Abstract:
A method, device, system, and a computer program product where client provisioning is done using a Provisioning Content Document with flag type parameters in an Application characteristics template. The flag concept represents flag-type information that is similar for many applications.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to remote configuration of mobile devices.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Client Provisioning is a technology used by carriers, device manufacturers, and corporate IT (information technology) departments to carry out remote configuration of mobile devices on behalf of users. OMA (Open Mobile Alliance) Client Provisioning is a provisioning standard based on sending provisioning information to the client in the form of a Provisioning Content Document. The OMA Provisioning Content Document is divided into several parts called characteristics. These characteristics include PXLOGICAL, NAPDEF, BOOTSTRAP, CLIENTIDENTITY, VENDORCONFIG, APPLICATION and ACCESS. The APPLICATION characteristic is used to define application protocol parameters and to describe the attributes of an application service access point available using the protocol. Different applications require different sets of parameters and the current Provisioning Content Document template is not able to fulfill the requirements of all applications.  
         [0003]     The current template does not fulfill the management needs of the different applications because setting parameters vary heavily from one application to another. For example, SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) settings require additional parameters on top of the current template. Other applications might require other settings. Quite often these extra parameters that are required are flag type parameters that can have, for example, the following values: ON/OFF, 0/1, etc. However, conventional systems require that all additional settings be parsed separately to different applications, even if they have the same type of information.  
         [0004]     Thus, there is a need for a new flag parameter in the APPLICATION characteristics of a Provisioning Content Document. Further, there is a need to expand the current OMA Provisioning Content Document template for use with applications requiring different settings.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention is directed to a method, device, system, and a computer program product where client provisioning is done using a Provisioning Content Document with flag type parameters in an APPLICATION characteristics template. The flag concept represents flag-type information that is similar for many applications.  
         [0006]     Briefly, one exemplary embodiment relates to a method for client provisioning using an application characteristics template with flag functionality. The method includes receiving a provisioning content document having configuration information for a device from a wireless communication network, parsing the provisioning content document including a plurality of characteristics, and identifying a flag parameter in an application characteristic of the plurality of characteristics in the provisioning content document. The flag parameter indicates whether parameters should be set in the configuration of the device.  
         [0007]     Another exemplary embodiment relates to a device that has a client provisioning procedure with flag functionality. The device includes a processor configured to execute programmed instructions. The programmed instructions are configured to instruct the processor to receive configuration information from a wireless communication network, parse the configuration information, and identify a flag parameter in the configuration information. The flag parameter indicates whether certain parameters should be set in the configuration of the device.  
         [0008]     Yet another exemplary embodiment relates to a system for client provisioning using an application characteristics template with flag functionality. The system includes a server computer and a client device. The server computer is coupled to a communication network. The client device is coupled to the communication network. The client device has a configuration based on a provisioning content document received from the server computer. This provisioning content document includes a flag parameter that indicates whether certain parameters should be set in the configuration of the device.  
         [0009]     Even another exemplary embodiment relates to a computer program product that has computer code to parse configuration information received from a wireless communication network, identify a flag parameter in the configuration information that indicates whether certain parameters should be set in the configuration of the device, and set the certain parameters if the flag parameter so indicates.  
         [0010]     Other principle features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following drawings, the detailed description, and the appended claims.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     Exemplary embodiments will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic representation of a client provisioning system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic representation of a client provisioning client in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of client provisioning using an application characteristics template with flag functionality in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic representation of a device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  illustrates a client provisioning system  10  including a server  12 , a network  14 , and a client device  16 . The client device  16  communicates with the server  12  via the network  14 . In an exemplary embodiment, the client device  16  is a communication device, such as a mobile telephone, and the network  14  is a wireless communication network. Alternatively, the client device  16  can be any kind of computing device.  
         [0017]     The client device  16  can be remotely configured from the server  12  over the network  14 . In a remote configuration or provisioning process, communication carriers, device manufacturers, or corporate information technology (IT) groups can configure the client device  16  by sending provisioning information over the network  14  to the client device  16 . Provisioning information can include information, such as access point (AP) information or multimedia messaging service (MMS) information.  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  illustrates the client device  16  including a parser  22  that is configured to receive and understand a provisioning content document  24 . The provisioning content document  24  includes provisioning information for configuring the client device  16 . The provisioning content document  24  is divided into parts called characteristics. The APPLICATION characteristic is used to define application protocol parameters and to describe the attributes of an application service access point available using the protocol.  
         [0019]     In an exemplary embodiment, a general flag, such as parm: FLAG * is introduced in all levels of the APPLICATION characteristic. In an alternative embodiment, the flag usage can be limited in only one or more levels. Or, in other words, the flag can be in several, but not all, levels. The following computer code is an example of a general flag embodiment.  
         [0020]     characteristic: APPLICATION *  
                                                                                                                                                       {                parm: APPID           parm: PROVIDER-ID ?           parm: NAME ?           parm: AACCEPT ?           parm: APROTOCOL ?           parm: TO-PROXY *           parm: TO-NAPID *           parm: ADDR *           parm: FLAG *           characteristic : APPADDR *           {                parm: ADDR           parm: ADDRTYPE ?           parm: FLAG *           characteristic: PORT *           {                parm: PORTNBR           parm: SERVICE *           parm: FLAG *                }           }                characteristic : APPAUTH *                {           parm: AAUTHLEVEL ?           parm: AAUTHTYPE ?           parm: AAUTHNAME ?           parm: AAUTHSECRET ?           parm: AAUTHDATA ?           parm: FLAG *           }                characteristic : RESOURCE *                {           parm: URI           parm: NAME ?           parm: AACCEPT ?           parm: AAUTHTYPE ?           parm: AAUTHNAME ?           parm: AAUTHSECRET ?           parm: AAUTHDATA ?           parm: STARTPAGE ?           parm: FLAG *                }                }                      
 
