Patent ID: 8670365

Claim:
A method, executed by a telematics service provider (TSP), for communicating with a previously deactivated telematics module, the telematics module having wireless communication hardware, the method comprising: opening a connection to the telematics module via the wireless communication hardware and deactivating the telematics module by replacing a valid mobile identification number (MIN) associated with the module with an invalid default MIN, deactivating ordinary registration, and configuring the telematics module to register at a non-zero rate that is less frequent than required by ordinary registration; receiving, at the TSP subsequent to deactivating the telematics module, a location report identifying a latest registration location of the telematics module; constructing, after the receiving a location report, a short message service (SMS) message for transfer to the telematics module, wherein the SMS message includes: a message recipient field identifying a group of intended recipients, a device identity field identifying the deactivated telematics module, and an instruction field that instructs the telematics module to call the TSP; multicast transmitting the SMS message from the TSP to deactivated telematics units, identified in the message recipient field, that are in a region corresponding to the latest registration location of the telematics module; and receiving, at the TSP in response to the SMS message, a wireless call from the telematics module to open a communication channel with the telematics module.