Satellite Provisioning of Cell Service

• US 20170054493A1
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Published: 02/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sirius XM Radio Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sirius XM Radio Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Marko, Paul, Wadin, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 10,263,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/00 Cosmonautic vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/66 Arrangements or adaptations of apparatus or instruments, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18517 Transmission equipment in earth stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18541 for handover of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18573 for operations control, administration or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Satellite provisioning of cell service for an in-vehicle telematics control unit (“TCU”) is presented. Thus, a truly carrier independent TCU is facilitated. A TCU may be provided with a cellular modem and two or more SIM cards, each associated with a cellular carrier that has approved the modem and their SIM card. The TCU may also be provided with connectivity to a satellite, such as, for example, via an SDARS antenna and processing module, that can receive and process SDARS audio and data signals. When a user desires to change from one of the cellular carriers to another, provisioning data for the new carrier'"'"'s SIM, now already in the telematics system, may be (i) sent over the satellite, (ii) received at the satellite antenna, and (iii) passed to a telematics processor. The telematics processor, in turn, may (iv) deliver the provisioning data to the cell modem, which may then (v) program the appropriate SIM with the provisioning data, thus allowing cellular communications on the new carrier'"'"'s network. The inventive functionality facilitates easily switching carriers as one crosses a border, or when a new vehicle is imported to a given country, and cellular service then or there available on one of the approved carriers is easily chosen by a user and turned on. The TCU may also include a Wi-Fi module, configured to receive provisioning instructions or data over a Wi-Fi network.

Claims

1. A carrier independent telematics control unit, comprising:

a telematics processor;

a cellular modem communicatively connected to the telematics processor;

two or more SIM cards configured to be used with the cellular modem, communicably connected to the cellular modem; and

a satellite module, including an antenna, connected to the telematics processor,

wherein the satellite module is configured to receive provisioning data for the cellular modem and pass said provisioning data to the telematics processor.

2. The telematics control unit of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the satellite module is an SDARS module;

the satellite module is an SDARS module with an SDARS module ID assigned to the SDARS module;

or

the satellite module is an SDARS module with an SDARS module ID assigned to the SDARS module, and, in operation, a provisioning system associates the SDARS module ID with a cellular ID to address provisioning messages over an SDARS network to the cellular modem.

5. The telematics control unit of claim 1, wherein provisioning data are received in a data channel by the satellite module.

6. The telematics control unit of claim 5, further comprising a Wi-Fi module, configured to receive provisioning data over a Wi-Fi network.

7. The telematics control unit of claim 5, wherein at least one of:

(i) the cellular modem is provided in a LTE/HSPA and GPS module;

(ii) in operation the telematics processor delivers received provisioning data to the cellular modem, and the cellular modem programs one of the SIM cards using the received provisioning data;

or

(iii) the cellular modem is provided in a LTE/HSPA and GPS module, and wherein, in operation, the telematics processor delivers provisioning data and instructions received at the SDARS module to the cellular modem, and the cellular modem;

(i) programs a non-currently used SIM card using the received provisioning data, and

(ii) restarts using the non-currently used SIM card and communicates on its carrier'"'"'s network.

8. The telematics control unit of claim 6, wherein at least one of:

the cellular modem is provided in a LTE/HSPA and GPS module;

the cellular modem is provided in a LTE/HSPA and GPS module, and in operation the telematics processor delivers received provisioning data to the cellular modem, and the cellular modem programs one of the SIM cards using the received provisioning data;

or

the cellular modem is provided in a LTE/HSPA and GPS module, and in operation;

(i) the telematics processor delivers received provisioning data to the cellular modem, and the cellular modem programs one of the SIM cards using the received provisioning data, and

(ii) the telematics processor delivers provisioning data and instructions received at one of the SDARS module and the W-Fi module to the cellular modem, and the cellular modem;

(a) programs a non-currently used SIM card using the received provisioning data, and

(b) restarts using the non-currently used SIM card and communicates on its carrier'"'"'s network.

13. A system, comprising:

an SDARS satellite; and

the telematics control unit of claim 5,

wherein, in operation, the SDARS satellite transmits provisioning data to a satellite receiver in the telematics control unit for any of a plurality of cellular carriers for which the telematics control unit is configured to operate with.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of:

the SDARS satellite transmits the provisioning data within one or more data channels, or

the SDARS satellite transmits the provisioning data within one or more data channels, and a user can request sending of provisioning data to a vehicle directly from the SDARS operator.

