Patent Document

RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/797,774 entitled “Swapping A Nonoperational Networked Electronic System For An Operational Networked Electronic System,” by Skinner filed on Mar. 9, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0002]     This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/201,244, filed on May 1, 2000, entitled “SWAPPING A NONOPERATIONAL NETWORKED ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR AN OPERATIONAL NETWORKED ELECTRONIC SYSTEM,” by Craig Stuart Skinner. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0004]     The present invention generally relates to the field of networked electronic systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of replacing a nonoperational networked electronic system with an operational networked electronic system via a network.  
         [0005]     2. Related Art  
         [0006]     Computers and other electronic systems or devices (e.g., personal digital assistants) have become integral tools used in a wide variety of different applications, such as in finance and commercial transactions, computer-aided design and manufacturing, health care, telecommunication, education, etc. Computers along with other electronic devices are finding new applications as a result of advances in hardware technology and rapid development in software technology. Furthermore, the functionality of a computer system or other type of electronic system or device is dramatically enhanced by coupling these stand-alone devices together in order to form a networking environment. Within a networking environment, users may readily exchange files, share information stored on a common database, pool resources, and communicate via electronic mail (e-mail) and via video teleconferencing. Furthermore, computers or other types of electronic devices which are coupled to the Internet provide their users access to data and information from all over the world.  
         [0007]     The functionality of an electronic system (e.g., a handheld computer system, a desktop computer system, a cellular phone, a pager, etc.) is enhanced by including one or more communication ports for exchanging or sharing data (e.g., via a wireless connection or via a wired connection) with other electronic systems or with a network (e.g., a wireless network, a wired network, etc.). For example, a radio frequency (RF) communication port, an infrared (IR) communication port, or other type of communication port can be incorporated into the electronic system. A communication port is positioned in the electronic system according to a variety of factors, such as space requirements, industry standards, and convenience to a user.  
         [0008]     A personal digital assistant (commonly referred to as a PDA) is a handheld computer system. It is appreciated that the personal digital assistant is a portable handheld device that is used as an electronic organizer which has the capability to store a wide range of information that includes daily appointments, numerous telephone numbers of business and personal acquaintances, and various other information. Moreover, the personal digital assistant can also access information from the Internet, as mentioned above. In particular, the personal digital assistant can browse Web pages located on the Internet. Typically, the personal digital assistant includes an electronic display device having a display area (e.g., a screen) that is smaller in size relative to a display area associated with a standard-sized electronic display device (e.g., 15 inch monitor, 17 inch monitor, etc.) which is part of a desktop computer system or a laptop computer system.  
         [0009]     Typically, the personal digital assistant includes a communication port (e.g., an IR communication port, a radio frequency (RF) communication port, a serial communication port for coupling to a communication cable, etc.) or other wireless connection. For example, a RF communication port enables the personal digital assistant to couple to a wireless network. Once the personal digital assistant is coupled to the wireless network, a network access configuration is created for the personal digital assistant. The network access configuration enables a user to use the personal digital assistant to access the network resources. Unfortunately, if the personal digital assistant is no longer operational, the user is required to obtain a new personal digital assistant, requiring creation of a new network access configuration for the new personal digital assistant. Creation of the new network access configuration is an inconvenient process performed by the network infrastructure provider and by the network service provider. Moreover, the user is inconvenienced by creation of the new network access configuration since the user cannot access the network until the new network access configuration is created.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     A method of switching a network access configuration associated with a first electronic system to a second electronic system via a network is described. The first electronic system is inoperable. The second electronic system replaces the first electronic system such that a user seamlessly transitions from the first electronic system to the second electronic system. The user continues to access the network resources using the second electronic system rather than the first electronic system. In an embodiment of the present invention, the network comprises a Mobitex wireless network. In an embodiment of the present invention, the network access configuration includes a network identifier. In a Mobitex network, the network identifier comprises a Mobitex access number.  
         [0011]     According to an embodiment of the present invention, an application for switching the network access configuration is invoked using the second electronic system. During a first phase, the application transmits first data to a network infrastructure provider. The network infrastructure provider obtains approval for switching the network access configuration from the network service provider. If the network service provider approves switching the network access configuration, the network infrastructure provider updates its databases such that the network access configuration of the first electronic system is associated with the second electronic system. During a second phase, the network service provider updates its databases such that the network access configuration of the first electronic system is associated with the second electronic system if the network infrastructure provider successfully updates its databases. At the conclusion of the second phase, the second electronic system can access the network using the network access configuration. However, the first electronic system is denied access to the network if the first electronic system attempts to access the network using the network access configuration.  
