Abstract:
A system and method for automatically activating a recyclable/disposable telephone using a point-of-sale terminal at a vendor&#39;s location and a connection to a carrier&#39;s server database system is more convenient and less costly than conventional techniques. A system for activating a mobile telephone comprises of a universal product code or an activation card associated with the mobile telephone, containing activation information needed to activate the mobile telephone, a point-of sale terminal operable to scan the universal product code or activation card associated with the mobile telephone to obtain the activation information, and a point-of-sale central computer operable to forward the activation information to a server database system in order to activate the mobile telephone.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    The benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of provisional application No. 60/331,114, filed Nov. 9, 2001, is hereby claimed. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a system and method to automatically activate a recyclable/disposable telephone using a point-of-sale terminal at a vendor&#39;s location and a connection to a server database system.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Mobile telecommunications, such as that provided by wireless telephones, has become increasingly popular and widespread. With this increasing popularity has come a proliferation of mobile telephone plans, with a proliferation of fees, features, and restrictions. Most such plans require a relatively large initial investment and a continuing monthly fee, regardless of usage. While such plans may meet the needs of many users, they do not meet the needs of many other users. For example, a user may desire a mobile telephone to be available for emergency use only. Likewise, a user may desire short-term service for themselves while on a trip or for visitors while being visited. These uses are not really compatible with the typical initial investment and continuing fee required by most mobile telephone plans. In these and many other situations, a need arises for a mobile telephone that requires a reasonable initial investment and no continuing fee.  
           [0004]    Conventional solutions to such needs include pay-per-use, prepaid, and rental mobile telephones. However, these solutions have disadvantages in that they typically still require relatively large initial investments, contracts, and/or deposits on the part of the user. A better solution is the recyclable/disposable mobile telephone, which requires only a reasonable initial investment by the user and does not require contracts or deposits.  
           [0005]    A problem arises with recyclable/disposable mobile telephones in that when such a telephone is purchased, it must be activated before it can be used. Conventional activation schemes typically require significant effort vendor and/or carrier personnel to activate the telephone. This is inconvenient for the user of the telephone and costly for the vendor and carrier. A need arises for a more convenient and less costly way to activate recyclable/disposable mobile telephones.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention is a system and method for automatically activating a recyclable/disposable telephone using a point-of-sale terminal at a vendor&#39;s location and a connection to a server database system that is more convenient, faster and less costly than conventional techniques. In one embodiment of the present invention, a system for activating a mobile telephone comprises universal product code or an activation card associated with the mobile telephone, the activation card containing activation information needed to activate the mobile telephone, a point-of sale terminal operable to scan universal product code or the activation card associated with the mobile telephone to obtain the activation information, and a point-of-sale central computer operable to forward the activation information to a server database system in order to activate the mobile telephone. The mobile telephone may be a recyclable/disposable telephone.  
           [0007]    In one aspect of the present invention, the information needed to activate the mobile telephone comprises information identifying the mobile telephone and routing information. The information identifying the mobile telephone may comprise a Mobile Identification Number. The information needed to activate the mobile telephone may further comprise information relating to a price paid to purchase the mobile telephone. The point-of-sale terminal may be operated by a vendor of the mobile telephone. The point-of-sale central computer may be operated by a vendor of the mobile telephone or an independent third party.  
           [0008]    In one aspect of the present invention, the activation information comprises the Mobile Identification Number. The point-of-sale central computer may be operable to forward the activation information using the routing information. The point-of-sale terminal may be operated by a vendor of the mobile telephone. The point-of-sale central computer may be operated by a vendor of the mobile telephone or an independent third party. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers and designations refer to like elements.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is an exemplary block diagram of a typical mobile communications network, which may function in conjunction with the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is an exemplary block diagram of a mobile communications network, in which the present invention may be implemented.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is an exemplary flow diagram of a process of operation of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is an exemplary block diagram of a server system shown in FIG. 2. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]    An exemplary block diagram of a typical mobile communications network  100 , which may function in conjunction with the present invention, is shown in FIG. 1. Such a mobile network includes a plurality of base stations, such as base stations  102 A-C. Each base station, such as base station  102 A, typically includes a plurality of base station transceivers, which are part of a base station cluster controlled by a single base station controller. Each base station transceiver transmits and receives radio signals on its corresponding antenna  103 A-C and each such transceiver antenna unit covers an area known as a cell. For much of the network, base station transceivers are organized in a seven cell or twelve cell repeat pattern with omni-directional coverage for each. Thus, seven or twelve base station transceivers are typically connected to each base station controller. Most base station transceivers have between 20 and 30 voice channels with one signaling channel carrying all of the paging and access functions per cell.  
