Swapping an operational networked electronic system for a nonoperational networked electronic system

• US 7,672,225 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Skinner, Craig S.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, DUC CHI
• Application Number:
  US11/634,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20070140108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 709/229
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A method of switching a network access configuration associated with a first electronic system to a second electronic system via a network is described. The first electronic system is inoperable. The second electronic system replaces the first electronic system such that a user seamlessly transitions from the first electronic system to the second electronic system. The user continues to access the network resources using the second electronic system rather than the first electronic system. According to an embodiment of the present invention, an application for switching the network access configuration is invoked using the second electronic system. During a first phase, the application transmits first data to a network infrastructure provider. The network infrastructure provider obtains approval for switching the network access configuration from the network service provider. If the network service provider approves switching the network access configuration, the network infrastructure provider updates its databases such that the network access configuration of the first electronic system is associated with the second electronic system. During a second phase, the network service provider updates its databases such that the network access configuration of the first electronic system is associated with the second electronic system if the network infrastructure provider successfully updates its databases. At the conclusion of the second phase, the second electronic system can access the network using the network access configuration.

Claims

1. A method of transferring association of network access configuration data from a first mobile device to a second mobile device, comprising:

receiving at a computer system a request message from the second mobile device, the request message representing a request to transfer association of the network access configuration data from the first mobile device to the second mobile device;

transferring association of network access configuration data from the first mobile device to the second mobile device based on receiving the request message at the computer system;

indicating to the second mobile device that the transfer of the association of the network access configuration data to the second mobile device has been successful; and

denying access to a network to the first mobile device if the first mobile device attempts to access the network using the network access configuration data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of denying access comprises invalidating a serial number associated with the first mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network access configuration data comprises a network access number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network access configuration data comprises network user account data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network access configuration data comprises network user privileges data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network access configuration data comprises network user profile data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an application to the second mobile device, wherein the application is configured to send the request message.

8. A method of transferring association of network access configuration data from a first mobile device to a second mobile device, comprising:

receiving at a computer system a request message from the second mobile device, the request message representing a request to transfer association of the network access configuration data from the first mobile device to the second mobile device;

transferring association of network access configuration data from the first mobile device to the second mobile device based on receiving the request message at the computer system; and

indicating to the second mobile device that the transfer of the association of the network access configuration data to the second mobile device has been successful;

wherein the step of transferring comprises associating a network access number of the first mobile device with a serial number of the second device.

9. A computer-readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed are configured to cause a computer system to provide a first mobile device access to network resources via a network, to store first data used by the first mobile device to access the network, to receive a request to associate the first data with a second mobile device, to associate the first data with the second mobile device, to provide the second mobile device access to the network resources via the network based on the first data;

and to deny access to the network to the first mobile device if the first mobile device attempts to access the network using the network access configuration data.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first data comprises network access configuration data.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured to cause the computer system to indicate to the second mobile device that a reassociation of the first data has been successful.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured to cause the computer system to provide the second mobile device access to the network resources based on the first data and based on data received from the second mobile device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the data received from the second mobile device comprises a user name.

14. A computer-readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed are configured to cause a computer system to provide a first mobile device access to network resources via a network, to store first data used by the first mobile device to access the network, to receive a request to associate the first data with a second mobile device, to associate the first data with the second mobile device, to provide the second mobile device access to the network resources via the network based on the first data;

and to provide the second mobile device access to the network resources based on the first data and based on data received from the second mobile device;

wherein the data received from the second mobile device comprises a serial number associated with the second mobile device.

15. A method, comprising:

storing at a computer system first data for a first mobile device;

providing access to a network to the first mobile device based on the first data;

receiving at the computer system a request to provide access to the network to a second mobile device;

receiving at the computer system second data;

providing access to the network to the second mobile device based on the first data and the second data; and

denying access to the network to the first mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising indicating to the second mobile device that it has access to the network.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second data is received from the second mobile device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first data comprises user profile data, further comprising providing a network resource to the second mobile device based on the user profile data.