         [0012]     These and other advantages of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which are illustrated in the drawing figures.  
         [0013]     In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method of switching a network access configuration associated with a first electronic system (FES) to a second electronic system (SES), comprising the steps of: a) transmitting via a network to a network infrastructure provider (NIP) first data for requesting a re-association of the network access configuration to the SES, wherein the network access configuration includes a network identifier for accessing the network; b) requesting approval of the re-association from a network service provider (NSP); c) if the NSP approves the re-association, updating second data for controlling and managing access to the network such that the SES is able to access the network using the network access configuration and the FES is denied access to the network; d) transmitting to the SES the network identifier; and e) if the NIP successfully updates the second data, updating third data for authorizing and tracking usage of the network such that the SES is able to access the network using the network access configuration and the FES is denied access to the network.  
         [0014]     In another embodiment, the present invention includes an electronic system comprising: a processor coupled to a bus; an electronic display device coupled to the bus; a communication port coupled to the bus; and a memory device coupled to the bus and having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of switching a network access configuration associated with another electronic system to the electronic system (ES), the method comprising the steps of: a) transmitting via a network to a network infrastructure provider (NIP) first data for requesting a re-association of the network access configuration to the ES, wherein the network access configuration includes a network identifier for accessing the network; b) requesting approval of the re-association from a network service provider (NSP); c) if the NSP approves the re-association, updating second data for controlling and managing access to the network such that the ES is able to access the network using the network access configuration and the another electronic system is denied access to the network; d) transmitting to the ES the network identifier; and e) if the NIP successfully updates the second data, updating third data for authorizing and tracking usage of the network such that the ES is able to access the network using the network access configuration and the another electronic system is denied access to the network.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of a first exemplary network environment including a personal digital assistant coupled to other computer systems and the Internet via a cradle device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  illustrates a top side perspective view of a personal digital assistant that can be used in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates a bottom side perspective view of the personal digital assistant of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded view of the components of the personal digital assistant of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  illustrates is a logical circuit block diagram of the personal digital assistant in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of the cradle device for connecting the personal digital assistant to other systems via a communication interface in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  illustrates a block diagram of a second exemplary network environment including a personal digital assistant in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  illustrates a flow chart diagram of steps performed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention for switching a network access configuration.  
         [0024]      FIG. 9  illustrates a flow chart diagram of steps performed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention for switching a network access configuration.  
         [0025]      FIG. 10  illustrates a plurality of exemplary windows displaying information on a personal digital assistant in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
       [0026]     The drawings referred to in this description should not be understood as being drawn to scale except if specifically noted.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention.  
         [0028]     Although the description of the present invention will focus on an exemplary personal digital assistant or handheld computer system, the present invention can be practiced with other electronic systems or electronic devices capable of being networked (e.g., cellular phones, pagers, etc.).  
       Notation and Nomenclature  
       [0029]     Some portions of the detailed descriptions which follow are presented in terms of procedures, logic blocks, processing, and other symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory. These descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. In the present application, a procedure, logic block, process, etc., is conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps or instructions leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated in a computer system. It has proved convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like.  
         [0030]     It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the present invention, discussions utilizing terms such as “generating”, “canceling”, “assigning”, “receiving”, “forwarding”, “dumping”, “updating”, “bypassing”, “transmitting”, “determining”, “retrieving”, “displaying”, “identifying”, “modifying”, “processing”, “preventing”, “using”, “sending”, “adjusting” or the like, refer to the actions and processes of an electronic system or a computer system, or other electronic computing device/system such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, a pager, etc. The computer system or similar electronic computing device manipulates and transforms data represented as physical,(electronic) quantities within the computer system&#39;s registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission, or display devices. The present invention is also well suited to the use of other computer systems such as, for example, optical and mechanical computers.  