         [0015]    Each base station, such as base station  102 A, is connected to a mobile switching center (MSC), such as MSC  104 A. MSC  104 A is a digital switching system with a distributed control architecture especially adapted for operation in the cellular environment. The base stations  102 A-C are typically connected to their corresponding MSCs  104 A-C and the public (landline) telephone network  106  over digital lines  108 . The MSCs  104 A-C handle the switching of call traffic between base stations and the landline telephone network, public network  106 . MSCs  104 A-C are also connected by a signaling network  110 , over which a variety of signaling messages are communicated.  
         [0016]    The system also includes a plurality of mobile telephones, such as mobile telephones  112 A-B, which receive and transmit radio signals with the antenna  103 A-C of the base station  102 A-C with which the mobile telephone is communicating. Each mobile telephone  112 A-B may include a subscriber identity module (SIM), such as SIM  114 A-B. Designed to be inserted into a mobile telephone, a SIM or “smart” card contains subscriber-related data, such as phone numbers, service details, and memory for storing messages. With a SIM card, calls can be made from any valid mobile phone because the subscriber data—not the telephone&#39;s internal serial number—is used to make the call  
         [0017]    Associated with mobile communications network  100  is home location register (HLR)  116 . HLR  116  stores management data relating to all of the mobile telephones  112 A-B for which network  100  is the home network. Each MSC  104 A-C is associated with an HLR  116  in the network. In principle there need be only one HLR  116  for the entire mobile network. In practice, there are generally several so as to accommodate the large quantity of data, which is required to be stored in the HLR  116 . This data includes the international mobile station identity (IMSI), the mobile station profile of capacities and services unique to the mobile telephone  112 A-B, and the location of the mobile telephone  112 A-B within the overall mobile network. HLR  116  is connected over signaling network  110  to the MSCs  104 A-C in the network.  
         [0018]    Associated with each MSC  104 A-C is a visitor location register (VLR)  118 . Each MSC  104 A-C typically has its own VLR  118 , but this is not required. VLR  118  stores selected data relating to mobile telephones  112 A-B that are visiting within the network associated with VLR  118  and its MSC  104 A-C. The data stored in VLR  118  is transferred from the home location register of the home network to VLR  118  for each mobile telephone  112 A-B within the network of the VLR. This data can include the international mobile station identity (IMSI), the mobile station international ISDN number, and other information, including the current geographic location of the mobile telephone  112 A-B, and the services available to the mobile telephone  112 A-B, for example supplementary voice services or data services.  
         [0019]    The VLR servicing a geographic area is continually updated with the locations of every mobile telephone within its service area as each mobile telephone registers or otherwise communicates with the system. In addition, the HLR is updated with the current serving MSC of each active mobile telephone allocated to it. This location is typically in the form of the particular cell—base station, base station transceiver, and antenna—in which the mobile telephone is located.  
         [0020]    Mobile network  100  may also include service control point (SCP)  118 . SCP  118  is a database that supplies the translation and routing data needed to provide advanced network services in signaling network  110 . SCP  118  translates special service numbers, such as 800 numbers, to provide the required routing number.  
         [0021]    An exemplary block diagram of a mobile communications network  200 , in which the present invention may be implemented, is shown in FIG. 2. Network  200  includes prepaid server platform (PSP)  202 , point-of-sale (POS) central computer  204 , POS terminal  206 , mobile switching center (MSC)  208 , wireless switch database  210 , base station  212 , and mobile telephone  214 . Associated with mobile telephone  214  is activation card  215 A and/or universal product code (UPC)  215 B, which is typically attached to the packaging of mobile telephone  214 .  
