Vehicle infotainment system

A method of providing network access to an in-vehicle infotainment system of a vehicle through a network access node pre-associated with that vehicle, the in-vehicle infotainment system being associated with a first unique network identifier, the method comprising:

• receiving, at the network access node, in response to a triggered login request, a data request from a mobile device, the mobile device being associated with a second different unique network identifier, the data request being received over a first communication channel, and the first communication channel using a packet switched network;
• extracting, by the network access node, from the data request the second different unique network identifier and details of a mobile network operator that is associated with the second different unique network identifier;
• initiating, by the network access node in response to the received login request, a network initiated SMS message to the mobile device over a second communication channel, the second communication channel using a circuit switched network provided by the mobile network operator that is associated with the second different unique network identifier and the network initiated SMS message including an activation URL;
• receiving, by the network access node, a confirmation of network delivery of the network initiated SMS message;
• in response to the received confirmation of delivery of the mobile terminated SMS message, associating by the network access node, at the network access node, the first unique network identifier with the second unique network identifier such that subsequent network traffic that is received at the network access node that originates from the in-vehicle infotainment system and is identifiable with the first unique network identifier is associated with an account that is associated with an MSISDN of the mobile device;
• and
• receiving, in response to the delivery of the network initiated SMS message to the mobile device, confirmation of the association of the first unique network identifier with the second unique network identifier and triggering a mobile terminated SMS message to the mobile network operator from the network access node, the mobile terminated SMS message triggering a charge for service request from the network access node to the mobile network operator associated with the second unique network identifier of the mobile device.

A network access node configured to provide network access to an in-vehicle infotainment system of a vehicle, the vehicle being pre-associated with the network access node, the in-vehicle infotainment system being associated with a first unique network identifier, the network access node being configured to:

• receive, in response to a triggered login request, a data request from a mobile device, the mobile device being associated with a second different unique network identifier, the data request being received over a first communication channel, and the first communication channel using a packet switched network;
• extract, from the data request, the second different unique network identifier and details of a mobile network operator that is associated with the second different unique network identifier;
• initiate, in response to the received login request, a network initiated SMS message to the mobile device over a second communication channel, the second communication channel using a circuit switched network provided by the mobile network operator that is associated with the second different unique network identifier and the network initiated SMS message including an activation URL;
• receive, a confirmation of network delivery of the network initiated SMS message;
• associate, in response to the received confirmation of delivery of the mobile terminated SMS message at the network access node, the first unique network identifier with the second unique network identifier such that subsequent network traffic that is received at the network access node that originates from the in-vehicle infotainment system and is identifiable with the first unique network identifier is associated with an account that is associated with an MSISDN of the mobile device;
• and
• receive, in response to the delivery of the network initiated SMS message to the mobile device, confirmation of the association of the first unique network identifier with the second unique network identifier and trigger a mobile terminated SMS message to the mobile network operator from the network access node, the mobile terminated SMS message triggering a charge for service request from the network access node to the mobile network operator associated with the second unique network identifier of the mobile device.