       Exemplary Electronic System Environment  
       [0031]     One of the common types of electronic systems which can be used in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is referred to as a personal digital assistant, or commonly called a PDA. The personal digital assistant is a pocket sized electronic organizer with the capability to store telephone numbers, addresses, daily appointments, and software that keeps track of business or personal data such as expenses, etc. Furthermore, the personal digital assistant also has the ability to connect to a personal computer, enabling the two devices to exchange updated information. Additionally, the personal digital assistant can also be connected to a modem, enabling it to have electronic mail (e-mail) capabilities over the Internet along with other Internet capabilities. Moreover, an advanced personal digital assistant can have Internet capabilities over a wireless communication interface (e.g., radio interface). In particular, the personal digital assistant can be used to browse Web pages located on the Internet. The personal digital assistant can be coupled to a networking environment. It should be appreciated that embodiments of the present invention are well suited to operate within a wide variety of electronic systems (e.g., computer systems) which can be communicatively coupled to a networking environment, including cellular phones, pagers, etc.  
         [0032]      FIG. 1  illustrates a first network system  51 . The first network system  51  comprises a host computer system  56  which can either be a desktop computer system as shown, or, alternatively, can be a laptop computer system  58 . Optionally, more than one host computer system  56  can be used within the first network system  51 . Host computer systems  58  and  56  are shown connected to a communication bus  54 , which in one embodiment can be a serial communication bus, but could be of any of a number of well known designs (e.g., a parallel bus, Ethernet Local Area Network (LAN), etc.). Optionally, bus  54  can provide communication with the Internet  52  using a number of well known protocols.  
         [0033]     Importantly, bus  54  is also coupled to a cradle  60  for receiving and initiating communication with the exemplary personal digital assistant  100 . Cradle  60  provides an electrical and mechanical communication interface between bus  54  (and any device coupled to bus  54 ) and the exemplary personal digital assistant  100  for two-way communications. The exemplary personal digital assistant  100  also contains a wireless infrared communication mechanism  64  for sending and receiving information from other devices. The exemplary personal digital assistant  100  can include both a wireless infrared communication mechanism and a signal (e.g., radio frequency) receiver/transmitter device.  
         [0034]      FIG. 2  is a perspective illustration of the top face  100   a  of one embodiment of the exemplary personal digital assistant or handheld computer system  100 . The top face  100   a  has a display screen  105  surrounded by a bezel or cover. A removable stylus  80  is also shown. The display screen  105  is a touch screen able to register contact between the screen and the tip of the stylus  80 . The stylus  80  can be of any material to make contact with the display screen  105 . The top face  100   a  also has one or more dedicated and/or programmable buttons  75  for selecting information and causing the computer system to implement functions. The on/off button  95  is also shown. Moreover, a user is able to control specific functionality of the personal digital assistant  100  by using its plurality of buttons  75  (e.g., to invoke telephone/address data, calendar data, to-do-list data, memo pad data, etc.). Furthermore, the user can utilize the stylus  80  in conjunction with the display screen  105  in order to cause the personal digital assistant  100  to perform a multitude of different functions. One such function is the selecting of different functional operations of the personal digital assistant  100 , which are accomplished by touching stylus  80  to specific areas of display screen  105 . Another such function is the entering of data into the exemplary personal digital assistant  100 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 2  also illustrates a handwriting recognition pad or “digitizer” containing two regions  106   a  and  106   b.  Region  106   a  is for the drawing of alphabetic characters therein (and not for numeric characters) for automatic recognition, and region  106   b  is for the drawing of numeric characters therein (and not for alphabetic characters) for automatic recognition. The stylus  80  is used for stroking a character within one of the regions  106   a  and  106   b.  The stroke information is then fed to an internal processor for automatic character recognition. Once characters are recognized, they are typically displayed on the screen  105  for verification and/or modification.  
         [0036]      FIG. 3  illustrates the bottom side  100   b  of one embodiment of the exemplary personal digital assistant or palmtop computer system  100  that can be used in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. An extendible antenna  85  is shown, and also a battery storage compartment door  90  is shown. The antenna  85  enables the exemplary personal digital assistant  100  to be communicatively coupled to a network environment, thereby enabling a user to communicate information with other electronic systems and electronic devices coupled to the network. A communication interface  180  is also shown. In one embodiment of the present invention, the communication interface  180  is a serial communication port, but could also alternatively be of any of a number of well-known communication standards and protocols (e.g., parallel, SCSI (small computer system interface), Firewire (IEEE 1394), Ethernet, etc.).  
