Method and apparatus for reassigning mobile subscriber identification information
AssigneesAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P., AT&T Mobility II LLC
InventorsWalter Cooper Chastain, Stephen Emille Chin
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Abstract
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system that manages utilization of mobile subscriber identity information including enabling reuse of such information by a different communication device and/or re-authorizing use by a communication device that previously was authorized to utilize the information. The reassignment of mobile subscriber identity information can be based on detecting a registration that utilizes a bootstrap mobile subscriber identity information or a registration based on a mobile subscriber identity information that the network has designated not for use by the particular communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.
Claims20
A device, comprising:
- a processing system including a processor;
- and
- a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising:
- detecting that a communication device is an original device associated with a first international mobile subscriber identity included in a group of reassignable international mobile subscriber identities;
- responsive to the detecting that the communication device is the original device associated with the first international mobile subscriber identity, determining whether a subscriber of the communication device is at least eligible for communication services;
- and
- responsive to determining that the subscriber is at least eligible for communication services:
- authorizing the communication device to utilize the first international mobile subscriber identity responsive to determining that the first international mobile subscriber identity has not been reassigned to another communication device, and
- provisioning the communication device with a second international mobile subscriber identity responsive to determining that the first international mobile subscriber identity has been reassigned to another communication device.
A method, comprising:
- receiving a registration request from a communication device according to a first international mobile subscriber identity;
- determining that the first international mobile subscriber identity is included in a group of reassignable international mobile subscriber identities;
- and
- responsive to determining that a subscriber of the communication device is eligible for communication services:
- authorizing the communication device to utilize the first international mobile subscriber identity responsive to determining that the first international mobile subscriber identity has not been reassigned to another communication device, and
- provisioning the communication device with a second international mobile subscriber identity responsive to determining that the first international mobile subscriber identity has been reassigned to another communication device.
A machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:
- receiving a registration request from a communication device according to a first international mobile subscriber identity;
- determining that the first international mobile subscriber identity is included in a group of reassignable international mobile subscriber identities;
- and
- enabling the communication device to register for communication services with the first international mobile subscriber identity responsive to determining that the first international mobile subscriber identity in the group of reassignable international mobile subscriber identities has not been reassigned to another communication device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.