# US 7,412,232 B2 · Method and system for controlling software loads on a third-party mobile station > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,412,232 B2 - Document ID: US7412232B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/017,902 - Filed: 2004-12-22 - Published: 2006-06-22 - Granted: 2008-08-12 - Earliest claimed: 2004-12-22 - Assignees: Research In Motion Limited - Inventors: Nicholas Bryson Wilson; John Stuart Hodgson; Paul Edward Landry - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7412232B2 ## CPC - H04M 3/42178: {by downloading data to substation equipment} - H04M 1/72406: by software upgrading or downloading - H04W 8/22: Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A system and method for allowing a licensee having mobile station hardware to support its own set of carriers and software demands of these carriers, the software including licensor software, the method comprising the steps of: assigning a unique third party identifier to the licensee; assigning a range of carrier identifiers for the licensee; allowing the licensee to create a unique identifier by combining the unique third party identifier with an identifier chosen from the range of carrier identifiers; and associating, in a gateway program, the unique identifier with one or more software versions acceptable by a carrier for download onto the mobile station hardware. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of submitting credentials to a gatekeeper for uploading software onto a mobile station in accordance with contractual agreements, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining a contractual agreement identifier including a licensee identifier field configured to uniquely identify a licensee from a plurality of licensees, and a carrier identifier field storing one of a plurality of carrier identifiers; obtaining a model identifier identifying a model of the mobile station; and providing the contractual agreement identifier and the model identifier to the gatekeeper prior to uploading software onto the mobile station. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the software being uploaded includes software created by a licensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of licensee identifiers includes an identifier for the licensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step occurs over a serial interface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the serial interface is selected from the group consisting of: a universal serial bus interface, an IrDA interface and a Bluerooth™ interface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step occurs over a radio interface from a server through a basestation. ### Claim 7 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. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The mobile station of claim 7, wherein the licensee field comprises 8 bits. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The mobile station of claim 7, wherein the carrier identifier field comprises 24 bits. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The mobile station of claim 7, wherein the mobile station further includes a serial interface to pass the contractual agreement identifier and model identifier to, and to receive the software upload from, the gatekeeper. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The mobile station of claim 7 further comprising an identifier module for obtaining the licensee identifier and carrier identifier and passing the contractual agreement identifier to the gatekeeper. ### Claim 12 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. ### Claim 13 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. ### Claim 14 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. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The gatekeeper claimed in claim 14, wherein the gatekeeper is one of a gatekeeper program and a gatekeeper server. ### Claim 16 A method of providing a mobile data station software upload in accordance with a contractual agreement, the method comprising: receiving a contractual agreement identifier and a 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 received contractual agreement identifier. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method claimed in claim 16, wherein producing the software upgrade load further comprises: comparing the contractual agreement identifier against a gatekeeper file storing mobile station software upload control information; validating correspondence between the contractual agreement identifier and the model identifier; and determining the availability of the carrier approved software upgrade load for the valid combination of the valid contractual agreement identifier and the model identifier. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method claimed in claim 17, wherein determining the availability of the software upgrade load further comprises selecting the software upgrade load from a plurality of approved software upgrade loads.