Automated device provisioning and activation

• US 8,635,678 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2013
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Partners I LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory G.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US13/852,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/16, 705/26.1, 705/50, 705/323, 705/324, 709/203, 709/217, 709/223, 709/224, 455405-409, 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 455/431, 455/432.1, 370/218, 370/328, 726/26, 726/3, 726/4, 726/5, 726/6, 726/7, 707/694, 707/695
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0876 Aspects of the degree of configuration automation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 : Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 : Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 : by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• 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 47/20 : Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 : for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 : Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 : Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 : for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 : using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 : by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 : avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 : including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 : Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 : based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 : Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 : Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 : Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 : Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 : Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 : Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 : of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 : Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 : Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 : based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 : using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 : using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 : Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 : Management or planning

Abstract

A method and a network system for storing a plurality of device credentials associated with a device group comprising a plurality of wireless devices managed by an entity that is different from a network system operator, each of the plurality of device credentials associated with a different wireless device, each wireless device of the device group coupled or capable of being coupled to the network system over a wireless access network; providing a secure interface configured to assist the entity in creating or modifying at least a portion of a device-group service policy associated with the device group, the device-group service policy configured to assist the network system in controlling, monitoring, or accounting for device-group communications over the wireless access network; provisioning one or more elements based on the device-group service policy; identifying the device-group communications; and applying the device-group service policy based on the identified device-group communications.

Claims

1. A method performed by a network system, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of device credentials associated with a device group, the device group comprising a plurality of wireless devices, the device group managed at least in part by a device-group management entity that is different from a network system operator associated with the network system, each of the plurality of device credentials associated with a different one of the plurality of wireless devices, each of the plurality of wireless devices in the device group coupled to or capable of being coupled to the network system over a wireless access network;

providing a secure interface configured to assist the device-group management entity in creating or modifying at least a portion of a service policy associated with the device group, the service policy configured to assist the network system in controlling, monitoring, or accounting for communications associated with the device group, the communications associated with the device group comprising one or more attempted or successful communications over the wireless access network associated with one or more of the wireless devices in the device group;

provisioning one or more elements based on the service policy;

identifying the communications associated with the device group; and

applying at least a portion of the service policy based on the identified communications associated with the device group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device-group management entity is an entity associated with a family plan, an enterprise administrator, a virtual service provider, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), a master agent, a sponsor entity, a distributor, an original equipment manufacturer, or a mobile operator partner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure interface is further configured to assist the device-group management entity in modifying the device group.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein modifying the device group comprises adding a particular device to the device group or deleting the particular device from the device group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure interface is further configured to assist the device-group management entity in selecting or modifying a configuration or setting associated with the service policy.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure interface assists the device-group management entity in creating or modifying at least a portion of the service policy associated with the device group by making available to the device-group management entity a subset of service policy controls or service policy setting options, the subset of service policy controls or service policy setting options being less than all service policy controls or service policy setting options available to the network system operator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the service policy includes a bill-by-account policy applicable to one or more wireless devices in the device group, the bill-by-account policy establishing a permission for or a restriction on at least one available service activity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the restriction comprises a usage limit or an action in response to an overage condition.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the restriction assists in controlling or throttling the at least one available service activity.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one available service activity comprises a usage of the wireless access network associated with a particular application, a particular network communication end point, a particular content type, a particular traffic type, or a combination of these.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a first service-usage record and a second service-usage record, the first service-usage record comprising a first service-usage measure associated with the communications associated with the device group and comprising a first credential of the plurality of device credentials, the second service-usage record comprising a second service-usage measure associated with the communications associated with the device group and a second credential of the plurality of device credentials;

generating an aggregated service-usage record based on the first service-usage record and the second service-usage record, the aggregated service-usage record comprising an aggregated service-usage measure, the aggregated service-usage measure including the first service-usage measure and the second service-usage measure; and

