Method and system for use of common provisioning data to activate cellular wireless devices
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- granting radio network access to a first wireless device operating under a given mobile identification number (MIN) and a given electronic serial number (ESN), and then engaging in a first over-the-air activation process to establish a first subscriber account for the first wireless device and to program the first wireless device with a first new MIN; and
granting radio network access to a second wireless device operating under the same given MIN and the same given ESN, and then engaging in a second over-the-air phone activation process to establish a second subscriber account for the second wireless device and to program the second wireless device with a second new MIN different than the first new MIN,wherein granting radio network access to the first wireless device operating under the given MIN and the given ESN comprises receiving a first registration request from the first wireless device and responsively sending a first authentication request carrying the given MIN and given ESN to an authentication entity, and receiving from the authentication entity, in response to the first authentication request, a first authentication response,wherein granting radio network access to the second wireless device operating under the given MIN and the given ESN comprises receiving a second registration request from the second wireless device and responsively sending a second authentication request carrying the given MIN and given ESN to the authentication entity, and receiving from the authentication entity, in response to the second authentication request, a second authentication response,wherein the authentication entity comprises at least one of a home location register (HLR) and an authentication center (AC),wherein the authentication entity allows multiple wireless devices to operate concurrently under the given MIN and given ESN, andwherein the authentication entity also receives and responds to authentication requests for previously-activated wireless devices.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system is disclosed for using common provisioning data to activate cellular wireless devices. A wireless carrier may distribute multiple wireless devices containing a common set of pre-activation provisioning data, such as a common MIN/ESN pair, as well as a unique post-activation data, such as a unique ESN. When such a device is powered on, it may use the common pre-activation provisioning data to gain RF access and then enter into a provisioning data session with a provisioning server. Through the provisioning server, the carrier may tie the device to a service account, and the device may acquire and store further post-activation data, such as a unique MIN. The device may thereafter engage in wireless communication service, using its post-activation ESN and MIN as a basis to gain RF access.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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granting radio network access to a first wireless device operating under a given mobile identification number (MIN) and a given electronic serial number (ESN), and then engaging in a first over-the-air activation process to establish a first subscriber account for the first wireless device and to program the first wireless device with a first new MIN; and granting radio network access to a second wireless device operating under the same given MIN and the same given ESN, and then engaging in a second over-the-air phone activation process to establish a second subscriber account for the second wireless device and to program the second wireless device with a second new MIN different than the first new MIN, wherein granting radio network access to the first wireless device operating under the given MIN and the given ESN comprises receiving a first registration request from the first wireless device and responsively sending a first authentication request carrying the given MIN and given ESN to an authentication entity, and receiving from the authentication entity, in response to the first authentication request, a first authentication response, wherein granting radio network access to the second wireless device operating under the given MIN and the given ESN comprises receiving a second registration request from the second wireless device and responsively sending a second authentication request carrying the given MIN and given ESN to the authentication entity, and receiving from the authentication entity, in response to the second authentication request, a second authentication response, wherein the authentication entity comprises at least one of a home location register (HLR) and an authentication center (AC), wherein the authentication entity allows multiple wireless devices to operate concurrently under the given MIN and given ESN, and wherein the authentication entity also receives and responds to authentication requests for previously-activated wireless devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method comprising:
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distributing a plurality of wireless devices to users, wherein each wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices includes stored pre-activation provisioning data and stored post-activation provisioning data, wherein the stored pre-activation provisioning data on all of the wireless devices includes (i) common authentication data that is the same on all of the wireless devices, the common authentication data comprising a common mobile identification number (MIN) and a common electronic serial number (ESN) and (ii) unique authentication data that is different per wireless device; receiving into a network from a first of the wireless devices a first registration request that carries the common authentication data, and granting radio frequency (RF) connectivity to the first wireless device in response to at least the common authentication data carried in the first registration request; and receiving into the network from a second of the wireless devices a second registration request that carries the common authentication data, and granting RF connectivity to the second wireless device in response to at least the common authentication data carried in the second registration request, wherein granting radio network access to the first wireless device comprises receiving a first registration request from the first wireless device and responsively sending a first authentication request carrying the given MIN and given ESN to an authentication entity, and receiving from the authentication entity, in response to the first authentication request, a first authentication response, wherein granting radio network access to the second wireless device operating under the given MIN and the given ESN comprises receiving a second registration request from the second wireless device and responsively sending a second authentication request carrying the given MIN and given ESN to the authentication entity, and receiving from the authentication entity, in response to the second authentication request, a second authentication response, wherein the authentication entity comprises at least one of a home location register (HLR) and an authentication center (AC), wherein the authentication entity allows multiple wireless devices to operate concurrently under the given MIN and given ESN, and wherein the authentication entity also receives and responds to authentication requests for previously-activated wireless devices. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A wireless device comprising:
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a processor; data storage; a wireless communication interface; and a user interface, wherein the data storage contains pre-activation provisioning data and initial post-activation provisioning data, wherein the pre-activation provisioning data comprises a mobile identification number and electronic serial number (MIN-ESN) pair that is the same as a MIN-ESN pair stored as pre-activation provisioning data on at least one other wireless device, and wherein the initial post-activation provisioning data comprises an ESN that is unique to the wireless device, wherein the data storage further contains application logic executable by the processor to use the pre-activation MIN-ESN pair as a basis to request radio frequency (RF) connectivity from a wireless carrier, and wherein, by using the MIN-ESN pair to gain RF connectivity, the wireless device is authenticatable by a network authentication entity that also authenticates previously-activated wireless devices based on MIN and ESN. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method comprising:
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storing concurrently in a wireless device both pre-activation provisioning data and post-activation provisioning data, wherein the pre-activation provisioning data comprises a common mobile identification number and electronic serial number (MIN-ESN) pair that is the same as a MIN-ESN pair stored as pre-activation provisioning data on at least one other wireless device, and wherein the post-activation provisioning data comprises an ESN that is unique to the wireless device; sending from the wireless device into a network a registration request carrying the common MIN-ESN pair, so as to acquire radio frequency (RF) connectivity, wherein, by using the MIN-ESN pair to gain RF connectivity, the wireless device is authenticatable by a network authentication entity that also authenticates previously-activated wireless devices based on MIN and ESN. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A cellular telephone activation system comprising:
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a radio network access system arranged to grant radio network access concurrently to multiple cellular telephones operating under a common mobile identification number and electronic serial number (MIN-ESN) pair; and an over the air activation system arranged to engage in web communication with a cellular telephone operating under the common MIN-ESN pair and to program the cellular telephone with a new MIN, wherein the radio network access system grants radio network access to each cellular telephone at least in part by receiving from the cellular telephone a registration request carrying the common MIN-ESN pair, responsively conveying an authentication request carrying the common MIN-ESN pair to an authentication entity, and receiving from the authentication entity, in response to the authentication request, an authentication response, wherein the authentication entity comprises at least one of a home location register (HLR) and an authentication center (AC), wherein the authentication entity allows multiple wireless devices to operate concurrently under the common MIN-ESN pair, and wherein the authentication entity also receives and responds to authentication requests for previously-activated wireless devices.
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Specification