System and method for automatic registration notification for over-the-air activation

• US 8,301,140 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chatterjee, Arun K., Daly, Brian Kevin, Holmes, David William James, Leuca, Ileana A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US12/363,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20090191872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/409, 455/410, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455418-420, 455/435.1, 370/310.2, 370/328, 379/114.14, 379/91.01
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• 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 8/265 for initial activation of new user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A method and system automatically activates a mobile station in a wireless communications network. The system includes an over the air activation function (OTAF) processor in the network that initiates an activation process in response to receiving a registration message from a mobile switching center serving the mobile station requesting the activation. Each mobile station has a unit of information stored into it at the time of its manufacture to enable it to request over the air activation. That unit of information is either the network routing address of the OTAF processor, or alternately, it is a value that is translatable into that address, either an OTAF ID number that is the same value for every mobile station or it is a sequentially serialized dummy value for the mobile identification number (a dummy MIN). When the mobile station is turned on for the first time in the network, it requests activation over the air by transmitting to the local mobile switching center a registration order. The registration order will include one of the three alternative forms of the information unit described above, either the routing address of the OTAF processor, or the OTAF ID number, or a dummy MIN.

Claims

1. A method for activating a mobile station of a plurality of mobile stations in a wireless communications network, comprising:

receiving at a network node a registration message including information translatable into an address for an over the air activation processor, wherein the information translatable into the address for the over the air activation processor is an over the air activation function identification number, wherein the network node is for receiving a plurality of registration messages from the plurality of mobile stations, each of the plurality of registration messages including the information translatable into the address, wherein the information translatable into the address is the same for every mobile station; and

providing the registration message to a signal transfer point for translating the information into the address, and for routing the registration message to the over the air activation processor, wherein the registration message is for allowing the over the air activation processor to initiate an activation process, and to transmit activation parameters to the mobile station, wherein authorization data that is received by the over the air activation processor is for allowing the over the air activation processor to complete the activation process, wherein the authorization data is received from an activation center that receives information from a user of the mobile station via a voice channel that is established between the mobile station and the activation center.

2. A system for activating a mobile station of a plurality of mobile stations in a wireless communications network, comprising:

a mobile switching center at a node in the wireless communications network, for;

receiving a registration message including information translatable into an address for an over the air activation processor, wherein the information translatable into the address for the over the air activation processor is an over the air activation function identification number;

receiving a plurality of registration messages from the plurality of mobile stations, each of the plurality of registration messages including the information translatable into the address, wherein the information translatable into the address is the same for every mobile station;

providing the registration message to a signal transfer point for translating the information into the address; and

routing the registration message to the over the air activation processor, wherein the registration message is for allowing the over the air activation processor to initiate an activation process, and to transmit activation parameters to the mobile station, wherein authorization data that is received by the over the air activation processor is for allowing the over the air activation processor to complete the activation process, wherein the authorization data is received from an activation center that receives information from a user of the mobile station via a voice channel that is established between the mobile station and the activation center.

3. A method for activating a mobile station of a plurality of mobile stations in a wireless communications network, comprising:

receiving at a network node a registration message including information translatable into an address for an over the air activation processor, wherein the information translatable into the address for the over the air activation processor is an over the air activation function identification number, wherein the network node is for receiving a plurality of registration messages from the plurality of mobile stations, each of the plurality of registration messages including the information translatable into the address, wherein the information translatable into the address is the same for every mobile station; and

providing the registration message to a signal transfer point for translating the information into the address, and for routing the registration message to the over the air activation processor, wherein the registration message is for allowing the over the air activation processor to initiate an activation process, and to transmit activation parameters to the mobile station, wherein authorization data that is received by the over the air activation processor is for allowing the over the air activation processor to complete the activation process, wherein the authorization data is received from an activation center that receives information from a user of the mobile station via a voice channel that is established between the mobile station and the activation center.