Cloud-based device twinning

• US 9,723,462 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Das, Jayanta, Schmit, Edward G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nealon, William
• Application Number:
  US14/536,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20160135023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 455417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42272 whereby the subscriber registers to the terminals for personalised service provision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/543 Call deflection
• 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 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

A network-based service is utilized to facilitate twinning of two or more communication devices associated with a subscriber account. Incoming communication is intercepted by a communication device and forwarded to a network server, which in turn transmits the incoming communication to the multiple twinned devices. In addition, identifier data associated with outgoing communication is replaced with a primary identifier (e.g., customer telephone number (CTN)) of a user'"'"'s primary device or a common identifier (e.g., a mobile one number (MON)) assigned to devices associated with the user'"'"'s subscriber account. Communication devices can be temporarily twinned for a defined time period, during which a common bill can be generated for the twinned devices.

Claims

1. A network device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving, from a first user equipment, communication data that has been transmitted from a source device to the first user equipment,

based on identifier data associated with a subscriber account of the first user equipment that is received from a network data store, determining that the first user equipment is linked to a second user equipment associated with the subscriber account, wherein the identifier data links a first subscriber identity module identifier of the first user equipment with a second subscriber identity module identifier of the second user equipment, and

in response to the determining, providing the communication data to the first user equipment and the second user equipment.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

storing the identifier data to the network data store.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein the second user equipment comprises a device of a vehicle coupled to the network device.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein the communication data is first communication data and the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the second user equipment, second communication data that is to be transmitted from the second user equipment to a destination device, wherein the second communication data comprises first identifier data indicative of the second user equipment;

replacing the first identifier data with second identifier data; and

providing, to the destination device, the second communication data with the second identifier data.

5. The network device of claim 4, wherein the first identifier data is indicative of a customer telephone number of the second user equipment.

6. The network device of claim 4, wherein the second identifier data is indicative of the first user equipment.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving input data comprising instructions to link the first user equipment with the second user equipment.

8. The network device of claim 7, wherein the input data comprises timing data indicative of a time period during which the first user equipment and the second user equipment are to be linked.

9. The network device of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to receiving the input data, directing, to the first user equipment, request data indicative of a request for an authorization to link the first user equipment with the second user equipment.

10. The network device of claim 9, wherein the directing the request data comprises directing the request data via a text message.

11. The network device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

subsequent to the directing the request data, receiving, from the first user equipment, authorization data indicative of the authorization, wherein the first user equipment is linked to the second user equipment in response to the receiving the authorization data; and

in response to the receiving the authorization data, facilitating an aggregation of first bill data indicative of a first fee associated with first network usage of the first user equipment with second bill data indicative of a second fee associated with second network usage of the second user equipment.

21. The network device of claim 1, wherein the identifier data is a pre-existing identifier of the first user equipment stored by the network data store at provisioning of the first user equipment, and wherein the determining that the first user equipment is linked to the second user equipment comprises determining, based on accessing the network data store, whether the second user equipment has been associated with the pre-existing identifier of the first user equipment.

22. The network device of claim 1, wherein the identifier data is an identifier of a subscriber identity module of the first user equipment, and wherein the determining that the first user equipment is linked to the second user equipment comprises determining, based on accessing the network data store, whether the second user equipment has been associated with the identity of the subscriber identity module of the first user equipment.

23. The network device of claim 1, wherein the identifier data is an identifier of a subscriber identity module that is not removable from the first user equipment, and wherein the determining that the first user equipment is linked to the second user equipment comprises determining, based on accessing the network data store, whether the second user equipment has been associated with the identity of the subscriber identity module of the first user equipment.

24. The network device of claim 1, wherein the identifier data is a telephone number of the first user equipment, and wherein the determining that the first user equipment is linked to the second user equipment comprises determining whether the second user equipment has been associated with the telephone number of the first user equipment.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a network device comprising a processor, communication data from a first user equipment, wherein the communication data has been transmitted from a source device to the first user equipment;

based on identifier data associated with a subscriber account of the first user equipment that is stored within a network data store, verifying, by the network device, that a second user equipment is to be twinned with the first user equipment, wherein the identifier data associates a first identifier of a first subscriber identity module of the first user equipment with a second identifier of a second subscriber identity module of the second user equipment;

in response to the verifying, facilitating, by the network device, a transmission of the communication data to the first user equipment and the second user equipment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the verifying comprises verifying that first identifier data indicative of the first user equipment is linked to second identifier data indicative of the second user equipment.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the network device, input data to activate twinning of first user equipment and the second user equipment.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

in response to the receiving the input data, receiving, by the network device, authorization data indicative of an authorization to activate the twinning.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the receiving the authorization data comprises receiving the authorization data via a text message.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the input data is first input data and the method further comprises:

receiving, by the network device, second input data to deactivate the twinning of first user equipment and the second user equipment.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a first user equipment facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

instructing a network device to link, for a defined time period, first identifier data representing the first user equipment to second identifier data representing a second user equipment;

receiving communication data that is directed to the first identifier data; and

directing the communication data to the network device to facilitate a transmission of the communication data to the second user equipment.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the directing comprises directing the communication data prior to presenting the communication data via the first user equipment.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the first identifier data is indicative of a first identifier of a first subscriber identity module of the first user equipment and the second identifier data is indicative of a second identifier of a second subscriber identity module of the second user equipment.

25. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the communication data is first communication data and the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the second user equipment, second communication data that is to be transmitted from the second user equipment to a destination device, wherein the second communication data comprises the second identifier data;

replacing the second identifier data with the first identifier data; and

directing, to the destination device, the second communication data with the first identifier data.