Generic mobile devices customization framework

• US 9,198,027 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2012
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Urbanek, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US13/622,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20140080467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/432.1, 455/432.3, 455/419, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method for open mobile alliance (OMA) device management (DM) and over-the-air customization of a generic mobile device is disclosed. The method comprises receiving an activation message from the generic mobile device to register with a service provider, wherein the generic mobile device is pre-configured to support a plurality of functions. The method also comprises associating the generic mobile device with a service provider from the service providers as indicated by the activation message. The method further comprises sending one or more OMA service objects to customize the generic mobile device according to the service provider, wherein the one or more OMA service objects enable or disable each of the pre-configured functions on the generic mobile device to support one or more service features available by the service provider.

Claims

1. A server of a wireless network for over-the-air configuration of a generic mobile device, the server comprising:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory memory coupled to the at least one processor; and

an application stored in the non-transitory memory that, upon execution by the at least one processor, configures the at least one processor to;

receive an activation message that identifies the generic mobile device storing, in read only memory, generic firmware that is pre-configured to support a plurality of service features for a plurality of wireless service providers, wherein the generic firmware comprises a plurality of function parameters and a plurality of embedded applications that are certified for an execution platform of the generic mobile device

based on the received activation message, register the generic mobile device to a wireless service provider of the plurality of wireless service providers,

determine a plurality of service features provided by the wireless service provider,

verify pre-configuration support of the determined plurality of service features on the generic mobile device based on the generic mobile device having the generic firmware, and

responsive to the verification, send, directly to the generic mobile device via a wireless network, a plurality of service objects to a memory location on the generic mobile device outside of the memory storing the generic firmware, wherein the generic firmware identifies a service object of the plurality of service objects as corresponding to at least one function parameter in the generic firmware and configures at least an embedded application among the plurality of embedded applications by using the at least one function parameter within the generic firmware in response to the plurality of service objects without updating or changing the storage of data already within the generic firmware on the generic mobile device, and wherein the at least one function parameter supports at least some of the determined plurality of service features corresponding to the plurality of service objects.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the plurality of service objects are used by the at least one function parameter of the generic firmware without altering the contents of the generic firmware at least by:

enabling a disabled function corresponding to the at least one function parameter of the generic firmware or disabling an enabled function corresponding to the at least one function parameter of the generic firmware, and

reconfiguring a pre-configured function of the generic mobile device according to at least one function parameter or embedded application in response to at least one of the plurality of service objects.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the application registers the generic mobile device to the wireless service provider using any of a stock keeping unit number, an electronic serial number, or a mobile subscriber number indicated by the activation message.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the application verifies pre-configuration support of the plurality of service features of the generic mobile device at least by determining a plurality of pre-configured functions and applications of the generic firmware on the generic mobile device via at least one of the wireless service provider or a data store comprising information that is matched with identifying information in the activation message.

5. The server of claim 4, wherein the generic mobile device has an ANDROID execution platform installed, and wherein the pre-configured functions and applications are certified for use on the ANDROID execution platform.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the plurality of service objects cause the at least one function parameter of the generic firmware to at least reconfigure one or more preconfigured functions or pre-configured applications embedded in the generic firmware on the generic mobile device in response to only the plurality of service objects according to supported service features of the wireless service provider.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein the plurality of service objects cause the at least one function parameter of the generic firmware to at least one of:

alter connectivity functions of one or more radio link technologies available on the generic mobile device, or

implement a Short Message Service (SMS) on the generic mobile device instead of a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) on the generic mobile device according to supported service features of the wireless service provider.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein the plurality of service objects cause the at least one function parameter of the generic firmware to at least disable an available camera function of the generic mobile device or disable a pre-configured call roaming function on the generic mobile device.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein the generic mobile device is customized by the at least one function parameter in response to the plurality of service objects while retaining certification of the generic firmware stored on the generic mobile device.

10. The server of claim 1, wherein the server sends the plurality of service objects directly to the generic mobile device via use of a messaging protocol that includes at least one of a Short Message Service (SMS) or an open mobile alliance protocol, and wherein the plurality of service objects customize the at least one function parameter of the generic firmware without reflashing memory of the generic mobile device.

