System and method for provisioning a user device

• US 20070014243A1
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Breuer, Matthias, Srinivasan, Venkatachary, Schulz, Torsten, Boerries, Marco, Meyer, Markus
• Application Number:
  US11/182,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20070014243A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/249
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

System and method for providing multiple entry points for connecting one or more user devices in a communication network are disclosed. The method includes providing a server for communicating with the one or more user devices, where the server includes a connected-data-set and the one or more user devices share portions of the connected-data-set, receiving from the user device a request for accessing the connected-data-set from one of the multiple entry points, determining attributes of the user device automatically, selecting a method of communication from a database of predetermined client devices using the attributes of the user device, and provisioning the user device in accordance with the method of communication.

Claims

1. A system for providing multiple entry points for connecting one or more user devices in a communication network, comprising:

a server for communicating with the one or more user devices, wherein the server includes a connected-data-set, and wherein the one or more user devices share portions of the connected-data-set;

logic for receiving from a user device a request for accessing the connected-data-set from one of the multiple entry points;

logic for determining attributes of the user device automatically;

logic for selecting a method of communication from a database of predetermined client devices using the attributes of the user device; and

logic for provisioning the user device in accordance with the method of communication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more user devices comprise:

at least one or more cellular phones, wireless personal digital assistants, navigation devices, personal computers, game consoles, Internet terminals, and Kiosks.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the connected-data-set comprises:

at least one or more emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, pictures, music, documents, videos, bookmarks, and links.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the server comprises:

one or more computer and data storage systems distributed in multiple geographical locations.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the attributes comprise:

device type description;

service description;

transcodings; and

account templates.

6. The system of claim 1;

wherein the logic for provisioning the user device comprises;

logic for performing an SMS based provisioning;

logic for performing a device browser based provisioning;

logic for performing an executable program based provisioning; and

logic for performing an ActiveX based provisioning.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the logic for performing an SMS based provisioning comprises:

logic for sending an URL to the user device requesting credentials, wherein the credentials include an email address and password;

logic for receiving the credentials from the user device; and

logic for sending a provision SMS to the user device upon verifying the credentials from the user device.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the logic for performing a device browser based provisioning comprises:

logic for sending a new device indicator to the user device requesting credentials, wherein the credentials include a phone number;

logic for receiving the credentials from the user device; and

logic for sending a provision SMS to the user device upon verifying the credentials from the user device.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the logic for performing an executable program based provisioning comprises:

logic for determining whether the user device is an SDK device;

logic for sending an executable program to the user device for configuring the user device and requesting credentials, wherein the credentials include a phone number;

logic for receiving the credentials from the user device; and

logic for downloading configurations to the user device upon verifying the credentials from the user device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the logic for downloading configurations comprises:

logic for installing computer programs;

logic for applying filters; and

logic for applying connections to the connected-data-set.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the logic for performing an ActiveX based provisioning comprises:

logic for determining whether the user device is ActiveX enabled;

if the user device is ActiveX enabled, logic for installing an ActiveX loader on the user device; and

logic for running the Active X loader on the user device.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the logic for provisioning the user device further comprises:

logic for activiating a service to the user device;

logic for importing data from the user device;

logic for connecting the user device to a predetermined account;

logic for handling duplicate records; and

logic for sending records to the user device.

13. A method for providing multiple entry points for connecting one or more user devices in a communication network, comprising:

providing a server for communicating with the one or more user devices, wherein the server includes a connected-data-set, and wherein the one or more user devices share portions of the connected-data-set;

receiving from a user device a request for accessing the connected-data-set from one of the multiple entry points;

determining attributes of the user device automatically;

selecting a method of communication from a database of predetermined client devices using the attributes of the user device; and

provisioning the user device in accordance with the method of communication.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more user devices comprise:

at least one or more cellular phones, wireless personal digital assistants, navigation devices, personal computers, game consoles, Internet terminals, and Kiosks.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the connected-data-set comprises:

at least one or more emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, pictures, music, documents, videos, bookmarks, and links.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the server comprises:

one or more computer and data storage systems distributed in multiple geographical locations.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the attributes comprise:

device type description;

service description;

transcodings; and

account templates.

