Interactive control of access to services and capabilities of a mobile device

• US 8,359,010 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lopez, Ricardo Jorge, Lauer, Craig, Lane, Richard Doil
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US13/407,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20120164984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/409, 455/410, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/449, 455/451, 455/550.1, 455/414.2, 709/225, 709/229, 709/230, 709/237, 705/43, 705/67, 705/69
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A system device and method are provided which determine authorization for access to one or more services grouped together as a package of services without direct intervention of a wireless network provider or wired network access provider. This offers business proprietors, contractors for telecommunication services, service resellers, OEMs and service providers the ability to authorize users, particularly users of mobile communication terminals, hereafter referred to as the “Owner,” access to package services. In this way a large package of features and applications can be available to a mobile device, but access to those features and applications can be controlled by the Owner thus providing the Owner with control over expenses related to accessing those features and applications. It also provides the Owner the ability to secure and prevent unauthorized access to features and applications which could allow an unauthorized user access to sensitive data and equipment.

Claims

1. A smart phone comprising:

a transceiver;

a processor connected to said transceiver;

memory connected to said processor;

a feature control daemon operable to store feature control authorization information to access features of a package of services in said memory,

wherein the feature control authorization information is used by the feature control daemon to approve or deny access to one or more features of the package of services upon receiving a request to access the one or more features.

2. A smart phone as recited in claim 1 wherein said feature control daemon is further operable to wirelessly receive authorization information through said transceiver.

3. A smart phone as recited in claim 1 wherein said authorization information consists of files selected from XML files, WML files, DLL files, exe files, binary files, JAR files, Perl files, BREW app., files C files, C files, other data, script or executables known to said smart phone, or a combination thereof.

4. A smart phone as recited in claim 1 where said feature control daemon includes a mobile feature control application operable to spawn one or more additional mobile feature control application being operable to interrogate said memory for feature control information granting access to one or more features.

5. A smart phone as recited in claim 1 further including a mobile operating system wherein said mobile operation system permits smart phone access to features authorized in connection with feature control information stored in said memory.

6. A smart phone as recited in claim 1 further including a mobile operating system and an interface operable to receive inputs, said mobile operating system being operable to implement features approved for access through said feature control daemon in connection with inputs received by said interface.

7. A smart phone as recited in claim 1 further including a mobile operating system and an interface operable to receive inputs, said mobile operating system being operable to implement features previously approved for access through use of said feature control daemon in connection with inputs received by said interface using previously downloaded XML files, WML files, DLL files, exe files, binary files, JAR files, Per files. BREW app., files C++ files, C files, C# files, other data, script or executables known to said smart phone, or a combination thereof.

8. A method of control access to services for a mobile station comprising:

receiving a service request to access features of a package of services;

spawning an application to evaluate said service request by determining whether the features are supported by the mobile station as indicated by stored feature control authorization information in a database within said mobile station, wherein the feature control authorization information is used by the application to approve or deny access to the features;

directing a mobile operating system to access or deny access to said features in connection with the feature control authorization information.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein said mobile operating system is an operating system selected from the group consisting of Symbian™

, Win CE™

, ReX™

, VxWorks™

, ThreadX™

, or Nucleus™

Operating. Systems.

10. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein keypad inputs to a mobile station are interpreted as a service request.

11. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein predetermined data received by a mobile station is interpreted as a service request.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein said predetermined data is received from a source consisting of a network management center or an authorization server.

13. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein one consisting of an application, a portion of an application or an application enabler is downloaded to a mobile station over-the-air.

14. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein said stored authorizations are contain in files consisting, of files selected from XML files, WML files, DLL files, exe files, binary files, JAR files, Perl files, BREW app., files C++ files, C files, C# files, other data, script or executables known to said mobile station, or a combination thereof.

15. A Mobile station including:

a transceiver;

processor connected to said transceiver;

memory connected to said processor; and

a downloadable software application, said software application being operable to provide access to features of a package of services by a user of said mobile station,

wherein the software application is operable to approve or deny access to one or more features of the package of services upon receiving a request to access the one or more features.

16. A mobile station as recited in claim 15 wherein said downloadable software application is further operable to determine access to features by a mobile station in connection with examining authorization information stored in said memory.

17. A mobile station as recited in claim 15 wherein access to features by said mobile station is based upon one consisting of position, time, data collected, prior activities, device capabilities, identity of a user of the mobile station, or a combination thereof.

