Broadcast replenishment of account parameters for groups of wireless devices

• US 9,258,714 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TracFone Wireless, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TracFone Wireless, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Ramprasad, Satish, Rivera, Sergio
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrishamkar, Kaveh
• Application Number:
  US14/572,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20150104018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/24 Key scheduling, i.e. generating round keys or sub-keys for block encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system and method are provided for the broadcast replenishment of account parameters for select groups of wireless devices, where select groups of wireless devices have their internally-stored account parameters (e.g., prepaid amount of usage authorization) simultaneously updated as a group by a single broadcast message, such as an encrypted SMS message. An account update message is generated based on the account parameters to be updated and encrypted using an encryption key uniquely associated with the select group of wireless devices. The encrypted account update message is broadcast for receipt by the select group of wireless devices, such only those wireless devices previously provided with a key for decryption can receive and decrypt the broadcast account update message. The wireless devices use information and/or instructions in the broadcast message in order to update their internally stored account parameters accordingly.

Claims

1. A method for replenishing internally stored account parameters on a select group of wireless devices, the method comprising:

providing a group of wireless devices, each wireless device having internally stored account parameters associated with a prepaid amount of authorization for wireless usage of the wireless device;

obtaining an encryption key uniquely associated with the group of wireless devices;

generating an encrypted account update message using the encryption key and at least one account parameter to be changed that includes a prepaid amount of authorization for wireless usage of the wireless device; and

broadcasting the encrypted account update message for receipt by the group of wireless devices in order to update the internally stored account parameters within the group of wireless devices to replenish their internally stored prepaid amount of authorization for wireless usage of the wireless device, wherein the broadcast encrypted account update message is only able to be decrypted by those wireless devices within the group of wireless devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the wireless devices are configured to automatically replenish the internally stored prepaid amount of authorization for usage of the wireless device on a periodic basis based on internally stored rules regardless of whether the broadcast encrypted account update message is received by any of the wireless devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast encrypted account update message provides the same prepaid amount of authorization for usage of the wireless device to be replenished on each wireless device in the group of wireless devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the encrypted account update message is a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting the Short Message Service (SMS) message over a predetermined SMS cell broadcast channel subscribed to by the group the wireless devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the group of wireless devices with a decryption key capable of decrypting the broadcast encrypted account update message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising including an identification within the encrypted account update message such that each broadcast encrypted account update message is capable of being separately identified and acted upon by the wireless devices.

8. A system for replenishing internally stored account parameters on a select group of wireless devices, comprising:

a database configured to obtain an encryption key uniquely associated with the group of wireless devices;

a server configured to generate an encrypted account update message using the encryption key and at least one account parameter to be changed that includes an amount of authorization for wireless usage of the wireless device; and

a broadcast system configured to broadcast the encrypted account update message for receipt by the group of wireless devices in order to update the internally stored account parameters within the group of wireless devices to replenish their internally stored prepaid amount of authorization for wireless usage of the wireless device, wherein the broadcast encrypted account update message is only able to be decrypted by those wireless devices within the group of wireless devices.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for automatically replenishing the internally stored prepaid amount of authorization for usage of the wireless devices on a periodic basis based on internally stored rules regardless of whether the broadcast encrypted account update message is received by any of the wireless devices.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the broadcast encrypted account update message provides the same prepaid amount of authorization for usage of the wireless device to be replenished on each wireless device in the group of wireless devices.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the encrypted account update message is a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the broadcast system is further configured for broadcasting the Short Message Service (SMS) message over a predetermined SMS cell broadcast channel subscribed to by the group the wireless devices.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for providing the group of wireless devices with a decryption key capable of decrypting the broadcast encrypted account update message.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the server is further configured for including an identification within the encrypted account update message such that each broadcast encrypted account update message is capable of being separately identified and acted upon by the wireless devices.

15. A system for replenishing internally stored account parameters on a select group of wireless devices, comprising:

a database containing an encryption key uniquely associated with the group of wireless devices;

obtaining the encryption key from the database associated with the group of wireless devices;

generating an encrypted account update message using the encryption key and at least one account parameter to be changed that includes an amount of authorization for wireless usage of the wireless device; and

broadcasting the encrypted account update message for receipt by the group of wireless devices in order to update the internally stored account parameters within the group of wireless devices to replenish their internally stored prepaid amount of wireless authorization for usage of the wireless device, wherein the broadcast encrypted account update message is only able to be decrypted by those wireless devices within the group of wireless devices.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for automatically replenishing the internally stored prepaid amount of authorization for usage of the wireless devices on a periodic basis based on internally stored rules regardless of whether the broadcast encrypted account update message is received by any of the wireless devices.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the broadcast encrypted account update message provides the same prepaid amount of authorization for usage of the wireless device to be replenished on each wireless device in the group of wireless devices.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the encrypted account update message is a Short Message Service (SMS) message.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising stored instructions executable by the server processor for broadcasting the Short Message Service (SMS) message over a predetermined SMS cell broadcast channel subscribed to by the group the wireless devices.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising stored instructions executable by the server processor for including an identification within the encrypted account update message such that each broadcast encrypted account update message is capable of being separately identified and acted upon by the wireless devices.