Cellular telephone service management

• US 8,412,191 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Radhakrishnan, Dhinakar, Jain, Nikhil
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JUSTIN YE
• Application Number:
  US11/239,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20070072607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,742 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/435.1, 455/456.1, 455/417, 455/420
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A system and method are provided for the management of user terminal (UT) cellular network services. The method includes: registering a UT in a cellular telephone network; accessing a management server; receiving UT-specific management instructions for cellular network services; and, requesting cellular network services for the UT in response to the UT-specific management instructions. In one aspect, the management server is embedded in the UT. Alternately, the management server is accessed via the cellular network. The UT-specific management instructions can be uploaded in a message received via a common control channel, such as Short Message Service (SMS) message or a paging channel message. As another alternative, the management server can be accessed via a UT Broadband subsystem with a hardwire management server interface, or a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) subsystem with a wireless management server interface, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, or IEEE 802.15.

Claims

1. A method for managing user terminal (UT) cellular telephone network services, the method comprising:

registering a UT in a cellular telephone network;

receiving, via a traffic channel, a proprietary data message from the cellular telephone network, wherein the proprietary data message contains UT-specific management instructions for cellular network services, wherein the UT-specific management instructions include instructions to control user account credits, instructions to control permitted call zones and call durations associated with the permitted call zones, instructions to control permitted target call numbers and originating call numbers, instructions to control UT'"'"'s ring mode and ring, options, instructions to control UT'"'"'s screen options, instructions to control permitted network addresses, instructions to control permitted originating and target email addresses, instructions to control permitted data services, and instructions to control permitted memory saves; and

requesting cellular network services for the UT in response to the UT-specific management instructions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing a management server; and

,

wherein receiving the UT-specific management instructions includes loading the UT- specific management instructions in response to accessing the management server.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein accessing the management server includes accessing a management server embedded in the UT.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a management profile for establishing cellular network service parameters via an interface selected from a group comprising a cellular network, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and a Broadband hardwired interface; and

,

creating the UT-specific management instructions in-response to the management profile.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein accessing the management server includes accessing the management server via the cellular telephone network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein accessing the management server via the cellular telephone network includes accessing an Internet Protocol (IP) network-connected management server, via the cellular telephone network.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein accessing the management server includes accessing via a UT subsystem selected from a group comprising a Broadband subsystem with a hardwire management server interface, and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) subsystem with a wireless management server interface selected from a group comprising WiFi, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, and IEEE 802.15.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving the UT-specific management instructions includes automatically receiving the UT-specific management instructions from the management server in response to registering with the cellular telephone network.

9. The method of claim 1, Wherein receiving the UT-specific management instructions comprises receiving instructions to control permitted call zones based on proximity to a location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the UT-specific management instructions comprises receiving instructions to control permitted data services based on a time of day or a location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the UT-specific management instructions comprises receiving instructions to control permitted originated email addresses and permitted target email addresses based on a time of day or a location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the UT-specific management instructions comprises receiving instructions to control permitted call times.

13. A user terminal (UT) with managed cellular telephone network services, the UT comprising:

a cellular subsystem having a wireless interface configured to registering the UT in a cellular telephone network; and

,

a service module having an interface connected to the cellular subsystem configured to requesting UT cellular network services in response to receiving, via a traffic channel, a proprietary data message from the cellular telephone network, wherein the proprietary data message contains UT-specific management instructions, and wherein the UT-specific management instructions include instructions to control user account credits, instructions to control permitted call zones and call durations associated with the permitted call zones, instructions to control permitted target call numbers and originating call numbers;

instructions to control UT'"'"'s ring mode and ring options, instructions to control UT'"'"'s screen options, instructions to control permitted network addresses, instructions to control permitted originating and target email addresses, instructions to control permitted data services, and instructions to control permitted memory saves.

14. The UT of claim 13 wherein the service module hag an interface for accessing a management server, and loading the UT-specific management instructions in response to accessing the management server.

15. The UT of claim 14 further comprising:

a UT-embedded management server having an interface to receive a management profile for establishing cellular network service parameters, and an interface connected to the service module to supply the UT-specific management instructions responsive to the management profile.

16. The UT of claim 15 wherein the wireless interface receives the management profile;

and,

wherein the UT-embedded management server has an interface connected to the cellular subsystem to receive the management profile, and to provide the UT-specific management instructions responsive to the management profile.

17. The UT of claim 15 further comprising:

a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) subsystem, selected from a group comprising Bluetooth, IEEE 802.1, IEEE 802.15, and WiFi, with an wireless interface to receive the management profile; and

,

wherein the UT-embedded management server has an interface connected to the WLAN subsystem to receive the management profile, and to provide the UT-specific management instructions responsive to the management profile.

