Wireless satellite digital audio radio service (SDARS) head unit with portable subscription and cell phone abilities

• US 9,887,790 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sirius XM Radio Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sirius XM Radio Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Inventors: DeLuca, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US15/187,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20170054521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 455 302, 455 303, 4554141, 455 306, 4555561
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for automated activation of a radio, or content receiver, used to receive subscription radio services such as XM or Sirius radio. A wireless communications device with a short range data link wirelessly communicates with the content receiver to control the content receiver and receive a unique identification code from the content receiver. The wireless communications device also has its own unique identification code. The wireless communications device transmits an activation request message over a long range wireless communications link to a control station. The activation request message contains the receivers unique identification code and the communications device'"'"'s own unique identification code. The control station maintains a database of valid identification codes that is used to authenticate the request. If the control station receives a valid request, an activation signal is sent to the receiver to allow operation of the receiver.

Claims

1. A method of activating a first device via a second device, comprising:

sending from the first device to a second device, through a first wireless connection, at least one identifier; and

transmitting, through a second wireless connection, at least one activation message from the second device to at least one activation server, the activation message comprising the at least one identifier and at least one additional identifier for identifying at least one account associated with either (i) the second device or (ii) an individual associated with the first device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the first wireless connection is at least one wireless connection conforming to at least one of a Bluetooth standard, an IEEE 802.11 standard, and an infrared controller standard;

the second wireless connection comprises at least one of a cellular communications system data link and a data link conforming to an IEEE 802.11 standard; and

the second device comprises at least one of a cellular telephone, a two-way text messaging device, a two-way multimedia messaging device, and a personal digital assistant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

(i) the first device is configured to receive at least one satellite digital radio signal, the activation server is configured to accept at least one activation message and, in response to accepting the activation message, to receive subscription based content transmitted on the satellite digital radio signal;

(ii) the additional identifier comprises at least one of a cellular phone electronic serial number, an electronic identification number, and a subscriber or account number associated with an individual;

(iii) the second device provides commands to the first device and monitors channels to which the media receiver is tuned;

or

(iv) the method further comprises transmitting, over the second wireless connection to a data collection facility, data regarding content received by the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first device is unable to communicate with the second device;

and

transmitting in response, at least one deactivation request for the first device from the second device to the at least one activation server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending from the first device to the second device, over a second wireless connection, at least one third device identifier; and

transmitting, through the second wireless connection, at least one second activation message from the second device to an activation server, the second activation request message comprising the at least one third device identifier and the additional identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting, through the second wireless connection, at least one deactivation request for the first device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving at the first device, from the second device, over the first wireless connection, at least one configuration data item, said configuration data item comprising at least one of:

at least one preset channel selection definition, at least one preferred artist, at least one preferred song title, or at least one configuration setting.

8. A computer implemented method for activating a media receiver, comprising:

receiving, at a first device, a request for identification from a second device over a wireless connection;

sending, by the first device, to the second device, over a wireless connection, at least one identifier of said first device; and

receiving, at the first device, over a wireless broadcast channel, at least one media service activation signal associated with the previously sent identifier.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, further comprising receiving, at a third device linked to a same or a related subscriber account that the first device is linked to, over a wireless broadcast channel, at least one deactivation signal associated with an identifier of the third device.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein, in response to receiving the first device identifier, the second device sends to the media service an activation request message comprising the first device identifier and at least one additional identifier, said additional identifier identifying at least one account associated with either:

(i) the second device or (ii) an individual associated with the first device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving, at the first device, over the wireless broadcast channel, at least one deactivation message for the media service.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

a third device, associated with one of;

an individual or an account to which the first device is also associated;

sending over a wireless connection to the second device, at least one identifier associated with the third device; and

receiving, at said third device, over the wireless broadcast channel, at least one second activation signal for the media service.

13. A system for activating a subscription based service on a device, comprising:

a first device arranged to receive a subscription based service;

a second device communicably connected over a first wireless connection to the first device; and

a subscription based service server,

wherein, in operation, the first device receives, over the first wireless connection, a request for at least one identifier from the second device;

the second device transmits, through a second wireless connection, at least one activation request message to the subscription based service server, the activation request message comprising an identifier of the first device and at least one account identifier relating to an account associated with one of;

the first device or an individual; and

the subscription based service server;

accepts over the second wireless connection, the activation request message;

validates the activation request; and

transmits, over a wireless broadcast channel, at least one activation signal to the first device.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

storing, at the subscription based service server, a controller identifier, the controller identifier associated with a controller that is authorized to request activation of one or more subscription based services on a device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the storing at the subscription based service server further comprises storing, in association with each of the first device identifier, at least one subscription receiver data item, the subscription receiver data item comprising at least one of:

at least one preset station definition, at least one preferred artist, at least one preferred song title, at least one subscription service configuration setting;

and wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting the subscription service data item to the first device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the validating comprises determining that the first device identifier is contained within the stored first device identifier.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

storing at least one public subscription identifier, the public subscription identifier being associated with a device that is authorized to receive activation signals in response to validation of activation request messages, and wherein the validating comprises determining that the requesting controller identifier is contained within the stored at least one controller identifier and that the device identifier is contained within the at least one public subscription identifier.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a third device arranged to receive a subscription based service, the third device receiving, over the first wireless connection, a request for at least one device identifier from the second device;

the subscription based service server;

accepting, over the second wireless connection, at least one second activation request message, the second activation request message comprising an identifier of the third device;

validating the second activation request message;

transmitting, in response to validating the second activation request message, at least one activation signal to the third device associated with the third device identifier; and

transmitting, in response to validating the second activation request message, at least one deactivation signal to the first device.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the subscription based service server further stores at least one association of a stored first device identifier to a particular second device identifier that is stored within the at least one second device identifier, and wherein the validating comprises determining if the first device identifier and the second device identifier are both contained within an association within the at least one association.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the association comprises at least one association between the stored second device identifier and a plurality of stored identifiers for devices arranged to receive the subscription based service.