System and method for over the air area code update

• US 7,577,126 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Wireless Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Rajaram, Gowri, Kirbas, Bilhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US11/679,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20070140200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for modifying the area code in a wireless communication device are provided that provide authorization from the carrier. The wireless communication device contains a table of valid area codes in persistent memory. The table defines the complete set of area codes that can be used by the wireless communication device. The wireless device is capable of receiving an instruction from the network that causes the current area code to be changed to a new area code from the table of valid area codes. Alternatively, the wireless device is capable of receiving an instruction from the network that causes the current table of area codes to be replaced with a new table of area codes that is received from the network along with the instruction. After installation of the new table of valid area codes, then the wireless communication device can be instructed to change from the current area code to a new area code in the new table of valid area codes.

Claims

1. A method for wirelessly updating a set of area codes stored on a wireless communication device, wherein the wireless communication device is communicatively coupled with a wireless communication network, comprising:

identifying a new area code for the wireless communication device, wherein the identifying of the new area code is performed without human intervention, the new area code comprising a portion of a unique identifier of the wireless communication device on the wireless communication network;

constructing an update communication, wherein the update communication is constructed without human intervention, the update communication comprising at least one operation code and a data payload, wherein the at least one operation code comprises at least one of a new area code operation code and a new area code table operation code, wherein the data payload comprises at least one of the new area code and a new area code table; and

sending the update communication to the wireless communication device via the wireless communication network to update an area code portion of the unique identifier of the wireless communication device, wherein the update communication is sent without human intervention.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the new area code is identified from a set of valid area codes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the update communication further comprises an operation code instructing the wireless communication device to update the set of area codes.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising at the wireless communication device after receiving the update communication:

requesting authorization from an authorization server;

receiving authorization from the authorization server in response to the request; and

executing the update communication.

5. A method for wirelessly updating an area code information stored on a wireless communication device, wherein the wireless communication device is communicatively coupled with a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

receiving, at the wireless communication device, an update communication from a network server of the wireless communication network to the wireless communication device, the update communication comprising at least one operation code and a data payload, wherein the at least one operation code comprises at least one of a new area code operation code and a new area code table operation code, wherein the data payload comprises at least one of a new area code and a new area code table;

extracting the at least one operation code and the data payload from the update communication utilizing a runtime engine of the wireless communication device;

the runtime engine corresponding the extracted at least one operation code to a first set of runtime instructions stored in the wireless communication device if the extracted at least one operation code is the new area code operation code;

the runtime engine corresponding the extracted at least one operation code to a second set of runtime instructions stored in the wireless communication device if the extracted at least one operation code is the new area code table operation code;

executing the first set of runtime instructions utilizing the runtime engine if the extracted at least one operation code is the new area code operation code; and

executing the second set of runtime instructions utilizing the runtime engine if the extracted at least one operation code is the new area code table operation code.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the wireless communication device requesting authorization from the network server to proceed with the execution of the at least one operation code;

receiving authorization from the network server in response to the requested authorization; and

executing the at least one operation code.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein executing the first set of runtime instructions comprises storing the new area code in the wireless communication device;

and

wherein executing the second set of runtime instructions comprises storing the new area code table in the wireless communication device.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the network server identifying a required update of an existing area code of the wireless communication device to the new area code, wherein the existing area code comprises a portion of a unique identifier of the wireless communication device on the wireless communication network;

wherein executing the first set of runtime instructions comprises updating the unique identifier of the wireless communication device.