Methods and apparatus for dynamic source determination of provisioning information on a per-network service basis for open market wireless devices

• US 8,442,507 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2008
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Duggal, Nakul, Qu, Hai, Gurganus, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRANDON J
• Application Number:
  US12/185,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20100035595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455557-559, 455410-411, 455/414.1, 455423-425, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/466, 455406-408
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Systems, apparatus and methods are described that provide for dynamic source determination of provisioning information on a per-network service basis for open market wireless devices. Specifically, systems, apparatus and methods provide for the open market wireless devices and/or the users of such devices to acquire provisioning information for network services in instances in which neither the removable module currently associated with the device or the non-removable memory of the open market wireless device store the provisioning information for the desired network service. In this regard, present aspects provide for a prompt, such as a user notification to presented on an output mechanism of the wireless device when the wireless determines first that the provisioning information is not stored on the removable module and, secondly, that the provisioning information is not stored on the non-removable data storage of the device.

Claims

1. A method of dynamic source determination of provisioning information on an open market wireless communication device, comprising:

receiving a first input to launch a network service on an open market wireless communication device;

determining if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on a removable module in communication with the wireless communication device;

if the provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module, determining if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on a non-removable data storage of the wireless device; and

if the provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module and the non-removable data storage, generating a user notification for output on the wireless communication device, wherein the user notification includes instructions for configuring the provisioning information on the wireless communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the user notification further comprises generating the user notification, wherein the user notification includes instructions for obtaining provisioning information that is to be manually entered on the wireless communication device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the user notification further comprises generating the user notification, wherein the user notification includes an address for an Internet-based webpage that provides provisioning information to be manually entered on the wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the user notification further comprises generating the user notification, wherein the user notification includes instructions for wireless network delivery of the provisioning information to the wireless communication device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving a second input to initiate the wireless network delivery of the provisioning information based on the instructions included in the user notification.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the provisioning information based on the instructions;

storing the provisioning information in at least one of the removable module or the non-removable data storage;

receiving a second input to launch the network service on the wireless communication device; and

launching the network service on the wireless communication device in response to the second input.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving a second input further comprises:

checking for a service provisioning indicator corresponding to the network service, prior to determining if the provisioning information corresponding to the service is stored on the removable module, wherein the service provisioning indicator indicates that the provisioning information is not stored on the removable module; and

retrieving the provisioning information from the non-removable data storage if the service provisioning indicator is detected.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein launching the network service on the wireless communication device further comprises launching the network service on the wireless communication device according to the provisioning information retrieved from the non-removable data storage.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on the removable module further comprises determining if the removable module is structured to support storage of provisioning information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein if the provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module, determining further comprises if provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module or the removable module is determined to not be structured to support storage of the provisioning information, determining if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on the non-removable data storage of the wireless communication device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein if the provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module and the non-removable data storage, generating further comprises if provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module or the removable module is determined to not be structured to support storage of the provisioning information and not stored on the non-removable data storage, then generating the user notification for output on the wireless communication device.

12. The method of claim 1, determining if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on the removable module further comprises determining, only if the wireless communication device is a non-legacy wireless communication device, if the provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on the removable module.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method for source determination is one of a plurality of methods implemented on the open market wireless device and pre-configuration of the open market wireless device dictates which source determination method is implemented.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method for source determination is one of a plurality of methods implemented on the open market wireless device and each network service operable on the open market wireless device dictates which source determination method is implemented.

25. The device of claim 1, wherein the provisioning source determination logic is further operable to determine if the removable module is structured to support storage of provisioning information and, if provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module or the removable module is determined to not be structured to support storage of the provisioning information, determine if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on the non-removable data storage of the wireless communication device.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the provisioning instruction notification generator is further operable to generate a user notification for output on the wireless communication device, in response to the logic determining that the removable module does not support storage of the provisioning information or the provisioning information is not stored on the removable module or the non-removable data storage.

15. At least one processor configured to provide source determination of provisioning information on an open market wireless communication device, comprising:

a first module for receiving a first input to launch a network service on an open market wireless communication device;

a second module for determining if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on a removable module in communication with the wireless communication device, if the provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module, determining if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on a non-removable data storage of the wireless communication device; and

a third module for generating a user notification for output on the wireless communication device, wherein the user notification includes instructions for configuring the provisioning information on the wireless communication device, if the provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module and the non-removable data storage.

16. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to receive a first input to launch a network service on an open market wireless communication device;

a second set of codes for causing the computer to determine if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on a removable module in communication with the wireless communication device-et, if the provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module, determining if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on a non-removable data storage of the wireless communication device; and

a third set of codes for causing the computer to generate a user notification for output on the wireless communication device, wherein the user notification includes instructions for configuring the provisioning information on the wireless communication device, if the provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module and the non-removable data storage.

17. An apparatus for source determination of provisioning information on a wireless communication device, comprising:

means for receiving a first input to launch a network service on an open market wireless communication device;

means for determining if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on a removable module in communication with the wireless communication device, if the provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module, determining if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on a non-removable data storage of the wireless communication device; and

means for generating a user notification for output on the wireless communication device, wherein the user notification includes instructions for configuring the provisioning information on the wireless communication device, if the provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module and the non-removable data storage.

18. An open market wireless communication device, comprising:

a computer platform including a processor and non-removable data storage in communication with the processor;

a removable module in communication with the processor and operable to store data;

one or more network service clients executable by the processor and stored in the non-removable data storage;

a first user interface in communication with the processor and operable to receive a first input to launch one of the network service clients on the open market wireless communication device;

provisioning source determination logic stored in the non-removable data storage and executable by the processor, wherein the logic is responsive to the first input to execute a first source rule, wherein the first source rule is operable to determine if provisioning information corresponding to a network service is stored on the removable module, if the provisioning information is determined to be not stored on the removable module, determine if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on the non-removable data storage of the wireless communication device; and

a provisioning instruction notification generator stored in the non-removable data storage and executable by the processor, wherein the generator is operable to generate a user notification for output on the wireless communication device, in response to the logic determining according to the first source rule that the provisioning information is not stored on the removable module or the non-removable data storage, wherein the user notification includes instructions for configuring the provisioning information on the wireless communication device.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the provisioning instruction notification generator is further operable to generate the user notification that includes instructions for obtaining provisioning information that is to be manually entered on the wireless communication device.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the provisioning instruction notification generator is further operable to generate the user notification that includes an address for an Internet-based webpage that provides the provisioning information.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the provisioning instruction notification generator is further operable to generate the user notification that includes instructions for wireless network delivery of the provisioning information to the wireless communication device.

22. The device of claim 21, further comprising a second user interface in communication with the processor and operable to receive a second input to initiate the wireless network delivery of the provisioning information based on the instructions included in the user notification.

23. The device of claim 18, further comprising a second user interface in communication with the processor and operable to receive a second input to manually enter the provisioning information into either the non-removable data storage or the removable module based on the instructions in the user notification.

24. The device of claim 18, wherein the provisioning source determination logic is further operable to check for a service provisioning indicator corresponding to the network service, prior to determining if the provisioning information corresponding to the service is stored on the removable module and retrieve the provisioning information from the non-removable data storage if the service provisioning indicator is detected, wherein the service provisioning indicator indicates that the provisioning information is stored on the non-removable data storage.

27. The device of claim 18, wherein the provisioning source determination logic is further operable to determine, only if the wireless communication device is a non-legacy wireless communication device, if the provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on the removable module.

28. The device of claim 18, wherein the provisioning source determination logic further includes a second source rule, wherein the second source rule is operable to determine if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on the removable module and, if the provisioning information is not stored on the removable module abort the launch of the network service.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the provisioning source determination logic further includes a third source rule, wherein the third source rule is operable to determine if provisioning information corresponding to the network service is stored on the removable module and, if the provisioning information is not stored on the removable module, determine if the provisioning information is stored on the non-removable data storage of the wireless device and, if the provisioning information is determined to be not stored on either the removable module or the non-removable data storage abort the launch of the network service.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the provisioning source determination logic is further operable to determine which source rule to apply to a network service launch attempt based on pre-configuration of the open market wireless device.

31. The device of claim 29, wherein the provisioning source determination logic is further operable to determine which source rule to apply to a network service launch attempt based on pre-configuration of the corresponding network service client.