Method and apparatus for M2M device subscription

• US 9,491,673 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sunder Rajan, Ashok, Jain, Puneet
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamara, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US13/977,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20130272252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/270, 370277-278, 370/282, 370/310.2, 370328-331, 370338-339, 370/349, 370/432, 370/437, 455/414.1, 455/420, 455/423.2, 455/434, 455436-439, 455/444, 455450-451, 455/452.1, 455/464, 455/13.3, 455/411, 455/435.1, 726/2, 726/6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0038 of security context information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 : Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 : Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus may include a processor circuit and a machine type communication (MTC) device setup module operable on the processor circuit to determine when the apparatus is provisioned with a subscription to a local network, and to provide a device setup interface to automatically connect the apparatus to a machine type communication (MTC) subscriber independently of an operator of the local network. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor circuit; and

a machine-type communications (MTC) device setup module operative on the processor circuit to determine when a device is without a subscription to a local home public land mobile network (HPLMN) comprising an HPLMN that is local to the device but not local to an MTC subscriber of the device, the MTC device setup module operative on the processor circuit to provide a device setup interface to automatically connect the device to the MTC subscriber through the local HPLMN without a subscription, and receive a subscription to the local HPLMN from the MTC subscriber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the MTC device setup module operative to schedule identification of the device to be sent to the MTC subscriber via the device setup interface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the MTC device setup module operative on the processor to schedule authentication for the device to be sent to the MTC subscriber via the device setup interface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the MTC device setup interface operative to receive a message to terminate the subscription from the MTC subscriber.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the MTC device setup module operative to receive a multiplicity of subscriptions, one or more of the multiplicity of subscriptions to subscribe the device to a respective HPLMN that is outside of a local HPLMN of the MTC subscriber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the MTC device setup module operative to schedule MTC features for the device to be activated via the device setup interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a subscription database to provide a record of subscriptions operable for the device on one or more HPLMNs.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

a data collection module operative to collect data for transmission to the MTC subscriber; and

an MTC application module operative to schedule the collected data for transmission according to an arrangement with the MTC subscriber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a sensor to detect data to be transmitted to the MTC subscriber once connected.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, the MTC device setup module operative to schedule one or more of identification and authentication of the device to be sent to the MTC subscriber via the device setup interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising an MTC application module to schedule the collected data for transmission according to an arrangement with the MTC subscriber.

12. A method, comprising:

determining that a device is not provisioned with a subscription to a local home public land mobile network (HPLMN) comprising an HPLMN that is local to the device but not local to a machine-type communications (MTC) subscriber of the device;

connecting the device to the MTC subscriber through the local HPLMN via a device setup interface;

receiving a subscription to the local HPLMN from the MTC subscriber via the device setup interface; and

subscribing the device to the local HPLMN with the received subscription.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising scheduling one or more of identification or authentication of the device to be sent via the device setup interface to the MTC subscriber.

14. The method of claim 12 comprising receiving instructions to terminate the subscription from the MTC subscriber.

15. The method of claim 12, comprising scheduling MTC features for the device to be activated via the device setup interface.

16. The method of claim 12, comprising:

terminating the subscription from the MTC subscriber; and

receiving a second subscription to a second HPLMN via the device setup interface.

17. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

determine when a device is without a subscription to a local home public land mobile network (HPLMN) comprising an HPLMN that is local to the device but not local to a machine-type communications (MTC) subscriber of the device;

provide a device setup interface to automatically connect the device to the MTC subscriber through the local HPLMN without a subscription; and

receive a subscription to the local HPLMN from the MTC subscriber.

18. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to schedule identification of the device to be sent to the MTC subscriber via the device setup interface.

19. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to schedule authentication for the device to be sent to the MTC subscriber via the device setup interface.

20. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to receive a message to terminate the subscription from the MTC subscriber.

21. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to receive a multiplicity of subscriptions, one or more of the multiplicity of subscriptions to subscribe the device to a respective HPLMN that is outside of a local HPLMN of the MTC subscriber.

22. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to schedule MTC features for the device to be activated via the device setup interface.

23. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to provide a record of subscriptions operable for the device on one or more HPLMNs.

24. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to schedule one or more of identification and authentication of the device to be sent to the MTC subscriber via the device setup interface.

25. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to schedule the collected data for transmission according to an arrangement with the MTC subscriber.