User interface technique for selection and activation of wireless service among multiple transport carriers

• US 8,144,873 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Inventors: Skinner, Craig, Wong, William Shu-woon, Kuhn, Brian Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, ELLEN C
• Application Number:
  US12/054,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20080176550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 380/247, 380/270, 455/414, 455/433, 455/435, 455/550.1, 455/552
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A method and device are provided for handling network activation between a computer and a carrier. In one example, the method involves receiving a command to initiate network activation procedures. The network activation status of the computer is then determined. If the computer is network enabled, a request is sent to a device having network activation information. The network activation information is received from the device. The computer is then configured with the network activation information in order to establish network activation with the carrier.

Claims

1. A method of activating a computer in a network comprising:

receiving at a plurality of mutually compatible carrier-specific plug-in components a command from a generic driver to initiate network activation procedures with a selected telecommunications carrier;

determining a network activation status of the computer at one of the plurality of plug-in components;

sending a request from the plug-in component to a device having network telecommunications carrier activation information in a file provided by the selected carrier;

receiving the network telecommunications carrier activation information from the device at the plug-in component; and

configuring the computer with the network telecommunications carrier activation information to establish network activation with the selected telecommunications carrier,

wherein the plurality of plug-in components perform a setup in which user information is obtained and submitted to the driver device, then stored and submitted to the selected telecommunications carrier; and

wherein the plurality of plug-in components can be tailored to multiple carriers in any language.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received command includes a launch code to initiate a particular network telecommunications carrier activation procedure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the device having network telecommunications carrier activation information comprises a single in-line memory module (SIMM) card configured to be compatible with the telecommunications carrier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the network telecommunications carrier activation status comprises determining if the computer has a current single in-line memory module (SIMM) card that is compatible with the telecommunications carrier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step determining a network telecommunications carrier activation status further comprises:

determining if the computer was previously network activated with a previous single in-line memory module (SIMM) card; and

determining if the previous SIMM card is a current SIMM card.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a network telecommunications carrier activation status comprises:

receiving an activation security key from a user of the computer; and

determining if the activation security key is valid for the telecommunications carrier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device having the network telecommunications carrier activation information is a server of the telecommunications carrier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the steps of sending and receiving are carried out in a protocol specific to the telecommunications carrier.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the network telecommunications carrier activation information that is received includes an access number that allows the computer to access network services of the telecommunications carrier.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring the computer comprises storing an access number that allows the computer to access network services of the telecommunications carrier.

11. A device configured to be operable in a generic activation framework with multiple telecommunication carriers comprising:

a processing unit;

a driver device transparent with respect to utilized telecommunication carriers; and

a plurality of mutual compatible carrier-specific plug-in components installable and removable from the processing unit, the plurality of plug-in components including carrier-specific application program interfaces configured to receive a network telecommunications carrier activation command from the driver device;

wherein the driver device is configured to request a registration file from a selected telecommunications carrier for providing user information; and

wherein the application program interfaces perform a setup process including obtaining user information, submitting the user information to the driver device, storing the user information in memory, and submitting the user information to the selected telecommunications carrier; and

wherein the plurality of mutual compatible carrier-specific plug-in components can be tailored to multiple carriers in any language.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the device is a personal digital assistant.

13. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface configured to query a user for an activation security key to access services of a telecommunications carrier.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the application program interfaces are configured to cause the plurality of plug-in components to determine a network telecommunications carrier activation status of the computer.