Automatic device capabilities change notification

• US 8,874,091 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Norrman, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERRERA, DIEGO D
• Application Number:
  US11/997,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20080220759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,031 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• 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 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

An improved approach to mobile device capability management is described herein where a capability management device is provided at a mobile communication network. Upon change of a mobile device capability, a related notification is sent to the capability management device which applies a policy decision whether to track the capability change at the network side or not. Should the decision be ‘yes’, the capability management device starts a device management session to collect further information on a mobile device capability change beyond the information made available with the mobile device capability change notification. After retrieval of the mobile device capability change information, the capability management device will update its mobile device capability state accordingly.

Claims

1. Method of operating a mobile device capability management device in a mobile communication network with respect to at least one mobile device served by the mobile communication network, wherein a mobile device capability is represented as a first mobile device profile in the mobile device capability management device and as a second mobile device profile in the mobile device, the method implemented by the mobile device capability management device comprising the steps:

receiving, at the mobile device capability management device, a mobile device capability change information (CHAN) with respect to a capability change of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device capability change information (CHAN) contains a qualitative parameter indicating a degree of change to a management tree of the second mobile device profile and a quantitative parameter indicating amount of effective changes to the management tree of the second mobile device profile; and

assessing, at the mobile device capability management device, the need to update the first mobile device profile on the basis of a mobile device capability management policy and the received mobile device capability change information.

2. Method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of updating, at the mobile device capability management device, the first mobile device profile according to the mobile device capability management policy and the mobile device capability change information.

3. Method according to claim 2, where the step of updating the first mobile device profile further comprises the steps:

establishing, by the mobile device capability management device, a mobile device management session between the mobile device capability management device and the mobile device for evaluation of the management tree of the second mobile device profile with respect to a mobile device capability change; and

receiving, at the mobile device capability management device, the mobile device capability update information from the mobile device in accordance with an evaluation result.

4. Method according to one of the claim 1, where;

the first mobile device profile is represented as a mobile device management tree structure comprising mobile device management objects; and

the management tree of the second mobile device profile comprising mobile device management objects.

5. Method according to claim 4, where the step of updating the first mobile device profile in the mobile device capability management device further comprises a step of updating, by the mobile device capability management device, a mobile device capability change object (CHOB), wherein the mobile device capability change object is a mobile device management object in the mobile device management tree structure dedicated to mobile device capability change management.

6. Method according to claim 1, where the step of assessing, by the mobile device capability management device, the need to update the management tree of the first mobile device profile is achieved through classification of the quantitative parameter and/or the qualitative parameter.

7. Method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of notifying, by the mobile device capability management device, a service provider providing at least one service to at least one of the mobile device and an application interacting with the mobile device on a mobile device capability change.

8. Method according to claim 1, where the mobile device capability change information is received directly from the mobile device at the mobile device capability management device.

9. Method according to claim 1, where the mobile device capability change information is received by the mobile device capability management device from a mobile device capability monitoring device.

10. Method according to claim 1, where the mobile device capability change information is exchanged through at least one of a circuit switched mobile communication, packet switched mobile communication, and a service layer data exchange.

11. The method of claim 1, where software code portions corresponding to the steps comprise a computer program product directly loadable into the internal memory of the mobile device capability management device operated in a mobile communication network, wherein the computer program product is run on a processor of the mobile device capability management device.

12. The method of claim 1, where the assessing step further comprises:

updating the first mobile device profile if there is a positive assessment on necessity of need to update the first mobile device profile; and

not updating the first mobile device profile if there is a negative assessment on necessity of need to update the first mobile device profile.

