End user controlled temporary mobile phone service device swapping system and method

• US 8,983,449 B1
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Klone Mobile LLC
• Original Assignee: Klone Mobile LLC
• Inventors: Booth, Kenneth C., Keeler, Bryce Olson
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jean
• Application Number:
  US14/078,475
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 455/433, 455/417, 455/418, 455/456.1, 455/457, 455/435.1
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/66 user interface aspects for indicating selection options for a communication line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

User controlled temporary mobile phone and/or data service device swapping systems and methods including particular implementations and embodiments comprising a plurality of mobile phone user control accounts at least a first telephone number or other registration number registered with each of the plurality of phone service or cellular service user control accounts, and at least two different phone devices registered with each of the plurality of user control accounts, and a mobile phone user interface configured to receive input from the mobile phone user to indicate which of the at least two different mobile phone or cellular devices associated with the mobile phone user control account is to be associated and to transmit data indicating the association to a phone number or other service access number registry.

Claims

1. A household appliance temporary cellular data service swapping system comprising:

a plurality of household appliances each comprising its own cellular communication device communicatively associated with a household appliance controller of the respective household appliance;

at least one cellular data access registration number associated with a cellular data service user control account; and

wherein each of the plurality of household appliances is registered with the cellular data service user control account and an account interface processor associated with the cellular data service user control account is configured to;

temporarily associate a first of the at least one cellular data access registration numbers with a first cellular communication device of a first of the plurality of household appliances and establish cellular communication with a first household appliance controller of the first household appliance;

receive information about a status of or a location of the first household appliance;

dissociate the cellular service from its association with the first cellular communication device;

temporarily associate the first cellular data access registration number with a second cellular communication device of a second of the plurality of household appliances and establish cellular communication with a second household appliance controller of the second household appliance; and

receive information about a status of or a location of the second household appliance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of household appliances further comprises an RFID coupled to the respective cellular communication device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of household appliances further comprises a battery coupled to the respective cellular communication device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the household compliances is one of a refrigerator, a freezer, a microwave, a dryer, a washing machine, a dishwasher, a trash compactor, an oven, a stove a dehumidifier and an air conditioning unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each cellular communication device comprises a unique identification number.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cellular data service user control account is operated by at least one of a household appliance owner, a household appliance manufacturer and a household appliance service provider.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the cellular data service user control account is further configured to transfer a software update to the first household appliance controller when the cellular service is associated with the first household appliance and transfer the software update to the second household appliance controller when the cellular service is associated with the second household appliance.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the temporary association of the cellular data service user control account with the first household appliance and the temporary association of the cellular data service user control account with the second household appliance occurs on a time scheduled basis.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the temporary association of the cellular data service user control account with the first household appliance and the temporary association of the cellular data service user control account with the second household appliance occurs on an on-demand basis.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the cellular data service user control account is configured to interface with each of respective household appliance controllers of the plurality of household appliances to at least one of diagnose problems, reset the respective household appliance controller and determine whether a service call is needed.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first cellular communication device is configured to activate in response to a power supply for the first household appliance being disconnected.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first controller is configured to enter an inoperative mode in response to a signal from the first cellular communication device.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a home security system comprising an electronic gateway at an opening to a home, wherein the first cellular communication device is configured to activate in response to both of a power supply for the first household appliance being disconnected and the household appliance passing through the electronic gateway.

14. A method of swapping a user controlled temporary cellular service between a plurality of cellular location tracking devices, the method comprising:

registering each of a plurality of household appliances, each associated with a different one of a plurality of cellular communication devices, with a user control account;

associating, through a cellular service provider'"'"'s cellular access registration number registry, a cellular access registration number and its attendant cellular service with a first cellular communication device of a first household appliance of the plurality of household appliances;

receiving from the first household appliance and through the attendant cellular service data about a status of or a location of the first household appliance;

dissociating the cellular service from its association with the first cellular communication device;

associating, through the cellular access registration number registry, the cellular access registration number and the attendant cellular service with a second cellular communication device associated with a second household appliance separate from the first household appliance after the first cellular communication device is dissociated from the cellular service; and

receiving from the second cellular communication device and through the attendant cellular service data about a status of or a location of the second household appliance.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising temporarily associating each of the plurality of household appliances, one at a time, with the cellular access registration number through the cellular access registration number registry, receiving from each of the plurality of cellular communication devices data about a status of or a location of each of the plurality of household appliances when the cellular access registration number is associated with a respective one of the plurality of cellular communication devices, and subsequently dissociating the cellular service from its association with the one of the plurality of cellular communication devices before associating with a next cellular communication device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein associating each of the plurality of household appliances for receiving data from each of the plurality of household appliances is done automatically on a scheduled basis.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the household compliances is one of a refrigerator, a freezer, a microwave, a dryer, a washing machine, a dishwasher, a trash compactor, an oven, a stove a dehumidifier and an air conditioning unit.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising transferring a software update to the first household appliance controller when the cellular service is associated with the first household appliance and transfer the software update to the second household appliance controller when the cellular service is associated with the second household appliance.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising forcing the first household appliance controller into an inoperative mode in response to a signal from the first cellular communication device.

20. A method of swapping a user controlled temporary cellular service between a plurality of cellular communication devices each associated with one of a plurality of household appliances, the method comprising:

registering each of a plurality of household appliances and their respective cellular communication devices with a user control account;

associating, through a cellular service provider'"'"'s cellular access registration number registry, a cellular access registration number and its attendant cellular service with a first cellular communication device of the plurality of cellular communication devices;

receiving from the first cellular communication device and through the attendant cellular service data about a first household appliance controller of a first household appliance of the plurality of household appliances;

dissociating the cellular service from its association with the first cellular communication device;

associating, through the cellular access registration number registry, the cellular access registration number and the attendant cellular service with a second cellular communication device remote from the first cellular communication device after the first cellular communication device is dissociated from the cellular access registration number;

receiving from the second cellular communication device and through the attendant cellular service data about a second household appliance controller of a second household appliance of the plurality of household appliances.