초록 ▼

A method and system automatically activates a mobile station in a wireless communications network. The system includes an over the air activation function (OTAF) processor in the network that initiates an activation process in response to receiving a registration message from a mobile switching cent

A method and system automatically activates a mobile station in a wireless communications network. The system includes an over the air activation function (OTAF) processor in the network that initiates an activation process in response to receiving a registration message from a mobile switching center serving the mobile station requesting the activation. Each mobile station has a unit of information stored into it at the time of its manufacture to enable it to request over the air activation. That unit of information is either the network routing address of the OTAF processor, or alternately, it is a value that is translatable into that address, either an OTAF ID number that is the same value for every mobile station or it is a sequentially serialized dummy value for the mobile identification number (a dummy MIN). When the mobile station is turned on for the first time in the network, it requests activation over the air by transmitting to the local mobile switching center a registration order. The registration order will include one of the three alternative forms of the information unit described above, either the routing address of the OTAF processor, or the OTAF ID number, or a dummy MIN.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A method for activating a mobile station in a wireless communications network to program a MIN into the mobile station prior to the first time that it is used, comprising:receiving at a wireless network node a registration message, said registration message including a

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A method for activating a mobile station in a wireless communications network to program a MIN into the mobile station prior to the first time that it is used, comprising:receiving at a wireless network node a registration message, said registration message including a received MIN selected from the group consisting of a valid MIN and a dummy MIN, said dummy MIN being translatable into an address for an over the air activation processor in a signaling network coupled to the wireless network, wherein said registration message further includes, in addition to said received MIN, an electronic serial number (ESN) of the mobile station; andif said received MIN is a valid MIN:routing said received message to a home location register (HLR);if said received MIN is a dummy MIN:translating said dummy MIN into said address for said over the air activation processor;routing said registration message to said over the air activation processor;initiating an activation process at said over the air activation processor in response to said received registration message; andtransmitting activation parameters to said mobile station in response to said activation process using said ESN.