Remote unlocking of telecommunication device functionality
AssigneeT-Mobile USA, Inc.
InventorsAdrian Buzescu, Alexandru Catalin Ionescu, Raymond Froelich, Ahmad Arash Obaidi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques are described herein for deciding whether to unlock functionality of a telecommunication device based on one or more policies. A policy engine remote from the telecommunication device may receive, via a user interface associated with the policy engine, a request to unlock the functionality. The policy engine may then decide whether to unlock the functionality and, in response to deciding to unlock the functionality, may cause transmission of instructions to the telecommunication device to unlock the functionality.
Claims16
A computer-implemented method comprising:
- receiving, by one or more provider service devices of a telecommunication service provider, a request to permanently unlock a telecommunication device that is locked to the telecommunication service provider;
- deciding, by the one or more provider service devices, based at least in part on one or more policies, not to permanently unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider but to, instead, temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider;
- and
- in response to deciding to temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider, transmitting, by the one or more provider service devices, instructions to the telecommunication device to temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider, the instructions specifying a time period,
- wherein the one or more provider service devices and the telecommunication device are different computing devices.
A system of a telecommunication service provider comprising:
- a processor;
- a user interface configured to be operated by the processor to enable a user to request unlocking of a telecommunication device that is locked to the telecommunication service provider;
- a policy engine configured to be operated by the processor to receive the request from the user interface and to decide, based at least in part on one or more policies, whether to unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider;
- and
- an unlock manager configured to be operated by the processor to receive notification from the policy engine of the decision to unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider and to transmit unlock instructions to the telecommunication device,
- wherein the request includes an indication of whether a temporary unlock is sought, and
- wherein the system and the telecommunication device are different computing devices.
One or more computer storage devices having stored thereon a plurality of executable instructions configure to program a computing device of a telecommunication service provider to perform operations comprising:
- receiving a request to permanently unlock a telecommunication device that is locked to the telecommunication service provider;
- deciding, based at least in part on one or more policies, not to provide a permanent unlock for the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider but to, instead, temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider;
- and
- in response to deciding to temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider, transmitting instructions to the telecommunication device to temporarily unlock the telecommunication device from the telecommunication service provider, the instructions specifying a time period,
- wherein the computing device and the telecommunication device are different computing devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.