Method for transfer of user identity between CDMA wireless communication devices

1. A method in a wireless communication system having a plurality of wireless communication devices and a network system controller, the method performed by the network system controller and comprising the steps of:

receiving a deactivation request from a first wireless communication device of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the deactivation request includes first identification information for the first wireless communication device and second identification information for another wireless communication device of the plurality of wireless communication devices;

after receiving the deactivation request, receiving an activation request from a second wireless communication device of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the activation request including third identification information identifying the second wireless communication device;

determining, in response to receiving the activation request, that the second wireless communication device is a transferred identity wireless communication device when the third identification information compares favorably with the second identification information;

activating the second wireless communication device with a transferred identity in response to determining that the second wireless communication device is a transferred identity wireless communication device, wherein the transferred identity comprises unique information associated with the first wireless communication device, the first wireless communication device having a previously utilized telephone number and a stored billing record associated therewith, and wherein activating the second wireless communication device includes the step of linking the stored billing record of the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device; and

after activating the second wireless communication device with the transferred identity, coordinating a wireless transfer of repertoire information associated with the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device by receiving the repertoire information from the first wireless communication device, and sending the repertoire information to the second wireless communication device, wherein the repertoire information includes information selected from a group consisting of personal phone books, stored messages, stored recent call logs and calendar information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of activating includes the step of assigning the previously utilized telephone number of the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of communicating a deactivation command to the first wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second identification information is selected from a group consisting of an Electronic Serial Number (ESN) of the second wireless communication device and a Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID) of the second wireless communication device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication system is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless communication system and wherein the step of receiving an activation request comprises the step of receiving an Over-The-Air Service Provisioning (OTASP) activation request from the second wireless communication device, the OTASP activation request also including the unique information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication system is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless communication system and wherein the step of receiving a deactivation request comprises the step of receiving an Over-The-Air Service Provisioning (OTASP) deactivation request from the first wireless communication device, the OTASP deactivation request also including the unique information.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of coordinating the wireless transfer of the repertoire information further comprises the step of:

receiving a repertoire information request from the second wireless communication device, wherein sending the repertoire information to the second wireless communication device is performed in response to receiving the repertoire information request.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing a telephone number of the second wireless communication device as the unique information.

9. A method in a wireless communication system having a plurality of wireless communication devices and a network system controller, the method performed by the network system controller and comprising the steps of:

wirelessly receiving a deactivation request from a first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the deactivation request including identification information identifying the first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices and a second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices;

wirelessly receiving repertoire information associated with the first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the repertoire information is selected from a group consisting of personal phone books, stored messages, stored recent call logs and calendar information;

wirelessly receiving an activation request from the second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices;

determining in response to receiving the activation request, that said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices is a transferred identity wireless communication device based on the identification information;

deactivating said first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices in response to determining that said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices is a transferred identity wireless communication device;

activating said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices with a transferred identity, wherein the step of activating includes the step of linking a stored billing record of said first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices to said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, and sending an activation command to the second one of the wireless communication devices, wherein the activation command includes an indication of the repertoire information;

receiving a repertoire information request from the second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices; and

sending the repertoire information to the second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices in response to receiving the repertoire information request.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of activating includes the step of assigning a previously utilized telephone number of said first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices to said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the wireless communication system is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless communication system and wherein the step of deactivating said first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises the step of generating an Over-The-Air Service Provisioning (OTASP) deactivation command and transmitting the OTASP deactivation command to said first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices in response to receiving the deactivation request from the first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the wireless communication system is a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless communication system and wherein the step of activating said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices comprises the step of generating an Over-The-Air Service Provisioning (OTASP) activation command and transmitting the OTASP activation command to said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices in response to receiving the activation request from said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the OTASP activation command generated and transmitted to said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices for activating said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices with the transferred identity from said first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices.

13. A method in a wireless communication system having a plurality of wireless communication devices and a network system controller, the method performed by the network system controller and comprising the steps of:

wirelessly receiving a deactivation request from a first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the deactivation request comprising identification information identifying the first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices and a second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, and first unique information identifying said first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices and second unique information identifying said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices;

wirelessly requesting identification of repertoire information associated with the first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, the identification information thereafter identifying the first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices and the second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices and the repertoire information associated with the first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices;

wirelessly receiving the repertoire information associated with the first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the repertoire information is selected from a group consisting of personal phone books, stored messages, stored recent call logs and calendar information;

wirelessly receiving an activation request from the second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices;

determining in response to receiving the activation request, that said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices is a transferred identity wireless communication device based on the identification information;

deactivating said first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices in response to determining that said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices is a transferred identity wireless communication device; and

activating said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices with a transferred identity, wherein the step of activating includes the step of linking a stored billing record of said first one of the plurality of wireless communication devices to said second one of the plurality of wireless communication devices.