Methods and systems for carrier activation using information from an existing profile

• US 9,253,617 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cohen, Gabriel, Sinclair, Sara Anne Barton, Burke, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): ZEWDU, MELESS NMN
• Application Number:
  US14/041,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20150094022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 455410-411, 455418-420, 455/432.1, 455/432.3, 455/434, 4554351-4353, 455/517, 455524-525, 455/550.1, 455/551, 455/552.1, 455/556.2, 455557-558, 455560-561
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/715 Activating new subscriber or card
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• 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

Abstract

A platform included in a device can be configured to execute instructions to operate the device. The platform can be configured to setup connectivity to a network provided by a data service provider by having an activated account with the data service provider. To activate the account, the platform can be configured to determine that subscription information requested by the data service provider is included in an existing profile associated with the device. Responsive to the determination the subscription information is included in the profile, the platform can be configured to provide information from the profile as the subscription information to activate the account with the data service provider and receive subscriber-level connectivity to the network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

during initial setup of an unactivated device, receiving, by a platform on the device configured to operate the device, from a server accessible by the device via a first network, a profile including identification information identifying a user of the device;

determining, based on configuration instructions included in a memory accessible by the platform, a data service provider, wherein the device is configured to communicate via a second network provided by the data service provider based on the device being associated with an activated account with the data service provider, wherein activation of the account with the data service provider authorizes the device to receive subscriber-level connectivity to the second network;

receiving, by the platform, a request from the data service provider for subscription information to activate the account with the data service provider, wherein the request is further for the platform to obtain a configuration package of the data service provider, and wherein the configuration package includes operating instructions for the platform to communicate over the second network;

determining that the subscription information requested by the data service provider is included in the profile received during the initial setup of the device;

obtaining, by the platform, via the first network, the configuration package;

responsive to determining that the subscription information is included in the profile received during the initial setup of the device, providing information from the profile to the data service provider as the subscription information based on the operating instructions in the obtained configuration package; and

based on the device being associated with the activated account with the data service provider, receiving the subscriber-level connectivity to the second network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory includes configuration instructions corresponding to a plurality of data service providers, wherein determining the data service provider comprises:

receiving input indicative of a selection of a given data service provider of the plurality of data service providers; and

determining the data service provider to be the given data service provider.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input indicative of authentication information relating to the profile;

providing the authentication information to the server; and

receiving the profile included in the server associated with the authentication information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the subscription information to the data service provider comprises:

providing, to the server, instructions that cause the server to provide the information from the profile in the server as the subscription information to the data service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the subscription information to the data service provider comprises:

receiving, by the device, authorization input indicative of authorizing provision of the subscription information included in the profile to the data service provider; and

responsive to receiving the authorization input, providing the information from the profile as the subscription information to the data service provider.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the device, selection input indicative of a selected service type pertaining to the network provided by the data service provider; and

responsive to receiving the selection input, providing the selected service type and the information from the profile as the subscription information to the data service provider.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device includes an application programming interface configured to communicate with the data service provider based on received instructions from the platform or any other application in the device, wherein providing the subscription information comprises:

providing, by the platform to the application programming interface, the information from the profile and the instructions that cause the application programming interface to communicate with the data service provider; and

based on the information and the instructions provided by the platform, providing, by the application programming interface, the information provided by the platform to the data service provider as the subscription information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the configuration package via the first network is based on at least a determination that the configuration package is accessible to the device via the first network,

and wherein the platform is configured to obtain the configuration package via the second network provided by the data service provider based on at least a determination that the configuration package is accessible to the device via the second network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the configuration package via the first network is based on at least a determination that the memory accessible by the platform does not include the configuration package, and wherein obtaining the configuration package comprises:

based on at least a determination that the configuration package is included in the memory accessible by the platform, receiving the configuration package from the memory.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the memory includes a plurality of configuration packages, and wherein receiving the configuration package from the memory comprises:

determining, by the platform based on information in the request, a particular configuration package of the plurality of configuration packages corresponding to the data service provider; and

providing the particular configuration package as the configuration package of the data service provider.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory is included in a subscriber identity module (SIM) configured to be removably included in the device such that the memory is accessible by the platform when the SIM is included in the device.

12. A device comprising:

a network communication interface configured to provide connectivity to a first network, wherein the network communication interface is configured to provide connectivity to a second network provided by a data service provider based on the device being associated with an activated account with the data service provider, and wherein activation of the account with the data service provider authorizes the device to receive subscriber-level connectivity to the second network;

an input interface configured to receive, during initial setup of the device, based on at least a determination that the device is an unactivated device, input pertaining to a profile including identification information identifying a user of the device;

one or more processors; and

data storage configured to store instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the device to;

receive, from a server accessible by the device via the first network, the profile based on the input received at the input interface during the initial setup of the device;

determine the data service provider based on configuration instructions included in the data storage;

receive a request from the data service provider for subscription information to activate the account with the data service provider, wherein the request is further for the device to obtain a configuration package of the data service provider, and wherein the configuration package includes operating instructions for the device to communicate over the second network;

determine that the subscription information is included in the profile;

obtain, via the first network, the configuration package;

responsive to the determination that the subscription information is included in the profile, provide information from the profile to the data service provider as the subscription information based on the operating instructions in the obtained configuration package; and

receive, via the network communication interface, the subscriber-level connectivity to the second network based on the device being associated with the activated account with the data service provider.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the network communication interface is configured to receive the request for the subscription information from the data service provider based on an account status inquiry provided via the network communication interface to the data service provider.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions, that when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions, the functions comprising:

during initial setup of the computing device, based on at least a determination that the computing device is an unactivated device, receiving, by a platform on the computing device configured to operate the computing device, from a server accessible by the computing device via a first network, a profile including identification information identifying a user of the computing device;

determining, based on configuration instructions included in a memory accessible by the platform, a data service provider, wherein the computing device is configured to communicate via a second network provided by the data service provider based on the computing device being associated with an activated account with the data service provider, wherein activation of the account with the data service provider authorizes the computing device to receive subscriber-level connectivity to the second network;

receiving, by the platform, a request from the data service provider for subscription information to activate the account with the data service provider, wherein the request is further for the platform to obtain a configuration package of the data service provider, and wherein the configuration package includes operating instructions for the platform to communicate over the second network;

determining that the subscription information requested by the data service provider is included in the profile received during the initial setup of the computing device;

obtaining, by the platform, via the first network, the configuration package;

responsive to determining that the subscription information is included in the profile received during the initial setup of the device, providing information from the profile to the data service provider as the subscription information; and

based on the computing device being associated with the activated account with the data service provider, receiving the subscriber-level connectivity to the second network.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein receiving the profile comprises:

receiving input indicative of authentication information relating to the profile;

providing the authentication information to the server; and

receiving the profile included in the server associated with the authentication information.