Service models for roaming mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9258708-B2
Application number	US-201414176049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2014
Priority date	Dec 1, 2009
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A method for providing cellular access to a mobile device when the mobile device is out of a home network operated by a home wireless service provider that has no pre-arranged roaming agreements with any foreign wireless service provider in a location of the mobile device. The method includes implementing an intelligent Mobile Device Access Network Manager (iMDANM) application on a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). The iMDANM application being configured to allow a foreign wireless service provider to lease a portion of the UICC from the home wireless service provider to provision service credentials to the leased portion of the UICC, thereby providing the mobile device access to a foreign network operated by the foreign wireless service provider.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
obtaining, by a negotiation server, information indicative of foreign networks available at a location of a mobile device, wherein the foreign networks are not roaming partners of a home wireless service provider that provides cellular access to the mobile device, wherein a home network operated by the home wireless service provider is not accessible at the location of the mobile device, and wherein the negotiation server is a third party server that is not affiliated with any of the foreign networks;
receiving, by the negotiation server, subscriber credentials from the mobile device to authenticate the mobile device for a lease agreement for providing cellular access to the mobile device;
selecting, by the negotiation server, a foreign network among the foreign networks available at the location of the mobile device; and
negotiating, by the negotiation server, the lease agreement between the home wireless service provider and a foreign wireless service provider of the foreign network to lease a portion of a universal integrated circuit card of the mobile device, provided by the home wireless service provider, to the foreign wireless service provider for provisioning service credentials to provide the mobile device with cellular access to the foreign network operated by the foreign wireless service provider, wherein the subscriber credentials include a lease duration and charging policies between the home wireless service provider and the foreign wireless service provider of the foreign network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising authenticating the subscriber credentials with the home wireless service provider.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the information indicative of the foreign networks available at the location of the mobile device comprises detecting the foreign networks available at the location of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the information indicative of the foreign networks available at the location of the mobile device comprises receiving the information from the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein local applications on the universal integrated circuit card are accessible to the mobile device while the mobile device is provided with the cellular access to the foreign network operated by the foreign wireless service provider.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein upon expiration of the lease agreement prior to the lease duration, fees for a remaining portion of the lease agreement are refunded based upon the charging policies.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subscriber credentials are received from the mobile device responsive to a user of the mobile device selecting an option to enter the lease agreement.

8. A negotiation server comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving information indicative of foreign networks available at a location of a mobile device, wherein the foreign networks are not roaming partners of a home wireless service provider that provides cellular access to the mobile device, wherein a home network operated by the home wireless service provider is not accessible at the location of the mobile device, and wherein the negotiation server is a third party server that is not affiliated with any of the foreign networks;
receiving subscriber credentials from the mobile device to authenticate the mobile device for a lease agreement for providing cellular access to the mobile device;
selecting a foreign network among the foreign networks available at the location of the mobile device; and
negotiating the lease agreement between the home wireless service provider and a foreign wireless service provider of the foreign network to lease a portion of a universal integrated circuit card of the mobile device, provided by the home wireless service provider, to the foreign wireless service provider for provisioning service credentials to provide the mobile device with cellular access to the foreign network operated by the foreign wireless service provider, wherein the subscriber credentials include a lease duration and charging policies between the home wireless service provider and the foreign wireless service provider of the foreign network.

9. The negotiation server of claim 8 , wherein obtaining the information indicative of the foreign networks available at the location of the mobile device comprises detecting the foreign networks available at the location of the mobile device.

10. The negotiation server of claim 8 , wherein obtaining the information indicative of the foreign networks available at the location of the mobile device comprises receiving the information from the mobile device.

11. The negotiation server of claim 8 , wherein local applications on the universal integrated circuit card are accessible to the mobile device while the mobile device is provided with the cellular access to the foreign network operated by the foreign wireless service provider.

12. The negotiation server of claim 8 , wherein upon expiration of the lease agreement prior to the lease duration, fees for a remaining portion of the lease agreement are refunded based upon the charging policies.

13. The negotiation server of claim 8 , wherein the subscriber credentials are received from the mobile device responsive to a user of the mobile device selecting an option to enter the lease agreement.

14. A computer-readable storage device having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor of a negotiation server, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving information indicative of foreign networks available at a location of a mobile device, wherein the foreign networks are not roaming partners of a home wireless service provider that provides cellular access to the mobile device, wherein a home network operated by the home wireless service provider is not accessible at the location of the mobile device, and wherein the negotiation server is a third party server that is not affiliated with any of the foreign networks;
receiving subscriber credentials from the mobile device to authenticate the mobile device for a lease agreement for providing cellular access to the mobile device;
selecting a foreign network among the foreign networks available at the location of the mobile device; and
negotiating the lease agreement between the home wireless service provider and a foreign wireless service provider of the foreign network to lease a portion of a universal integrated circuit card of the mobile device, provided by the home wireless service provider, to the foreign wireless service provider for provisioning service credentials to provide the mobile device with cellular access to the foreign network operated by the foreign wireless service provider, wherein the subscriber credentials include a lease duration and charging policies between the home wireless service provider and the foreign wireless service provider of the foreign network.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise authenticating the subscriber credentials with the home wireless service provider.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14 , wherein obtaining the information indicative of the foreign networks available at the location of the mobile device comprises detecting the foreign networks available at the location of the mobile device.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Fan James
• Chen David Feng-Lin
• Kuo Richard

Classifications

• H04W4/00

  Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor · CPC title

• H04M15/8038

  Roaming or handoff · CPC title

• H04M15/745

  Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family · CPC title

• H04M2215/0168

  On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber · CPC title

• H04W4/24

  Accounting or billing · CPC title