Method and system for provisioning wireless services

• US 8,798,589 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Smith, Christopher, Kruis, Dave, Patterson, Ian Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRES, MARCOS L
• Application Number:
  US13/586,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-419, 455/432.1, 455/432.3, 455/433, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• 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

Abstract

A method for provisioning wireless devices for use of services offered by a service provider on a wireless network, comprising: receiving at a provisioning system from a wireless device a wireless device identifier, the wireless device having a first subset of the services; identifying from the wireless device identifier a subscriber associated with the wireless device, the subscriber having a second subset of the services; and, if the first and second subsets conflict, enabling none, one, or both of the first and second subsets of services in accordance with conflict resolution information for the service provider.

Claims

1. A method, at a provisioning system, for provisioning a wireless device on a wireless network, the method comprising:

identifying, using a received wireless device identifier of the wireless device, a first default subset of unactivated communication services which have been authorized by a service provider to be available for use with the wireless device, the authorization of the first default subset of unactivated communication services being specific to the wireless device;

identifying, using the wireless device identifier, a subscriber associated with the wireless device, the service provider having pre-assigned a second subset of communication services to the subscriber, the pre-assignment of the second subset of communication services being specific to the subscriber;

reconciling any conflict between the first and second subsets of communication services in accordance with a conflict resolution policy defined by the service provider; and

transmitting to the service provider an error message if the first and second subsets conflict.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conflict resolution policy defines reconciling any conflict between the first and second subsets by enabling none, one or both of the first and second subsets of communication services.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device identifier is stored in a memory device of the wireless device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the memory device is a subscriber identity module (SIM).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication services include electronic mail services.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning system is operated by a second service provider.

7. A system for provisioning wireless devices on a wireless network, comprising:

a processor coupled to memory and an interface to the wireless network and adapted for;

identifying, using a received wireless device identifier of the wireless device, a first default subset of unactivated communication services which have been authorized by a service provider to be available for use with the wireless device, the authorization of the first default subset of unactivated communication services being specific to the wireless device;

identifying, using the wireless device identifier, a subscriber associated with the wireless device, the service provider having pre-assigned a second subset of communication services to the subscriber, the pre-assignment of the second subset of communication services being specific to the subscriber;

reconciling any conflict between the first and second subsets of communication services in accordance with a conflict resolution policy defined by the service provider; and

transmitting to the service provider an error message if the first and second subsets conflict.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the conflict resolution policy defines reconciling any conflict between the first and second subsets by enabling none, one or both of the first and second subsets of communication services.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless device identifier is stored in a memory device of the wireless device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the memory device is a subscriber identity module (SIM).

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the communication services include electronic mail services.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the system is operated by a second service provider.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the system is a generic provisioning system for provisioning wireless devices operating on at least two different networks.

14. A computer program product having a computer readable medium tangibly embodying computer executable code for directing a provisioning system to provision wireless devices on a wireless network, said computer program product comprising:

code for identifying, using a received wireless device identifier a first default subset of unactivated communication services which have been authorized by a service provider to be available for use with the wireless device, the authorization of the first default subset of unactivated communication services being specific to the wireless device;

code for identifying, using the wireless device identifier, a subscriber associated with the wireless device, the service provider having pre-assigned a second subset of communication services to the subscriber, the pre-assignment of the second subset of communication services being specific to the subscriber;

code for reconciling any conflict between the first and second subsets of communication services in accordance a conflict resolution policy defined by the service provider; and

code for transmitting to the service provider an error message if the first and second subsets conflict.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the conflict resolution policy defines reconciling any conflict between the first and second subsets by enabling none, one or both of the first and second subsets of communication services.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the wireless device identifier is stored in a memory device of the wireless device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the memory device is a subscriber identity module (SIM).

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the communication services include electronic mail services.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the provisioning system is operated by a second service provider.