Method and apparatus for updating rules governing the switching of virtual SIM service contracts

• US 8,639,245 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Shi, Guangming, Tangirala, Venkat, Siu, Ta-yan, Durand, Julian, Sprigg, Stephen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US12/480,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20100311404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: 455/419, 455/422, 455/435, 455/466, 455/558, 455/432, 455/551, 455/436, 370/356
• US Class Current: 455/435.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A system and method for providing updated rules governing the switching of enabled provisioning data supporting a wireless service contract. A mobile device may be initially programmed with a profile data table and priority list index data table to automatically enable provisioning data supporting one of the plurality of service providers stored in a VSIM internal memory unit to conduct a wireless communication when certain operational parameter values are satisfied. The profile data table and priority list index data table may be automatically updated in response to a variety of triggers.

Claims

1. A method for updating VSIM switching rules that prescribe which service contract account to enable on a mobile device having a VSIM internal memory unit having stored therein provisioning data for a plurality of service contracts, comprising:

establishing a connection with a remote server using currently enabled provisioning data supporting a first service contract;

downloading updated VSIM switching rules from the remote server;

storing the updated VSIM switching rules to memory;

implementing the updated VSIM switching rules;

comparing the updated VSIM switching rules to current operating conditions to select one of the plurality of service contracts;

retrieving from the VSIM internal memory unit provisioning data of a second service contract if the updated VSIM switching rules for the second service contract are satisfied;

loading the retrieved provisioning data of the second service contract into a VSIM provisioning buffer; and

implementing the provisioning data of the second service contract from the VSIM provisioning buffer to memory if the updated VSIM switching rules for the second service contract are satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of downloading updated VSIM switching rules occurs when the mobile device performs a power up initialization routine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of downloading updated VSIM switching rules occurs each time the mobile device registers with a new communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of downloading updated VSIM switching rules occurs in response to receiving an instruction from the remote server to download updated rules.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated VSIM switching rules comprises a profile data table and a priority index list data table.

6. A method for providing wireless communication services to a mobile device having a VSIM internal memory unit capable of storing therein provisioning data for a plurality of service contracts comprising:

storing a profile data table containing a plurality of profiles, wherein each of the plurality of profiles identifies one combination of operational parameter criteria and an index which corresponds to one of a plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts;

storing a priority index list data table which identifies an order of service contracts appearing in each of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts;

downloading the profile data table and priority index list data table to the mobile device;

collecting a plurality of operational parameter values from the mobile device;

comparing the plurality of collected operational parameter values to the operational parameter criteria stored in the profile data table;

identifying one of the plurality of profiles whose combination of operational parameter criteria is satisfied by the collected plurality of operational parameter values;

identifying one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts corresponding to the identified one of the plurality of profiles;

retrieving the order of service contracts appearing in the identified one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts;

retrieving provisioning data corresponding to a highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts; and

attempting to establish a communication link to a communication network corresponding to the highest priority service contract using the retrieved provisioning data corresponding to the highest priority service contract.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising purchasing provisioning data corresponding to the highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts if the provisioning data corresponding to the highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts is not previously stored in the VSIM internal memory unit.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

retrieving provisioning data corresponding to a next highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts if the communication link cannot be established to the communication network corresponding to the highest priority service contract; and

attempting to establish a second communication link to a second communication network corresponding to the next highest priority service contract using the retrieved provisioning data corresponding to the next highest priority service contract.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the operational parameter criteria are configured so that the retrieved order of service contracts will result in establishing a lowest cost communication link.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the operational parameter criteria are configured so that the retrieved order of service contracts will result in establishing a communication link with a highest quality of service.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising updating the generated profile data table to address new available service contracts.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising updating the generated priority index list data table to address new available service contracts.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of comparing the plurality of collected operational parameter values to the operational parameter criteria stored in the profile data table is performed in the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of comparing the plurality of collected operational parameter values to the operational parameter criteria stored in the profile data table is performed in a remote server communicating with the mobile device via communication link.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising entering a power save mode when no communication link to any communication network corresponding to any one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts is established.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising establishing a communication link with any discovered communication network in an emergency mode when no communication link to any communication network corresponding to any one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts is established.

