Automatically provisioning a WWAN device

• US 8,949,434 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2007
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vellanki, Vivekanand, Sheikh, Ishtiyaq Ahmad
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/002,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20090158148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,605 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/227, 709/249, 709/250, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2033 WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• 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 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

Network connection information is requested by a wireless wide area network device via the internet. Such information may include configuration information, data roaming partner information, and/or cost information regarding roaming partner connection and/or a subscriber plan related to the wireless wide area network. To retrieve the information, the wireless device sends a request to a redirection server, which in turn provides an internet address for a provisioning server, or instructs a provisioning server to provide the network configuration information to the wireless device. A user and/or the wireless device may use the network connection information when deciding whether and/or how to connect to the network. A network provider may use methods disclosed herein to efficiently update wireless devices that subscribe to the network. The network provider may provide selected network connection information based on information regarding the wireless device, such as the user identification.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining network connection information that is configured for use in enabling a computing device to connect to an available wireless wide area network, the method comprising:

sending, by the computing device to a provisioning server, a request for the network connection information, the sent request comprising a user identification and at least one element defining the request as for the network connection information; and

receiving, by the computing device from the provisioning server in response to the sending, the requested network connection information having been selected from among network connection information for each of a plurality of available wireless wide area networks, the selecting based on information included in the request, the received network connection information having been further selected based on the sent user identification, where the received network connection information is configured for facilitating a selection of options for a connection between the computing device and the available wireless wide area network, and is further configured for managing the connection once established.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a request to a redirection server for information regarding a URL for the provisioning server;

receiving the information regarding the URL for the provisioning server; and

determining the URL for the provisioning server, where the sending the request comprises sending the request to the determined URL.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising obtaining the URL for the redirection server from an operating system of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a notification that at least a portion of the network connection information has been changed; and

receiving updated network connection information from the provisioning server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the notification comprises receiving an SMS message.

6. The method of claim 1, where the sending the request comprises sending the request via an intermediary device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the intermediary device comprises a redirection server.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the intermediary device comprises a computing device connected to the internet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the network connection information from the provisioning server comprises receiving the network connection information from an intermediary device that received the network connection information from the provisioning server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network connection information is configured to include:

configuration information for each of a plurality of available wireless wide area networks;

an identification of a plurality of available wireless data roaming networks approved for use;

and cost information for each of a plurality of available data roaming networks regarding costs to be incurred for selecting each of the plurality of available wireless data roaming networks.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the network connection information comprises an identification of a plurality of available wireless data roaming networks approved for use, and the method further comprises selectively initiating a connection with one of the approved wireless data roaming networks.

12. The method of claim 1, where the receiving the network connection information occurs prior to connection of the computing device to the available wireless wide area networks.

13. The method of claim 1 where the received network connection information comprises a user name and password.

14. The method of claim 1 where the received network connection information comprises an identification of a data roaming network that is approved for use.

15. The method of claim 1 where the received network connection information comprises data subscriber plan cost information.

16. The method of claim 1 where the received network connection information comprises data roaming cost information.

17. The method of claim 1 where the received network connection information comprises details of a type of connection.

18. At least one computer-readable storage device storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform actions comprising:

sending, by the computing device, a request for information regarding a provisioning server;

receiving the requested information regarding the provisioning server;

sending, by the computing device to the provisioning server based on the received information, another request for network connection information that is configured for use in enabling the computing device to connect to an available wireless wide area network, the sent another request comprising a user identification and at least one element defining the request as for the network connection information;

receiving, by the computing device from the provisioning server in response to the sending the another request, the requested network connection information, the received network connection information comprising;

configuration information for each of a plurality of available wireless data roaming networks;

an identification of a plurality of wireless data roaming networks approved for use; and

cost information for each of the plurality of available wireless data roaming networks regarding costs associated with selecting each of the plurality of available wireless data roaming networks; and

where the received network connection information is configured for facilitating a selection of options for a connection between the computing device and the available wireless wide area network, and further configured for managing the connection once established.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, where the received network connection information comprises cost information for each of the plurality of available wireless data roaming networks, the cost information regarding costs associated with selecting the each of the plurality of available wireless data roaming networks for connection by the computing device, the actions further comprising:

displaying the cost information on a user interface; and

requesting user input regarding selection of a wireless data roaming network from among the plurality of available wireless data roaming networks.

20. At least one computer-readable storage device storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform actions comprising:

receiving a request from a device, the request for network connection information for an available wireless wide area network, where the network connection information is configured for use in enabling the requesting device to connect to the available wireless wide area network; and

at least one of (a) or (b);

(a) sending information regarding a provisioning server to the requesting device, the provisioning server being configured to receive the request for network connection information, further being configured to select the network connection information from a store of network connection information for the available wireless wide area networks based on an identification provided by the requesting device, and further being configured to send the selected network connection information to the requesting device; and

(b) sending, to the provisioning server, information from the request and instructing the provisioning server to select the requested network connection information from the store of network connection information for the available wireless wide area networks based on the identification, and instructing the provisioning server to send the selected network connection information to the requesting device; and

where the sent network connection information is configured for facilitating a selection of options for a connection between the requesting device and the available wireless wide area network, and is further configured for managing the connection once established.