SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATIC USER-ENABLED ACCOUNT IDENTIFIER ASSOCIATION

• US 20100291912A1
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Perry, Chris, TAFARRODI, Dar T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,768,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/705 Account settings, e.g. limits or numbers or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/715 Activating new subscriber or card
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

Systems, methods, and an article of manufacturing for automatically associating an identifier of a particular mobile station with a mobile communications network account are shown and described. In some circumstances, an identifier is automatically captured from a mobile station, e.g., via over-the-air signaling to the network. Upon verification of other account details, the captured identifier is assigned to the account, e.g., with a particular directory number of the account, and the change is propagated to other systems of the mobile communications network.

Claims

1. A method of automatically associating an identifier of a particular mobile station with a mobile communications network account, comprising steps of:

receiving an initiation request from the mobile station over the air in the mobile communication network;

automatically capturing from the mobile station, by a first mobile communications network element, the mobile station identifier, responsive to the received initiation request;

validating, by a second mobile communications network element, one or more account parameters associated with the mobile communications network account; and

associating the captured mobile station identifier with the mobile communications network account upon successful validation, to activate the particular mobile station for mobile communication network service on the account.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of automatically capturing comprises automatically capturing from the mobile station an electronic serial number associated with the mobile station.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating a third mobile communications network element with the captured mobile station identifier associated with the mobile communications network account.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein capturing and validating are performed by the same mobile communications network element.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the network element comprises a customer care enterprise services platform.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein capturing and validating are performed by different mobile communications network elements.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising provisioning the mobile station with account specific information upon successful validation.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein provisioning comprises associating a mobile directory number (“

MDN”

) with the mobile station.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein provisioning comprises associating a mobile identification number (“

MIN”

) with the mobile station.

10. A mobile communications network, comprising:

a traffic network configured to support communications; and

one or more mobile communications network elements in communication with the traffic network, the one or more mobile communications network elements configured to;

receive an initiation request from a mobile station over the air in the mobile communications network;

automatically capture a mobile station identifier, responsive to the received initiation request;

validate one or more account parameters associated with the mobile communications network account; and

associate the captured mobile station identifier with the mobile communications network account upon successful validation to activate the particular mobile station for mobile communication network service on the account.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the mobile station identifier comprises an electronic serial number associated with the mobile station.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more mobile communications network elements is further configured to update another communications network element with the captured mobile station identifier associated with the mobile communications network account.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein capturing and validating are performed by the same mobile communications network element.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the network element comprises a customer care enterprise services platform.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein capturing and validating are performed by different mobile communications network elements.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more mobile communications network elements is further configured to provision the mobile station with account specific information upon successful validation.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein provisioning comprises associating a mobile directory number (“

MDN”

) with the mobile station.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein provisioning comprises associating a mobile identification number (“

MIN”

) with the mobile station.

19. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine readable storage medium; and

executable program instructions embodied in the machine readable storage medium that when executed by a programmable system coupled to a mobile communications network causes the system to perform functions that change an identifier of a particular mobile station with a mobile communications network account, the functions comprising;

receiving an initiation request from the mobile station over the air in the mobile communication network;

automatically capturing from the mobile station the mobile station identifier, responsive to the received initiation request;

validating one or more account parameters associated with the mobile communications network account; and

associating the captured mobile station identifier with the mobile communications network account upon successful validation, to activate the particular mobile station for mobile communication network service on the account.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19 wherein the mobile station identifier comprises an electronic serial number associated with the mobile station.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 19 further comprising instructions for causing the system to update another communications network element with the captured mobile station identifier associated with the mobile communications network account.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 19 further comprising instructions for causing the system to provision the mobile station with account specific information upon successful validation.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22 wherein the instructions to provision comprises instructions for causing the system to associate a mobile directory number (“

MDN”

) with the mobile station.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 22 wherein the instructions to provision comprises instructions for causing the system to associate a mobile identification number (“

MIN”

) with the mobile station.