Method for reactivating a then-currently deactivated mobile unit

• US 8,190,141 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2010
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Krause, Kevin R., Schwinke, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): VIANA DI PRISCO, GERMAN
• Application Number:
  US12/755,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20110250877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42144 by service provider
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements

Abstract

A method for reactivating a then-currently deactivated mobile unit involves submitting a request to a call center to reactivate the mobile unit and, upon receiving the request, submitting another request to a cellular service provider from the call center, where such other request includes a request to broadcast a message having a mobile unit identifier and a reactivation protocol contained therein. The method further involves broadcasting the message from the cellular service provider to a plurality of mobile units each having an identical inactive dialing number stored therein. A processor operatively associated with the then-currently deactivated mobile unit recognizes the mobile unit identifier contained in the broadcasted message. Upon recognizing the mobile unit identifier, the processor applies the reactivation protocol contained in the broadcasted message to initiate reactivation of the then-currently deactivated mobile unit.

Claims

1. A method for reactivating a then-currently deactivated mobile unit, comprising:

submitting a request to a call center to reactivate the then-currently deactivated mobile unit;

upon receiving the request, submitting an other request to a cellular service provider from the call center, the other request including a request to broadcast a message having contained therein a mobile unit identifier and a reactivation protocol;

broadcasting the message from the cellular service provider to a plurality of mobile units each having stored therein an identical inactive dialing number;

via a processor operatively associated with the then-currently deactivated mobile unit, recognizing the mobile unit identifier contained in the broadcasted message; and

upon recognizing the mobile unit identifier, via the processor associated with the then-currently deactivated mobile unit, applying the reactivation protocol contained in the broadcasted message to initiate reactivation of the then-currently deactivated mobile unit.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the broadcasted message is an SMS message.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the broadcasting is accomplished over a geographic region determined at least from a location of the then-currently deactivated mobile unit.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the location of the then-currently deactivated mobile unit is determined using at least one of an address of a user of the then-currently deactivated mobile unit, a zip code associated with the address of the user of the then-currently deactivated mobile unit, or coordinate data of a known address or point of interest.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the broadcasting is accomplished across a network footprint defined by the cellular service provider.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein prior to the recognizing of the mobile unit identifier contained in the broadcasted message, the method further comprises monitoring, via the processor associated with the then-currently deactivated mobile unit, a service channel for the message, the service channel being used by the cellular service provider for broadcasting the message to the plurality of mobile units.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of mobile units is configured to receive contents of the broadcasted message;

and wherein among all of the plurality of mobile units, the then-currently deactivated mobile unit alone is configured to process the contents of the broadcasted message when the processor of the then-currently deactivated mobile unit recognizes that a mobile unit identifier of the then-currently deactivated mobile unit matches the mobile unit identifier contained in the broadcasted message.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the broadcasting is accomplished for a predetermined period of time, and wherein when the then-currently deactivated mobile unit does not recognize the mobile unit identifier contained in the broadcasted message within the predetermined period of time, the method further comprises:

adjusting, via a processor operatively associated with the cellular service center, a parameter associated with the broadcasting; and

then

re-broadcasting the message from the cellular service provider to the plurality of mobile units.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 wherein the parameter is a location of the then-currently deactivated mobile unit.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the applying of the reactivation protocol by the then-currently deactivated mobile unit includes:

automatically placing a call to the call center from the then-currently deactivated mobile unit, the call including a reactivation request; and

following, via the processor associated with the then-currently deactivated mobile unit, a reactivation procedure provided by the call center.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein the call is a circuit-switched data call or a packet data call.

12. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein prior to submitting the other request to the cellular service provider from the call center, the method further comprises generating the message using a processor at the call center;

and wherein the other request includes the message in addition to the request to broadcast the message.

13. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the other request includes a request to generate the message in addition to the request to broadcast the message.

14. A mobile unit reactivation system, comprising:

a plurality of mobile units each having stored therein an identical inactive dialing number, one of the plurality of mobile units being a particular then-currently deactivated mobile unit;

a call center configured to receive a request to reactivate the particular then-currently deactivated mobile unit;

a cellular service provider in operative communication with the call center, the cellular service provider configured to receive an other request from the call center, the other request including a request to broadcast a message having contained therein a mobile unit identifier and a reactivation protocol;

a data messaging channel operatively associated with the cellular service provider, the data messaging channel configured to broadcast the message from the cellular service provider to the plurality of mobile units; and

a processor operatively associated with the particular then-currently deactivated mobile unit, the processor being configured to run computer readable code for;

recognizing the mobile unit identifier contained in the broadcasted message; and

applying the reactivation protocol contained in the broadcasted message to initiate reactivation of the particular then-currently deactivated mobile unit.

15. The system as defined in claim 14 wherein the broadcasted message is an SMS message.

16. The system as defined in claim 14 wherein the data messaging channel is further configured to broadcast the message across a network footprint defined by the cellular service provider.

17. The system as defined in claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to run computer readable code for monitoring a service channel for the message, the service channel being configured to be used by the cellular service provider for broadcasting the message to the plurality of mobile units.

18. The system as defined in claim 14 wherein the processor of the particular then-currently deactivated mobile unit is further configured to run computer readable code for processing the contents of the broadcasted message upon recognizing that a mobile unit identifier of the then-currently deactivated mobile unit matches the mobile unit identifier contained in the broadcasted message.

19. The system as defined in claim 14 wherein the cellular service provider includes a processor configured to run computer readable code for adjusting a parameter associated with the broadcasted message when the then-currently deactivated mobile unit does not recognize the mobile unit identifier contained in the message, and wherein the data messaging channel is further configured to re-broadcast the message to the plurality of mobile units via a data channel supporting SMS messaging.

20. The system as defined in claim 14 wherein the then-currently deactivated mobile unit is further configured to automatically place a call to the call center, the call including a reactivation request, and wherein the processor associated with the then-currently deactivated mobile unit is further configured to follow a reactivation procedure provided by the call center.