Apparatus and method for managing security domains for a universal integrated circuit card

• US 10,476,859 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2018
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chastain, Walter Cooper
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Khoi V
• Application Number:
  US15/945,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20180234405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/77 in smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A device that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform, for example, generating a security domain root structure for a universal integrated circuit card of an end user device, where the security domain root structure includes a hierarchy of a link provider operator security domain above a mobile network operator trusted security domain, where the link provider operator security domain enables transport management by a link provider operator, and where the mobile network operator trusted security domain enables card content management and subscription eligibility verification by a mobile network operator trusted service manager. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a universal integrated circuit card;

a processor; and

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

generating a third-party security domain root structure for the universal integrated circuit card, wherein the third-party security domain root structure includes a hierarchy of a link provider operator security domain above a mobile network operator trusted security domain, wherein the mobile network operator trusted security domain enables card content management and subscription eligibility verification by equipment of a trusted service manager of the mobile network operator;

adjusting the third-party security domain root structure to include a service provider trusted security domain in the hierarchy below the link provider operator security domain, wherein the service provider trusted security domain enables equipment of a third-party trusted service manager to perform card content management actions without obtaining authorization from the equipment of the trusted service manager of the mobile network operator; and

responsive to a determination to allow the third-party trusted service manager to utilize a third-party over-the-air platform, adjusting the third-party security domain root structure to include a service provider link provider operator security domain in the hierarchy below the mobile network operator trusted security domain and to include a second service provider trusted security domain in the hierarchy below the service provider link provider operator security domain.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the generating the third-party security domain root structure is responsive to receiving an over-the-air message.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a second third-party security domain root structure that includes a second hierarchy of the service provider link provider operator security domain above the second service provider trusted security domain.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment of an end user device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining to operate in an authorized management dual mode, wherein the adjusting the third-party security domain root structure to include the service provider trusted security domain in the hierarchy below the link provider operator security domain is responsive to the determining to operate in the authorized management dual mode.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the universal integrated circuit card comprises an issuer security domain, a controlling authority security domain, and a telephony security domain when the third-party security domain root structure is generated.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the link provider operator security domain utilizes a first keyset for first secure transmissions, and wherein the mobile network operator trusted security domain utilizes a second keyset for second secure transmissions.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the universal integrated circuit card comprises a controlling authority security domain and the service provider trusted security domain, wherein the service provider trusted security domain utilizes a keyset to securely communicate with equipment of the third-party trusted service manager, and wherein the keyset is generated by the controlling authority security domain.

9. A universal integrated circuit card comprising:

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

generating a third-party security domain root structure for the universal integrated circuit card, wherein the third-party security domain root structure includes a hierarchy of a link provider operator security domain above a mobile network operator trusted security domain, wherein the mobile network operator trusted security domain enables card content management and subscription eligibility verification by equipment of a trusted service manager of the mobile network operator;

adjusting the third-party security domain root structure to include a service provider trusted security domain in the hierarchy below the link provider operator security domain, wherein the service provider trusted security domain enables equipment of a third-party trusted service manager to perform card content management actions without obtaining authorization from the equipment of the trusted service manager of the mobile network operator; and

responsive to a determination to allow another third-party trusted service manager to utilize a third-party over-the-air platform, adjusting the third-party security domain root structure to include a service provider link provider operator security domain in the hierarchy below the mobile network operator trusted security domain and to include a third service provider trusted security domain in the hierarchy below the service provider link provider operator security domain.

10. The universal integrated circuit card of claim 9, wherein the generating the third-party security domain root structure is responsive to receiving an over-the-air message.

11. The universal integrated circuit card of claim 9, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment of an end user device.

12. The universal integrated circuit card of claim 9, comprising an issuer security domain, a controlling authority security domain, and a telephony security domain when the third-party security domain root structure is generated.

13. The universal integrated circuit card of claim 9, wherein the link provider operator security domain utilizes a first keyset for first secure transmissions, and wherein the mobile network operator trusted security domain utilizes a second keyset for second secure transmissions.

14. The universal integrated circuit card of claim 9, comprising a controlling authority security domain, wherein the service provider trusted security domain utilizes a keyset to securely communicate with the equipment of the third-party trusted service manager, and wherein the keyset is generated by the controlling authority security domain.

15. A method, comprising:

generating a third-party security domain root structure for a universal integrated circuit card, wherein the third-party security domain root structure includes a hierarchy of a link provider operator security domain above a mobile network operator trusted security domain, wherein the mobile network operator trusted security domain enables card content management and subscription eligibility verification by equipment of a trusted service manager of the mobile network operator;

adjusting the third-party security domain root structure to include a service provider trusted security domain in the hierarchy below the link provider operator security domain, wherein the service provider trusted security domain enables equipment of a third-party trusted service manager to perform card content management actions without obtaining authorization from the equipment of the trusted service manager of the mobile network operator; and

responsive to a determination to allow another third-party trusted service manager to utilize a third-party over-the-air platform, adjusting the third-party security domain root structure to include a service provider link provider operator security domain in the hierarchy below the mobile network operator trusted security domain and to include a third service provider trusted security domain in the hierarchy below the service provider link provider operator security domain.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the third-party security domain root structure is selectively adjustable to include a second service provider trusted security domain in the hierarchy below the service provider link provider operator security domain.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the third-party security domain root structure is selectively adjustable to include the service provider trusted security domain in the hierarchy below the link provider operator security domain responsive to a determination to operate in an authorized management dual mode.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the universal integrated circuit card comprises an issuer security domain, a controlling authority security domain, and a telephony security domain when the third-party security domain root structure is generated.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the universal integrated circuit card comprises a controlling authority security domain, wherein the service provider trusted security domain utilizes a keyset to securely communicate with the third-party trusted service manager, and wherein the keyset is generated by the controlling authority security domain.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the generating the third-party security domain root structure is responsive to receiving an over-the-air message.