP RESET, set system features needed for service provider,

CK WN ACTIVATE, check system features and memory values to determine if the wireless network is active,

WN ACTIVATE, configure a device so that it is able to effectively communicate on the network,

WN DEACTIVATE, perform a wireless network deactivation,

CK SP REGISTER, check system features and database entries to determine if the service provider has been registered with, if the service provider has not been successfully registered with, this call will return an indication of non-registration and an optional URL,

SP DEACTIVATE, remove at least one of system features, database entries, and flash values utilized by the service provider to denote successful registration,

SP COMPLETE, perform service-provider-centric flash/system feature/database entry activity that denotes a FINAL step of activation and registration,

SP FAIL, Perform service-provider-specific cleanup activity to return the state of the device to normal.

40. The method according to claim 39, further comprising the step of scanning each plug-in device to determine an appropriate plug-in for activating a users service provider in a wireless network.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the step of scanning comprises sending a CK_—

WN_—

ACTIVATE command to check wireless network activation in each plug-in device.

42. The method according to claim 41, further comprising the step of storing service provider registration information in an HTTP cookie jar on the wireless device.

43. The method according to 38, wherein the wireless PDA device is a combination mobile phone and PDA device together having the PDA form factor.

44. The method according to claim 38, wherein the driver device establishes a first wireless connectivity by setting a configuration of the wireless device to obtain wireless connectivity.

45. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of displaying an already activated message if the network activation is for a Palm.Net™

network and the wireless device is already activated on the Palm.Net™

network.