         [0037]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the exemplary personal digital assistant  100 . The exemplary personal digital assistant  100  contains a front cover  210  having an outline of region  106  and holes  75   a  for receiving buttons  75   b.  A flat panel display  105  (both liquid crystal display and touch screen) fits into front cover  210 . Any of a number of display technologies can be used, e.g., liquid crystal display (LCD), field emission display (FED), plasma, etc., for the flat panel display  105 . A battery  215  provides electrical power. A contrast adjustment (potentiometer)  220  is also shown, as well as an on/off button  95 . A flex circuit  230  is shown along with a personal computer (PC) board  225  containing electronics and logic (e.g., memory, communication bus, processor, etc.) for implementing computer system functionality. The digitizer pad is also included in PC board  225 . A midframe  235  is shown along with stylus  80 . Position-adjustable antenna  85  is shown.  
         [0038]     Infrared communication mechanism  64  (e.g., an infrared emitter and detector device) is for sending and receiving information from other similarly equipped devices (see  FIG. 1 ). A signal (e.g., radio frequency) receiver/transmitter device  108  is also shown. The receiver/transmitter device  108  is coupled to the antenna  85  and also coupled to communicate with the PC board  225 . In one implementation, the Mobitex wireless communication system is used to provide two-way communication between the exemplary personal digital assistant  100  and other networked computers and/or the Internet.  
         [0039]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , portions of the present electronic system are comprised of computer-readable and computer-executable instructions which reside, for example, in computer-readable media of an electronic system (e.g., personal digital assistant, computer system, and the like).  FIG. 5  is a block diagram of exemplary interior components of an exemplary personal digital assistant  100  upon which embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. It is appreciated that the exemplary personal digital assistant  100  of  FIG. 5  is only exemplary and that the present invention can operate within a number of different electronic systems including general purpose networked computer systems, embedded computer systems, and stand alone electronic systems such as a cellular telephone or a pager.  
         [0040]      FIG. 5  illustrates circuitry of an exemplary electronic system or computer system  100  (such as the personal digital assistant), some of which can be implemented on PC board  225  ( FIG. 5 ). Exemplary computer system  100  includes an address/data bus  110  for communicating information, a central processor  101  coupled to the bus  110  for processing information and instructions, a volatile memory  102  (e.g., random access memory, static RAM, dynamic RAM, etc.) coupled to the bus  110  for storing information and instructions for the central processor  101  and a non-volatile memory  103  (e.g., read only memory, programmable ROM, flash memory, EPROM, EEPROM, etc.) coupled to the bus  110  for storing static information and instructions for the processor  101 . Exemplary computer system  100  also includes an optional data storage device  104  (e.g., memory card, hard drive, etc.) coupled with the bus  110  for storing information and instructions. Data storage device  104  can be removable. As described above, exemplary computer system  100  also includes an electronic display device  105  coupled to the bus  110  for displaying information to the computer user. In one embodiment, PC board  225  can include the processor  101 , the bus  110 , the ROM  103  and the RAM  102 .  
         [0041]     With reference still to  FIG. 5 , exemplary computer system  100  also includes a signal transmitter/receiver device  108  which is coupled to bus  110  for providing a communication link between computer system  100  and a network environment. As such, signal transmitter/receiver device  108  enables central processor unit  101  to communicate wirelessly with other electronic systems coupled to the network. It should be appreciated that within an embodiment of the present invention, signal transmitter/receiver device  108  is coupled to antenna  85  ( FIG. 4 ) and provides the functionality to transmit and receive information over a wireless communication interface. It should be further appreciated that the present embodiment of signal transmitter/receiver device  108  is well-suited to be implemented in a wide variety of ways. For example, signal transmitter/receiver device  108  could be implemented as a modem.  
         [0042]     In one embodiment, exemplary computer system  100  includes a communication circuit  109  coupled to bus  110 . Communication circuit  109  includes an optional digital signal processor (DSP)  120  for processing data to be transmitted or data that are received via signal transmitter/receiver device  108 . Alternatively, some or all of the functions performed by DSP  120  can be performed by processor  101 .  
