Method and apparatus for utilizing mobile subscriber identification information with multiple devices based on registration requests

• US 10,433,273 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2019
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chastain, Walter Cooper, Chin, Stephen Emille
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nathan S
• Application Number:
  US16/240,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20190141658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 455433, 44411, 444351, 44466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/654 International mobile subscriber identity [IMSI] numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4588 containing mobile subscriber information, e.g. home subscriber server [HSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/005 Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system that manages utilization of mobile subscriber identity information including enabling use of such information by different communication devices. The use of the same mobile subscriber identity information by multiple devices can be based on locations and other mobile subscriber identity information can be assigned to devices based on the locations. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A network server, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving a first international mobile subscriber identity associated with a registration request that is directed to a registration function server by a first communication device;

determining that the first international mobile subscriber identity is included in a group of international mobile subscriber identities that are shared with other communication devices, wherein the group of international mobile subscriber identities are configured to be utilized in registration for communication services;

determining that the first communication device is not associated with a particular location; and

reassigning, via an over-the-air interface, a second international mobile subscriber identity to the first communication device, wherein the over-the-air interface utilizes a transport key that is stored by the first communication device and is not stored by a second communication device that shares the first international mobile subscriber identity.

2. The network server of claim 1, wherein the reassigning of the second international mobile subscriber identity to the first communication device via the over-the-air interface comprises transmitting an over-the-air message to the first communication device that causes the first communication device to perform a re-registration utilizing the second international mobile subscriber identity.

3. The network server of claim 1, wherein the processing system is selected from a group of processing systems based on location information, and wherein the reassigning of the second international mobile subscriber identity to the first communication device via the over-the-air interface is based on determining an eligibility of the first communication device to access the communication services.

4. The network server of claim 1, wherein the first and second communication devices have different secret keys, and wherein a first secret key of the first communication device is utilized in a registration process associated with the first communication device.

5. The network server of claim 1, wherein the first communication device comprises a machine-to-machine communication device.

6. The network server of claim 1, wherein the registration function server comprises a visitor location register, and wherein the visitor location register is selected from a group of visitor location registers based on a registration service area of the visitor location register.

7. The network server of claim 1, wherein the registration function server comprises a mobility management entity, and wherein the mobility management entity is selected from a group of mobility management entities based on a registration service area of the mobility management entity.

8. The network server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

performing a simulated registration of the first communication device.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by a system including a processor, a first international mobile subscriber identity associated with a registration request that is directed to a registration function server by a first communication device;

determining, by the system, that the first international mobile subscriber identity is included in a group of international mobile subscriber identities that are shared with other communication devices, wherein the group of international mobile subscriber identities are configured to be utilized in registration for communication services;

determining, by the system, that the first communication device is not associated with a particular location;

reassigning, by the system via an over-the-air interface, a second international mobile subscriber identity to the first communication device; and

transmitting an over-the-air message to the first communication device that causes the first communication device to perform a re-registration utilizing the second international mobile subscriber identity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the over-the-air interface utilizes a transport key that is stored by the first communication device and is not stored by a second communication device that shares the first international mobile subscriber identity.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising transmitting a notification to one of a Home Location Register, an Authentication Center, an Equipment Identity Register, a Home Subscriber Server, a national SIM manager or a combination thereof, wherein the notification indicates that the first communication device is authorized to utilize the second international mobile subscriber identity.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the system is selected from a group of systems based on location information.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first communication device and a second communication device have different secret keys, wherein the second communication device shares the first international mobile subscriber identity, and wherein the reassigning of the second international mobile subscriber identity to the first communication device via the over-the-air interface is based on determining an eligibility of the first communication device to access the communication services.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first communication device comprises a machine-to-machine communication device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the registration function server comprises a visitor location register, and wherein the visitor location register is selected from a group of visitor location registers based on a registration service area of the visitor location register.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the registration function server comprises a mobility management entity, and wherein the mobility management entity is selected from a group of mobility management entities based on a registration service area of the mobility management entity.

17. The method of claim 9, comprising performing a simulated registration of the first communication device.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system of a first communication device that includes a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

transmitting a first international mobile subscriber identity associated with a registration request that is directed to a registration function server;

receiving, from a network server via an over-the-air interface, a second international mobile subscriber identity, wherein the receiving of the second international mobile subscriber identity is based on first and second determination by the network server, wherein the first determination is that the first international mobile subscriber identity is included in a group of international mobile subscriber identities that are shared with other communication devices, wherein the group of international mobile subscriber identities are configured to be utilized in registration for communication services, wherein the second determination is that the first communication device is not associated with a particular location, wherein the over-the-air interface utilizes a transport key that is stored by the first communication device and is not stored by a second communication device that shares the first international mobile subscriber identity; and

registering, via the registration function server, utilizing the second international mobile subscriber identity.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the registration function server comprises one of a visitor location register or a mobility management entity.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the first communication device comprises a machine-to-machine communication device.