17. A mobile device comprising:

means for storing provisioning data for a plurality of service contracts;

means for establishing a connection with a remote server using currently enabled provisioning data supporting a first service contract;

means for downloading updated VSIM switching rules data from the remote server;

means for storing the updated VSIM switching rules;

means for implementing the updated VSIM switching rules data;

means for comparing the updated VSIM switching rules to current operating conditions to select one of the plurality of service contracts;

means for retrieving from the VSIM internal memory unit provisioning data of a second service contract if the updated VSIM switching rules for the second service contract are satisfied;

means for loading the retrieved provisioning data of the second service contract into a VSIM provisioning buffer; and

means for implementing the provisioning data of the second service contract from the VSIM provisioning buffer to memory if the updated VSIM switching rules for the second service contract are satisfied.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein means for downloading updated VSIM switching rules comprises means for downloading updated switching rules when the mobile device performs a power up initialization routine.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein means for downloading updated VSIM switching rules comprises means for downloading updated switching rules when the mobile device registers with a new communication network.

20. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein means for downloading updated VSIM switching rules comprises means for downloading updated switching rules in response to receiving an instruction from the remote server to download updated rules.

21. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein means for the updated VSIM switching rules comprises means for storing a profile data table and a priority index list data table.

22. A system for providing wireless communication services to a mobile device, comprising:

means for storing a profile data table containing a plurality of profiles, wherein each of the plurality of profiles identifies one combination of operational parameter criteria and an index which corresponds to one of a plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts;

means for storing a priority index list data table which identifies an order of service contracts appearing in each of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts;

means for downloading the profile data table and priority index list data table to the mobile device;

means for collecting a plurality of operational parameter values from the mobile device;

means for comparing the plurality of collected operational parameter values to the operational parameter criteria stored in the profile data table;

means for identifying one of the plurality of profiles whose combination of operational parameter criteria is satisfied by the collected plurality of operational parameter values;

means for identifying one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts corresponding to the identified one of the plurality of profiles;

means for retrieving the order of service contracts appearing in the identified one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts;

means for retrieving provisioning data corresponding to a highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts; and

means for attempting to establish a communication link to a communication network corresponding to the highest priority service contract using the retrieved provisioning data corresponding to the highest priority service contract.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising means for purchasing provisioning data corresponding to the highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts if the provisioning data corresponding to the highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts is not previously stored in the VSIM internal memory unit.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for retrieving provisioning data corresponding to a next highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts if the communication link cannot be established to the communication network corresponding to the highest priority service contract; and

means for attempting to establish a communication link to a second communication network corresponding to the next highest priority service contract using the retrieved provisioning data corresponding to the next highest priority service contract.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising means for updating the generated profile data table to address new available service contracts.

26. The system of claim 22, further comprising means for updating the generated priority index list data table to address new available service contracts.

27. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for entering a power save mode when no communication link to any communication network corresponding to any one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts is established.

28. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for establishing a communication link with any discovered communication network in an emergency mode when no communication link to any communication network corresponding to any one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts is established.

29. A server, comprising:

means for storing a profile data table containing a plurality of profiles, wherein each of the plurality of profiles identifies one combination of operational parameter criteria and an index which corresponds to one of a plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts;

means for storing a priority index list data table which identifies an order of service contracts appearing in each of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts;

means for receiving a plurality of operational parameter values from a mobile device;

means for comparing the received plurality of operational parameter values to the operational parameter criteria stored in the profile data table;

means for identifying one of the plurality of profiles whose combination of operational parameter criteria is satisfied by the received plurality of operational parameter values;

means for identifying one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts corresponding to the identified one of the plurality of profiles; and

means for downloading the order of service contracts appearing in the identified one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts to the mobile device.

30. A mobile device comprising:

means for storing provisioning data for a plurality of service contracts;

means for downloading a profile data table and a priority index list data table from a remote server;

means for collecting a plurality of operational parameter values;

means for comparing the plurality of collected operational parameter values to the operational parameter criteria stored in the profile data table;

means for identifying one of the plurality of profiles whose combination of operational parameter criteria is satisfied by the collected plurality of operational parameter values;

means for identifying one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts corresponding to the identified one of the plurality of profiles;

means for retrieving the order of service contracts appearing in the identified one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts to the mobile device;

means for retrieving provisioning data corresponding to a highest priority service contract listed in a downloaded order of service contracts; and

means for attempting to establish a communication link to a communication network using the retrieved provisioning data.

31. The mobile device of claim 30, further comprising means for purchasing provisioning data corresponding to a highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts if the provisioning data corresponding to a highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts is not previously stored in the means for storing provisioning data for a plurality of service contracts.