13. Method according to claim 1, wherein the degree of change is indicated as major, medium, or minor.

14. Method according to claim 1, wherein the degree of change is indicated on a scale from 0 to 1.

15. Method according to claim 1, wherein the degree of change is coded in a code word.

16. Method of operating a mobile device being enabled for mobile device capability management through a mobile communication network, the method implemented by the mobile device comprising the steps:

monitoring, at the mobile device, a change in a mobile device capability, wherein the mobile device capability state is represented as a mobile device profile;

generating, at the mobile device, mobile device capability change information with respect to a mobile device capability change, where the mobile device capability change information comprises a qualitative parameter indicating a degree of change to the mobile device profile and a quantitative parameter indicating amount of effective changes to the mobile device profile; and

forwarding, by the mobile device, the mobile device capability change information to a mobile device capability management device or a mobile device capability monitoring device through the mobile communication network.

17. Method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at the mobile device, a request for detailed mobile device capability change information from the mobile communication network;

establishing, by the mobile device, a mobile device management session with the mobile communication network; and

forwarding, by the mobile device, the detailed mobile device capability change information to the mobile communication network.

18. Method according to claim 16, further comprising a step of representing, at the mobile device, the mobile device profile as a mobile device management tree structure comprising at least one mobile device management object.

19. Method according to claim 18, further comprising a step of representing, at the mobile device, the mobile device capability change information as a mobile device capability change object (CHOB) in the mobile device management tree, wherein the mobile device capability change object (CHOB) is a mobile device management object in the mobile device management tree structure dedicated to mobile device capability change management.

20. Method according to claim 16, where the mobile device capability change information is forwarded by the mobile device to the mobile device capability management device in the mobile communication network.

21. Method according to claim 16, where the mobile device capability change information is forwarded by the mobile device to the mobile device capability monitoring device in the mobile communication network, for subsequent conveyance thereof to the mobile device capability management device in the mobile communication network.

22. Method according to claim 16, where the mobile device capability change information is exchanged with the mobile communication network through at least one of a circuit switched mobile communication, a packet switched mobile communication, and a service layer data exchange.

23. The method of claim 16, where software code portions corresponding to the steps comprise a computer program product directly loadable into the internal memory of the mobile device being enabled for mobile device capability management through a mobile communication network, wherein the computer program product is run on a processor of the mobile device.

24. Method according to claim 16, wherein the degree of change is indicated as major, medium, or minor.

25. Method according to claim 16, wherein the degree of change is indicated on a scale from 0 to 1.

26. Method according to claim 16, wherein the degree of change is coded in a code word.

27. Mobile device capability management device being operated in a mobile communication network with respect to at least one mobile device served by the mobile communication network, wherein a mobile device capability is represented as a first mobile device profile in the mobile device capability management device and as a second mobile device profile in the mobile device, the mobile device capability management device comprising:

a communication unit adapted to receive mobile device capability change information with respect to a capability change of the mobile device;

an assessment unit adapted to process the mobile device capability change information which contains a qualitative parameter indicating a degree of change to a management tree of the second mobile device profile and a quantitative parameter indicating amount of effective changes to the management tree of the second mobile device profile; and

the assessment unit is further adapted to assess the need to update the first mobile device profile on the basis of a mobile device capability management policy and the mobile device capability change information.

28. Mobile device capability management device according to claim 27, further comprising a mobile device profile updating unit adapted to update the first mobile device profile according to the mobile device capability management policy and the received mobile device capability change information.

29. Mobile device capability management device according to claim 28, where the mobile device profile updating unit comprises:

a session initiating unit adapted to initiate a mobile device management session between the mobile device capability management device and the mobile device for evaluation of the management tree of the second mobile device profile with respect to a mobile device capability change; and

a capability change information processing unit adapted to process the mobile device capability change information from the mobile device in accordance with an evaluation result.

30. Mobile device capability management device according to claim 27, further comprising a mobile device profile memory adapted to store a mobile device management tree structure of the first mobile device profile and the management tree of the second mobile device profile, wherein each management tree comprising mobile device management objects.

