Network Switchover via Travel Itinerary Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication devices often experience service disruptions and incur higher fees when traveling outside their subscribed carrier's geographic area, requiring users to manually reconfigure or input settings to maintain voice and data service on visited networks.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses travel itinerary information to configure wireless communication devices for seamless switchover to partner networks, offering users the option to purchase data plans or enable VoIP services to maintain uninterrupted service, with automatic configuration possible through carrier servers and embedded widgets in travel websites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a wireless communication device connects to a visited network outside the carrier's geographic service area, then the device can maintain voice and data communications, but the user incurs significantly higher roaming fees
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting travel intent through itinerary data before the user actually travels. The carrier proactively configures the device with partner network credentials and settings in advance, so that when the user travels, the connection to partner networks (avoiding roaming fees) occurs automatically without requiring the device to connect to expensive visited networks
2Reliability
If a wireless communication device roams on a visited network, then the device can send and receive communications, but the process requires reconfiguration of the device or user input
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by having the carrier's server automatically perform all configuration actions on the device. The server detects travel intent, selects appropriate partner networks, and pushes configuration settings to the device without requiring any user input or manual reconfiguration. The device simply receives and applies the automated configuration, eliminating the complexity of manual roaming setup
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier performs preliminary configuration actions by pre-provisioning the device with partner network credentials and settings before the user travels. This advance configuration ensures that when the user arrives at the destination, the device is already configured to connect to partner networks automatically, eliminating the need for last-minute reconfiguration or user intervention
3Extent of automation
If the carrier proactively configures the device for partner networks, then seamless switchover is achieved, but system integration and automation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an integration layer as an intermediary component that mediates between the carrier's existing systems and the device configuration process. This integration layer handles the complexity of communicating with multiple device types and networks, translating between different protocols and formats, and managing the automated configuration workflow, thereby reducing the overall system complexity by centralizing integration logic in a dedicated intermediary component
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are systems and methods for allowing seamless switchover from one radio access provider to another while traveling. A carrier component, such as a widget, can be embedded in the website operated by a travel agency, and when a traveler makes a travel reservation, the carrier component can send travel information to servers operated by the radio access provider. The radio access provider may retrieve a customer profile associated with the traveler and configure the wireless communication device or the account services associated with the traveler to maintain uninterrupted voice and/or data coverage for the wireless device while traveling.