Electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) assignment for carrier channel devices

• US 10,142,917 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Narasimhan, Avinash, Collier, Devin B., Mueller, Clark P., Haggerty, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai M
• Application Number:
  US15/649,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20180027480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A pool of devices is initially associated under a single product type identifier, for example, a single stock keeping unit (SKU) identifier. Each device is associated with a secure element (SE), for example, an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC). A wireless telecommunications carrier purchases a subset of the devices from the owner of the pool of devices. A policy management server receives a shipment record and associates the subset of devices with a product identifier and with a carrier-specific activation policy. The policy management server sends an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) reservation request to a policy evaluation server, which contacts an eSIM delivery server associated with the purchasing carrier. The eSIM delivery server reserves eSIMs for the purchased devices. When an end user buys one of the devices from the subset, the purchased device is provisioned by the eSIM delivery server with the eSIM reserved for that device.

Claims

1. A policy evaluation server comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors, wherein the memory includes instructions that, when executed by a processor of the one or more processors, cause the policy evaluation server to perform operations comprising;

determining a first eSIM delivery server based on a first product identifier of a first device, wherein;

i) the first device is identified by a first device identification number, and ii) the first device is associated with a first secure element (SE),

sending a first request message, wherein the first request message;

i) requests reservation of a first eSIM, ii) includes the first device identification number, and iii) includes a first SE identifier of the first SE,

determining a second eSIM delivery server based on a second product identifier of a second device, wherein;

i) the second device is identified by a second device identification number, and ii) the second device is associated with a second SE, and

sending a second request message, wherein the second request message;

i) requests reservation of a second eSIM, ii) includes the second device identification number, and iii) includes a second SE identifier of the second SE.

2. The policy evaluation server of claim 1, wherein the sending the first request message comprises sending the first request message to the first eSIM delivery server.

3. The policy evaluation server of claim 1, wherein:

i) the first product identifier is a first stock keeping unit (SKU) number associated with a first telecommunications carrier, and ii) the second product identifier is a second SKU number associated with a second telecommunications carrier different from the first telecommunications carrier.

4. The policy evaluation server of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying an activation policy stipulated by the first telecommunications carrier.

5. The policy evaluation server of claim 4, wherein the first eSIM is in conformance with the activation policy.

6. The policy evaluation server of claim 4, wherein:

i) the activation policy is a representation of how the first device can be activated by an end user with a telecommunications carrier, and ii) the activation policy is a locked activation policy requiring that a purchasing end user only activate the first device with the first telecommunications carrier or the activation policy is an unlocked activation policy allowing the purchasing end user to activate the first device with a telecommunications carrier other than the first telecommunications carrier.

7. The policy evaluation server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the first eSIM delivery server, a first report, wherein the first report comprises a first eSIM identifier for the first eSIM; and

receiving, from the second eSIM delivery server, a second report, wherein the second report comprises a second eSIM identifier for the second eSIM.

8. The policy evaluation server of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending the first eSIM identifier to a policy management server; and

sending the second eSIM identifier to the policy management server.

9. A method by a policy evaluation server, the method comprising:

by the policy evaluation server;

determining a first eSIM delivery server based on a first product identifier of a first device, wherein;

i) the first device is identified by a first device identification number, and ii) the first device is associated with a first secure element (SE),

sending a first request message, wherein the first request message;

i) requests reservation of a first eSIM, ii) includes the first device identification number, and iii) includes a first SE identifier of the first SE,

determining a second eSIM delivery server based on a second product identifier of a second device, wherein;

i) the second device is identified by a second device identification number, and ii) the second device is associated with a second SE, and

sending a second request message, wherein the second request message;

i) requests reservation of a second eSIM, ii) includes the second device identification number, and iii) includes a second SE identifier of the second SE.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sending the first request message comprises sending the first request message to the first eSIM delivery server.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

i) the first product identifier is a first stock keeping unit (SKU) number associated with a first telecommunications carrier, and ii) the second product identifier is a second SKU number associated with a second telecommunications carrier different from the first telecommunications carrier.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

by the policy evaluation server;

identifying an activation policy stipulated by the first telecommunications carrier.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first eSIM is in conformance with the activation policy.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

i) the activation policy is a representation of how the first device can be activated by an end user with a telecommunications carrier, and ii) the activation policy is a locked activation policy requiring that a purchasing end user only activate the first device with the first telecommunications carrier or the activation policy is an unlocked activation policy allowing the purchasing end user to activate the first device with a telecommunications carrier other than the first telecommunications carrier.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

by the policy evaluation server;

receiving, from the first eSIM delivery server, a first report, wherein the first report comprises a first eSIM identifier for the first eSIM;

receiving, from the second eSIM delivery server, a second report, wherein the second report comprises a second eSIM identifier for the second eSIM;

sending the first eSIM identifier to a policy management server; and

sending the second eSIM identifier to the policy management server.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a policy evaluation server, cause the policy evaluation server to perform operations comprising:

determining a first eSIM delivery server based on a first product identifier of a first device, wherein;

i) the first device is identified by a first device identification number, and ii) the first device is associated with a first secure element (SE),

sending a first request message, wherein the first request message;

i) requests reservation of a first eSIM, ii) includes the first device identification number, and iii) includes a first SE identifier of the first SE,

determining a second eSIM delivery server based on a second product identifier of a second device, wherein;

i) the second device is identified by a second device identification number, and ii) the second device is associated with a second SE, and

sending a second request message, wherein the second request message;

i) requests reservation of a second eSIM, ii) includes the second device identification number, and iii) includes a second SE identifier of the second SE.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein:

i) the first product identifier is a first stock keeping unit (SKU) number associated with a first telecommunications carrier,

ii) the second product identifier is a second SKU number associated with a second telecommunications carrier different from the first telecommunications carrier, and

iii) the operations further comprise identifying an activation policy stipulated by the first telecommunications carrier.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first eSIM is in conformance with the activation policy.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein:

i) the activation policy is a representation of how the first device can be activated by an end user with a telecommunications carrier, and ii) the activation policy is a locked activation policy requiring that a purchasing end user only activate the first device with the first telecommunications carrier or the activation policy is an unlocked activation policy allowing the purchasing end user to activate the first device with a telecommunications carrier other than the first telecommunications carrier.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the first eSIM delivery server, a first report, wherein the first report comprises a first eSIM identifier for the first eSIM;

receiving, from the second eSIM delivery server, a second report, wherein the second report comprises a second eSIM identifier for the second eSIM;

sending the first eSIM identifier to a policy management server; and

sending the second eSIM identifier to the policy management server.