11. The server of claim 1, wherein the server sends the plurality of service objects via at least one message according to an open mobile alliance (OMA) protocol.

12. A method for over-the-air configuration of a generic mobile device by a server of a wireless network, comprising:

receiving, by the server coupled to the generic mobile device, an activation message that identifies the generic mobile device storing generic firmware that is pre-configured to support a plurality of service features for a plurality of wireless service providers,

registering, by the server based on the received activation message, the generic mobile device to a wireless service provider of the plurality of wireless service providers,

determining, by a processor of the server, a plurality of service features provided by the wireless service provider,

verifying, by the server, pre-configuration support of the plurality of service features on the generic mobile device based on the determined plurality of service features, and

responsive to the verifying, sending, from the server directly to the generic mobile device via a wireless network, a plurality of service objects to a memory location on the generic mobile device outside of a memory portion storing the generic firmware, wherein the generic mobile device is customized by at least an embedded application among a plurality of embedded applications in the generic firmware using at least one function parameter in the generic firmware in response to the plurality of service objects and without updating or changing the amount of information already within the generic firmware on the generic mobile device, and wherein the at least one function parameter supports at least some of the determined plurality of service features corresponding to the plurality of service objects.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of service objects are used by the at least one function parameter to cause enabling a disabled function corresponding to the at least one function parameter of the generic firmware or disabling an enabled function corresponding to the at least one function parameter of the generic firmware.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein registering the generic mobile device to the wireless service provider comprises using any of a stock keeping unit number, an electronic serial number, or a mobile subscriber number indicated by the activation message.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein sending the plurality of service objects directly to the generic mobile device occurs via at least using a Short Message Service (SMS) or an open mobile alliance message protocol.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the generic mobile device is customized by the at least one function parameter of the generic firmware in response to sending of the plurality of service objects without reflashing the generic mobile device.

17. A generic mobile device pre-configured to support a plurality of service features of a plurality of wireless service providers, comprising:

at least one radio transceiver;

at least one processor;

a non-transitory memory comprising a portion that is read-only memory (ROM), wherein the ROM includes generic firmware that supports a plurality of functions of the generic mobile device, the generic firmware comprising a plurality of function parameters and a plurality of embedded applications; and

an application embedded in the generic firmware that, upon execution by the at least one processor of the generic mobile device, configures the generic mobile device to;

send an activation message, via a wireless network, that requests registration with a wireless service provider of the plurality of wireless service providers,

responsive to the activation message, receive, directly from a server via the wireless network in a location outside of ROM, a plurality of service objects via at least one message based on a plurality of service features provided by the wireless service provider,

identify function parameters embedded in the generic firmware based on at least one of the plurality of service objects that was received in the location outside of ROM,

select a set of embedded applications from among the plurality of embedded applications in ROM based on the function parameters identified, wherein the function parameters comprise at least one parameter for each embedded application in the set, and

customize the generic mobile device based on the set of embedded applications in the generic firmware configured by at least some of the plurality of function parameters of the generic firmware in the portion of ROM in response to reception of the plurality of service objects, wherein the customization of the generic mobile device activates at least some of the plurality of service features provided by the wireless service provider without updating or changing the storage of data within the generic firmware on the generic mobile device.

18. The generic mobile device of claim 17, wherein the at least some of the function parameters of the generic firmware reference only the plurality of service objects without reflashing the generic firmware of the generic mobile device.

19. The generic mobile device of claim 17, wherein each of the at least some of the function parameters, reconfigure, or disable at least one of the plurality of functions of the generic mobile device according to the at least some of the plurality of service objects without prompting a user of the generic mobile device and without rewriting the generic firmware into memory of the generic mobile device.

20. The server of claim 17, wherein the application further configures a processor of the server to:

determine that the wireless service provider of the plurality of service providers has adjusted at least one of the plurality of service features subsequent to the plurality of service objects that were previously sent to the generic mobile device,

identify a second plurality of service objects that cause a different configuration of the generic firmware corresponding to a combination of service features not previously designated by the wireless service provider for activation on the generic mobile device, and

send the second plurality of service objects to the generic mobile device, wherein the generic mobile device is customized by the generic firmware configuring itself in response to the second plurality of service objects being sent and while preserving the certification of the generic firmware.