Method and system for controlling software loads on a third-party mobile station

A mobile station communicating over a wireless network and having a processor, a communications subsystem for communicating with the network, a user interface and memory, the mobile station comprising:

• a licensee identifier memory field configured to store a licensee identifier uniquely identifying a licensee from a plurality of licensees;
• a carrier identifier memory field configured to store a carrier identifier;
• and
• a model identifier field configured to store a model identifier, said mobile station, in uploading software in accordance with contractual agreements, being configured to derive a contractual agreement identifier based on a combination of the licensee identifier and the carrier identifier, and further configured to pass the contractual agreement identifier and model identifier to a gatekeeper.

A software upgrade system for controlling mobile station software uploads in accordance with contractual agreements, the system comprising:

• a mobile station retrievably storing:
• a licensee identifier configured to identify a licensee from a plurality of licensees;
• a carrier identifier configured to identify a carrier from a plurality of carriers;
• and
• a mobile data station model identifier configured to identify the mobile station model from a plurality of mobile station models,
• the mobile station being configured to derive a contractual agreement identifier based on a combination of the licensee identifier and the carrier identifier, and further configured to output the contractual agreement identifier and the model identifier;
• and
• a mobile station software upgrade gatekeeper configured to conditionally produce a carrier approved software upgrade load for the mobile station based on input including the model identifier and the contractual agreement identifier.

A method of controlling mobile station software uploads in accordance with contractual agreements, the method comprising:

• deriving at a mobile station a contractual agreement identifier based on a combination of a licensee identifier and a carrier identifier associated with the mobile station, the licensee identifier identifying a licensee from a plurality of licensees, and the carrier identifier identifying a carrier from a plurality of carriers;
• the mobile station outputting the contractual agreement identifier and a model identifier, the model identifier identifying a mobile station model from a plurality of mobile station models;
• receiving the contractual agreement identifier and model identifier at a mobile station software upgrade gatekeeper;
• and
• the gatekeeper conditionally producing a carrier approved software upgrade load based on the received model identifier and the contractual agreement identifier.

A mobile station software upgrade gatekeeper for controlling mobile station software uploads in accordance with contractual agreements, the gatekeeper comprising:

• a gatekeeper file storing at least one combination of a contractual agreement identifier and a mobile station model identifier;
• at least one software upgrade load approved for the combination;
• and
• a comparator configured to compare a combination of a received contractual agreement identifier and a received model identifier against the gatekeeper file,
• the gatekeeper being configured to produce the approved software upgrade load based on a successful comparison.