18. The method of claim 13;

wherein provisioning the user device comprises;

performing an SMS based provisioning;

performing a device browser based provisioning;

performing an executable program based provisioning; and

performing an ActiveX based provisioning.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein performing an SMS based provisioning comprises:

sending an URL to the user device requesting credentials, wherein the credentials include an email address and password;

receiving the credentials from the user device; and

sending a provision SMS to the user device upon verifying the credentials from the user device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein performing a device browser based provisioning comprises:

sending a new device indicator to the user device requesting credentials, wherein the credentials include a phone number;

receiving the credentials from the user device; and

sending a provision SMS to the user device upon verifying the credentials from the user device.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein performing an executable program based provisioning comprises:

determining whether the user device is an SDK device;

sending an executable program to the user device for configuring the user device and requesting credentials, wherein the credentials include a phone number;

receiving the credentials from the user device; and

downloading configurations to the user device upon verifying the credentials from the user device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein downloading configurations comprises:

installing computer programs;

applying filters; and

applying connections to the connected-data-set.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein performing an ActiveX based provisioning comprises:

determining whether the user device is ActiveX enabled;

if the user device is ActiveX enabled, installing an ActiveX loader on the user device; and

running the Active X loader on the user device.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein provisioning the user device further comprises:

activiating a service to the user device;

importing data from the user device;

connecting the user device to a predetermined account;

handling duplicate records; and

sending records to the user device.

25. A computer program product for providing multiple entry points for connecting one or more user devices in a communication network, comprising a medium storing computer programs for execution by one or more computer systems having at least a processing unit, a user interface and a memory, the computer program product comprising:

code for communicating between a server and the one or more user devices, wherein the server includes a connected-data-set, and wherein the one or more user devices share portions of the connected-data-set;

code for receiving from a user device a request for accessing the connected-data-set from one of the multiple entry points;

code for determining attributes of the user device automatically;

code for selecting a method of communication from a database of predetermined client devices using the attributes of the user device; and

code for provisioning the user device in accordance with the method of communication.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the one or more user devices comprise:

at least one or more cellular phones, wireless personal digital assistants, navigation devices, personal computers, game consoles, Internet terminals, and Kiosks.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the connected-data-set comprises:

at least one or more emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, pictures, music, documents, videos, bookmarks, and links.

28. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the server comprises:

one or more computer and data storage systems distributed in multiple geographical locations.

29. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the attributes comprise:

device type description;

service description;

transcodings; and

account templates.

30. The computer program product of claim 25;

wherein the code for provisioning the user device comprises;

code for performing an SMS based provisioning;

code for performing a device browser based provisioning;

code for performing an executable program based provisioning; and

code for performing an ActiveX based provisioning.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the code for performing an SMS based provisioning comprises:

code for sending an URL to the user device requesting credentials, wherein the credentials include an email address and password;

code for receiving the credentials from the user device; and

code for sending a provision SMS to the user device upon verifying the credentials from the user device.

32. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the code for performing a device browser based provisioning comprises:

code for sending a new device indicator to the user device requesting credentials, wherein the credentials include a phone number;

code for receiving the credentials from the user device; and

code for sending a provision SMS to the user device upon verifying the credentials from the user device.

33. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the code for performing an executable program based provisioning comprises:

code for determining whether the user device is an SDK device;

code for sending an executable program to the user device for configuring the user device and requesting credentials, wherein the credentials include a phone number;

code for receiving the credentials from the user device; and

code for downloading configurations to the user device upon verifying the credentials from the user device.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the code for downloading configurations comprises:

code for installing computer programs;

code for applying filters; and

code for applying connections to the connected-data-set.

35. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the code for performing an ActiveX based provisioning comprises:

code for determining whether the user device is ActiveX enabled;

if the user device is ActiveX enabled, code for installing an ActiveX loader on the user device; and

code for running the Active X loader on the user device.

36. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the code for provisioning the user device further comprises:

code for activiating a service to the user device;

code for importing data from the user device;

code for connecting the user device to a predetermined account;

code for handling duplicate records; and

code for sending records to the user device.