Over-the-air service termination for a telematics device

• US 7,873,345 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco
• Inventors: Rappoport, Bruce Joel, McHenry, James, Dunne, Kevin Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor; Barry W
• Application Number:
  US11/819,187
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/418, 455/419, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

The disclosed technology automatically terminates wireless service that a mobile communication network provided to a telematics unit, e.g. when the customer is no longer active for telematics service. The disclosed deactivation allows the network service provider to reuse any resources, such as mobile numbers, that were previously assigned to the particular telematics unit. In a disclosed example, a SMS deactivation message causes the telematics unit to delete its mobile provisioning data, such as its MDN and/or its MIN, and replace that data with a dummy number. The deactivation procedure may also provide a replacement destination number for emergency calls, typically a cleared number, such as 911. For example, the deactivated telematics unit would be able to call a PSAP, and the PSAP would recognize that the unit is inactive for wireless service (and cannot be called-back) from the dummy number used to identify the unit.

Claims

1. A method of deactivating a telematics unit with respect to communication service through a wireless communication network, comprising steps of:

receiving a request to deactivate the communication service through a wireless communication network in a system of an operator of the wireless communication network from a telematics service provider, the request identifying the telematics unit;

in response to the request, generating a deactivation command message for the telematics unit, the deactivation command message containing a dummy mobile number indicating that the telematics unit is not activated for communication service through the wireless communication network;

transmitting the deactivation command message from the system of the operator of the wireless communication network, through the wireless communication network to the telematics unit;

receiving the deactivation command message in the telematics unit from the wireless communication network;

responsive to the received deactivation command message, deleting a mobile directory number (MDN) or a mobile identification number (MIN) number assigned to the telematics unit by the operator of the wireless communication network for authenticating the telematics unit for communication through the wireless communication network when the telematics unit is active for wireless service, from storage in memory of the telematics unit; and

storing the dummy mobile number from the received deactivation command message in the memory of the telematics unit in place of the deleted number for use in a future attempt of the telematics unit to communicate through the wireless communication network when the telematics unit is inactive with respect to communication service through the wireless communication network.

2. A method of deactivating a telematics unit with respect to communication service through a wireless communication network, comprising steps of:

receiving a request to deactivate the communication service through a wireless communication network in a system of an operator of the wireless communication network from a telematics service provider, the request identifying the telematics unit;

in response to the request, generating a deactivation command message for the telematics unit, the deactivation command message containing a cleared number;

transmitting the deactivation command message from the system of the operator of the wireless communication network, through the wireless communication network to the telematics unit;

receiving the deactivation command message in the telematics unit from the wireless communication network;

responsive to the received deactivation command message, deleting a directory number of a telematics call center for dialing in response to detection of an emergency by the telematics unit to establish a call for communications between the telematics unit and the telematics call center through the wireless communication network when the telematics unit is active for wireless service, from storage in memory of the telematics unit; and

storing the cleared number from the received deactivation command message in the memory of the telematics unit in place of the deleted directory number of the telematics call center number for use in a future attempt of the telematics unit to communicate through the wireless communication network when the telematics unit is inactive with respect to communication service through the wireless communication network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the cleared number is 911.

4. A method of deactivating a telematics unit with respect to communication service through a wireless communication network, comprising steps of:

receiving a request to deactivate the communication service through the wireless communication network in a system of an operator of the wireless communication network from a telematics service provider, the request identifying the telematics unit;

in response to the request, changing status of information regarding the communication service for the telematics unit in the network to terminate communication service for the telematics unit through the wireless communication network; and

transmitting a message through the wireless communication network to cause the telematics unit to;

(a) replace a mobile directory number (MDN) or a mobile identification number (MIN) number assigned to the telematics unit by the operator of the wireless communication network stored in memory of the telematics unit, used for authenticating the telematics unit for communication service through the wireless communication network, with a dummy number contained in the message,

wherein the dummy number indicates that the telematics unit is a station not activated for communication service through the wireless communication network; and

(b) replace a destination number of a call center of a telematics service provider, for use in initiating an emergency call, stored in memory of the telematics unit, with a cleared number contained in the message,

wherein the cleared number is a dialable number for which the wireless communication network is configured to complete a call to a destination, without authentication of the telematics unit.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the message comprises one or more short message service (SMS) messages containing the dummy number and the cleared number.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of changing status of information regarding the service for the telematics unit in the network comprises removing a record of assignment of the mobile number to the telematics unit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the record is a record in a billing system or a home location register of the wireless communication network.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the cleared number is 911.

9. A telematics unit, comprising:

an interface for receiving signals from one or more input elements for monitoring with respect to possible occurrence of an emergency condition;

a wireless transceiver for wireless communications through a mobile communication network;

at least one processor coupled to the interface and the wireless transceiver;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory having number storage for storing a mobile directory number (MDN) or a mobile identification number (MIN) assigned to the telematics unit by an operator of the mobile communication network for authenticating the telematics unit for communication through the wireless communication network and for storing a destination number for use in establishing an emergency communication through the mobile communication network, and the memory having program storage; and

programming in the program storage for execution by the at least one processor, wherein execution of the programming by the processor enables the at least one processor to control operations of the telematics unit to perform functions, including;

(a) processing the signals received via the interface to detect occurrence of the emergency condition, and in response to detecting the occurrence of the emergency condition operating the wireless transceiver to initiate a communication attempt through the mobile communication network using the destination number and using the assigned number as an identifier of the telematics unit to the mobile communication network; and

(b) in response to a deactivation command message received from a system of an operator of the wireless communication network via the wireless transceiver, replacing the assigned MDN or MIN in the number storage with a dummy number contained in the received deactivation command message, wherein the dummy number indicates that the telematics unit is a station not activated for communication service through the wireless communication network.

10. The telematics unit of claim 9, wherein the replacing function comprises replacing the destination number in the number storage with a cleared number contained in the received deactivation command message.

11. A telematics unit, comprising:

an interface for receiving signals from one or more input elements for monitoring with respect to possible occurrence of an emergency condition;

a wireless transceiver for wireless communications through a mobile communication network;

at least one processor coupled to the interface and the wireless transceiver;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory having number storage for storing a number assigned to the telematics unit by an operator of the mobile communication network for authenticating the telematics unit for communication through the wireless communication network and for storing a destination number for use in establishing an emergency communication through the mobile communication network, and the memory having program storage; and

programming in the program storage for execution by the at least one processor, wherein execution of the programming by the processor enables the at least one processor to control operations of the telematics unit to perform functions, including;

(a) processing the signals received via the interface to detect occurrence of the emergency condition, and in response to detecting the occurrence of the emergency condition operating the wireless transceiver to initiate a communication attempt through the mobile communication network using the destination number and using the assigned number as an identifier of the telematics unit to the mobile communication network; and

(b) in response to a deactivation command message received from a system of an operator of the wireless communication network via the wireless transceiver, replacing the destination number in the number storage with a cleared number contained in the received deactivation command message, wherein the cleared number is a dialable number for which the wireless communication network is configured to complete a call to a destination, without authentication of the telematics unit.