System and method for managing information handling system wireless network provisioning

• US 7,885,858 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ryan, Michael, Cameron, Roger, Mehta, Pratik M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAYLES, ASHFORD S
• Application Number:
  US11/338,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 361/737, 717/175
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

Information handling systems are built to order with provisioned wireless wide area network (WWAN) service coordinated through a WWAN network provider as part of the manufacture of the information handling system. A WWAN component is built into the information handling system and then queried to retrieve a WWAN identifier, such as ESM or SIM information. The identifier is associated with end user information of the information handling system and formatted as a request for WWAN provisioning sent to a network service provider. The network service provider applies the WWAN identifier and end user information to contact the end user for setting up a WWAN account or, alternatively, to automatically set up a WWAN account for the end user.

Claims

1. A system for manufacture of an information handling system having a provisioned WWAN component, the system comprising:

a processor operable to execute instruction;

memory interfaced with the processor, the memory storing instructions for;

an order engine operable to accept an order for the information handling system having the provisioned WWAN component, the order having configuration information defining the configuration of the information handling system and WWAN information defining WWAN provider and end user information;

a configuration engine interfaced with the order engine and operable to generate a manifest for building the information handling system with the order configuration to include the WWAN component;

a WWAN configuration engine operable to interface with the information handling system built according to the manifest and retrieve a unique identifier associated with the WWAN component; and

a WWAN provisioning engine interfaced with the WWAN configuration engine, the WWAN provisioning engine operable to format an provisioning request having the WWAN component unique identifier and the WWAN end user information and to send the provisioning request to the WWAN provider.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the WWAN component unique identifier comprises ESN information.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the WWAN component unique identifier comprises SIM information.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the end user information comprises information for the network provider to contact the end user and set up an account to access the WWAN.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising an information handling system account engine associated with the WWAN provider and operable to receive the provisioning request and to automatically provision an account for the end user to access the WWAN.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a WWAN activation engine associated with the WWAN provider and interfaced with the information handling system account engine, the WWAN activation engine operable to activate the end user account on the WWAN.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the WWAN configuration engine is further operable to interact with the WWAN provider through the WWAN component to confirm provisioning of the account.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising an image engine interfaced with the information handling system and operable to install an application associated with the account on the information handling system.

9. A method for provisioning WWAN service for an information handling system, the method comprising:

building the information handling system at a manufacture site, the information handling system having a WWAN component operable to support WWAN service;

using a processor to reading from the information handling system a unique identifier associated with the WWAN component;

using a processor to associating the WWAN component unique identifier with end user information and WWAN service provider information; and

forwarding the WWAN component unique identifier and end user information from the manufacture site to the WWAN service provider;

using a processor to provisioning the WWAN component to interact with the service provider WWAN; and

shipping the information handling system from the manufacture site to an end user site.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the WWAN component unique identifier comprises an ESN.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the WWAN component unique identifier comprises a SIM.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein WWAN component comprises a WWAN card integrated into the information handling system.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the end user information comprises information sufficient for the WWAN service provider to contact the end user and wherein provisioning the WWAN component further comprises contacting by the WWAN service provider of the end user with the end user information to set up an account for accessing the WWAN by the end user.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the end user information comprises information sufficient for the WWAN service provider to set up an account for accessing the WWAN by the end user and wherein provisioning the WWAN component further comprises setting up an inactive account by the WWAN service provider for WWAN access by the end user.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

activating the end user account to the WWAN to authorize access by the WWAN component to the WWAN; and

testing access of the WWAN component to the WWAN at the manufacture site.