         [0043]     Also included in exemplary computer system  100  of  FIG. 5  is an optional alphanumeric input device  106  which in one implementation is a handwriting recognition pad (“digitizer”) having regions  106   a  and  106   b  ( FIG. 2 ), for instance. Alphanumeric input device  106  can communicate information and command selections to processor  101 . Exemplary computer system  100  also includes an optional cursor control or directing device (on-screen cursor control  107 ) coupled to bus  110  for communicating user input information and command selections to processor  101 . In one implementation, on-screen cursor control device  107  is a touch screen device incorporated with display device  105 . On-screen cursor control device  107  is capable of registering a position on display device  105  where the stylus makes contact. The display device  105  utilized with exemplary computer system  100  may be a liquid crystal display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT), a field emission display device (also called a flat panel CRT) or other display device suitable for generating graphic images and alphanumeric characters recognizable to the user. In the preferred embodiment, display device  105  is a flat panel display.  
         [0044]      FIG. 6  is a perspective illustration of an embodiment of the cradle  60  for receiving the exemplary personal digital assistant or handheld computer system  100 . Cradle  60  includes a mechanical and electrical interface  260  for interfacing with communication interface  108  ( FIG. 3 ) of the exemplary personal digital assistant  100  when the personal digital assistant  100  is slid into the cradle  60  in an upright position. Once inserted, button  270  can be pressed to initiate two-way communication between the personal digital assistant  100  and other computer systems or electronic devices coupled to serial communication  265 .  
       Switching a Network Access Configuration Associated with a First Electronic System to a Second Electronic System  
       [0045]     Although the description of the present invention will focus on an exemplary personal digital assistant or handheld computer system, the present invention can be practiced with other electronic systems or electronic devices capable of being networked (e.g., cellular phones, pagers, etc.).  
         [0046]      FIG. 7  illustrates a block diagram of a second exemplary network environment  700  in which an embodiment of the present invention can be practiced. In an embodiment of the present invention, the network environment  700  includes a first network  750 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the first network  750  comprises a Mobitex network  750 . It should be recognized that the first network  750  can be implemented in any other manner.  
         [0047]     The Mobitex network  750  is a wireless network. The Mobitex network is a secure, reliable, two-way digital wireless packet switching network.  
         [0048]     The Mobitex network  750  includes a plurality of base stations  731 - 733  for enabling an electronic system (e.g., the personal digital assistant  100 ) to access the Mobitex network  750 . A base station 1   731  is coupled to the Mobitex network  750  via communication connection  741 . A base station 2   732  is coupled to the Mobitex network  750  via communication connection  742 . A base stationX  733  is coupled to the Mobitex network  750  via communication connection  743 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the base stations  731 - 733  are configured to transmit and to receive data and information. The communication connections  741 - 743  can be implemented as a wireless connection, a wired connection (e.g., a telephone connection), or in any other appropriate manner.  
         [0049]     The personal digital assistant  100  includes a radio frequency (RF) communication port (or radio interface) having an antenna  85 . Moreover, the personal digital assistant  100  has the ability to transmit and receive data and information via the RF communication port. The personal digital assistant  100  utilizes the antenna  85  to couple to the base station 1   731  via the connection  720 . In an embodiment, the connection  720  is a wireless connection  720 . Moreover, the wireless connection  720  is a RF wireless connection  720 .  
         [0050]     In an embodiment, a proxy server  760  is coupled to the Mobitex network  750  via communication connection  761 . The proxy server  760  is coupled to the Internet  765 . The proxy server  760  enables the personal digital assistant  100  to communicate with the Internet  765 . It should be appreciated that within the present embodiment, one of the functions of proxy server  760  is to perform operations over the Internet  765  on behalf of the personal digital assistant  100 . For example, proxy server  760  has a particular Internet address and acts as a proxy device for the personal digital assistant  100  over the Internet  765 . It should be further appreciated that other embodiments for the network environment  700  may be utilized in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0051]     In an embodiment, a network service provider  790  is coupled to the Internet  765 . The network service provider  790  includes one or more databases for storing data for authorizing and tracking usage of the Mobitex network  750 . Moreover, the network service provider  790  is coupled to a network infrastructure provider  790  via connection  785 .  
         [0052]     In an embodiment, an activation gateway  770  is coupled to the Mobitex network  750  via connection  771 . The activation gateway  770  is coupled to the network infrastructure provider  780  via connection  772 . The activation gateway  770  enables the personal digital assistant  100  to access the network infrastructure provider  780 .  