         [0021]     Specific flags can have meanings described in the application-specific OMNA Registration document. The following definitions can be used, for example. 
        Characteristic/name: APPLICATION/FLAG.     Status: Required.     Occurs: 1/*.     Default value: None.     Used values: N/A.     Interpretation: E.g Takes no values. Get IP address from the server.     Characteristic/name: APPLICATION/FLAG.     Status: Required.     Occurs: 1/*.     Default value: None.     Used values: N/A.     Interpretation: E.g Takes no values. Get IP DNS from the server.        
 
         [0034]     A registration example from these definitions can be as follows: 
        &lt;parm name=“FLAG”/&gt;       
 
         [0036]     In above example, the name of the flag is in all cases is FLAG because the parser pareses the file in the same order that flags are in registration document. However, in alternative embodiments, the name of the flag differs, such as FLAG-X (0 or more entries). The FLAG-X parameter can be used to define common flag type parameter (on/off). X in the parameter name means integer 1-n (FLAG- 1 , FLAG- 2 , etc . . . ). As such, there are no values for this parameter. The presence of the parameter indicates that FLAG-X is used, otherwise, the parameter is omitted.  
         [0037]      FIG. 3  illustrates a flow diagram  30  of exemplary operations in a process of client provisioning using an application characteristics template with flag functionality. Additional, fewer, or different operations may be performed in accordance with alternative embodiments. The template may be used at least for the following applications or protocols: E-mail, Poc, Wireless Village, SIP, Presence, IM, MMS, SMS, Voice Mail, Streaming, Browser, Data Synchronization, Device Management, SWIS, and Chat.  
         [0038]     In an operation  32 , a device receives a provisioning content document having configuration information from a wireless communication network. The device can receive the provisioning content document as part of a subscriber set up procedure or as part of a configuration procedure for an existing subscriber.  
         [0039]     In an operation  34 , a processor in the device parses the provisioning content document. The provisioning content document includes a plurality of characteristics. In an operation  36 , the processor identifies a flag parameter in an application characteristic of the plurality of characteristics in the provisioning content document. The flag parameter indicates whether parameters should be set in the configuration of the device. In an operation  38 , the parameters indicated by the flag parameter are set.  
         [0040]      FIG. 4  illustrates a device  40  having a central processing unit (CPU)  42 , an input  44 , an output  46 , and a memory  48 . The device  40  can be configured according to provisioning information communicated to it from an outside source to the input  44 . The CPU  42  processes the instructions included in the received provisioning information and store information in the memory  48 . The device  40  can be a phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a computer, or any other device.  
         [0041]     Advantageously, these exemplary embodiments simplify the Client Provisioning Framework implementation. Further, the flags make usage of the APPLICATION characteristics template more efficient. Since client provisioning is a push-type technology (i.e., the server doesn&#39;t know the client&#39;s capabilities), device manufacturers will also benefit from the implementation.  
         [0042]     This detailed description outlines exemplary embodiments of a method, device, system, and a computer program product for client provisioning using an application characteristics template with flag functionality. In the foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It is evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate description of the exemplary embodiments.  
         [0043]     While the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the Figures and described above are presently preferred, it should be understood that these embodiments are offered by way of example only. Other embodiments may include, for example, different techniques for performing the same operations. The invention is not limited to a particular embodiment, but extends to various modifications, combinations, and permutations that nevertheless fall within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.