         [0022]    The network shown in FIG. 2 is merely an example. One of skill in the art would recognize that a network in which the present invention may be implemented may include multiple instances of elements shown in FIG. 2, as well as additional elements, such as those shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0023]    Mobile telephone  214  receives and transmits radio signals over radio frequency link  216  with the antenna of the base station  212  with which the mobile telephone is communicating. Preferably, mobile telephone  214  is a disposable/recyclable wireless or cellular telephone (RDP) and will be referred to as such for this example.  
         [0024]    Base station  212  is connected to MSC  208 . MSC  208  is a digital switching system with a distributed control architecture especially adapted for operation in the cellular environment. Base stations  212  is typically connected MSC  208  over digital lines, such as a T1 line. MSC  208  handles the switching of call traffic between base station  212  and PSP  202 .  
         [0025]    MSC  208  is connected to wireless switch database  210  and PSP  202 . PSP  202  includes prepaid service server  218 , server database system  220 , and interactive voice response (IVR) unit  222 . Server  218  handles calls placed between mobile telephone  214  and PSTN  204 . Server database system  220  stores data needed by server  218  in order to handle the calls and perform the appropriate billing. IVR  222  provides interactive voice response to callers in order to facilitate the handling of calls by server  218 . As one of skill in the art would recognize, server database system  220  and/or IVR  222  may be included in server  218 , or they may be implemented separately from server  218 . The present invention contemplates any and all such arrangements.  
         [0026]    POS central computer  204  is connected to server database system  220  and POS terminal  206  is connected to POS central computer  204 . POS terminal  206  scans activation card  215 A or UPC  215 B that is associated with mobile telephone  214  and reads the information encoded on activation card  215 A or UPC  215 B. POS terminal  206  transmits the information from activation card  215  to POS central computer  204 . POS central computer  204  forwards an activation message based on the information encoded on activation card  215 A or UPC  215 B and transmits the activation message to server database system  220 .  
         [0027]    An exemplary flow diagram of a process  300  of operation of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3. It is best viewed in conjunction with FIG. 2. Process  300  begins with step  302 , in which a user purchases a recyclable/disposable telephone, such as RDP  214 . Associated with RDP  214  is either activation card  215 A or UPC  215 B. Typically, activation card  215  is packaged with RDP  214 , or is otherwise attached to RDP  214  or the packaging of RDP  214 . Likewise, UPC  215 B is typically attached to the packaging of RDP  214 . Activation card  215 A includes information needed to activate RDP  214 . In particular, activation card  215 A includes a mobile identification number (MIN) of RDP  214  and routing information that will be used to route an activation message to the server database system  220 . UPC  215 B also includes information needed to activate RDP  214 . UPC  215 B may include a mobile identification number (MIN) of RDP  214  and routing information that will be used to route an activation message to the server database system  220 . Alternatively, UPC  215 B will include a reference to information that is stored in server database system  220 , which will be used to activate RDP  214 .  
         [0028]    In step  304 , activation card  215 A or UPC  215 B is scanned by POS terminal  206 , which reads the information encoded therein. If activation card  215 A or UPC  215 B includes the MIN and routing information, POS terminal  206  reads the MIN and routing information from activation card  215 A or UPC  215 B. Otherwise, POS terminal  206  reads the reference information. In step  306 , POS terminal  206  transmits information that was read activation card  215 A or UPC  215 B to POS central computer  204 . In step  308 , POS central computer receives the information that was read activation card  215 A or UPC  215 B from POS terminal  206  and forwards an activation message including the received information. If the information that was read activation card  215 A or UPC  215 B includes the MIN and routing information, then the activation message includes the MIN. Otherwise, the message includes the reference information. POS central computer  204  transmits the activation message to server database system  220  using the routing information. In step  310 , server database system  220  receives the activation message and activates the RDP identified by the MIN or the reference information, which is RDP  214 .  
         [0029]    An exemplary block diagram of a server system  400  shown in FIG. 2, is shown in FIG. 4. System  400  is typically a programmed general-purpose computer system, such as a personal computer, workstation, server system, and minicomputer or mainframe computer. System  400  includes one or more processors (CPUs)  402 A- 402 N, input/output circuitry  404 , network adapter  406 , and memory  408 . CPUs  402 A- 402 N execute program instructions in order to carry out the functions of the present invention. Typically, CPUs  402 A- 402 N are one or more microprocessors, such as an INTEL PENTIUM® processor. FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment in which System  400  is implemented as a single multi-processor computer system, in which multiple processors  402 A- 402 N share system resources, such as memory  408 , input/output circuitry  404 , and network adapter  406 . However, the present invention also contemplates embodiments in which System  400  is implemented as a plurality of networked computer systems, which may be single-processor computer systems, multi-processor computer systems, or a mix thereof.  
