System and method for real time self-provisioning for a mobile communication device

• US 8,798,577 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kruis, David P., Gilhuly, Barry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Michael T
• Application Number:
  US13/248,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20120021719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-419, 455/414, 455/420, 455/411, 455/406, 455/414.1, 4554121-4122, 455/413
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A system and method of provisioning services for a mobile communication device are disclosed. A provisioning request including provisioning information and specifying a provisioning operation and a first communication service is prepared on the mobile communication device and sent to a provisioning system. Processing of the provisioning request is dependent upon whether or not a second communication service has been activated for the mobile communication device. If the mobile communication device is outside a coverage area of a wireless communication network when a provisioning request is prepared, the request is stored at the mobile communication device and sent to the provisioning system when the mobile communication device enters the coverage area. The provisioning system preferably manages service provisioning for multiple services, any of which may be hosted by different service providers.

Claims

1. A provisioning authority for communication with a service provider system and a plurality of cellular phones, the provisioning authority being associated with a billing system and configured to:

receive provisioning requests from the plurality of cellular phones, wherein each provisioning request includes provisioning information that specifies a cellular phone identification number, payment information, a service plan, and a service;

communicate provisioning responses to provisioning applications on the plurality of cellular phones, wherein each provisioning response indicates whether access to the service specified in the associated provisioning request has been granted or denied, and

wherein a cellular phone'"'"'s provisioning application is configured to provision a service upon receipt of a provisioning response indicating a granted provisioning request; and

for each of the cellular phones granted access to a specified service, communicate associated provisioning information of that cellular phone to the service provider system;

wherein the provisioning authority is configured to support device-based provisioning.

2. The provisioning authority of claim 1 further including a data store configured for storing the provisioning information.

3. A provisioning authority associated with a service provider system and in communication with a plurality of cellular phones, comprising:

a billing system; and

one or more processors configured to receive, from a provisioning application executed on a respective one of the cellular phones, a provisioning request, wherein the provisioning request includes provisioning information that specifies a cellular phone identification number, payment information, a service plan, and a service, and

wherein the provisioning application is configured to provision a service upon receipt of a provisioning response indicating a granted provisioning request;

wherein said provisioning application provisions a service on the respective one of the cellular phones, said service associated with the service provider system;

wherein provisioning information of the plurality of cellular phones is communicated from the provisioning authority to the service provider system; and

wherein the provisioning authority is configured to support device-based provisioning.

4. The provisioning authority of claim 3 wherein the billing system is associated with the provisioning authority and is configured for providing provisioning information.

5. The provisioning authority of claim 3 wherein the provisioning application is a customized application associated with the service provider system.

6. The provisioning authority of claim 3 wherein the provisioning authority further includes a data store configured for storing the provisioning information.

7. A provisioning system including a provisioning authority and associated with a service provider system and in communication with a plurality of cellular phones comprising:

a provisioning application executed on a respective one of the cellular phones for communication with the provisioning system and providing provisioning information to the provisioning system, wherein the provisioning information specifies a cellular phone identification number, payment information, a service plan, and a service, and

wherein the provisioning application is configured to provision a service upon receipt of a provisioning response indicating a granted provisioning request;

wherein said provisioning application provisions a service on the respective one of the cellular phones, said service associated with the service provider system;

wherein provisioning information of the plurality of cellular phones is communicated from the provisioning system to the service provider system; and

wherein the provisioning authority is configured to support device-based provisioning.

8. The provisioning system of claim 7 further including a billing system.

9. A method of provisioning a plurality of cellular phones in communication with a provisioning authority, the provisioning authority being associated with a service provider system, the method comprising:

associating a billing system with the provisioning authority;

configuring the provisioning authority to receive provisioning requests from provisioning applications on each of the plurality of cellular phones,

wherein each provisioning request includes provisioning information that specifies a cellular phone identification number, payment information, a service plan, and a service, and

wherein a cellular phone'"'"'s provisioning application is configured to provision a service upon receipt of a provisioning response indicating a granted provisioning request; and

configuring the provisioning authority to communicate provisioning information of the plurality of cellular phones to the service provider system;

wherein the provisioning authority is configured to support device-based provisioning.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the provisioning authority is configured to store the provisioning information to a data store.