Satellite provisioning of cell service
Satellite provisioning of cell service for an in-vehicle telematics control unit (“TCU”) is presented. Thus, a truly carrier independent TCU is facilitated. A TCU may be provided with a cellular modem and two or more SIM cards, each associated with a cellular carrier that has approved the modem and their SIM card. The TCU may also be provided with connectivity to a satellite, such as, for example, via an SDARS antenna and processing module, that can receive and process SDARS audio and data signals. When a user desires to change from one of the cellular carriers to another, provisioning data for the new carrier's SIM, now already in the telematics system, may be (i) sent over the satellite, (ii) received at the satellite antenna, and (iii) passed to a telematics processor. The telematics processor, in turn, may (iv) deliver the provisioning data to the cell modem, which may then (v) program the appropriate SIM with the provisioning data, thus allowing cellular communications on the new carrier's network. The inventive functionality facilitates easily switching carriers as one crosses a border, or when a new vehicle is imported to a given country, and cellular service then or there available on one of the approved carriers is easily chosen by a user and turned on. The TCU may also include a Wi-Fi module, configured to receive provisioning instructions or data over a Wi-Fi network.
1. A carrier independent telematics control unit, comprising:
a telematics processor; and
a cellular modem communicatively connected to the telematics processor and provided in a LTE/HSPA and GPS module, the cellular modem including a first SIM card associated with a first carrier network and a second SIM card associated with a second carrier network;
wherein:
the telematics processor is configured to receive and send first provisioning data to the cellular modem, and
the cellular modem is configured to receive the first provisioning data from the telematics processor and based on the first provisioning data:
select the first SIM card, wherein the first SIM card is a non-active SIM card,
program the first SIM card,
restart using the non-active first SIM card, and
establish a wireless communication channel via the first carrier network using the first SIM card.
2. The telematics control unit of claim 1 , further comprising a satellite module connected to the telematics processor and configured to send the first provisioning data to the telematics processor, and wherein:
the satellite module is a SDARS (Satellite Digital Audio Receiver System) module associated with a SDARS module ID, and, in operation, a provisioning system associates the SDARS module ID with a cellular ID to address provisioning messages over a SDARS network to the cellular modem.
3. The telematics control unit of claim 1 , further comprising a satellite module connected to the telematics processor, wherein the satellite module is configured to receive the first provisioning data from a satellite and send the first provisioning data to the telematics processor.
4. The telematics control unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a Wi-Fi module comprising a Wi-Fi antenna, wherein the Wi-Fi antenna is configured to receive the first provisioning data over a Wi-Fi network, and wherein the Wi-Fi module is configured to send the first provisioning data to the telematics processor.
5. The telematics control unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the telematics processor is further configured to receive second provisioning data from the satellite module, and send the second provisioning data to the cellular modem, and
based on the second provisioning data, the cellular modem is further configured to:
deactivate the first SIM card,
select the second SIM card, wherein the second SIM card is a non-active SIM card,
program the second SIM card;
restart using the second SIM card, and
establish a different wireless communication channel via the second carrier network using the second SIM card.
6. A system, comprising:
a Satellite Digital Audio Receiver System (SDARS) satellite; and
the telematics control unit of claim 1 ,
wherein, in operation, the SDARS satellite transmits the first provisioning data to a satellite module in the telematics control unit to establish the wireless communication via the first carrier network using the first SIM card.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first provisioning data is transmitted upon receipt of a user request.
8. The telematics control unit of claim 1 , wherein the cellular modem is further configured to restart, based on instructions associated with the first provisioning data, using the first SIM card.
