Global mobility infrastructure for user devices

• US 8,750,824 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kanamatareddy, Ravi Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US12/610,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 455/425, 455/440, 455/406, 455/408, 455/558, 370/352, 700/13, 709/245
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• 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 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• 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 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 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A global mobility system and method for providing a global mobility framework. The system includes a mobility data collection unit, a mobility data management unit, and a device management unit. The data collection unit acquires real-time mobility data relating to a user and associated mobile and stationary devices. The data management unit manages mobility data and applies data to the devices in use. The device management unit activates and controls the operation of the devices based on available device and environmental data, and the mobility services subscribed by the user. The data management unit configures a device using the collected mobile data and prepares the device for operation in a respective environment. The device management unit prepares device work flows, activates and deactivates the devices, and controls the device operations based on the collected mobility data.

Claims

1. A global mobility support system comprising:

a mobility data collecting component for collecting real-time mobility data relating to a user and a plurality of devices associated with the user;

a mobility data management component for managing the collected mobility data and applying the collected data to a device being used in a respective environment; and

a device management component for activating and controlling the operation of the device based on the applied data,

wherein the mobility data collecting component collects static data about the user, operating environment data, and third-party mobility and environment data,

wherein the operating environment data includes information about the user'"'"'s physical surroundings and mobility services associated with the user'"'"'s physical surroundings, and

wherein the third-party mobility and environment data is relevant to the user or the device based on a relationship that a third-party that has with the user'"'"'s mobility environment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data collecting component further generates a mobility profile based on service requirements of the user and the collected data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the mobility profile corresponds to a customer service level agreement (SLA) between the user and a mobility service provider, wherein the service level agreement includes different service support grades each associated with a group of user devices and a group of mobility functions, and wherein the mobility data management component further configures a user device based on the collected mobility data to prepare the device for operation in a respective environment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data management component further stores the collected data in a mobility profile database, wherein the mobility profile database includes static information about the user and mobility information about the devices associated with the user, and wherein the mobility information is dynamically updated to reflect the location of the user, the devices in use, and the environment.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the device management component prepares a work flow for the behavior of a device based on the collected mobility data, and wherein the device management component provides real-time control of a device in use based on the collected mobility data.

8. The system of claim 1, said system further comprising:

a service management component for managing mobility services that the user has subscribed to from a service provider;

an operation mapping component for correlating the subscribed services to related mobility parameters and functions that are provided by the mobility data management component; and

a business integration component for supplying the correlating from the operation mapping component to respective business applications to generate business analysis information that has been subscribed to by the user.

9. The system of claim 2,

wherein the mobility profile is stored a mobility profile database,

wherein the device is configured for operation based on the mobility profile and other parameters relating to the user, the device, and an operating environment as currently stored in the mobility profile database,

wherein the mobility data management component retrieves the mobility profile from the mobility profile database and provides the retrieved mobility profile to the device management component, and

wherein the device management component utilizes the mobility profile for said activating and controlling the operation of the device.

6. A method for supporting a global mobility system that comprises a mobility data collecting component, a mobility data management component that includes a mobility database, and a device management component, wherein the method comprises:

said mobility data collecting component collecting real-time mobility data relating to a user and a plurality of devices associated with the user;

said mobility data management component applying the collected mobility data to a device being used in a respective environment;

said device management component activating and controlling the operation of the device based on the applied data, and

said data management component updating the mobility database with new data relating to the location of the user as the user enters a new operating environment, wherein the new data includes mobility and environmental data relating to a third-party, said third-party data being relevant to the user and to operation of a mobile device,

wherein said collecting real-time mobility data, said applying the collected mobility data, said activating and controlling the operation of the device, and said updating the mobility database are performed by a computer processor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

said mobility data collecting component generating a user mobility profile based on service requirements of the user and the collected data.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobility profile corresponds to a customer service level agreement (SLA) between the user and a mobility service provider, wherein the service level agreement includes different service support grades each associated with a group of user devices and a group of mobility functions, and wherein the method further comprises:

said mobility data management component configuring a user device based on the collected mobility data to prepare the device for operation in a respective environment.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

said data management component further storing the collected data in a mobility profile database, wherein the mobility profile database includes static information about the user and mobility information about the devices associated with the user; and

dynamically updating the mobility information to reflect the location of the user, the devices in use, and the environment.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

said device management component preparing a work flow for the behavior of a device based on the collected mobility data; and

said device management component providing real-time control of a device in use based on the collected mobility data.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises:

a service management component managing mobility services that the user has subscribed to from a service provider;

an operation mapping component correlating the subscribed services to related mobility parameters and functions that are provided by the mobility data management component; and

a business integration component supplying the correlating from the operation mapping component to respective business applications to generate business analysis information that has been subscribed to by the user.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobility profile is stored a mobility profile database, wherein the device is configured for operation based on the mobility profile and other parameters relating to the user, the device, and an operating environment as currently stored in the mobility profile database, and wherein the method further comprises:

said mobility data management component retrieving the mobility profile from the mobility profile database and providing the retrieved mobility profile to the device management component, and

said device management component utilizing the mobility profile for said activating and controlling the operation of the device.

13. A method for supporting a global mobility system that comprises a mobility data collecting component, a mobility data management component that includes a mobility database, and a device management component, wherein the method comprises:

said mobility data collecting component collecting real-time mobility data relating to a user and a plurality of devices associated with the user;

said mobility data management component applying the collected mobility data to a device being used in a respective environment;

said device management component activating and controlling the operation of the device based on the applied data, and

said mobility data collecting component collecting static data about the user, operating environment data, and third-party mobility and environment data,

wherein the operating environment data includes information about the user'"'"'s physical surroundings and mobility services associated with the user'"'"'s physical surroundings, and

wherein the third-party mobility and environment data is relevant to the user or the device based on a relationship that a third-party that has with the user'"'"'s mobility environment,

wherein said collecting real-time mobility data, said applying the collected mobility data, and said activating and controlling the operation of the device are performed by a computer processor, and

wherein said collecting static data about the user, operating environment data, and third-party mobility and environment data are performed by the computer processor.