Systems and methods for using two or more subscriber identification module cards in telematics applications

• US 8,798,587 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2011
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Snider, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Arevalo, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US13/029,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20120214450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/456.3, 455/422.1, 455/433, 455/558, 455/406, 455/67.11, 455/414.1, 455/404.1, 455/41.2, 455/466, 455/416, 455/427, 455/432.2, 455/423, 455/426.1, 455/415, 455/432.1, 455/404.2, 455/414.2, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A system for providing access to a telematics service provider has a network access device and an antenna in communication with the network access device. The antenna provides wireless communication between the processor and the telematics service provider. A processor of the network access device is configured to send an equipment identifier and a subscriber identifier of a network access device to the a telematics service provider, send an equipment identifier of the network access device and the subscriber identifier of a secondary device to the telematics service provider, and determine if data received from the telematics service provider is to be processed by the processor of the network access device or the secondary device.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to a telematics service provider via a network access device located in an automobile, a network access device comprising a radio frequency transmitter and a radio frequency receiver, which are configured to communicate with a wireless communications network using wireless communication links, the method comprising the steps of:

wirelessly sending to the telematics service provider, an equipment identifier and a primary subscriber identifier obtained from a primary network access device located in the automobile, the primary network access device being coupled to a telematics controller for the automobile through a communication interface for the automobile;

wirelessly sending to the telematics service provider, an equipment identifier of the primary network access device and a secondary subscriber identifier obtained from a secondary network access device also located in the automobile, the secondary network access device being a mobile phone; and

determining if data received from the telematics service provider is to be processed by the primary network access device or the secondary network access device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of determining if data received from the telematics service provider is flagged, flagging indicating that data received from the telematics service provider is to be processed by one of the primary network access device and the secondary network access device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of processing data by the one of the primary and secondary network access devices, responsive to said flagging.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of processing data by the secondary network access device if the data received from the telematics service provider is unflagged.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary subscriber identifier is obtained from a first subscriber identification module coupled to the primary network access device and wherein the secondary subscriber identifier is obtained from a second subscriber identification module coupled to the secondary network access device.

6. In a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions executable by a programmed processor, configured to provide access to a telematics service provider via a network access device located in an automobile, a network access device comprising a radio frequency transmitter and a radio frequency receiver, which are configured to communicate with a wireless communications network using wireless communication links, the storage medium comprising instructions for:

wirelessly sending to the telematics service provider, an equipment identifier of a primary network access device and a subscriber identifier of the primary network access device, the primary network access device being located in the automobile and being coupled to a telematics controller for the automobile through a communications interface;

wirelessly sending to the telematics service provider an equipment identifier of the primary network access device and a secondary subscriber identifier obtained from a secondary network access device also located inside the automobile, the secondary network access device being a mobile phone; and

determining if data received from the telematics service provider is to be processed by the primary network access device or the secondary network access device.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, further comprising the steps of determining if data received from the telematics service provider is flagged, flagging indicating that data received from the telematics service provider is to be processed by one of the primary network access device and the secondary network access device.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising the step of processing data by one of the primary network access device and secondary network access device responsive to said flagging.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising the step of processing data by the secondary network access device if the data received from the telematics service provider is unflagged.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the secondary network access device is a mobile device.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the secondary network access device further comprises a subscriber identification module.

12. A system for providing access to a telematics service provider from a vehicle having a telematics controller, a network access device comprising a radio frequency transmitter and a radio frequency receiver configured to communicate with a wireless communications network using wireless communications links, the system comprising:

a primary network access device having a first processor, the primary network access device being coupled to the telematics controller through a communications interface and having a first subscriber identifier that is stored in a first subscriber identity card that is operatively coupled to the primary network access device;

an antenna in communication with the primary network access device for providing wireless communication between the first processor and the telematics service provider;

the first processor being configured to send to a telematics service provider;

an equipment identifier and the first subscriber identifier of the primary network access device;

send an equipment identifier of the primary network access device and send a second subscriber identifier of a mobile phone located in the vehicle, the mobile phone having a second, subscriber identity card wherein said second subscriber identifier is stored,

the first processor being additionally configured to;

determine if data received from the telematics service provider is to be processed by the first processor of the primary network access device or a second processor of the mobile phone.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first processor is further configured to determine if data received from the telematics service provider is flagged to indicate that data received from the telematics service provider is to be processed by one of the primary network access device or the mobile phone.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first processor is further configured to process data if the data received from the telematics service provider is flagged to indicate that data received from the telematics service provider is to be processed by one of the primary network access device or the mobile phone.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first processor is further configured to allow the mobile phone to process data if the data received from the telematics service provider is unflagged.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising a card reader in communication with the first processor, wherein the card reader is configured to receiver a subscriber identification module of the mobile phone, the subscriber identification module having information relating the subscriber identifier of the mobile phone.

17. A system for providing access to a telematics service provider, the system comprising:

a primary network access device comprising a first radio frequency transmitter, a first radio frequency receiver and a first processor, the primary network access device being configured to communicate with a wireless communications network;

an antenna in communication with the first radio frequency transmitter and a first radio frequency receiver, the antenna facilitating wireless communication between the first processor and the telematics service provider;

a card reader in communication with the first processor, wherein the card reader is configured to receiver a subscriber identification module of a mobile phone, the subscriber identification module of the mobile phone having a subscriber identifier of the mobile phone, the first processor being configured to send to the telematics service provider, an equipment identifier and a subscriber identifier of a primary network access device send the equipment identifier of the primary network access device and the subscriber identifier of mobile phone, to the telematics service provider, and determine if data received from the telematics service provider is to be processed by the first processor of the primary network access device or the mobile phone;

wherein the first processor is further configured to determine if data received from the telematics service provider is flagged to indicate that data received from the telematics service provider is to be processed by one of the primary network access device or the mobile phone.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first processor is further configured to process data if the data received from the telematics service provider is flagged to indicate that data received from the telematics service provider is to be processed by one of the primary network access device or the mobile phone.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the first processor is further configured to allow the mobile phone to process data if the data received from the telematics service provider is unflagged.