Over-the-air service termination for a telematics device

• US 8,032,111 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Rappoport, Bruce Joel, McHenry, James, Dunne, Kevin Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor; Barry W
• Application Number:
  US12/945,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20110059734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/418, 455/419, 455/445
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/30 Connection release
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

The disclosed technology automatically terminates wireless service that a mobile communication network provided to a telematics unit, e.g. when the customer is no longer active for telematics service. The disclosed deactivation allows the network service provider to reuse any resources, such as mobile numbers, that were previously assigned to the particular telematics unit. In a disclosed example, a SMS deactivation message causes the telematics unit to delete its mobile provisioning data, such as its MDN and/or its MIN, and replace that data with a dummy number. The deactivation procedure may also provide a replacement destination number for emergency calls, typically a cleared number, such as 911. For example, the deactivated telematics unit would be able to call a PSAP, and the PSAP would recognize that the unit is inactive for wireless service (and cannot be called-back) from the dummy number used to identify the unit.

Claims

1. A method of deactivating a telematics unit with respect to communication service through a wireless communication network, comprising steps of:

receiving a request to deactivate the communication service in a wireless communication network in a system of an operator of the wireless communication network from a telematics service provider, the request identifying the telematics unit;

in response to the request, generating a deactivation command message for the telematics unit, the deactivation command message containing at least one replacement number;

transmitting the deactivation command message from the system of the operator of the wireless communication network, through the wireless communication network to the telematics unit;

receiving the deactivation command message in the telematics unit from the wireless communication network;

responsive to the received deactivation command message, deleting a destination number used to determine a destination of a communication from the telematics unit through the wireless communication network when the telematics unit is active for wireless service and telematics service from storage in memory of the telematics unit; and

storing a replacement destination number from the received deactivation command message, in the memory of the telematics unit in place of the deleted destination number, for use in a future attempt of the telematics unit to determine a destination of a communication from the telematics unit through the wireless communication network when the telematics unit is inactive with respect to communication service through the wireless communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the received deactivation command message, deleting a mobile number assigned to the telematics unit by an operator of the wireless communication network when the telematics unit was active; and

replacing the deleted mobile number with a dummy mobile number.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the deleted mobile number is one or more of a mobile directory number (MDN) and a mobile identification number (MIN).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the deleted destination number is a directory number of a telematics call center for automatic dialing in response to detection of an emergency by the telematics unit to establish a call for communications between the telematics unit and the telematics call center through the wireless communication network; and

the stored replacement destination number comprises a cleared number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the cleared number is 911.

6. A method of deactivating a telematics unit with respect to communication service through a wireless communication network, comprising steps of:

receiving a deactivation command message in the telematics unit from a system of an operator of the wireless communication network, through the wireless communication network,

the deactivation command message containing at least one replacement number;

deleting a destination number used to determine a destination of a communication from the telematics unit through the wireless communication network when the telematics unit is active for wireless service and telematics service from storage in memory of the telematics unit; and

storing a replacement destination number from the received deactivation command message, in the memory of the telematics unit in place of the deleted destination number, for use in a future attempt of the telematics unit to determine a destination of a communication from the telematics unit through the wireless communication network when the telematics unit is inactive with respect to communication service through the wireless communication network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

deleting a mobile number assigned to the telematics unit by an operator of the wireless communication network when the telematics unit was active; and

replacing the deleted mobile number with a dummy mobile number.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the deleted mobile number is one or more of a mobile directory number (MDN) and a mobile identification number (MIN).

9. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the deleted destination number is a directory number of a telematics call center for automatic dialing in response to detection of an emergency by the telematics unit to establish a call for communications between the telematics unit and the telematics call center through the wireless communication network; and

the stored replacement destination number comprises a cleared number.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cleared number is 911.

11. A telematics unit, comprising:

a wireless transceiver for wireless communications through a wireless communication network;

a memory for storing a destination number used for determining a destination of a communication through the wireless communication network; and

a microprocessor for;

deleting the destination number used to determine the destination of a communication from the telematics unit through the wireless communication network from storage in the memory when a deactivation command message is received via the wireless transceiver,

wherein when the telematics unit is active for wireless service and telematics service, the destination number is a directory number of a telematics call center; and

storing a replacement number from the received deactivation command message, in the memory of the telematics unit in place of the deleted destination number, for use in a future attempt of the telematics unit to determine a destination of a communication from the telematics unit through the wireless communication network when the telematics unit is inactive with respect to communication service through the wireless communication network.

12. The telematics unit of claim 11, wherein:

the memory further stores a mobile number assigned to the telematics unit by an operator of the wireless communication network when the telematics unit was active,

the microprocessor further deletes the mobile number when the deactivation command message is received, and

the microprocessor further replaces the deleted mobile number with a dummy mobile number.

13. The telematics unit of claim 12, wherein the deleted mobile number is one or more of a mobile directory number (MDN) and a mobile identification number (MIN).

14. The telematics unit of claim 11, wherein the stored replacement number comprises a cleared number.

15. The telematics unit of claim 14, wherein the cleared number is 911.