31. Mobile device capability management device according to claim 30, where the capability change information processing unit is adapted to update the first mobile device profile in the mobile device profile memory by updating a mobile device capability change object, wherein the mobile device capability change object (CHOB) is a mobile device management object in the mobile device management tree structure dedicated to mobile device capability change management.

32. Mobile device capability management device according to claim 27, where the assessment unit is adapted to assess the need to update the management tree of the first mobile device profile through classification of the quantitative parameter and/or the qualitative parameter.

33. Mobile device capability management device according to claim 27, where the mobile device profile updating unit is adapted to notify a service provider providing at least one service to at least one of the mobile device and an application interacting with the mobile device on a mobile device capability change.

34. Mobile device capability management device according to claim 27, where the communication unit is adapted to receive the mobile device capability change information directly from the mobile device.

35. Mobile device capability management device according to claim 27, where the communication unit is adapted to receive the mobile device capability change information from a mobile device capability monitoring device.

36. Mobile device capability management device according to claim 27, where the communication unit is adapted to receive the mobile device capability change information through circuit switched mobile communication, packet switched mobile communication, and/or through service layer data exchange.

37. The mobile device capability management device of claim 27, where the assessment unit is configured to:

update the first mobile device profile if there is a positive assessment on necessity of need to update the first mobile device profile; and

not update the first mobile device profile if there is a negative assessment on necessity of need to update the first mobile device profile.

38. Mobile device capability management device according to claim 27, wherein the degree of change is indicated as major, medium, or minor.

39. Mobile device capability management device according to claim 27, wherein the degree of change is indicated on a scale from 0 to 1.

40. Mobile device capability management device according to claim 27, wherein the degree of change is coded in a code word.

41. Mobile device being enabled for mobile device capability management through a mobile communication network, wherein a mobile device capability state is represented in the mobile device as a mobile device profile, the mobile device comprising:

a mobile device profile monitoring unit adapted to monitor a change in the mobile device capability;

a profile change information generating unit adapted to generate mobile device capability change information with respect to a mobile device capability change;

the profile change information generating unit is further adapted to generate the mobile device capability change information with a qualitative parameter indicating a degree of change to the mobile device profile and a quantitative parameter indicating amount of effective changes to the mobile device profile; and

a communication unit adapted to forward the mobile device capability change information to a mobile device capability management device or a mobile device capability monitoring device through the mobile communication network, where the mobile device upon change of the mobile device capability sends the mobile device capability change information.

42. Mobile device according to claim 41, where the communication unit is adapted to:

receive a request for update of a remote mobile device profile being maintained in the mobile communication network;

establish a mobile device management session with the mobile communication network; and

to forward detailed mobile device capability change information to the mobile communication network.

43. Mobile device according to claim 41, further comprising a mobile device profile memory unit adapted to store the mobile device profile as a mobile device management tree structure comprising at least one mobile device management object.

44. Mobile device according to claim 43, where the profile change information generating unit is adapted to generate mobile device capability change information as a mobile device capability change object in the mobile device management tree, wherein the mobile device capability change object is a mobile device management object in the mobile device management tree structure dedicated to mobile device capability change management.

45. Mobile device according to claim 41, where the communication unit is adapted to forward the mobile device capability change information to the mobile device capability management device in the mobile communication network.

46. Mobile device according to claim 41, where the communication unit is adapted to forward the mobile device capability change information to the mobile device capability monitoring device in the mobile communication network, for subsequent conveyance thereof to the mobile device capability management device in the mobile communication network.

47. Mobile device according to claim 41, where the communication unit is adapted to exchange mobile device capability change information with the mobile communication network through at least one of a circuit switched mobile communication, a packet switched mobile communication, and a service layer data exchange.

48. Mobile device according to claim 41, wherein the degree of change is indicated as major, medium, or minor.

49. Mobile device according to claim 41, wherein the degree of change is indicated on a scale from 0 to 1.

50. Mobile device according to claim 41, wherein the degree of change is coded in a code word.