Centrally managing user-specified configuration data for a configurable device

• US 8,538,404 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2009
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Antani, Snehal S., DeGilio, Frank J., Ramachandran, Rajesh P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elhag, Magdi
• Application Number:
  US12/402,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20100234009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

A central configuration server is provided for managing user-specified configuration data for a configurable device. The central configuration server, which is separate from a configurable device to be configured, and which services a plurality of users, obtains a user identification and device information from the configurable device. Responsive to this, the central configuration server accesses an account database and uses the user identification and device information to retrieve, for the identified user, user-specified configuration data for the configurable device. The central configuration server then forwards the user-specified configuration data from the account database to the configurable device for use in automatically configuring the configurable device pursuant to the user-specified configuration data.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a user-configurable device, the method comprising:

providing user-prespecified configuration preferences to a user-configurable device, the providing comprising;

obtaining user-prespecified configuration preferences and storing the user-prespecified configuration preferences in an account database accessible by a configuration server, the user-prespecified configuration preferences comprising at least one service change required by a third party service provider to the user-configurable device, the third party service provider being separate from the configuration server, and the user-configurable device employing a service of the third party service provider;

receiving by the configuration server an individual user'"'"'s identification from the user-configurable device to be configured, the configuration server being separate from the user-configurable device and servicing a plurality of users, and the individual user'"'"'s identification identifying the individual user of the user-configurable device of the plurality of users;

accessing by the configuration server the account database and using the individual user'"'"'s identification to retrieve, for the identified user, that user'"'"'s user-prespecified configuration preferences for use in configuring the user-configurable device;

forwarding by the configuration server the retrieved, user-prespecified configuration preferences from the account database to the user-configurable device for use in automatically configuring the user-configurable device pursuant to the user-prespecified configuration preferences; and

automatically contacting by the configuration server the third party service provider to the user-configurable device with the at least one service change required by the third party service provider pursuant to the retrieved, user-prespecified configuration preferences forwarded to the user-configurable device, and implementing via the third party service provider the at least one service change required pursuant to the retrieved, user-prespecified configuration preferences.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining comprises receiving via a standard interface, separate from the user-configurable device and in communication with the configuration server, the user-prespecified configuration preferences for the user-configurable device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration server, responsive to a request from the standard interface to specify configuration preferences for the user-configurable device, obtains information on configurable items for the user-configurable device as specified by a third party device provider, and the configuration server allows one or more configurable items for the user-configurable device to be set via the standard interface by the identified user to produce the user-prespecified configuration preferences, wherein the configuration server subsequently stores the user-prespecified configuration preferences for the user-configurable device in the account database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing further comprises caching the forwarded, user-prespecified configuration preferences within the user-configurable device, and if present, overriding any previous configuration preferences for a different user of the user-configurable device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-configurable device is a mobile phone and the third part service provider is a third party phone service provider, and wherein the configuration server further determines whether the mobile phone can override an existing phone number service connection for a pre-existing user of the mobile phone based on user-prespecified configuration preferences, and if so, the configuration server automatically informs the third party phone service provider to initiate a new phone number service connection for the identified individual user of the mobile phone, the third party phone service provider responding thereto by updating a phone service routing database to automatically associate the identified individual user'"'"'s phone number to the mobile phone, and the third party phone service provider providing phone service data to the configuration server responsive thereto.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the configuration server forwards the phone service data to the mobile phone for use in automatically configuring the mobile phone pursuant to the user-prespecified configuration preferences, and wherein communication access for the identified individual user between the third party phone service provider and the mobile phone, using the new phone number service connection is automatically initiated and remains in effect until occurrence of a predefined condition.

7. A computer system for facilitating configuring a user-configurable device, the computer system comprising:

a configuration server separate from the user-configurable device and separate from a third party service provider to the user-configurable device, the configuration server servicing a plurality of users, and comprising;

an account database comprising user-prespecified configuration preferences of at least one user of the plurality of users for the user-configurable device, the user-prespecified configuration preferences comprising at least one service charge required by the third party service provider to the user-configurable device; and

a processor in communication with the account database, wherein the computer system facilitates configuring the user-configurable device by;

obtaining by the configuration server an individual user'"'"'s identification from the user-configurable device to be configured;

accessing by the configuration server the account database and using the individual user'"'"'s identification to retrieve, for the identified user, user-prespecified configuration preferences of the at least one user stored for the user-configurable device;

forwarding by the configuration server the retrieved, user-prespecified configuration preferences from the account database to the user-configurable device for use in automatically configuring the user-configurable device pursuant to the user-prespecified configuration preferences; and

automatically contacting by the configuration server the third party service provider to the user-configurable device with the at least one service change required by the third party service provider pursuant to the retrieved, user-prespecified configuration preferences forwarded to the user-configurable device, and implementing via the third party service provider the at least one service change required pursuant to the retrieved, user-prespecified configuration preferences.

8. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising pre-specifying by the identified individual user the user-prespecified configuration preferences to the configuration server for storage in the account database, the pre-specifying including receiving via a standard interface, separate from the user-configurable device and in communication with the configuration server, the user-prespecified configuration preferences for the user-configurable device.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the configuration server, responsive to a request from the standard interface to specify configuration preferences for the user-configurable device, obtains information on configurable items for the user-configurable device as specified by a third party device provider, and the configuration server allows one or more configurable items for the configuration server to be set via the standard interface by the identified individual user to produce the user-prespecified configuration preferences, wherein the configuration server subsequently stores the user-prespecified configuration preferences for the user-configurable device in the account database.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the forwarding comprises caching the user-prespecified configuration preferences within the user-configurable device, and if present, overriding any previous configuration preferences for a different individual user of the user-configurable device.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the user-configurable device is a mobile phone and the third party service provider is a third party phone service provider, and wherein the configuration server further determines whether the mobile phone can override an existing phone number service connection for a pre-existing user of the mobile phone based on user-prespecified configuration preferences, and if so, the configuration server automatically informs the third party phone service provider to initiate a new phone number service connection for the identified user of the mobile phone, the third party phone service provider responding thereto by updating a phone service routing database to automatically associate the identified individual user'"'"'s phone number to the mobile phone, and the third party phone service provider providing phone service data to the configuration server responsive thereto.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the configuration server forwards the phone service data to the mobile phone for use in automatically configuring the mobile phone pursuant to the user-prespecified configuration preferences, and wherein communication access for the identified individual user between the third party phone service provider and the mobile phone using the new phone number service connection is automatically initiated and remains in effect until an occurrence of the predefined condition.

13. A computer program product to facilitate configuring a user-configurable device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing unit of a configuration server and storing instructions for execution by the processing unit for performing a method of configuring a user-configurable device, which is separate from the configuration server, the method comprising;

obtaining user-prespecified configuration preferences and storing the user-prespecified configuration preferences in an account database accessible by a configuration server, the user-prespecified configuration preferences comprising at least one service change required by a third party service provider to the user-configurable device, the third party service provider being separate from the configuration server, and the user-configurable device employing a service of the third party service provider;

receiving by the configuration server an individual user'"'"'s identification from the user-configurable device to be configured, the configuration server being separate from the user-configurable device and servicing a plurality of users, and the individual user'"'"'s identification identifying the individual user of the user-configurable device of the plurality of users;

accessing by the configuration server the account database and using the individual user'"'"'s identification to retrieve, for the identified user, that user'"'"'s user-prespecified configuration preferences for use in configuring the user-configurable device;

forwarding by the configuration server the retrieved, user-prespecified configuration preferences from the account database to the user-configurable device for use in automatically configuring the user-configurable device pursuant to the user-prespecified configuration preferences; and

automatically contacting by the configuration server the third party service provider to the user-configurable device with the at least one service change required by the third party service provider pursuant to the retrieved, user-prespecified configuration preferences forwarded to the user-configurable device, and implementing via the third party service provider the at least one service change required pursuant to the retrieved, user-prespecified configuration preferences.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the obtaining comprises receiving via a standard interface, separate from the user-configurable device and in communication with the configuration server, the user-prespecified configuration preferences for the user-configurable device.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the configuration server, responsive to a request from the standard interface to specify configuration preferences for the user-configurable device, obtains information on configurable items for the user-configurable device as specified by a third party device provider, and the configuration server allows one or more configurable items for the user-configurable device to be set via the standard interface by the identified individual user to produce the user-prespecified configuration preferences, wherein the configuration server subsequently stores the user-prespecified configuration preferences for the user-configurable device in the account database.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the user-configurable device is a mobile phone and the third party service provider is a third party phone service provider, and wherein the configuration server further determines whether the mobile phone can override an existing phone number service connection for a pre-existing user of the mobile phone based on user-prespecified configuration preferences, and if so, the configuration server automatically informs the third party phone service provider to initiate a new phone number service connection for the identified user of the mobile phone, the third party phone service provider responding thereto by updating a phone service routing database to automatically associate the identified individual user'"'"'s phone number to the mobile phone, and the third party phone service provider providing phone service data to the configuration server responsive thereto.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the configuration server forwards the phone service data, to the mobile phone for use in automatically configuring the mobile phone pursuant to the user-prespecified configuration preferences, and wherein communication access for the identified individual user between the third party phone service provider and the mobile phone, using the new phone number service connection is automatically initiated and remains in effect until occurrence of a predefined condition.