allocating the aggregated service-usage measure to a first account associated with a paying entity responsible for paying for at least a portion of usage of the wireless access network associated with the device group.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the paying entity is the device-group management entity.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising assisting the device-group management entity in configuring information to assist in billing the paying entity.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a notification to the device-group management entity if (a) the aggregated service-usage amount satisfies a first condition relative to a restriction on a service usage amount for the device group, or (b) the first service-usage measure satisfies a second condition relative to a threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the threshold is a limit on a service usage associated with a first wireless device identified by the first credential.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more elements comprises a gateway, a router, a server, or a service processor on a particular wireless device in the device group.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the service policy is further configured to assist in presenting a notification through one or more wireless devices in the device group.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the notification includes service-usage information associated with a particular wireless device in the device group.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the notification includes an aggregate service-usage measure associated with the device group.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the service policy is configured to assist the network system in controlling the communications associated with the device group, and wherein controlling the communications associated with the device group comprises limiting an amount of usage of the wireless access network associated with the device group.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the service policy is configured to assist the network system in controlling the communications associated with the device group, and wherein controlling the communications associated with the device group comprises limiting an amount of usage of the wireless access network associated with a subset of the device group or with a particular wireless device in the device group.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the service policy is configured to assist in controlling the communications associated with the device group, and wherein controlling the communications associated with the device group comprises controlling usage of the wireless access network in an overage condition, the overage condition applicable to the device group, a subset of the device group, or a particular wireless device in the device group.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, within the communications associated with the device group, traffic associated with a category of service activities, the category of service activities comprising one or more service activities less than all service activities available to the device group, and wherein the service policy is configured to assist in controlling the communications associated with the device group, and wherein controlling the communications associated with the device group comprises limiting an amount of usage of the wireless access network associated with the category of service activities for the device group, a subset of the device group, or a particular device in the device group.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the category of service activities comprises a particular application, a particular network communication end point, a particular content type, a particular traffic type, or a combination of these.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein limiting an amount of usage of the wireless access network associated with the category of service activities for the device group, a subset of the device group, or a particular device in the device group comprises limiting usage of the category of service activities based on a network type, an amount of time, a time of day, a network congestion, a location, a quality-of-service level, or a combination of these.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless access network is a first wireless access network, and wherein the communications associated with the device group are first communications associated with the device group, and further comprising:

identifying second communications associated with the device group, the second communications associated with the device group comprising one or more attempted or successful communications over a second wireless access network associated with one or more of the wireless devices in the device group; and

refraining from applying at least a portion of the service policy to the second communications associated with the device group.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless access network is a first wireless access network, and wherein the communications associated with the device group are first communications associated with the device group, and wherein the service policy is a first service policy, and wherein the secure interface is further configured to assist the device-group management entity in creating or modifying at least a portion of a second service policy associated with the device group, the second service policy configured to assist the network system in controlling, monitoring, or accounting for second communications associated with the device group, the second communications associated with the device group comprising one or more attempted or successful communications over a second wireless access network, associated with one or more of the wireless devices in the device group, and further comprising:

identifying the second communications associated with the device group; and

applying at least a portion of the second service policy based on the identified second communications associated with the device group.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the second wireless access network comprises a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein a particular wireless device in the device group is capable of providing a traffic-forwarding service to at least one other wireless device communicatively coupled to the particular wireless device through a second wireless network, the traffic-forwarding service for forwarding traffic between the wireless access network and the at least one other wireless device, and wherein the service policy is configured to assist the network system in accounting for the communications associated with the device group, and wherein accounting for the communications associated with the device group comprises accounting separately for communications associated with the traffic-forwarding service, and further comprising identifying the communications associated with the traffic-forwarding service within the communications associated with the device group.

30. A network system comprising:

means for storing a plurality of device credentials associated with a device group, the device group comprising a plurality of wireless devices, the device group managed at least in part by a device-group management entity that is different from a network system operator associated with the network system, each of the plurality of device credentials associated with a different one of the plurality of wireless devices, each of the plurality of wireless devices in the device group coupled to or capable of being coupled to the network system over a wireless access network;

means for providing a secure interface configured to assist the device-group management entity in creating or modifying at least a portion of a service policy associated with the device group, the service policy configured to assist the network system in controlling, monitoring, or accounting for communications associated with the device group, the communications associated with the device group comprising one or more attempted or successful communications over the wireless access network associated with one or more of the wireless devices in the device group;

means for provisioning one or more elements based on the service policy;

means for identifying the communications associated with the device group; and

means for applying at least a portion of the service policy based on the identified communications associated with the device group.