Automated device provisioning and activation

• US 8,695,073 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2013
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• 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:
  US13/866,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20130239194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 726/1, 726/12, 726/13, 726/14, 726/3, 726/4, 726/5, 726/6, 726/7, 726/26, 709/203, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/250, 455405-409, 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 455/431, 455/432.1, 705/30, 705/34
• US Class Current: 726/7
• 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 computer-readable medium, a service controller, and a method for obtaining one or more credentials from a device communicatively coupled to the service controller over a network, the credentials identifying an aspect of the device; determining, using the credentials, that a user of the device has not selected a service plan for the device; identifying one or more candidate service plans, at least one of the plans identified based on the one or more credentials; establishing a secure link between the service controller and a service processor of the device over an ambient services connection enabling the user to select one of the candidate service plans for the device; sending, to the service processor over the secure link, information about the candidate service plans; and obtaining, from the service processor over the secure link, a response identifying a service plan selected by the user.

Claims

1. A method performed by a service controller communicatively coupled to an end-user device over a wireless access network and to a network system, the method comprising:

obtaining one or more credentials from the end-user device, the one or more credentials identifying at least an aspect of the end-user device;

determining, using at least a first portion of the one or more credentials, that a user of the end-user device has not selected a service plan for the end-user device;

identifying one or more candidate service plans, wherein at least one of the one or more candidate service plans is identified based, at least in part, on at least a second portion of the one or more credentials or the first portion of the one or more credentials or a combination thereof;

establishing a secure communication link between the service controller and a service processor of the end-user device over an ambient services connection of the wireless access network, the ambient services connection enabling the user of the end-user device at least to select one of the one or more candidate service plans to be a first service plan for the end-user device;

sending, to the service processor over the secure communication link, information about the one or more candidate service plans; and

obtaining, from the service processor over the secure communication link, a response to the information about the one or more candidate service plans, the response identifying the first service plan as selected by the user of the end-user device.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the service controller comprises a plurality of servers, and wherein at least a first server in the plurality of servers is configured to control service usage associated with the end-user device, and wherein at least a second server in the plurality of servers is configured to assist in designing, testing, or publishing at least a portion of at least one of the one or more candidate service plans.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the network system comprises one or more network elements, and wherein determining, using at least a first portion of the one or more credentials, that a user of the end-user device has not selected a service plan for the end-user device comprises determining, using at least the first portion of the one or more credentials, that the end-user device does not belong to a set of devices, a set of device types, or a device group to which at least one of the one or more network elements is configured to provide access over the wireless access network.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the network system comprises one or more network elements, and wherein at least one of the one or more network elements comprises a gateway communicatively coupled between the end-user device and the service controller.

5. The method recited in claim 4, further comprising:

sending to the gateway at least a portion of a service policy associated with the first service plan, the service policy providing for access by the end-user device to one or more wireless services over the wireless access network.

6. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

sending to the service processor at least a portion of a service policy associated with the first service plan.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the network system comprises one or more network elements, and wherein at least one of the one or more network elements comprises a billing system, and further comprising:

obtaining from the end-user device billing information for a service account to associate with the end-user device; and

sending at least a portion of the billing information and at least a third portion of the one or more credentials to the billing system.

8. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the information about the one or more service plans is first information, and further comprising:

identifying a service account with which the end-user device is associated or is to be associated, the service account based on the one or more credentials;

identifying, based on the one or more credentials, an initial service plan with which the end-user device is associated or is to be associated; and

sending second information about the initial service plan to the service processor, the second information enabling the end-user device to communicate over the wireless access network according to the initial service plan.

9. The method recited in claim 1, wherein establishing the secure communication link between the service controller and the service processor in the end-user device comprises establishing the secure communication link between the service controller and one or more device agents of the service processor.

10. The method recited in claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more candidate service plans comprises:

sending to the network system at least a third portion of the one or more credentials; and

receiving from the network system at least a portion of the information about the one or more candidate service plans based on the third portion of the one or more credentials sent to the network system.

11. The method recited in claim 1, wherein a particular service plan of the one or more candidate service plans is associated with an established service account, and wherein the information about the one or more candidate service plans comprises an option to upgrade the particular service plan.

12. The method recited in claim 1, wherein a particular service plan of the one or more candidate service plans is associated with an established service account, and wherein the information about the one or more candidate service plans comprises an option to combine the particular service plan with an additional service plan to form a superset service plan having service features of the particular service plan in combination with the additional service plan.

13. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, from the end-user device over the secure communication link, a directive to create a new service account for the end-user device; and

communicating information, including at least a third portion of the one or more credentials obtained from the end-user device, to the network system to assist the network system to associate the end-user device with the new service account for the end-user device.

14. The method recited in claim 13, further comprising:

communicating information, including at least a fourth portion of the one or more credentials, to the network system to assist the network system to associate the end-user device with the new service account and with a service profile associated with the first service plan, the service profile defining one or more service activities authorized for the end-user device over the wireless access network.

15. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more credentials identify at least in part (i) the end-user device, and (ii) the user of the end-user device, a service account to associate with the end-user device, a service account associated with the end-user device, or a combination of these.

16. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more credentials comprise a mobile directory number (MDN), a mobile equipment identifier (MEID), a mobile subscriber identifier (MSID), a device serial number, information stored in an identity module, a network address identifier (NAI), or a combination of these.

17. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the network system comprises one or more network elements, and further comprising:

sending an indication of the first service plan to at least one of the one or more network elements.

18. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

tracking at least a portion of usage of the ambient services connection by the end-user device;

recording an accounting of the at least a portion of the usage of the ambient services connection by the end-user device; and

providing the accounting of the at least a portion of the usage of the ambient services connection by the end-user device to a sponsor entity, the sponsor entity being an entity other than the user of the end-user device.

19. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining an activation server to which to route or direct traffic associated with the ambient services connection based at least in part on the one or more credentials; and

routing or directing traffic associated with the ambient services connection to the activation server.

20. The method recited in claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more candidate service plans comprises associating the end-user device with an original equipment manufacturer, a device group, or a service account owner, and wherein a particular service plan of the one or more candidate service plans is based at least in part on the association of the end-user device with the original equipment manufacturer, the device group, or the service account owner.

21. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the ambient services connection is associated with an ambient service profile that allows end-user device traffic associated with an activation process for the end-user device and blocks other traffic of the end-user device.

22. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the information about the one or more candidate service plans is first information, and further comprising:

sending, to the service processor over the secure communication link, second information to assist the service processor in presenting a notification to the user of the end-user device, the notification comprising a service usage amount for a billing period, a service usage cost, billing information for a service account with which to associate the first service plan, or a combination of these; and

obtaining, from the service processor over the secure communication link, an acknowledgement in response to the notification.

23. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the service controller is part of a third party service partner server operated by or on behalf of an entity other than a wireless service provider that operates the network system.

24. The method recited in claim 23, wherein the network system comprises one or more network elements, and further comprising:

provisioning, by the third party service partner server, at least one of the one or more network elements to route or direct traffic from the end-user device to the third party service partner server over the ambient services connection.

25. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

sending one or more software elements to the end-user device, the one or more software elements for installing or updating at least a portion of the service processor.

26. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the service controller is an intermediate server configured to manage one or more device groups, and further comprising:

identifying that the end-user device belongs to a particular device group based at least in part on at least part of the one or more credentials; and

wherein at least one service plan of the one or more candidate service plans is a device-group service plan for the particular device group.

27. The method recited in claim 26, wherein the first service plan is the device-group service plan for the particular device group, and further comprising:

storing an identifier identifying a paying entity associated with the particular device group in the intermediate server or in a database communicatively coupled to the intermediate server, the paying entity being responsible for paying for at least a portion of service usage incurred by the end-user device.

28. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the service controller is an intermediate server configured to manage one or more device groups, and wherein the first service plan is a service plan associated with a particular device group of the one or more device groups, and further comprising:

recording an accounting of service usage associated with the first service plan incurred by the end-user device to a service account associated with the particular device group.

29. A network system, comprising:

a communication interface enabling the network system to communicate with an end-user device over a wireless access network; and

a service controller configured to;

obtain one or more credentials from the end-user device, the one or more credentials identifying at least an aspect of the end-user device;

determine, using at least a first portion of the one or more credentials, that a user of the end-user device has not selected a service plan for the end-user device;

identify one or more candidate service plans, wherein at least one of the one or more candidate service plans is identified based, at least in part, on at least a second portion of the one or more credentials or the first portion of the one or more credentials or a combination thereof;

establish a secure communication link between the service controller and a service processor of the end-user device over an ambient services connection of the wireless access network, the ambient services connection enabling the user of the end-user device at least to select one of the one or more candidate service plans to be a first service plan for the end-user device;

send, to the service processor over the secure communication link, information about the one or more candidate service plans; and

obtain, from the service processor over the secure communication link, a response to the information about the one or more candidate service plans, the response identifying the first service plan as selected by the user of the end-user device.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more machine-executable instructions, that, when executed by one or more processors of a service controller communicatively coupled to an end-user device over a wireless access network and to a network system, cause the service controller to:

obtain one or more credentials from the end-user device, the one or more credentials identifying at least an aspect of the end-user device;

determine, using at least a first portion of the one or more credentials, that a user of the end-user device has not selected a service plan for the end-user device;

identify one or more candidate service plans, wherein at least one of the one or more candidate service plans is identified based, at least in part, on at least a second portion of the one or more credentials or the first portion of the one or more credentials or a combination thereof;

establish a secure communication link between the service controller and a service processor of the end-user device over an ambient services connection of the wireless access network, the ambient services connection enabling the user of the end-user device at least to select one of the one or more candidate service plans to be a first service plan for the end-user device;

send, to the service processor over the secure communication link, information about the one or more candidate service plans; and

obtain, from the service processor over the secure communication link, a response to the information about the one or more candidate service plans, the response identifying the first service plan as selected by the user of the end-user device.