         [0030]    Input/output circuitry  404  provides the capability to input data to, or output data from, database/System  400 . For example, input/output circuitry may include input devices, such as keyboards, mice, touchpads, trackballs, scanners, etc., output devices, such as video adapters, monitors, printers, etc., and input/output devices, such as, modems, etc. Network adapter  406  interfaces database/System  400  with Internet/intranet  410 . Internet/intranet  410  may include one or more standard local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), such as Ethernet, Token Ring, the Internet, or a private or proprietary LAN/WAN.  
         [0031]    Memory  408  stores program instructions that are executed by, and data that are used and processed by, CPU  402  to perform the functions of system  400 . Memory  408  may include electronic memory devices, such as random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, etc., and electromechanical memory, such as magnetic disk drives, tape drives, optical disk drives, etc., which may use an integrated drive electronics (IDE) interface, or a variation or enhancement thereof, such as enhanced IDE (EIDE) or ultra direct memory access (UDMA), or a small computer system interface (SCSI) based interface, or a variation or enhancement thereof, such as fast-SCSI, wide-SCSI, fast and wide-SCSI, etc, or a fiber channel-arbitrated loop (FC-AL) interface.  
         [0032]    In the example shown in FIG. 4, memory  408  includes server routines  412 , IVR interface routines  414 , call connection routines  416 , database access routines  418 , and operating system  428 . Server system  218  may also include server database system  220 . one of skill in the art would recognize that these functions, along with the memory contents related to those functions, may be included on one system, or may be distributed among a plurality of systems, based on well-known engineering considerations. The present invention contemplates any and all such arrangements. For example, server database system  220  and/or IVR  222  may be included in server  218 , or they may be implemented separately from server  218 .  
         [0033]    Server routines  412  include software that implements the functionality of prepaid server platform  202 , shown in FIG. 1. IVR interface routines  414  provide the capability to interface an IVR, such as IVR  222 , with server system  218  and to interoperate with the IVR. Call connection routines  416  provide the capability to connect calls with mobile telephones, such as RDP  214 , in order to perform process  300 , shown in FIG. 3. Database access routines provide the capability to access server database system  220 , in order to perform process  300 . Operating system  420  provides overall system functionality.  
         [0034]    As shown in FIG. 4, the present invention contemplates implementation on a system or systems that provide multi-processor, multi-tasking, multi-process, and/or multi-thread computing, as well as implementation on systems that provide only single processor, single thread computing. Multi-processor computing involves performing computing using more than one processor. Multi-tasking computing involves performing computing using more than one operating system task. A task is an operating system concept that refers to the combination of a program being executed and bookkeeping information used by the operating system. Whenever a program is executed, the operating system creates a new task for it. The task is like an envelope for the program in that it identifies the program with a task number and attaches other bookkeeping information to it. Many operating systems, including UNIX®, OS/2®, and WINDOWS®, are capable of running many tasks at the same time and are called multitasking operating systems. Multi-tasking is the ability of an operating system to execute more than one executable at the same time. Each executable is running in its own address space, meaning that the executables have no way to share any of their memory. This has advantages, because it is impossible for any program to damage the execution of any of the other programs running on the system. However, the programs have no way to exchange any information except through the operating system (or by reading files stored on the file system). Multi-process computing is similar to multi-tasking computing, as the terms task and process are often used interchangeably, although some operating systems make a distinction between the two.  
         [0035]    It is important to note that while the present invention has been described in the context of a fully functioning data processing system, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the processes of the present invention are capable of being distributed in the form of a computer readable medium of instructions and a variety of forms and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media actually used to carry out the distribution. Examples of computer readable media include recordable-type media such as floppy disc, a hard disk drive, RAM, and CD-ROM&#39;s, as well as transmission-type media, such as digital and analog communications links.  
         [0036]    Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that there are other embodiments that are equivalent to the described embodiments. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific illustrated embodiments, but only by the scope of the appended claims.