Wirelessly accessing broadband services using intelligent covers

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for wirelessly accessing broadband services using intelligent covers. In some implementations, a cover for a consumer device includes side surfaces, a rear surface, a physical interface, a circuit, and a broadband service card. The side surfaces and a rear surface form an opening that receives at least a portion of a consumer device. A first portion of at least one of the surfaces includes a connector for connecting to a port of the consumer device. The circuit connects the physical interface to the connector. The broadband service card connected to the physical interface and accesses a service foreign through the wireless broadband network independent of the consumer device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cover for a consumer device, comprising:
 side surfaces configured to be adjacent at least a portion one or more side surfaces of the consumer device;   a rear surface configured to be adjacent at least a portion of a rear surface of the consumer device and connected to the side surfaces, the side surfaces and the rear surface form an opening that receives at least a portion of the consumer device, a first portion of at least one of the surfaces includes a connector for connecting to a port of the consumer device;   the connector that includes a first interface that connects to the port of the consumer device and second interface that substantially duplicates an original port of the consumer device;   a physical interface included in at least one of the surfaces that receives memory devices external to the consumer device;   a circuit integrated within at least one of the surfaces and that connects the physical interface to the connector; and   a broadband service card connected to the physical interface and that accesses a service foreign through the wireless broadband network independent of the consumer device.   
     
     
         2 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the physical interface that receives an external memory device comprises a microSecureDigital (microSD) slot. 
     
     
         3 . The cover of  claim 1 , the circuit further comprising a conversion module that converts signals between a form compatible with the broadband service card and a form compatible with the consumer device. 
     
     
         4 . The cover of  claim 3 , wherein the conversion module converts between a SD signal and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) signal. 
     
     
         5 . The cover of  claim 1 , the consumer device comprising an iPhone, the connector comprising an iDock connector. 
     
     
         6 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the side surfaces are substantially arcuate to substantially maintain a shape and dimensions of the consumer device. 
     
     
         7 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the broadband service card comprises:
 a communication module that wirelessly receives RF signals from and transmits RF signals to a wireless broadband network;   a security module that stores user credentials used to securely authenticate the card and access a service foreign to a consumer host device through the wireless broadband network independent of the consumer host device, the user credentials associated with a broadband service provider;   an operating system with a runtime environment that executes a locally-stored service application for accessing the services independent of the consumer host devices; and   a service module that accesses the foreign service using the user credentials in response to at least an event and transmits a service request to the broadband service provider using the wireless broadband core network.   
     
     
         8 . The cover of  claim 7 , the foreign service comprises access to a remote memory in a service-provider network for storing documents, files, programs, video, images or audio at least partially generated by the consumer host device. 
     
     
         9 . The cover of  claim 7 , the foreign service comprises access to content distributed by the broadband service provider. 
     
     
         10 . The cover of  claim 7 , further comprising a user-interface module that presents information associated with the service request through a Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the consumer host device. 
     
     
         11 . The cover of  claim 10 , wherein the user-interface module further presents a request for user identification including at least one of a Personal Identification Number (PIN), user ID and password, or biometric signature through the GUI of the consumer host device, the service module further verifies the submitted user identification with user identification locally stored in the secure memory prior to accessing foreign services. 
     
     
         12 . The cover of  claim 7 , wherein the service module selectively switches an RF antenna between an activate state and an inactivate state in response to at least an event. 
     
     
         13 . The cover of  claim 12 , wherein the switching event includes a selection through a GUI of the consumer host device. 
     
     
         14 . The cover of  claim 7 , wherein the wireless RF signals comprise at least one of LTE, WiMAX, HSPA, HSDPA, UMB, GPRS, EDGE or other 802.1x signals. 
     
     
         15 . The cover of  claim 7 , wherein the service module further comprises a protocol translation module that translates signals between wireless broadband protocols and a device-interface protocol. 
     
     
         16 . The cover of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a cryptographic module that decrypts received signals prior to processing by the service module and encrypts at least part of an authentication request prior to wireless transmission; and   an authentication module that authenticates at least one of a network of a service-provider wireless broadband network, the consumer host device, or a user.   
     
     
         17 . The cover of  claim 16 , the authentication module further deactivates the antenna in response to at least a failure to authenticate the at least one of the network of the consumer host device, the service-provider wireless broadband network, or the user. 
     
     
         18 . The cover of  claim 7 , further comprising a bootstrap module that executes one or more authentication processes in response to at least insertion in the port of the consumer host device. 
     
     
         19 . The cover of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more authentication processes authenticates at least one of a network, a consumer host device, or a user. 
     
     
         20 . The cover of  claim 7 , further comprising an activation module that activates the service card and transmits to the network element a request to activate an associated user account in response to at least a user request or an initial insertion into the consumer host device. 
     
     
         21 . The cover of  claim 20 , wherein the service card is activated based, at least in part, on a user manually entering an activation code through the GUI of the consumer host device. 
     
     
         22 . The cover of  claim 7 , wherein the service card accesses the foreign service independent of loading a driver onto the consumer host device. 
     
     
         23 . The cover of  claim 7 , wherein the service card emulates a customer premises equipment (CPE) when communicating with the wireless broadband network. 
     
     
         24 . The cover of  claim 7 , further comprising a power module that receives power from the consumer host device. 
     
     
         25 . The cover of  claim 24 , wherein an enterprise at least associated with the service provider uploads personalization data prior to activation, wherein the personalization data includes the user credentials, a service application and at least one of operational flags, a rule table or user interface. 
     
     
         26 . The cover of  claim 7 , the communication module further operable to update the personalization data after activation in response to at least one of a wireless signal including secure update instructions or a wired signal through a client connected to the service card. 
     
     
         27 . A method, comprising:
 enclosing at least a portion of a consumer host device using a cover;   physically interfacing a port of the consumer host device using the cover;   wirelessly receiving RF signals from and transmits RF signals to a wireless broadband network;   storing user credentials used to securely authenticate the card and access a service foreign to the consumer host device through the wireless broadband network independent of the consumer host device, the user credentials associated with a broadband service provider; and   accessing the foreign service using the user credentials in response to at least an event; and   transmitting a service request to the broadband service provider using the wireless broadband core network.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the interface comprises an SD card. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , the foreign service comprises access to a remote memory in a service-provider network for storing documents, files, programs, video, images or audio at least partially generated by the consumer host device. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , the foreign service comprises access to content distributed by the broadband service provider. 
     
     
         31 . A system, comprising:
 a means for enclosing at least a portion of a mobile device using a cover;   a means for physically interfacing a port of a consumer host device using the cover for the mobile device;   a means for wirelessly receiving RF signals from and transmits RF signals to a wireless broadband network;   a means for storing user credentials used to securely authenticate the card and access a service foreign to the consumer host device through the wireless broadband network independent of the consumer host device, the user credentials associated with a broadband service provider; and   a means for accessing the foreign service using the user credentials in response to at least an event; and   a means for transmitting a service request to the broadband service provider using the wireless broadband core network.