Systems and methods for configuring an electronic device for cellular-based communications

• US 9,467,828 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogo Business Aviation LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gogo LLC (GOGO Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lauer, Bryan Adrian, Wang, Kathy, LaMarca, Tony, Kanabar, Paresh, Bangole, Premkumar, Walsh, Pat
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US14/291,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20150133116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455436-442, 4554561-4564, 455512-514
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for registering an electronic device of a subscriber for cellular-based communications. According to certain aspects, the cellular-based communications may be facilitated by a data center while the electronic device is not easily within range of a cellular network, such as when the electronic device is traveling on an aircraft. The registration includes associating a subscription identification of a cellular services plan with an identification of the electronic device, from which a registration server may create an account associated with the cellular-based communications. Further, the registration server may generate a digital certificate using the electronic device identification and issue the digital certificate to the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of issuing a certificate for an electronic device of a subscriber, the electronic device having a communication application installed thereon, the method comprising:

receiving a communication initiated by the communication application installed on the electronic device, the communication indicating a subscription identification;

examining, using one or more processors, the subscription identification to identify a home network of the subscriber;

providing the subscription identification to the home network of the subscriber;

receiving an identification of the electronic device from the home network, the identification based on the subscription identification;

creating, for the subscriber using one or more processors, an account associated with the communication application installed on the electronic device;

associating, within the account, the subscription identification with the identification of the electronic device received from the home network;

generating, using one or more processors, a digital certificate based on the identification of the electronic device; and

providing the digital certificate to the electronic device.

2. The method of the claim 1, wherein receiving the communication initiated by the communication application installed on the electronic device comprises:

receiving a short message service (SMS) message initiated by the communication application installed on the electronic device, the SMS message indicating a mobile subscriber integrated services for digital network (MSISDN) number associated with the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the identification of the electronic device from the home network comprises:

receiving an international mobile subscriber identify (IMSI) of the electronic device from the home network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the communication initiated by the communication application installed on the electronic device comprises:

receiving a registration request from the electronic device;

responsive to receiving the registration request;

generating a code, and

sending the code to the electronic device; and

receiving the communication via a short message service center, the communication including the code and indicating the subscription identification.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying, from the registration request, an access protocol associated with the electronic device, and wherein providing the subscription identification to the home network of the subscriber comprises;

providing the subscription identification to the home network according to the access protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving the identification of the electronic device, the method further comprises:

sending an authentication request to the home network of the subscriber; and

receiving an authentication confirmation from the home network indicating that the identification of the electronic device is valid.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the communication initiated by the communication application installed on the electronic device comprises:

receiving the communication initiated by the communication application installed on the electronic device while the electronic device is in communication with a non-terrestrial-based network.

8. A system for issuing a certificate for an electronic device of a subscriber, the electronic device having a communication application installed thereon, comprising:

a communication module adapted to connect to the electronic device and to a home network of the subscriber;

a memory adapted to store a set of non-transitory computer executable instructions; and

a processor adapted to interface with the communication module and the memory, and configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to;

receive, via the communication module, a communication initiated by the communication application installed on the electronic device, the communication indicating a subscription identification,

examine the subscription identification to identify the home network of the subscriber,

provide, via the communication module, the subscription identification to the home network of the subscriber,

receive, via the communication module, an identification of the electronic device from the home network, the identification based on the subscription identification,

create an account for the subscriber, the account associated with the communication application installed on the electronic device,

associating, within the account, the subscription identification with the identification of the electronic device received from the home network,

generate a digital certificate based on the identification of the electronic device, and

provide, via the communication module, the digital certificate to the electronic device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the communication initiated by the communication application installed on the electronic device is a short message service (SMS) message, and wherein the SMS message indicates a mobile subscriber integrated services for digital network (MSISDN) number associated with the electronic device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the identification of the electronic device received from the home network is an international mobile subscriber identify (IMSI).

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to:

receive a registration request from the electronic device,

responsive to the registration request;

generate a code, and

send the code to the electronic device, and

receive the communication via a short message service center, the communication including the code and indicating the subscription identification.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to:

identify, from the registration request, an access protocol associated with the electronic device, and

provide the subscription identification to the home network according to the access protocol.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor, in response to receiving the identification of the electronic device, is further configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to:

send an authentication request to the home network of the subscriber, and

receive an authentication confirmation from the home network indicating that the identification of the electronic device is valid.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the registration server receives the communication initiated by the communication application installed on the electronic device while the electronic device is in communication with a non-terrestrial-based network.

15. A method in an electronic device of registering the electronic device of a subscriber with a registration server, the electronic device having a communication application installed thereon, the method comprising:

sending, to a registration server, a communication initiated by the communication application and indicating a subscription identification , wherein the registration server uses the subscription identification to retrieve an identification of the electronic device from a home network of the subscriber;

receiving, from the registration server, a notification that an account associated with the communication application has been established for the subscriber, wherein the account associates the subscription identification with the identification of the electronic device retrieved from the home network;

establishing, using one or more processors, a secure connection with the registration server;

receiving a digital certificate from the registration server via the secure connection, wherein the registration server generates the digital certificate based on the identification of the electronic device; and

storing, in a memory device, the digital certificate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein sending, to the registration server, the communication initiated by the communication application and indicating the subscription identification comprises:

sending the communication while in connection with a non-terrestrial-based network.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein sending, to the registration server, the communication initiated by the communication application and indicating the subscription identification comprises:

sending a registration request to the registration server;

receiving a code from the registration server; and

sending the communication to the registration server via a short message service center, the communication including the code and indicating the subscription identification.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein sending, to the registration server, the communication initiated by the communication application and indicating the subscription identification comprises:

sending the communication indicating a mobile subscriber integrated services for digital network (MSISDN) number associated with the electronic device.