32. A server comprising:

a server memory having stored therein a plurality of profiles, wherein each of the plurality of profiles specifies a criteria for selecting one of a plurality of prioritized list of service contracts stored in the memory;

a server processor coupled to the memory;

a communication interface circuit coupled to the processor, the communication interface circuit configured to connect the processor to a communication network,

wherein the server processor is configured with software instructions to perform steps comprising;

storing a profile data table containing a plurality of profiles, wherein each of the plurality of profiles identifies one combination of operational parameter criteria and an index which corresponds to one of a plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts;

storing a priority index list data table which identifies an order of service contracts appearing in each of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts;

receiving a plurality of operational parameter values from a mobile device;

comparing the received plurality of operational parameter values to the operational parameter criteria stored in the profile data table;

identifying one of the plurality of profiles whose combination of operational parameter criteria is satisfied by the received plurality of operational parameter values;

identifying one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts corresponding to the identified one of the plurality of profiles; and

downloading the order of service contracts appearing in the identified one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts to the mobile device.

33. A mobile device comprising:

a mobile device processor; and

a mobile device internal memory unit coupled to the mobile device processor, the mobile device internal memory unit including a VSIM provisioning data buffer and having stored thereon provisioning data for a plurality of service contracts within a VSIM memory unit; and

wherein the mobile device processor is configured with software instructions to perform steps comprising;

downloading a profile data table and a priority index list data table from a remote server;

collecting a plurality of operational parameter values;

comparing the plurality of collected operational parameter values to the operational parameter criteria stored in the profile data table;

identifying one of the plurality of profiles whose combination of operational parameter criteria is satisfied by the collected plurality of operational parameter values;

identifying one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts corresponding to the identified one of the plurality of profiles;

retrieving the order of service contracts appearing in the identified one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts to the mobile device;

retrieving provisioning data corresponding to a highest priority service contract listed in a downloaded order of service contracts; and

attempting to establish a communication link to a communication network using the retrieved provisioning data.

34. The mobile device of claim 33, wherein the mobile device processor is further configured with software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

purchasing provisioning data corresponding to the highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts if the provisioning data corresponding to the highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts is not previously stored in the VSIM memory unit.

35. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform steps comprising:

establishing a connection with a remote server using currently enabled provisioning data supporting a first service contract;

downloading updated VSIM switching rules data from the remote server;

storing the updated VSIM switching rules data to memory;

implementing the updated VSIM switching rules;

comparing the updated VSIM switching rules to current operating conditions to select one of the plurality of service contracts; and

retrieving from the VSIM internal memory unit provisioning data of a second service contract if the updated VSIM switching rules for the second service contract are satisfied;

loading the retrieved provisioning data of the second service contract into a VSIM provisioning buffer; and

implementing the provisioning data of the second service contract from the VSIM provisioning buffer to memory if the updated VSIM switching rules for the second service contract are satisfied.

36. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 35, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising downloading updated VSIM switching rules when the mobile device performs a power up initialization routine.

37. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 35, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising downloading updated VSIM switching rules each time the mobile device registers with a new communication network.

38. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 35, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising downloading updated VSIM switching rules in response to receiving an instruction from the remote server to download updated rules data.

39. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform steps comprising:

storing a profile data table containing a plurality of profiles, wherein each of the plurality of profiles identifies one combination of operational parameter criteria and an index which corresponds to one of a plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts;

storing a priority index list data table which identifies an order of service contracts appearing in each of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts;

downloading the profile data table and priority index list data table to the mobile device;

collecting a plurality of operational parameter values from the mobile device;

comparing the plurality of collected operational parameter values to the operational parameter criteria stored in the profile data table;

identifying one of the plurality of profiles whose combination of operational parameter criteria is satisfied by the collected plurality of operational parameter values;

identifying one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts corresponding to the identified one of the plurality of profiles;

retrieving the order of service contracts appearing in the identified one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts;

retrieving provisioning data corresponding to a highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts; and

attempting to establish a communication link to a communication network corresponding to the highest priority service contract using the retrieved provisioning data corresponding to the highest priority service contract.

40. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 39, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising purchasing provisioning data corresponding to the highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts if the provisioning data corresponding to the highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts is not previously stored in a mobile device'"'"'s VSIM internal memory unit.

41. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 39, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

retrieving provisioning data corresponding to a next highest priority service contract listed in the retrieved order of service contracts if the communication link cannot be established to the communication network corresponding to the highest priority service contract; and

attempting to establish a second communication link to a second communication network corresponding to the next highest priority service contract using the retrieved provisioning data corresponding to the next highest priority service contract.

42. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 39, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising updating the generated profile data table to address new available service contracts.

43. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 39, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising updating the generated priority index list data table to address new available service contracts.

44. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 41 wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising entering a power save mode when no communication link to any communication network corresponding to any one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts is established.

45. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 41 wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising establishing a communication link with any discovered communication network in an emergency mode when no communication link to any communication network corresponding to any one of the plurality of prioritized lists of service contracts is established.