18. The UT of claim 15 further comprising:

a broadband subsystem with a hardwire interface to receive the management profile; and

,

wherein the UT-embedded management server has an interface connected to the broadband subsystem to receive the management profile, and to provide the UT-specific management instructions responsive to the management profile.

19. The UT of claim 14 wherein the service module uses the cellular subsystem to access the management server via the cellular telephone network.

20. The UT of claim 19 wherein the cellular subsystem accesses an Internet Protocol (IP) network-connected management server, via the cellular telephone network.

21. The UT of claim 14 wherein the service module automatically receives the UT-Specific management instructions from the management server in response to registering with the cellular telephone network.

22. The UT of claim 14 further comprising:

a subsystem selected from a group comprising a broadband subsystem with a hardwire interface and a WLAN subsystem, selected from a group comprising Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, and WiFi, with an wireless interface; and

,

wherein the service module uses the subsystem to access the management server via a network selected from a group comprising a Broadband and a WLAN network, respectively.

23. The UT of claim 13, wherein the UT-specific management instructions comprise instructions to control permitted call zones based on proximity to a location.

24. The UT of claim 13, wherein the UT-specific management instructions comprise instructions to control permitted data services based on a time of day or a location.

25. The UT of claim 13, wherein the UT-specific management instructions comprise instructions to control permitted originated email addresses and permitted target email addresses based on a time of day or a location.

26. The UT of claim 13, wherein the UT-specific management instructions comprise instructions to control permitted call times.

27. A network device for managing cellular telephone network user terminal (UT) services, the network device comprising:

a management server having an Internet Protocol (IP) network interface operatively connected to a cellular subsystem of a UT via a cellular telephone network to register the UT with the cellular telephone network;

supply to the UT, via a traffic channel, a proprietary data message, wherein the message contains UT-specific management instructions for cellular network services, wherein the UT-specific management instructions include instructions to control user account credits, instructions to control permitted call zones and call durations associated with the permitted call zones, instructions to control permitted target call numbers and originating call numbers, instructions to control UT'"'"'s ring mode and ring options, instructions to control UT'"'"'s screen options, instructions to control permitted network addresses, instructions to control permitted originating and target email addresses, instructions to control permitted data services, and instructions to control permitted memory saves; and

provide to the UT UT-specific cellular network services requested by the UT.

28. The network device of claim 27, wherein the UT-specific management instructions comprise instructions to control permitted call zones based on proximity to a location.

29. The network device of claim 27, wherein the UT-specific management instructions comprise instructions to control permitted data services based on a time of day or a location.

30. The network device of claim 27, wherein the UT-specific management instructions comprise instructions to control permitted originated email addresses and permitted target email addresses based on a time of day or a location.

31. The network device of claim 27, wherein the UT-specific management instructions comprise instructions to control permitted call times.

32. A non-transitory computer-readable medium stored in a memory and executable for managing cellular telephone network user terminal (UT) services, comprising:

at least one instruction operable to cause a computer to register a UT in a cellular telephone network;

at least one instruction operable to cause the computer to receive, via a traffic channel, a proprietary data message from the cellular telephone network, wherein the proprietary data message contains UT-specific management instructions for cellular network services, and wherein the UT-specific management instructions include instructions;

to control user account credits, instructions to control permitted call zones and call durations associated with the permitted call zones, instructions to control permitted target call numbers and originating call numbers, instructions to control UT'"'"'s ring mode and ring options, instructions to control UT'"'"'s screen options, instructions to control permitted network addresses, instructions to control permitted originating and target email addresses, instructions to control permitted data services, and instructions to control permitted memory saves; and

at least one instruction operable to cause the computer to request cellular network services for the UT in response to the UT-specific management instructions.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the UT- specific management instructions comprise instructions to control permitted call zones based on proximity to a location.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the UT-specific management instructions comprise instructions to control permitted data services based on a time of day or a location.

35. A user terminal (UT) with managed cellular telephone network services, the UT comprising:

means for registering a UT in a cellular telephone network;

means for receiving, via a traffic channel, a proprietary data message from the cellular telephone network, wherein the proprietary data message contains UT-specific management instructions for cellular network services, wherein the UT-specific management instructions include instructions to control user account credits, instructions to control permitted call zones and call durations associated with the permitted call zones, instructions to control permitted target call numbers and originating call numbers, instructions to control UT'"'"'s ring mode and ring options, instructions to control UT'"'"'s screen options, instructions to control permitted network addresses, instructions to control permitted originating and target email addresses, instructions to control permitted data services, and instructions to control permitted memory saves; and

means for requesting cellular network services for the UT in response to the UT-specific management instructions.

36. The UT of claim 35, wherein the UT-specific management instructions comprise instructions to control permitted call zones based proximity to a location.

37. The UT of claim 35, wherein the UT-specific management instructions comprise instructions to control permitted data services, based on a time of day or a location.