Method for quick registration from a mobile device

• US 7,308,261 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henderson, Irvin, Sanjeeva, Naveen D., Ramakrishnan, Thyagarajapuram Swaminathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez-Gutierrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/115,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20060240824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/435.3, 455/434, 455/466, 455/411, 455/410, 370/328, 370/349, 370/496
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• 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

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method is directed towards managing a quick registration of a mobile device over a network. The quick registration is directed at enabling an end-user to conveniently register a mobile device to be useable for such communications sessions, as an instant messaging (IM) session, and the like. The invention employs a pre-determined extension to a short code that instructs a server to register the mobile device sending the message. The message includes an account identifier along with a password to the account. The message may be a single message line, thereby providing a quick and convenient mechanism for registering the mobile device. The server receives the message along with a mobile device identifier, and stores a mapping relationship between the account identifier and the mobile device identifier after validating the password. In one embodiment, the message includes a command that the mobile device also be logged into an IM session.

Claims

1. A method for use in managing a registration of a mobile device over a network, comprising:

entering into a client application by a user a single line message, wherein the single line message includes an account identifier, and a password associated with the account identifier, and a short code extension that indicates an instruction to register the mobile device;

sending the single line message over the network; and

if the account identifier and password are authenticated, receiving a confirmation that the mobile device is registered based on receipt of the single line message including the short code extension, wherein registration includes a mapping between the account identifier and a mobile device identifier associated with the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the short code extension further comprises at least one of a text string that includes a word “

register,” and

a numeric value of zero.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the single line message further comprises employing a short code to identify the destination of the message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein if the account identifier and password are authenticated further comprises, employing a server to determine if the account identifier and password are associated with a valid, pre-existing account.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the registration instruction further includes a request to log into the IM session, enabling a remote server to perform an action to start the IM session on the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is sent employing Short Message Service (SMS) protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is executable on the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the client application comprises at least one of a text processing application, and an SMS application.

9. A mobile device for use in managing a registration over a network, comprising:

a display;

a transceiver for receiving and sending information between another computing device;

a processor in communication with the display and the transceiver; and

a memory in communication with the processor and for use in storing data and machine instructions that cause the processor to perform a plurality of operations, including;

entering a single line message by a user, wherein the single line message includes an identifier, password, and a short code extension, wherein the short code extension is associated with an instruction to register the mobile device to be useable for managing a communications session from the mobile device;

sending the single line message over the network; and

if the identifier is authenticated, receiving a confirmation that the mobile device is registered based on receipt of the single line message including the short code extension, wherein registration includes a mapping between the identifier and a mobile device identifier associated with the mobile device.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the single line message further comprises a password associated with the identifier.

11. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the communications session further comprises at least one of an IM session, an IRC session, a video conferencing session, and a chat session.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the identifier further includes at least one of a password, an encryption key, and a nonce.

13. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein if the identifier is authenticated, further comprises receiving in the single line message a password associated with the identifier and employing the identifier and the password to determine authentication of the identifier.

14. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein receiving a confirmation that the mobile device is registered, wherein the confirmation is received as at least one of an SMS message, an audio message, and an email message.

15. A server device for use in managing a registration of a mobile device over a network, comprising:

a transceiver for receiving and sending information between the mobile device;

a processor in communication with the transceiver; and

a memory in communication with the processor and for use in storing data and machine instructions that cause the processor to perform a plurality of operations, including;

receiving, from the mobile device, a message entered by a user, wherein the message is a single lined message;

receiving a mobile device identifier associated with the mobile device;

determining a short code extension included in the single lined message, wherein the short code extension indicates a request to register the mobile device for use in managing a communications session;

extracting from the message an account identifier and password;

if the account identifier and password are authentic, storing a mapping relationship of the mobile device identifier to the account identifier, wherein the mapping enables the mobile device to be registered for use in the communications session; and

if the message includes a request to log into the communications session, using the mapping, in part, to start the communications session on the mobile device.

16. The server device of claim 15, wherein the mobile device identifier is at least one of a phone number, a Mobile Identification Number (MIN), and an electronic serial number (ESN).

17. The server device of claim 15, wherein the communications session further comprises at least one of an IM sessions, an IRC session, a video conferencing session, and a chat session.

18. The server device of claim 15, wherein receiving, from the mobile device, the message further comprises receiving the message as an SMS message.

19. A system for use in managing a registration over a network, comprising:

(a) a mobile device that is configured to perform actions, including;

sending a message entered by a user, wherein the message is a single lined message that comprises at least an identifier and a credential; and

if the message is successfully authenticated and includes a request to log into a communications session, enabling the communications session to automatically start up on the mobile device; and

(b) a server device that is configured to perform actions, including;

receiving the message;

receiving a mobile device identifier associated with the message;

determining if the message includes a request to register within a short code extension the mobile device for use in managing the communications session, and if the message includes the request to register the mobile device;

determining if the identifier is authentic, and if the supplied credential is valid, storing a mapping relationship of the mobile device identifier to the identifier, wherein the mapping enables registration of the mobile device for use, at least in part, in the communications session, registering the mobile device, and

if the credential is valid and includes the request to log into the communications session, automatically starting up the communications session on the mobile device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the communications session further comprises at least one of an IM session, an IRC session, a video conferencing session, and a chat session.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein sending the message further comprises employing the short code extension to identify the destination of the message.

22. An apparatus for use in managing a registration of a mobile device over a wireless network, comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive and to send a message over the wireless network; and

a processor, coupled to the transceiver, that is arranged to perform actions, including;

a means for receiving, from the mobile device, a message, wherein the message is a single lined message entered by a user of the mobile device;

a means for receiving a mobile device identifier associated with the mobile device;

a means for determining from the message a registration request means, wherein the registration request means enables a request to register the mobile device for use in managing communications session;

a means for determining an identifier and a credential associated with the message;

if the identifier is authentic and the credential is valid, a means for storing a mapping relationship of the identifier to the identification, wherein the mapping enables registration of the mobile device;

means for employing the mapping, in part, to register the mobile device; and

if the message includes a request to log into the communications session, using the mapping, in part, to employ a means to start the communications session on the mobile device.