Remote unlocking of telecommunication device functionality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9319884-B2
Application number	US-201313840045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Oct 27, 2011
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

Techniques are described herein for deciding whether to unlock functionality of a telecommunication device based on one or more policies. A policy engine remote from the telecommunication device may receive, via a user interface associated with the policy engine, a request to unlock the functionality. The policy engine may then decide whether to unlock the functionality and, in response to deciding to unlock the functionality, may cause transmission of instructions to the telecommunication device to unlock the functionality.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by one or more provider service devices of a telecommunication service provider, a request to permanently unlock a telecommunication device that is locked to the telecommunication service provider;
deciding, by the one or more provider service devices, based at least in part on one or more policies, not to permanently unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider but to, instead, temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider; and
in response to deciding to temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider, transmitting, by the one or more provider service devices, instructions to the telecommunication device to temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider, the instructions specifying a time period,
wherein the one or more provider service devices and the telecommunication device are different computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is received through at least one of a website, a customer care system, or an interactive voice response system.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to receiving the request, asking a user associated with the request to enter a device identifier for the telecommunication device.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising validating the device identifier with a device identifier register.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request includes an indication that a temporary unlock is not sought.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to deciding not to permanently unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider, transmitting a notification message to the telecommunication device indicating that the telecommunication device will not be permanently unlocked from the telecommunication service provider.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising notifying a user associated with the telecommunication device of the decision to temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting comprises notifying an unlock manager of the one or more provider service devices of the decision to temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider, the unlock manager transmitting the instructions to the telecommunication device to temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising securing a communication session between the unlock manager and the telecommunication device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deciding is further based on a rate plan and account status associated with the telecommunication device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the telecommunication device is locked to the telecommunication service provider because the telecommunication device includes an identification module that is associated with a different service plan than the telecommunication device, because an account associated with the telecommunication device indicates that a subscriber is delinquent in payment or that a subscription associated with the account is expired, or because the telecommunication device has been reported lost or stolen.

12. A system of a telecommunication service provider comprising:
a processor;
a user interface configured to be operated by the processor to enable a user to request unlocking of a telecommunication device that is locked to the telecommunication service provider;
a policy engine configured to be operated by the processor to receive the request from the user interface and to decide, based at least in part on one or more policies, whether to unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider; and
an unlock manager configured to be operated by the processor to receive notification from the policy engine of the decision to unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider and to transmit unlock instructions to the telecommunication device,
wherein the request includes an indication of whether a temporary unlock is sought, and
wherein the system and the telecommunication device are different computing devices.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a policy manager to enable adding, deleting, and editing of the one or more policies.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the policy manager is further to enable case-by-case unlocking of the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider which contravenes at least one policy of the policy engine.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the unlock manager has a secure connection to an identity module of the telecommunication device.

16. One or more computer storage devices having stored thereon a plurality of executable instructions configure to program a computing device of a telecommunication service provider to perform operations comprising:
receiving a request to permanently unlock a telecommunication device that is locked to the telecommunication service provider;
deciding, based at least in part on one or more policies, not to provide a permanent unlock for the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider but to, instead, temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider; and
in response to deciding to temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider, transmitting instructions to the telecommunication device to temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider, the instructions specifying a time period,
wherein the computing device and the telecommunication device are different computing devices.

Assignees

• T Mobile Usa Inc

Inventors

• Buzescu Adrian
• Ionescu Alexandru Catalin
• Froelich Raymond
• Obaidi Ahmad Arash

Classifications

• H04W8/245

  from a network towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04L63/20

  for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227) · CPC title

• H04W12/08 Primary

  Access security · CPC title