3-4. -4. (canceled)

9-12. -12. (canceled)

15-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method, comprising:

providing a telematics unit in a vehicle, the unit comprising;

a telematics processor;

a cellular modem communicatively connected to the telematics processor;

two or more SIM cards configured to be used with the cellular modem, communicably connected to the cellular modem;

a satellite module, including an antenna, connected to the telematics processor,

wherein the satellite module is configured to receive provisioning data for the cellular modem and pass said provisioning data to the telematics processor.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising at least one of:

sending one or more of provisioning data and provisioning instructions for the cellular modem over a satellite to either;

(i) provision the cellular modem to operate on a carrier network, or

(ii) facilitate a change of carriers used by the cellular modem;

sending one or more of provisioning data and provisioning instructions for the cellular modem over a satellite to either;

(i) provision the cellular modem to operate on a carrier network, or

(ii) facilitate a change of carriers used by the cellular modem,

wherein said change of carriers is made pursuant to at least one of;

a change of ownership of the vehicle, an economic incentive available for the change,

a cessation of service by a current carrier, or a request by the vehicle owner,

or

sending one or more of provisioning data and provisioning instructions for the cellular modem over a satellite to facilitate a reactivation of service with the same carrier.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of:

the telematics unit further comprises a Wi-Fi module and a Wi-Fi antenna,

or

the cellular modem of the telematics control unit is provided in a LTE/HSPA and GPS module.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising sending provisioning data for the cellular modem over the Wi-Fi network to either:

(i) provision the cellular modem to operate on a carrier network, or

(ii) facilitate a change of carriers used by the cellular modem.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising sending one or more of provisioning data and provisioning instructions for the cellular modem over a satellite to either:

(i) provision the cellular modem to operate on a carrier network, or

(ii) facilitate a change of carriers used by the cellular modem,

wherein said change of carriers is made pursuant to at least one of;

a change of ownership of the vehicle, an economic incentive available for the change, a cessation of service by a current carrier, or a request by the vehicle owner.

21-22. -22. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. A method, comprising:

sending provisioning data and provisioning instructions for an in-vehicle cellular modem over a satellite, the vehicle comprising a telematics control unit including;

a telematics processor;

a cellular modem communicatively connected to the telematics processor;

two or more SIM cards configured to be used with the cellular modem, communicably connected to the cellular modem; and

a satellite module, including an antenna, connected to the telematics processor,

wherein the satellite module is configured to receive provisioning data for the cellular modem and pass said provisioning data to the telematics processor.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein at least one of:

(a) the provisioning data and provisioning instructions, when processed by the telematics processor, cause the telematics control unit to at least one of;

(i) provision the cellular modem to operate on a carrier network, or

(ii) facilitate a change of carriers used by the cellular modem;

(b) the provisioning data and provisioning instructions, when processed by the telematics processor cause the telematics control unit to facilitate a reactivation of service with the same carrier;

(c) the provisioning data and provisioning instructions, when processed by the telematics processor cause the telematics control unit to facilitate a reactivation of service with the same carrier;

or

(d) the telematics control unit further comprises a Wi-Fi module, including an antenna, configured to receive provisioning data over a Wi-Fi network.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein at least one of:

(a) the provisioning data and provisioning instructions, when processed by the telematics processor, cause the telematics control unit to either;

(i) provision the cellular modem to operate on a carrier network, or

(ii) facilitate a change of carriers used by the cellular modem;

or

the provisioning data and provisioning instructions, when processed by the telematics processor, cause the telematics control unit to either;

(i) provision the cellular modem to operate on a carrier network, or

(ii) facilitate a change of carriers used by the cellular modem,

and said change of carriers is made pursuant to at least one of;

a change of ownership of the vehicle, an economic incentive available for the change, a cessation of service by a current carrier, or a request by the vehicle owner

29-31. -31. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

34. A method, comprising:

sending provisioning data and provisioning instructions for an in-vehicle cellular modem over a Wi-Fi network, the vehicle comprising a telematics control unit including;

a telematics processor;

a cellular modem communicatively connected to the telematics processor;

two or more SIM cards configured to be used with the cellular modem, communicably connected to the cellular modem;

a Wi-Fi module and a Wi-Fi antenna, connected to the telematics processor, wherein the Wi-Fi module is configured to receive provisioning data for the cellular modem and pass said provisioning data to the telematics processor.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein at least one of:

the provisioning data and provisioning instructions, when processed by the telematics processor, cause the telematics control unit to either;

(i) provision the cellular modem to operate on a carrier network, or

(ii) facilitate a change of carriers used by the cellular modem,

or

the cellular modem of the telematics control unit is provided in a LTE/HSPA and GPS module.

36. (canceled)