Over the air provisioning of mobile device settings

• US 7,565,141 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2003
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SITO Mobile R&D IP, LLC
• Original Assignee: Anthony G. Macaluso
• Inventors: Macaluso, Anthony G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu; Michael T
• Application Number:
  US10/682,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20050079863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,113 Days
• Field of Search: 455/419, 455/41, 455/406, 455/411, 455/517, 455/556, 455/445, 455/466, 455/414.1, 455/510, 455/418, 709/218, 379/114, 379/201.01, 705/21, 725/2, 725/110
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

Techniques and systems for providing services to a mobile device allow settings on the mobile device to be provisioned over the air. In response to a request for mobile service subscription options received from the mobile device, data relating to mobile service subscription options, for selection by a user of the mobile device, may be sent to the mobile device over a wireless communication path. A selection of one or more subscription options may be received from the mobile device over the wireless communication path, and a service corresponding to the selected subscription options may be activated in response to the selection. Settings associated with the selected subscription options may be downloaded over the air to the mobile device, which may store the settings to enable the mobile device to access the subscription.

Claims

1. A method for providing services to a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the mobile device for choices of available service providers and associated mobile service subscription choices that include at least a choice of mobile calling plan;

in response to receiving the request from the mobile device, sending data to the mobile device relating to identification of the available service providers and the associated mobile service subscription choices, wherein the choices of available service providers and the associated subscription choices are sent to the mobile device over a wireless communication path, the choices of service providers and subscription choices are for selection by a user of the mobile device, and the subscription choices comprise choices to initiate or modify at least a mobile calling plan associated with at least one of the available service providers to enable wireless communications over a wireless network;

receiving a selection from the mobile device of at least one of the available service providers and at least one of the associated subscription choices that comprise the mobile calling plan from the mobile device over the wireless communication path; and

activating a service corresponding to the at least one selected service provider and at least one associated subscription choice that comprises the mobile calling plan in response to the selection received from the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the request for mobile subscription choices from the mobile device comprises an activation request.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile phone.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is capable of operation with a plurality of service providers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the available service providers comprise mobile virtual network operators.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein activating a service comprises sending data representing at least one setting for the mobile device, with the data being sent over the wireless communication path.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one setting allows the mobile device to obtain service from the selected service provider.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one setting comprises a preferred roaming list.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the data relating to mobile subscription choices and the data representing at least one setting for the mobile device are adapted for use on a Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) platform on the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the data relating to mobile subscription choices and the data representing at least one setting for the mobile device are adapted for use on a Java platform on the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the data relating to mobile subscription choices comprises an identification of a plurality of available service plans.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein activating a service comprises selecting settings data associated with the selected subscription choice from stored respective sets of settings data associated with each of the mobile services subscriptions choices.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the settings data comprises a preferred roaming list selected from a plurality of preferred roaming lists.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is performed by a server remote from and in wireless communication with the mobile device.

15. A mobile device comprising:

a transceiver operable to communicate over a wireless communication link to send a request for choices of available service providers and associated mobile service subscription choices that include at least a choice of mobile calling plan;

at least one memory storing an address of a server that stores settings data associated with at least one mobile service subscription selected by the user from choices that include a mobile calling plan and storing client software for an application execution environment, wherein the user selected at least one mobile service subscription comprises a service to enable wireless communications over a wireless network by initiating or modifying a mobile calling plan, and the at least one memory is operable to store at least one application that is executable on the client software and that includes instructions for communicating with the server at the stored address, receiving settings data, and storing the received settings data in the at least one memory;

a processor coupled to the transceiver and the at least one memory, wherein the processor is operable to execute the at least one stored application and to control communications by the transceiver; and

a visual display, wherein the at least one application comprises instructions for causing the processor to;

retrieve a list of available service providers from the server,

display the list of available service providers and associated mobile service subscriptions on the visual display,

receive a user selection of a particular service provider and at least one of the associated mobile service subscriptions that includes a mobile calling plan, and

transmit an indication of the user selection from the transceiver to the server.

16. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the server comprises an application download server.

17. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the client software comprises Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) client software.

18. The mobile device of claim 17 wherein the at least one application is adapted for execution by the BREW client software.

19. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the client software comprises Java virtual machine software.

20. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the received settings data comprises settings that enable wireless communications using a particular service provider.

21. A system comprising:

an application download server configured to

receive a request from at least one mobile device for choices of available mobile service providers and associated mobile service subscription choices that include at least a choice of mobile calling plan, and

store mobile device settings for accessing services associated with the available mobile service providers, wherein the application download server is operable to selectively send the mobile device settings to the mobile device sending the request for use in modifying the settings for the mobile device sending the request, and the mobile service subscription choices comprise a service to enable wireless communications over a wireless network by initiating or modifying a mobile calling plan;

a mobile communication system interface for connecting the application download server to a mobile communication system, wherein the mobile device settings are sent to the mobile device sending the request over a wireless communication link between the mobile device sending the request and the mobile communication system; and

wherein the application download server is further configured to store applications for downloading to the mobile device sending the request through the mobile communication system, with at least one of the applications including instructions for enabling a user to select a particular service provider from the available service providers to initiate or modify wireless communication services including the mobile calling plan selected by the user from the mobile service subscription choices that include the choice of mobile calling plans.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the mobile service subscription associated with the at least one mobile service provider comprise wireless communication services.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the mobile device settings comprise settings necessary to enable the mobile device sending the request to access the wireless communication services for the at least one mobile service provider.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the mobile device settings comprise a plurality of preferred roaming lists, with each preferred roaming list associated with a particular service provider.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein a preferred roaming list is sent to the mobile device sending the request, with the preferred roaming list corresponding to a selection of a service provider received through the mobile communication system interface from the mobile device sending the request.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the at least one mobile service provider comprises a mobile virtual network operator.

27. The system of claim 21 wherein the applications are adapted for execution on a Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) platform.

28. The system of claim 21 wherein the mobile device settings comprise a software patch for the mobile device sending the request.

29. The system of claim 21 wherein the mobile device settings comprise a telephone number.