18. A mobile communications terminal comprising:

a processor;

a memory including software operable to implement a package of features;

a feature control daemon;

a transceiver coupled to said processor, said transceiver being operable to send and receive data through a wireless communications network coupled to a network, said processor being operable to access package features, for a mobile communications terminal user, provided through said wireless communications network and said network in connection with said feature control daemon providing feature control authorization information to access or deny access to said package features upon receiving a request to access one or more features of the package features.

19. A mobile communications terminal as recited in claim 18 wherein said processor is permitted use of said package features in connection with programming received by said transceiver from a remote station.

20. A mobile communications terminal as recited in claim 18 wherein said processor is denied use of said package features in connection with said feature control daemon failing to provide authorization.

21. A mobile communications terminal as recited in claim 18 wherein said package of features is selected from the group consisting of ring back tones, three-way calling, call waiting, voice mail, text messaging long distance calling, caller ID, picture messages, multimedia features, non-telephone applications and features, business applications, database access or a combination thereof.

22. A mobile communications terminal as recited in claim 18 further including a mobile operating system and an interface operable to receive inputs, said mobile operating system being operable to implement features previously approved for access through use of said feature control daemon in connection with inputs received by said interface using previously downloaded XML, files, WML files, DLL Ides, exe files, binary files, JAR files, Perl files, BREW app., files C++ files. C files, C# files, other data, script or executables known to said smart phone, or a combination thereof.

23. A mobile communications terminal as recited in claim 18 wherein said network includes a plurality of routers connected together through the Internet.

24. A mobile communications terminal as recited in claim 18 wherein said network is connected within one consisting of a packet switched data network or a data switched network.

25. A mobile communications terminal as recited in claim 18 wherein said wireless network is selected from networks consisting of CDMA, WCDMA, UMTS, GSM, 802.11, BT, TDMA, or OFDMA networks.

26. A mobile communications terminal as recited in claim 18 further including an interface used to identify a user for communication with an authorization device through said transceiver.

27. A mobile communications terminal as recited in claim 26 wherein said interface includes a biometric sensor selected from the group consisting of a fingerprint reader, a retinal scanner a voice recognition device or a combination thereof.

28. A mobile communications terminal as recited in claim 26 wherein said interface includes data entry devices consisting of a keypad, a touch pad screen, a track ball or a combination thereof.

29. A mobile communication terminal as recited in claim 18 wherein said network is an ATM network.

30. A method of doing business as recited in claim 18 wherein said package of features is provided through a subscription service.

31. A method of doing business wherein said mobile communications terminal as recited in claim 18 is provided access to a package of features through said network exclusive of a MSC.

32. A mobile device comprising:

a transceiver;

a processor connected to said transceiver;

memory connected to said processor;

a feature control daemon operable to store feature control authorization information to access features of a package of services in said memory,

wherein the feature control authorization information is used by the feature control daemon to approve or deny access to one or more features of the package of services upon receiving a request to access the one or more features.

33. A mobile device as recited in claim 32 wherein said feature control daemon is further operable to wirelessly receive authorization information through said transceiver.

34. A mobile device as recited in claim 32 wherein said authorization information consists of files selected from XML files, WML files, DLL, exe, binary, JAR, Perl, BREW app., C++ files, C files, C# files, or other data, script or executable know to the device, or a combination thereof.

35. A mobile device as recited in claim 32 where said feature control daemon includes a mobile feature control application operable to spawn one or more additional mobile feature control application being operable to interrogate said memory for feature control information granting access to one or more features.

36. A mobile device as recited in claim 32 further including a mobile operating system wherein said mobile operation system permits smart phone access to features authorized in connection with feature control information stored in said memory.

37. A mobile device as recited in claim 32 further including a mobile operating system and an interface operable to receive inputs, said mobile operating system being operable to implement features approved for access through said feature control daemon in connection with inputs received by said interface.

38. A mobile device as recited in claim 32 further including a mobile operating system and an interface operable to receive inputs, said mobile operating system being operable to implement features previously approved for access through use of said feature control daemon in connection with inputs received by said interface, by using previously downloaded XML files, WML files, DLL, exc, binary, JAR, Perl, BREW app., C++ files, C C# files, or other data script or executable know to the device, or a combination thereof.