         [0053]     The network infrastructure provider  780  is coupled to the network service provider  790  via connection  785 . The network infrastructure provider  780  is coupled to the activation gateway  770  via connection  772 . In an embodiment, the network infrastructure provider  780  includes one or more databases for storing data for controlling and managing access to the Mobitex network  750 .  
         [0054]     To access the Mobitex network  750 , the personal digital assistant  100 , the activation gateway  770 , and the proxy server  760  need a network identifier. In an embodiment, the network identifier comprises a Mobitex access number (MAN). The MAN is analogous to a phone number on a telephone network.  
         [0055]     According to an embodiment of the present invention, when a first personal digital assistant becomes inoperable, a second personal digital assistant  100  is swapped for the first personal digital assistant. The first personal digital assistant is made inoperable due to any reason. For example, the first personal digital assistant may become lost or stolen. Moreover, the first personal digital assistant may malfunction.  
         [0056]     Rather than activating the second personal digital assistant  100  with a new network access configuration so that a user can access the Mobitex network  750  with the second personal digital assistant  100 , a network access configuration associated with the first personal digital assistant is re-associated with the second personal digital assistant  100 . The network access configuration includes the network identifier (e.g., the Mobitex access number). In an embodiment, the network access configuration further includes, for example, network user account data, network user privileges data, or network user profile data. Thus, the user experiences a seamless transition from the first personal digital assistant to the second personal digital assistant  100  when accessing the Mobitex network  750 .  
         [0057]     In an embodiment of the present invention, an application is loaded to the second personal digital assistant  100 . Upon invoking the application, the application automatically switches the network access configuration associated with the first personal digital assistant to the second personal digital assistant  100  via the RF communication port of the second personal digital assistant  100 . During a first phase, the network infrastructure provider  780  updates its one or more databases such that the second personal digital assistant  100  is able to access the Mobitex network  750  using the network access configuration (previously associated with the first personal digital assistant). During a second phase, the network service provider  790  updates its one or more databases such that the second personal digital assistant  100  is able to access the Mobitex network  750  using the network access configuration (previously associated with the first personal digital assistant). At the conclusion of the second phase, the second personal digital assistant  100  can access the Mobitex network  750  using the network access configuration (previously associated with the first personal digital assistant). However, the first personal digital assistant is denied access to the Mobitex network  750  if the first personal digital assistant  100  attempts to access the Mobitex network  750  using the network access configuration (previously associated with the first personal digital assistant).  
         [0058]      FIG. 8  illustrates a flow chart diagram of steps performed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention for switching a network access configuration. Reference will be made to  FIG. 7 . In particular,  FIG. 8  illustrates the first phase of the method of switching the network access configuration associated with the first personal digital assistant to the second personal digital assistant  100 .  
         [0059]     At step  805 , an application is loaded to the second personal digital assistant  100 . The application is configured to automatically switch the network access configuration associated with the first personal digital assistant to the second personal digital assistant  100 . In an embodiment, a repair facility configures the second personal digital assistant  100  before sending the second personal digital assistant  100  to the user(that previously utilized the first personal digital assistant)  
         [0060]     At step  810 , the application is invoked using the second personal digital assistant  100 . The application prompts the repair facility to input data. In one embodiment, the repair facility inputs the user name and the hardware serial number associated with the first personal digital assistant, whereas the hardware serial number (HSN) uniquely identifies each personal digital assistant. In one embodiment, the user provides the user name and the hardware serial number associated with the first personal digital assistant to the repair facility. In another embodiment, the user provides his/her name. The repair facility utilizes one or more databases of the network service provider  790  to obtain the user name and the hardware serial number associated with the first personal digital assistant. The hardware serial number comprises a Mobitex serial number and a Mobitex serial number extension. In still another embodiment, the repair facility inputs the user name and the Mobitex serial number associated with the first personal digital assistant (rather than the hardware serial number associated with the first personal digital assistant).  
         [0061]     At step  815 , data is transmitted to the network infrastructure provider  780  via the antenna  85 . In one embodiment, the user name, the hardware serial number associated with the first personal digital assistant, and the hardware serial number associated with the second personal digital assistant  100  are transmitted to the network infrastructure provider  780 . In addition, a request for re-associating the network access configuration associated with the first personal digital assistant to the second personal digital assistant  100  is transmitted to the network infrastructure provider  780 . In one embodiment, the second personal digital assistant  100  utilizes the Mobitex access number associated with the activation gateway  770  to transmit the data to the activation gateway  770  via base station 1   731 . The activation gateway  770  transmits the data to the network infrastructure provider  780  via connection  772 .  
