# US 11,115,542 B2 · Pair-the-plan system for devices and method of use > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,542 B2 - Document ID: US11115542B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/819,398 - Filed: 2020-03-16 - Published: 2020-07-09 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-18 - Assignees: Aeris Communications, Inc. - Applicants: Aeris Communications, Inc. - Inventors: David Hu; Drew S. Johnson; Robert B. Fultz; Steven A. Millstein; Dae Seong Kim; John Molise - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115542B2 ## CPC - H04M 15/7652: {shared by users} - H04L 12/1407: {Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture} - H04L 12/1457: {using an account} - H04L 12/1471: {splitting of costs} - H04M 15/00: Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication {; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP} - H04M 15/60: {based on actual use of network resources} - H04M 15/66: {Policy and charging system} - H04M 15/745: {Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family} - H04M 15/765: {Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices} - H04M 15/80: {Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects} - H04W 4/24: Accounting or billing - H04W 4/44: for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H] - H04W 4/90: Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS] - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A computer-implemented method and system are disclosed for connecting a device to subscriptions and cellular billing plans. The method includes enrolling a second device enabled for connectivity to cellular or other wireless service in a cellular subscription and associated billing plan associated with a first device, wherein the enrollment includes providing an identifier for the second device to a cellular service provider associated with the first device by a second user, and allowing a second user to use capabilities of the second device as governed by the cellular subscription and an associated billing plan associated with the first device; while the second device is also configured to allow a first user to use capabilities of the second device as governed by the cellular subscription and an associated billing plan of the first user's choice. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: enrolling a second device enabled for connectivity to cellular or other wireless service in a cellular subscription and associated billing plan associated with a first device owned by a second user, wherein the enrollment includes providing an identifier for the second device to a cellular service provider associated with the first device by the second user, effectively adding the second device to the cellular subscription and associated billing plan associated with the first device; and allowing the second user to use capabilities of the second device as governed by the cellular subscription and an associated billing plan associated with the first device; while the second device is also configured to allow a first user to use capabilities of the second device as governed by the cellular subscription and an associated billing plan of the first user's choice, wherein the second device is a multipurpose device shared simultaneously by the first user and the second user, and wherein the first user is an enterprise user and the capabilities of the second device of interest to the first user comprise machine to machine (M2M) traffic, and wherein the second user is a consumer user and the capabilities of the second device of interest to the second user comprise consumer traffic. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the cellular subscription and an associated billing plan of the first user's choice includes the same cellular subscription and the associated billing plan associated with the first device or a different cellular subscription and an associated billing plan. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising: managing data flow through one or more data paths according to usage requirements of the first user and the second user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising: managing data flow through one or more data paths according to connectivity parameters controlled by the cellular service provider and the enabled device, and according to usage requirements of the first user and the second user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising: managing data flow through one or more data paths according to connectivity parameters controlled by the cellular service provider and the enabled device and according to usage requirements by the first user and the second user, and allowing emergency access to emergency related data-flow to and from the enabled device by overriding data-flow management configuration under non-emergency situation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the device identifier comprises any of international mobile subscriber identification (IMSI), mobile directory number (MDN), mobile subscriber integrated services digital network number (MSISDN), integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID), embedded universal integrated circuit card identifier (EID) and a combination thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein enrolling a second device enabled for connectivity to cellular or other wireless service in a cellular subscription and associated billing plan associated with a first device further comprises using over the air subscription management. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein configuring the enabled device for use by a first user via the same cellular subscription and the associated billing plan selected by the second user includes providing device identifier of the second device to the cellular service provider selected by the second user for pairing usage of the second device to the cellular subscription and associated billing plan selected by the second user. ### Claim 9 A system comprising a first device, a second device and a cellular service provider enrollment server enabled for enrollment of one or more devices, the server including a processor and a memory in communication with the processor, wherein the server receives an identifier for the second device to the cellular service provider associated with the first device, effectively adding the second device to the cellular subscription and associated billing plan associated with the first device owned by a second user, and enrolls the second device enabled for connectivity to cellular or other wireless service in a cellular subscription and associated billing plan associated with a first device; wherein the second user is allowed to use capabilities of the second device as governed by the cellular subscription and an associated billing plan associated with the first device; and wherein the second device is also configured to allow a first user to use capabilities of the second device as governed by the cellular subscription and an associated billing plan of the first user's choice, and wherein the second device is a multipurpose device shared simultaneously by the first user and the second user, and wherein the first user is an enterprise user and the capabilities of the second device of interest to the first user comprise machine to machine (M2M) traffic, and wherein the second user is a consumer user and the capabilities of the second device of interest to the second user comprise consumer traffic. