Apparatus, and an associated method, by which to activate a wireless device for a temporary period

• US 9,014,680 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Martin, Daryl Joseph, Godfrey, James Andrew, Wilson, John Ferguson
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US12/855,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20120040654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 455/415, 455/420, 380/247, 713/172, 713/171, 713/150, 709/220, 709/227, 709/204, 709/247
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

An apparatus, and an associated method, for providing secured effectuation of a communication service at a substitute mobile station. A user desiring temporarily to use a substitute mobile station to carry out the communication service initiates a request at the mobile station for its use. The communication service is available to be performed at the substitute mobile station for a selected period. Upon termination of the selected period, the communication service session ends, and data associated with the communication service session is deleted from the substitute mobile station.

Claims

1. An apparatus for facilitating operation of a first wireless device permanently associated with a permanent first account and a permanent communication service, and for facilitating access to temporary-user data associated with a second account pursuant to a selected temporary-user communication service associated with the second account at the first wireless device, the first wireless device temporarily associated with the second account, said apparatus comprising:

an approver configured to effectuate approval of temporary use of the first wireless device to be used for a selected time period to access the temporary-user data associated with the second account pursuant to the temporary-user communication service associated with the second account, wherein during the selected time period data associated with the permanent first account is inaccessible via the first wireless device; and

a session terminator configured to terminate access to the temporary-user data pursuant to the temporary-user communication service associated with the second account at the first wireless device upon termination of the selected time period, and further configured to delete the temporary-user data communicated to the first wireless device upon termination of the selected time period, and wherein the data associated with the permanent first account is accessible via the first wireless device upon termination of the selected time period.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said approver comprises key generator configured to generate a shared key usable to encrypt or de-encrypt the temporary-user data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the shared key is configured to encrypt usage of an enabled communication medium.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said approver further comprises a selector configured to provide for selection of the selected temporary-user communication service.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a user interface configured to receive an input selection, a received input selection provided to said selector.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said user interface is further configured to display a list of available communication services and wherein the received input selection comprises a communication service contained in the list of available communication services displayed at said user interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a communication-service controller configured to control performance of the temporary-user communication service.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cache configured to store the temporary-user data communicated pursuant to the temporary-user communication service.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a password protector configured to password protect the temporary-user data at said cache.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said session terminator is configured to terminate the temporary-user communication service upon termination of a temporary-user-selected time period.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the temporary-user-selected time period comprises a network-configured time period.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the temporary-user-selected time period comprises a wireless-device configured time period.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said session terminator is configured to terminate the temporary-user communication service at the first wireless device responsive to a termination selection, the termination selection determinative of the termination of the selected period.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first wireless device is further operable to communicate permanent-user data pursuant to a selected permanent-user communication service.

15. An apparatus for a network device of a radio network to facilitate operation of a first wireless device, associated with a permanent first account and a permanent communication service, pursuant to a selected temporary-user communication service associated with a second account, said apparatus comprising:

a user account manager configured to manage the temporary-user communication service associated with the second account at the first wireless device that is associated with the permanent first account and the permanent communication service, wherein the temporary-user communication service is to be used for a selected time period and, during the selected time period, data associated with the permanent first account is inaccessible via the first wireless device;

a data communicator configured to effectuate data communication pursuant to the temporary-user communication service associated with the second account during the selected period; and

a session terminator configured to delete temporary user-data communicated to the first wireless device pursuant to the temporary-user communication service upon termination of the selected time period and, wherein the data associated with the permanent first account is accessible via the first wireless device upon termination of the selected time period.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said user account manager further comprises a key generator configured to generate a first key usable to encrypt or de-encrypt temporary-user data communication pursuant to the temporary-user communication service.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said user account manager is configured to permit the temporary-user communication service responsive to a first-device-generated request.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said user account manager is further configured to terminate communication of the temporary-user data upon termination of the selected period.

19. A method for facilitating operation of a first wireless device permanently associated with a permanent first account and a permanent communication service, and for facilitating access to temporary-user data associated with a second account pursuant to a selected temporary-user communication service associated with the second account at the first wireless device, the first wireless device temporarily associated with the second account, said method comprising:

approving temporary use of the first wireless device for a selected time period to communicate the temporary-user data associated with the second account pursuant to the temporary-user communication service associated with the second account, wherein during the selected time period data associated with the permanent first account is inaccessible via the first wireless device; and

terminating the temporary-user communication service associated with the second account at the first wireless device upon termination of the selected time period; and

deleting the temporary-user data communicated to the first wireless device upon termination of the selected time period, and wherein the data associated with the permanent first account is accessible via the first wireless device upon termination of the selected time period.

20. A method for facilitating operation of a first wireless device, associated with a permanent first account and a permanent communication service, pursuant to a selected temporary-user communication service associated with a second account, said method comprising:

managing the temporary-user communication service associated with the second account at the first wireless device that is permanently associated with the second account and the permanent communication service, wherein the temporary-user communication service is to be used for a selected time period and, during the selected time period, data associated with the permanent first account is inaccessible via the first wireless device;

effectuating data communication pursuant to the temporary-user communication service associated with the second account during the selected time period; and

deleting temporary-user data communicated to the first wireless device pursuant to the temporary-user communication service upon termination of the selected time period and, wherein the data associated with the permanent first account is accessible via the first wireless device upon termination of the selected time period.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions for facilitating operation of a first wireless device associated with a permanent first account and a permanent communication service, and for facilitating access to temporary-user data associated with a second account pursuant to a selected temporary-user communication service associated with the second account at the first wireless device, the executable instructions executable by the first wireless device, and the executable instructions comprising:

approving temporary use of the first wireless device for a selected time period to communicate the temporary-user data associated with the second account pursuant to the temporary-user communication service associated with the second account, wherein during the selected time period data associated with the first account is inaccessible via the first wireless device; and

terminating the temporary-user communication service associated with the second account at the first wireless device upon termination of the selected time period; and

deleting the temporary-user data communicated to the first wireless device upon termination of the selected time period and, wherein the data associated with the permanent first account is accessible via the first wireless device upon termination of the selected time period.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions for facilitating operation of a first wireless device, associated with a permanent first account and a permanent communication service, pursuant to a selected temporary-user communication service associated with a second account, the executable instructions executable by the first wireless device, and the executable instructions comprising:

managing the temporary-user communication service associated with the second account at the first wireless device that is permanently associated with the second account and the permanent communication service, wherein the temporary-user communication service is to be used for a selected time period and, during the selected time period, data associated with the permanent first account is inaccessible via the first wireless device;

effectuating data communication pursuant to the temporary-user communication service associated with the second account during the selected time period; and

deleting temporary-user data communicated to the first wireless device pursuant to the temporary-user communication service upon termination of the selected time period and, wherein the data associated with the permanent first account is accessible via the first wireless device upon termination of the selected time period.