Automated device provisioning and activation

• US 8,570,908 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Headwater Research LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Original Assignee: Headwater Partners I LLC (Greg Raleigh)
• Inventors: Raleigh, Gregory G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nooristany, Sulaiman
• Application Number:
  US13/870,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20130235766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 187 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1407 Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0876 Aspects of the degree of configuration automation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 : Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 : Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 : by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 : Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 : Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 : for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 : Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 : Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 : for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 : using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0892 : by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 : avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• 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: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 : including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• 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 15/49 : Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 : based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 : based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/66 : Policy and charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 : Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 : Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 : Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 : Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 : Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 : Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 : of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 : Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 : Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0215 : based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 : using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 : using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 : Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 : Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 : Management or planning

Abstract

A method, network system, and computer-readable medium for establishing a secure communication link between the network system and a first device over a wireless access network; receiving a request from the first device, the request comprising one or more credentials; using the credentials, identifying a device group with which the first device is already associated or with which to associate the first device, the device group comprising a second device; using the credentials, identifying one or more candidate service plans comprising a group service plan associated with or for association with the device group; sending, to the first device over the secure communication link, information about the candidate service plans; and obtaining, over the secure communication link, a response to the information about the candidate service plans, the response identifying at least an aspect of a particular service plan of the candidate service plans.

Claims

1. A method performed by a network system communicatively coupled to a first end-user device over a wireless access network, the network system capable of providing at least a data service to the first end-user device over the wireless access network, the method comprising:

establishing a secure communication link between the network system and the first end-user device over the wireless access network, wherein usage of the wireless access network associated with communication over the secure communication link is not charged to a user of the first end-user device;

receiving, from the first end-user device over the secure communication link, a service information request from the first end-user device, the service information request comprising one or more credentials, wherein the one or more credentials identify at least (i) an aspect of the first end-user device, (ii) the user of the first end-user device, or (iii) both (i) and (ii);

using at least a first portion of the one or more credentials, identifying a device group with which the first end-user device is already associated or with which to associate the first end-user device, the device group comprising a second end-user device, the device group being managed by a device group management entity that is different from a network system operator associated with the network system;

using at least a second portion of the one or more credentials, identifying one or more candidate service plans for enabling the network system to provide the data service to the first end-user device over the wireless access network, the one or more candidate service plans comprising a group service plan associated with or for association with the device group;

sending, to the first end-user device over the secure communication link, information about the one or more candidate service plans; and

obtaining, from the end-user device over the secure communication link, a response to the information about the one or more candidate service plans, the response being based on an input obtained from a user of the end-user device through a user interface of the end-user device, wherein the response identifies at least an aspect of a particular service plan of the one or more candidate service plans.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the first end-user device is already associated with the particular service plan, and wherein the response comprises a request to modify the at least an aspect of the particular service plan.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the at least an aspect of the particular service plan comprises a usage limit or threshold.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the response comprises a request to associate the first end-user device with the particular service plan.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the particular service plan is the group service plan.

6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more candidate service plans further comprise a second service plan, and wherein the particular service plan is the second service plan.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the aspect of the first end-user device comprises a device type, and wherein at least one of the one or more candidate service plans is based on the device type.

8. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the aspect of the first end-user device comprises a device type, and wherein the group service plan is based on the device type.

9. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more credentials identify an aspect of the first end-user device, and one or more of the following:

the user of the first end-user device, the device group management entity, a service account associated with the second end-user device, a service account to associate with the first end-user device, and the device group.

10. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the service information request further comprises a request for (a) the information about the one or more candidate service plans, (b) information about a service account for the first end-user device, or (c) both (a) and (b).

11. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the device group is associated with an established service account, and wherein the information about the one or more candidate service plans comprises a service plan option to combine an existing service plan associated with the established service account with an additional service plan to form a superset service plan having service features of the existing service plan in combination with the additional service plan.

12. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the device group management entity is a user, an entity associated with a family service account, an enterprise administrator associated with an enterprise service account, or a virtual service provider.

13. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the group service plan is associated with a notification policy to assist in presenting a notification associated with one or more service activities of one or more end-user devices in the device group.

14. The method recited in claim 13, wherein the notification provides a service usage measure associated with the one or more service activities associated with the first end-user device, the second end-user device, a subset of end-user devices in the device group, or all end-user devices of the device group.

15. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the group service plan is associated with a control policy to restrict one or more service activities of one or more end-user devices in the device group.

16. The method recited in claim 15, wherein restrict one or more service activities of one or more end-user devices in the device group comprises limit an amount of usage of the one or more service activities, throttle a rate of usage of the one or more service activities, or block usage of the one or more service activities.

17. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless access network is a first wireless access network, and wherein the particular service plan is associated with a control policy to restrict usage of a service activity of the first end-user device over the first wireless access network and to not restrict usage of the service activity of the first end-user device over a second wireless access network.

18. The method recited in claim 17, wherein the first wireless access network is a cellular wireless access network, and the second wireless access network is a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) network.

19. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

assisting one or more device agents on the first end-user device to present data usage information associated with the device group, the data usage information comprising projected or predicted or expected usage information associated with the device group.

20. The method recited in claim 19, wherein the assisting one or more device agents on the first end-user device to present data usage information associated with the device group occurs before the obtaining, over the secure communication link, a response to the information about the one or more candidate service plans.

21. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the group service plan is associated with the device group, and wherein the particular service plan is the group service plan, and wherein the group service plan is associated with an accounting policy associated with one or more service activities, and further comprising:

obtaining a first usage measure and a second usage measure, the first usage measure comprising a first measure of usage of the one or more service activities by the first end-user device, and the second usage measure comprising a second measure of usage of the one or more service activities by the second end-user device;

aggregating the first usage measure and the second usage measure to generate an aggregate usage measure for the one or more service activities; and

sending a message to the second end-user device to assist the second end-user device to present a notification to the device group management entity, the notification providing information about the aggregate usage measure for the one or more service activities, the first usage measure, the second usage measure, a usage limit associated with the one or more service activities, or a combination of these.

22. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the particular service plan is associated with an accounting policy associated with one or more service activities, and further comprising:

obtaining a first usage measure and a second usage measure, the first usage measure comprising a first measure of usage of the one or more service activities by the first end-user device, and the second usage measure comprising a second measure of usage of the one or more service activities by the first end-user device;

aggregating the first usage measure and the second usage measure to generate an aggregate usage measure for the one or more service activities; and

sending a message to the second end-user device or to the first end-user device, the message to assist the in presenting a notification to the device group management entity, the notification providing information about the aggregate usage measure for the one or more service activities, the first usage measure, the second usage measure, a usage limit associated with the one or more service activities, or a combination of these.

23. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the group service plan is associated with an established service account for the device group.

24. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more credentials comprise a mobile directory number (MDN), a mobile equipment identifier (MEID), a mobile subscriber identifier (MSID), a device serial number, information stored in an identity module, a network address identifier (NAI), or a combination of these.

25. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the network system comprises one or more network elements, and further comprising:

creating one or more database entries before the first end-user device is associated with one or more service plans, the one or more database entries associating a third portion of the one or more credentials with the first end-user device;

determining an activation sequence for the first end-user device based on the third portion of the one or more credentials; and

provisioning at least one network element of the one or more network elements to recognize the first end-user device based on the third portion of the one or more credentials and to perform at least a portion of the activation sequence for the first end-user device.

26. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the information about the one or more candidate service plans is first information, and further comprising sending, over the secure communication link, second information to assist the first end-user device in presenting a notification to the user of the first end-user device, the notification comprising a service usage amount for a billing period or a service usage cost of the particular service plan, and wherein the response comprises an acknowledgement to the notification.

27. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the information about the one or more candidate service plans is first information, and further comprising:

sending, over the secure communication link, second information to assist the first end-user device in presenting a notification to the user of the first end-user device, the notification comprising billing information for a service account with which to associate the particular service plan; and

obtaining, from the first end-user device over the secure communication link, an acknowledgement in response to the notification.

28. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

sending, to the first end-user device over the secure communication link, an indication of an activation status of the particular service plan, the indication to assist the first end-user device in presenting a notification to the user of the first end-user device.

29. A network system, comprising:

a communication interface enabling the network system to provide at least a data service to a first end-user device over a wireless access network; and

one or more network elements comprising one or more processors configured to;

establish a secure communication link between the network system and the first end-user device over the wireless access network, wherein usage of the wireless access network associated with communication over the secure communication link is not charged to a user of the first end-user device;

receive, from the first end-user device over the secure communication link, a service information request from the first end-user device, the service information request comprising one or more credentials, wherein the one or more credentials identify at least (i) an aspect of the first end-user device, (ii) the user of the first end-user device, or (iii) both (i) and (ii);

using at least a first portion of the one or more credentials, identify a device group with which the first end-user device is already associated or with which to associate the first end-user device, the device group comprising a second end-user device, the device group being managed by a device group management entity that is different from a network system operator associated with the network system;

using at least a second portion of the one or more credentials, identifying one or more candidate service plans for enabling the network system to provide the data service to the first end-user device over the wireless access network, the one or more candidate service plans including a group service plan associated with or for association with the device group;

send, to the first end-user device over the secure communication link, information about the one or more candidate service plans; and

obtain, from the end-user device over the secure communication link, a response to the information about the one or more candidate service plans, the response being based on an input obtained from a user of the end-user device through a user interface of the end-user device, wherein the response identifies at least an aspect of a particular service plan of the one or more candidate service plans.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing machine-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a network system capable of providing at least a data service to a first end-user device over a wireless access network, cause the one or more processors to:

establish a secure communication link between the network system and the first end-user device over the wireless access network, wherein usage of the wireless access network associated with communication over the secure communication link is not charged to a user of the first end-user device;

receive, from the first end-user device over the secure communication link, a service information request from the first end-user device, the service information request comprising one or more credentials, wherein the one or more credentials identify at least (i) an aspect of the first end-user device, (ii) the user of the first end-user device, or (iii) both (i) and (ii);

using at least a first portion of the one or more credentials, identify a device group with which the first end-user device is already associated or with which to associate the first end-user device, the device group comprising a second end-user device, the device group being managed by a device group management entity that is different from a network system operator associated with the network system;

using at least a second portion of the one or more credentials, identify one or more candidate service plans for enabling the network system to provide the data service to the first end-user device over the wireless access network, the one or more candidate service plans comprising a group service plan associated with or for association with the device group;

send, to the first end-user device over the secure communication link, information about the one or more candidate service plans; and

obtain, from the end-user device over the secure communication link, a response to the information about the one or more candidate service plans, the response being based on an input obtained from a user of the end-user device through a user interface of the end-user device, wherein the response identifies at least an aspect of a particular service plan of the one or more candidate service plans.