Method and System for Smart Card Migration

• US 20120102556A1
• Filed: 02/04/2011
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Tapia, Pablo, Karimli, Yasmin
• Granted Patent: US 8,863,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for transitioning an existing in-use phone number between an first smart card and a second smart card.

Claims

1. A first computing device comprising a first smart card, which first smart card comprises a first subscriber identifier, and which first computing device is capable of registering with a wireless network, which first computing device executes a method comprising the following steps:

transmitting the first subscriber identifier to a core wireless network;

requesting that a user of the first computing device input an active MSISDN into the computing device, which active MSISDN is not then associated with the first subscriber identifier;

receiving an active MSISDN input into the first computing device by the user;

transmitting the input active MSISDN to an update server;

requesting that the user input a security code obtained by the user;

receiving the security code input by the user;

transmitting the security code input by the user to the update server;

using the first subscriber identifier to register with the wireless network; and

receiving communications in the wireless network when the active MSISDN is used to route communications in the wireless network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps in the method other than transmitting the first subscriber identifier to a core network are performed sequentially, in the order presented in claim 1.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the security code input by the user was obtained by the user from the update server via a second computing device comprising a second smart card, which second smart card comprises a second subscriber identifier, which second smart card and/or second subscriber identifier is associated with the active MSISDN in a database accessible to the update server at the time when the user obtained the security code via the second computing device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second computing device is the same as the first computing device,

wherein the first and second computing devices are distinguished based on whether a common substrate computing device comprises the first or second smart card;

wherein the first computing device requests that the user remove and replace the first smart card with the second smart card to convert the first computing device into the second computing device;

then

wherein the first smart card is removed and replaced by the second smart card converting the first computing device into the second computing device;

wherein the second computing device receives the security code from the update server;

wherein the second computing device requests that the user remove and replace the second smart card with the first smart card to convert the second computing device into the first computing device;

wherein the second smart card is removed and replaced by the first smart card to convert the second computing device into the first computing device; and

the first computing device receives the security code input by the user.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the following steps are sequential, though may be interspersed among the steps of claim 1:

wherein the first computing device requests that the user remove and replace the first smart card with the second smart card to convert the first computing device into the second computing device;

then

wherein the first smart card is removed and replaced by the second smart card converting the first computing device into the second computing device;

wherein the second computing device receives the security code from the update server;

wherein the second computing device requests that the user remove and replace the second smart card with the first smart card to convert the second computing device into the first computing device; and

wherein the second smart card is removed and replaced by the first smart card to convert the second computing device into the first computing device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein using the first subscriber identifier to register with the wireless network succeeds because the first subscriber identifier has been associated with the active MSISDN in the database accessible to the update server.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising at a second computing device obtaining data from the second smart card and/or the second computing device, packaging the obtained data for transmission, and transmitting the packaged data.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the packaged data is transmitted to at least one of the first computing device, the update server, and/or a network-based data repository.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the data is transmitted to the network-based data repository before being transmitted from the network-based data repository to the first computing device.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein the packaged data is transmitted after receiving a message from the update server.

11. The method according to claim 7 wherein the packaged data comprises at least one of entries in an address book, a digital photograph, or an email.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving packaged data from at least one of the second computing device or a network-based data repository, unpacking the received packaged data, and storing at least a portion of the unpacked data on at least one of the first smart card or the first computing device.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the security code from an update server at a second computing device and providing the security code to the user through a user interface at the second computing device.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subscriber identifier is an IMSI.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining or generating user-state data and either storing the user-state data locally or transmitting the user-state data to the update server and using the user-state data to transition a user interface presenting steps of the method of claim 1.

16. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that cause the first computing device to perform the method according to claim 1.

17. A first computing device configured to operate as a smart card update server in a wireless network, which computing device performs a method comprising the following steps:

receiving an active MSISDN and a first subscriber identifier from a second computing device, which second computing device comprises a first smart card which comprises or is associated with the first subscriber identifier;

generating a security code and associating the generated security code with at least one of the first subscriber identifier, the active MSISDN, or a subscriber identifier associated with the active MSISDN;

routing the security code in a message in the wireless network utilizing the active MSISDN, which message is received by a third computing device;

receiving the transmitted security code from the second computing device;

disassociating the MSISDN from a second smart card, which second smart card comprises a second subscriber identifier, which second smart card is associated with and/or part of the third computing device; and

associating the smart card associated with the second computing device with the active MSISDN.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising determining in the wireless network that the second computing device is operating with the first smart card not associated with the active MSISDN.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising authenticating that the received security code from the second computing device is the security code transmitted to the third computing device.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the subscriber identifier of the second or third computing device is an IMSI.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein associating or disassociating the smart card of either the second or third computing device with or from the MSISDN comprises associating or disassociating the IMSI with or from the MSISDN in the wireless network.

22. The method according to claim 17, further comprising transmitting a message to the third computing device, which message indicates that the third computing device may transmit packaged data from the third computing device to at least one of the second computing device, the first computing device, or a network-based data repository.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein the second and third computing devices comprise a common substrate computing device and are distinguished based on whether the common substrate computing device comprises the first or second smart card.

24. The method according to claim 17, further comprising obtaining or generating user-state data and transmitting the user-state data or transmitting a product of the user-state data to at least one of the second computing device or the identified computing device to transition a user interface in the second computing device or the identified computing device.

25. A computer system comprising a first computing device comprising a first smart card comprising a first subscriber identifier and configured to obtain service from a wireless network, a second computing device comprising a second smart card comprising a second subscriber identifier, which second computing device further comprises a smart card transfer application and which second computing device is configured to obtain service from the wireless network, and a smart card update server configured to provide service in the wireless network;

wherein

the first smart card is associated with an active MSISDN in the wireless network and the second smart card is not; and

the smart card transfer application is configured to request that a user input the active MSISDN;

then

the smart card transfer application is configured to request that the user input a security code;

the smart card update server is configured to receive the active MSISDN from the second computing device, generate a security code, transmit the generated security code over the wireless network to the first computing device, receive the security code over the wireless network from the second computing device, and to then associate the active MSISDN with the second subscriber identifier.

26. The computer system according to claim 25 wherein the subscriber identifiers comprise IMSIs.

27. The computer system according to claim 25 wherein the first and second computing devices comprise a common computing device substrate and wherein the first and second computing devices are distinguished based on whether the common computing device substrate comprises the first or second smart card.