US 8667571

Patent Information:

Patent Number: 8,667,571

Summary

• Title: Automated device provisioning and activation.
• Assignee: Headwater Research LLC.
• Inventor: Gregory G. Raleigh.
• Filing Date: December 4, 2012.
• Issue Date: March 4, 2014.
• Abstract: A system and method for automated device provisioning and activation are disclosed. This includes a service controller and a service processor on a wireless device. The service controller sends a service activation request to the device, which in turn provides a secure element identifier. This identifier is used to determine and send a service profile to the device, which includes service policy information. The service processor on the device then uses this profile to control access to network services.

Plain-Language Explanation of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a method for a wireless device to manage its use of different communication services. It involves a "service processor" on the device that checks various conditions (like what network is available, what the user is doing, or what the service plan allows) to decide how to use different communication channels. This processor can also be updated with new rules from a central server.
• Claim 14: This claim outlines a wireless device with a special "service processor." This processor can manage how the device connects to different wireless networks (like Wi-Fi or cellular). It does this based on a set of rules, and it can also report back how it's using the networks. The claim also mentions that this processor is protected from being tampered with.
• Claim 26: This claim focuses on a server that manages network services for devices. It describes a system that can create and send out service plans to devices. These plans include rules for how the device can use different networks, how to bill for that use, and what services the user has access to. The server can also monitor the device's usage to make sure it's following the rules and to bill the user correctly.
• Claim 40: This claim details another method, this time for a network system to manage a wireless device. It involves the system sending a service plan to the device, which the device then uses to control its own network access. The system can then check if the device is following the plan by comparing the device's reports with its own data. This allows the system to verify that the device is not using more services than it's allowed.
• Claim 57: This claim describes a system that includes a wireless device and a service controller. The device has a "service processor" that enforces rules about how it can use different networks. The service controller sends these rules to the device. This creates a secure "control plane" for managing the device's network access.
• Claim 72: This claim describes a method for a wireless device to automatically set itself up on a network. The device sends a request with a secure ID to a server. The server then sends back a service plan, which the device uses to configure its own settings. This makes it easier to get a new device working on a network.

Legal Status:

As of April 26, 2026, a search of the USPTO database indicates that US Patent 8,667,571 is active.

Litigation:

A review of recent court dockets shows that this patent has been involved in litigation. Headwater Research LLC has filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc., alleging that Apple's push notification service infringes on US Patent No. 8,667,571. There is no publicly available information at this time to indicate that this case has been filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) in 2026.