         [0062]     At step  816 , the network infrastructure provider  780  determines whether the data includes a request for re-associating the network access configuration associated with the first personal digital assistant to the second personal digital assistant  100 . At step  817 , the present method ends if there is no request for re-associating the network access configuration.  
         [0063]     Otherwise, at step  820 , the network infrastructure provider  780  transmits data to the network service provider  790  via connection  785 . In an embodiment, the user name, the hardware serial number associated with the first personal digital assistant, and the hardware serial number associated with the second personal digital assistant  100  are transmitted to the network service provider  790 . The network infrastructure provider  780  stores and manages the Mobitex access numbers. In addition, the Mobitex access number associated with the first personal digital number is transmitted to the network service provider  790 . Moreover, the network infrastructure provider  780  transmits a request for approving the re-association of the network access configuration.  
         [0064]     At step  825  of  FIG. 8 , the network service provider  790  determines whether to approve the request for re-associating the network access configuration associated with the first personal digital assistant to the second personal digital assistant  100 . The network service provider  790  examines its one or more databases to determine whether the user is authorized to access the Mobitex network. At step  827 , the present method ends if the network service provider  790  does not approve the request for re-associating the network access configuration associated with the first personal digital assistant to the second personal digital assistant  100 .  
         [0065]     Otherwise, at step  830 , the network service provider  790  sets a flag to indicate that the re-association of the network access configuration has been approved.  
         [0066]     At step  835 , the network service provider  790  transmits data to the network infrastructure provider  780 . In an embodiment, a response approving the re-association of the network access configuration is transmitted.  
         [0067]     At step  840 , the network infrastructure provider  780  updates its one or more databases such that the second personal digital assistant  100  is able to access the Mobitex network  750  using the network access configuration associated with the first personal digital assistant. In an embodiment, the network infrastructure provider  780  invalidates the hardware serial number associated with the first personal digital assistant. Moreover, the network infrastructure provider  780  associates the network access configuration (previously associated with the first personal digital assistant) with the second personal digital assistant  100 . In particular, the Mobitex access number of the first personal digital assistant is associated with the hardware serial number of the second personal digital assistant  100 .  
         [0068]     At step  845  of  FIG. 8 , the network infrastructure provider  780  transmits the Mobitex access number of the first personal digital assistant to the second personal digital assistant  100  via activation gateway  770  and base station 1   731 . In an embodiment, the Mobitex access number of the first personal digital assistant is stored in a memory device of the second personal digital assistant  100 . In an embodiment, the memory device comprises a flash memory device.  
         [0069]     The first phase concludes at the end of step  845 . The first personal digital assistant can no longer access the Mobitex network  750 . In an embodiment, the second phase (of the method of switching the network access configuration associated with the first personal digital assistant to the second personal digital assistant  100 ) begins after a particular time interval has expired. In one embodiment, the particular time interval is one hour.  
         [0070]      FIG. 9  illustrates a flow chart diagram of steps performed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention for switching a network access configuration. Reference will be made to  FIG. 7 . In particular,  FIG. 9  illustrates the second phase of the method of switching the network access configuration associated with the first personal digital assistant to the second personal digital assistant  100 .  
         [0071]     At step  905 , the second personal digital assistant  100  transmits data to the network service provider  790  via the antenna  85 . In an embodiment of the present invention, a request to complete the re-association of the network access configuration is transmitted. In an embodiment, the second personal digital assistant  100  utilizes the Mobitex access number associated with the proxy server  760  to transmit the data to the proxy server  760  via base station 1   731 . The proxy server  760  transmits the data to the network service provider  790  via the Internet  765 . In an embodiment, the data is implemented as a HyperText Transmission Protocol Secure (HTTPS) message.  