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the cellular subscription and an associated billing plan of the first user's choice includes the same cellular subscription and the associated billing plan associated with the first device or a different cellular subscription and an associated billing plan. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein data flow through one or more data paths is managed according to usage requirements by the first user and the second user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein data flow through one or more data paths is managed according to connectivity parameters controlled by the cellular service provider and the enabled device, and according to usage requirements by the first user and the second user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the data flow through one or more data paths is managed according to connectivity parameters controlled by the cellular service provider and the enabled device and according to usage requirements by the first user and the second user, and allowing emergency access to emergency related data-flow to and from the enabled device by overriding data-flow management configuration under non-emergency situation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the device identifier comprises any of international mobile subscriber identification (IMSI), mobile directory number (MDN), mobile subscriber integrated services digital network number (MSISDN), integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID), embedded universal integrated circuit card identifier (EID) and a combination thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein enrolling the second device enabled for connectivity to cellular or other wireless service in a cellular subscription and associated billing plan associated with a first device further comprises using over the air subscription management. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein configuring the enabled device for use by a first user via the same cellular subscription and the associated billing plan selected by the second user includes providing device identifier of the second device to the cellular service provider selected by the second user for pairing usage of the second device to the cellular subscription and associated billing plan selected by the second user. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored therein that, when executed, cause one or more processors corresponding to a system having a first device, a second device and a cellular service provider enrollment server enabled for enrollment of one or more devices, the server including a processor, a memory in communication with the processor and a user interface, to perform operations comprising: enrolling a second device enabled for connectivity to cellular or other wireless service in a cellular subscription and associated billing plan associated with a first device owned by a second user, wherein the enrollment includes providing an identifier for the second device to a cellular service provider associated with the first device by the second user, effectively adding the second device to the cellular subscription and associated billing plan associated with the first device; and allowing the second user to use capabilities of the second device as governed by the cellular subscription and an associated billing plan associated with the first device; while the second device is also configured to allow a first user to use capabilities of the second device as governed by the cellular subscription and an associated billing plan of the first user's choice, wherein the second device is a multipurpose device shared simultaneously by the first user and the second user, and wherein the first user is an enterprise user and the capabilities of the second device of interest to the first user comprise machine to machine (M2M) traffic, and wherein the second user is a consumer user and the capabilities of the second device of interest to the second user comprise consumer traffic. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the cellular subscription and an associated billing plan of the first user's choice includes the same cellular subscription and the associated billing plan associated with the first device or a different cellular subscription and an associated billing plan. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for: managing data flow through one or more data paths according to usage requirements of the first user and the second user. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for: managing data flow through one or more data paths according to connectivity parameters controlled by the cellular service provider and the enabled device, and according to usage requirements of the first user and the second user. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for: managing data flow through one or more data paths according to connectivity parameters controlled by the cellular service provider and the enabled device and according to usage requirements by the first user and the second user, and allowing emergency access to emergency related data-flow to and from the enabled device by overriding data-flow management configuration under non-emergency situation. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the device identifier comprises any of international mobile subscriber identification (IMSI), mobile directory number (MDN), mobile subscriber integrated services digital network number (MSISDN), integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID), embedded universal integrated circuit card identifier (EID) and a combination thereof. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein enrolling a second device enabled for connectivity to cellular or other wireless service in a cellular subscription and associated billing plan associated with a first device further comprises using over the air subscription management. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein configuring the enabled device for use by a first user via the same cellular subscription and the associated billing plan selected by the second user includes providing device identifier of the second device to the cellular service provider selected by the second user for pairing usage of the second device to the cellular subscription and associated billing plan selected by the second user.