9. A method, comprising:
providing a telematics unit in a vehicle, the unit comprising:
a telematics processor;
a cellular modem communicatively connected to the telematics processor and provided in a LTE/HSPA and GPS module, the cellular modem including a first SIM card associated with a first carrier network and a second SIM card associated with a second carrier network; and
a satellite module, including an antenna, connected to the telematics processor, wherein the satellite module is configured to receive the provisioning data and send the provisioning data to the telematics processor, and
wherein the cellular modem is configured to:
receive the provisioning data from the telematics processor and based on the provisioning data:
select the first SIM card, wherein the first SIM card is a non-currently used SIM card
program the first SIM card, and
establish a wireless communication channel via the first carrier network.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining, based on a user request indicative of a change of carrier networks, a first carrier network of the plurality of carrier networks;
sending, to the satellite module, provisioning data and provisioning instructions for programming the first SIM card; and
provisioning the cellular modem to operate on the first carrier network.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the user request for the change of carrier networks is based on at least one of:
a change of ownership of the vehicle, an economic incentive available for the change, a cessation of service by a current carrier, or a request by the vehicle owner.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the telematics unit further comprises:
a Wi-Fi module and a Wi-Fi antenna communicatively connected to the telematics processor.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
sending, via the Wi-Fi module and the Wi-Fi antenna, the provisioning data for the cellular modem; and
facilitating a change of carrier networks used by the cellular modem.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cellular modem comprises two or more SIM cards, the method further comprising:
receiving a user request for reactivation of service with a same carrier network of a plurality of carrier networks associated with the two or more SIM cards; and
after the receiving the user request, sending, from a satellite and to the satellite module, respective provisioning data and provisioning instructions for programming one of the two or more SIM cards, associated with the same carrier network.
15. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a computing system, information indicative of a change of ownership associated with a vehicle comprising a telematics control unit, wherein the telematics control unit is provisioned with a first carrier network;
determining, by the computing system, a second carrier network associated with a new owner of the vehicle;
sending, by the computing system and to a satellite, instructions to provide provisioning data and provisioning instructions associated with the second carrier network, to the telematics control unit; and
causing the telematics control unit to establish a wireless communication channel via the second carrier network, wherein the telematics control unit comprises:
a telematics processor;
a cellular modem communicatively connected to the telematics processor and comprising a first SIM card and a second SIM card, wherein the first SIM card is associated with the first carrier network and the second SIM card is associated with the second carrier network; and
a satellite module, including an antenna, connected to the telematics processor, wherein the satellite module is configured to receive the provisioning data and the provisioning instructions and send the provisioning data and the provisioning instructions to the telematics processor.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the provisioning data, when processed by the telematics processor cause the telematics control unit to facilitate a reactivation of service with a same carrier network after the change of ownership associated with the vehicle.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the provisioning data, when processed by the telematics processor, cause the telematics control unit to facilitate a change of carrier networks used by the cellular modem, and the change of carrier networks is made pursuant to at least one of:
an economic incentive available for the change, a cessation of service by a current carrier network, or a request by the new vehicle owner.
18. A method, comprising:
sending, by a computing system and to a telematics control unit, via a Wi-Fi network, first provisioning data for an in-vehicle cellular modem, the telematics control unit including:
a telematics processor;
a cellular modem communicatively connected to the telematics processor and provided in a LTE/HSPA and GPS module, the cellular modem comprising two or more SIM cards, wherein each of the two or more SIM cards are respectively associated with a different carrier network;
a Wi-Fi module and a Wi-Fi antenna, connected to the telematics processor, wherein the Wi-Fi module is configured to receive the first, provisioning data for the cellular modem via the Wi-Fi network and send the first provisioning data to the telematics processor, and
wherein the cellular modem is configured to:
receive the first provisioning data from the telematics processor and based on the first provisioning data:
select a first SIM card of the two or more SIM cards, wherein the first SIM card is a non-active SIM card,
program the first SIM card, and
establish a wireless communication channel via a first carrier network associated with the first SIM card.
19. The method of claim 18 , comprising:
sending, by the computing system and to the telematics control unit, via the Wi-Fi network, second provisioning data, and wherein:
the second provisioning data, when processed by the telematics processor, cause the telematics control unit to:
facilitate, based on activating another non-active SIM card of the two or more SIM cards, a change of carriers used by the cellular modem.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the provisioning data facilitates a change of carriers used by the cellular modem.