         [0072]     At step  910 , the network service provider  790  updates its one or more databases such that the second personal digital assistant  100  is able to access the Mobitex network  750  using the network access configuration associated with the first personal digital assistant. In an embodiment, the network service provider  790  invalidates the hardware serial number associated with the first personal digital assistant. Moreover, the network service provider  790  associates the network access configuration (previously associated with the first personal digital assistant) with the second personal digital assistant  100 . In particular, the Mobitex access number of the first personal digital assistant is associated with the hardware serial number of the second personal digital assistant  100 . Moreover, the user name of the first personal digital assistant is associated with the second personal digital assistant  100 .  
         [0073]     At step  915 , the network service provider  790  transmits an acknowledgment (ACK) message to the second personal digital assistant  100  via the proxy server  760  and the base station 1   731 , whereas the acknowledgment message indicates that the re-association of the network access configuration has been successful. In an embodiment of the present invention, the acknowledgment message includes the user name associated with the first personal digital assistant. In an embodiment, the acknowledgment message is implemented as a HyperText Transmission Protocol Secure (HTTPS) message. In an embodiment, the user name is stored in a memory device of the second personal digital assistant  100 . According to an embodiment of the present invention, the memory device comprises a flash memory device.  
         [0074]     At step  925 , the second personal digital assistant  100  determines whether it has stored the user name and the Mobitex access number of the first personal digital assistant in the memory device of the second personal digital assistant  100 . At step  927 , the method of the present invention has failed since the user name or Mobitex access number is not stored in the second personal digital assistant.  
         [0075]     Otherwise, at step  930 , the method of the present invention ends. At the conclusion of the second phase, the second personal digital assistant  100  can access the Mobitex network  750  using the network access configuration (previously associated with the first personal digital assistant). However, the first personal digital assistant is denied access to the Mobitex network  750  if the first personal digital assistant  100  attempts to access the Mobitex network  750  using the network access configuration (previously associated with the first personal digital assistant).  
         [0076]     In one embodiment, the repair facility deletes the application for switching the network access configuration before sending the second personal digital assistant  100  to the user.  
         [0077]      FIG. 10  illustrates a plurality of exemplary windows displaying information on a personal digital assistant in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, the repair facility interfaces with the exemplary windows. The first window  1100  appears on the second personal digital assistant  100  upon invoking the application for switching the network access configuration associated with the first personal digital assistant to the second personal digital assistant  100 . By selecting NO  1120 , the application ends without configuring the second personal digital assistant  100 .  
         [0078]     By selecting YES  1110 , the second window  1200  appears on the second personal digital assistant  100 . The repair facility can input the user name and the hardware serial number (HSN) associated with the first personal digital assistant. In one embodiment, the repair facility enters an authorized password to prevent unauthorized use of the application. By selecting PREVIOUS  1210 , the first window  1100  appears on the second personal digital assistant  100 . By selecting CANCEL  1230 , the application ends without configuring the second personal digital assistant  100 . By selecting SUBMIT  1220 , the application configures the second personal digital assistant  100  as described above.  
         [0079]     The third window  1300  appears at the end of the first phase. The third window  1300  alerts the repair facility to proceed with the second phase after the particular time interval has expired. It should be recognized that the windows  1100 ,  1200 , and  1300  are merely exemplary and that other configurations can be implemented in accordance with the present invention. In one embodiment, a selection is made by positioning a stylus on the selection on the window. Alternatively, the selection can be made in any other appropriate manner.  
         [0080]     Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be incorporated as computer instructions stored as computer program code on a computer-readable medium such as a magnetic disk, CD-ROM, and other media common in the art or that may yet be developed.  
         [0081]     Finally, one of the embodiments of the present invention is an application, namely, a set of instructions (e.g., program code) which may, for example, be resident in the random access memory of an electronic system (e.g., computer system, personal digital assistant or handheld computer system, etc.). Until required by the computer system, the set of instructions may be stored in another computer memory, for example, in a hard drive, or in a removable memory such as an optical disk (for eventual use in a CD-ROM) or floppy disk (for eventual use in a floppy disk drive), or downloaded via the Internet or other computer network. Thus, the present invention may be implemented as a computer program product for use in a computer system (e.g., personal digital assistant). In addition, although the various methods of the present invention described above are conveniently implemented in a computer system selectively activated or reconfigured by software, one of ordinary skill in the art would also recognize that such methods of the present invention may be carried out in hardware, firmware, or in a more specialized apparatus constructed to perform the required methods of the present invention.  
         [0082]     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.

Technology Category: h