Apparatus having a plurality of SIMs

• US 10,154,125 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UROS Technology S.A.R.L.
• Original Assignee: UROS Technology S.A.R.L.
• Inventors: Uhari, Tommi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US13/826,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20130260831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: 455558, 455410, 455411, 455418, 455434
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• 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: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0274 for an electrical connector module
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0277 for a printed circuit board assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/103 using SIMs (USIMs) or calling cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An apparatus is removably attachable to an electronic device associated with wireless communication. The apparatus includes an operational circuitry which includes contact means, memory means and data processing means. The contact means is for electrical coupling between the electronic device and the operational circuitry. The memory means is capable of storing subscriber-identity-module-specific data of at least two subscriber identity module associated with at least one operator of wireless communication for causing the apparatus to act as a plurality of the subscriber identity modules of the at least one operator when in use.

Claims

1. A single SIM (subscriber identity module) card apparatus configured to attach to an electronic device associated with a wireless communication of a radio system operated by at least one operator, the single SIM card apparatus comprising:

an operational circuitry that includes contact pins, a first memory, and a first processor;

a plurality of separate SIM chips, each including at least one SIM of a plurality of SIMs associated with the at least one operator;

wherein;

the single SIM card apparatus having a standard SIM card shape;

the contact pins electrically couple the electronic device with the operational circuitry;

the first memory is configured to store SIM-specific data of at least two SIMs associated with the at least one operator;

the single SIM card apparatus is configured to function as one of the plurality of the SIMs of the at least one operator when communicating between the electronic device and the single SIM card apparatus;

the operational circuitry comprises electrical circuits of the separate SIM chips, each of the plurality of separate SIM chips individually functioning as a SIM of the plurality of SIMs, and

each of the plurality of separate SIM chips is issued from the at least one operator.

2. The single SIM card apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first memory is configured to store instructions, that, when executed by the first processor, cause the single SIM card apparatus to function as one of the SIMs, which is issued from the at least one operator on a basis of the stored SIM-specific data in the first memory.

3. The single SIM card apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single SIM card apparatus is configured to receive selection data through the contact pins, and the first memory is configured to store instructions, that, when executed by the first processor, cause the single SIM card apparatus to use the at least one of the plurality of the SIMs on a basis of the selection data for mobile communication.

4. The single SIM card apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single SIM card apparatus is configured to receive at least one identifier referring to the at least one of the plurality of the SIMs through the contact pins, and the first memory is configured to store instructions, that, when executed by the first processor, cause the single SIM card apparatus to use the at least one SIM on a basis of the at least one identifier for mobile communication.

5. An apparatus configured to accept at least one card in an attachable manner, each of the at least one card comprising the single SIM card apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the apparatus configured to accept the at least one card comprising;

contact electrodes for electrical coupling between the apparatus configured to accept the at least card;

one or more additional processors;

one or more additional memories of the apparatus configured to accept the at least one card storing instructions, that, when executed by the one or more additional processors, cause the apparatus configured to accept the at least one card to;

obtain data from the at least one of the plurality of SIMs, which is issued from the at least one operator associated with the at least one card for wireless communication and control the use of the at least one SIM.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus is configured to accept the at least one card comprises an interface associated with the plurality of SIMs;

the one or more additional memories store instructions, that, when executed by the one or more additional processors, cause the apparatus configured to accept at least one card to;

obtain selection ground data from the interface; and

control the use of the at least one SIM associated with the at least one card on a basis of the selection ground data.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus configured to accept the at least one card comprises:

a selector circuit; and

the one or more additional memories of the apparatus configured to accept the at least one card to store instructions, that, when executed by the one or more additional processors, cause the apparatus configured to accept the at least one card to form at least one identifier addressing at least one SIM on a basis of the selection ground data and output the formed at least one identifier to the selector circuit;

wherein;

the selector circuit is configured to select the least one SIM in use on a basis of the at least one identifier.

8. A method of manufacturing the single SIM card apparatus of claim 1, the method comprising:

storing, in the memory of the single SIM card apparatus, SIM-specific data of a plurality of SIMs associated with the at least one operator for causing the single SIM card apparatus to function as one of the plurality of the SIMs of the at least one operator when using the single SIM card apparatus.

9. The method according to claim 8, the method comprising:

storing, in the first memory of the single SIM card apparatus, instructions, that, when executed by the first processor, cause the single SIM card apparatus to function as a plurality of SIMs of the at least one operator on a basis of the stored SIM-specific data in the memory.

10. A method of manufacturing the single SIM card apparatus of claim 1, the method comprising:

arranging the plurality of separate SIM chips in a carrier structure of the single SIM card apparatus and forming electrical coupling between the contact pins and the plurality of separate SIM chips.

11. A method of manufacturing the single SIM card apparatus of claim 1, the method comprising:

storing SIM-specific data of the plurality of SIMs in at least one memory of at least one emulating integrated circuit of the single SIM card apparatus for emulating the SIMs in the single SIM card apparatus virtually.

12. A method of manufacturing the single SIM card apparatus of claim 1, the method comprising:

receiving authorization for use of the at least one of the separate SIM chips from the at least one operator.

13. The single SIM card apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the separate SIM chips has a size smaller than the single SIM card apparatus and the each of the separate SIM chips do not have a standard SIM card shape.