MANAGEMENT OF CDMA CREDENTIALS ON A SMART CARD

• US 20120258690A1
• Filed: 06/18/2012
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: CHEN, Xuming, SRINIVASIAH, Bhaskar
• Granted Patent: US 8,503,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning

Abstract

A method is performed by a user device and a smart card inserted into the user device. The method includes storing, in the smart card, information to permit the user device to communicate with a particular network; identifying a first smart card identifier associated with the smart card; identifying a second smart card identifier associated with a previous smart card inserted into the user device; comparing the first smart card identifier and the second smart card identifier to generate a first comparison result; pushing, by the smart card and to the user device, the information when the first comparison result indicates that the first smart card identifier matches the second smart card identifier; and obtaining, by the user device, access to the particular network using the information received from the smart card.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A system, comprising:

a plurality of devices to;

receive a request to activate a smart card associated with a user device;

determine, based on the request, whether the user device is registered;

send, to the smart card, a first activation response to activate the smart card when the user device is registered, the first activation response including information to enable the user device to communicate with a particular network;

register the user device with one or more of the plurality of devices when the user device is not registered; and

send, to the smart card, a second activation response to activate the smart card after the user device is registered with the one or more the plurality of devices, the second activation response including the information to enable the user device to communicate with the particular network.

19. The system of claim 18, where the information, included in the first activation response or the second activation response, includes at least one of:

a mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN),

a mobile directory number (MDN),

a mobile identification number (MIN),

a preferred roaming list (PRL),

a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier,

a code division multiple access (CDMA) A12 network access identifier (NAI), or

a CDMA NAI.

20. The system of claim 18, where the request includes an identifier associated with the user device, and

where, when determining whether the user device is registered, the plurality of devices are to:

compare the identifier, associated with the user device, to a set of identifiers associated with previously registered user devices, and

determine that the user device is registered when the identifier, associated with the user device, corresponds to an identifier in the set of identifiers.

21. The system of claim 18, where, when registering the user device, the plurality of devices are to cause the one or more of the plurality of devices to store information associated with the user device or to authenticate the user device or a user of the user device.

22. The system of claim 18, where the plurality of devices include:

a home subscriber server, and

a packet gateway,

where the home subscriber server is to;

receive an attachment request from the user device, the attachment request including an identifier associated with a user of the user device, and

determine whether to accept the attachment request based on the identifier associated with the user, and

where the packet gateway is to;

receive a connection request from the user device, and

establish a data connection with the user device based on data included in the connection request.

23. The system of claim 18, where the plurality of devices include:

an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) device, and

a packet gateway,

where the AAA device is to;

receive an attachment request from the user device,

perform an authentication function regarding the user device based on the attachment request, and

determine whether to accept the attachment request based on a result of the authentication function, and

where the packet gateway is to;

receive a connection request from the user device, and

establish a data connection with the user device based on information in the connection request.

24. The system of claim 18, where the plurality of devices include:

an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) device, and

a home agent,

where the AAA device is to;

eceive an attachment request from the user device,

perform an authentication function regarding the user device based on the attachment request, and

determine whether to accept the attachment request based on a result of the authentication function, and

where the home agent is to;

receive a connection request from the user device, and

establish a data connection with the user device based on the connection request.

25. The system of claim 18, where the plurality of devices include:

a provisioning system,

a key system, and

an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) device,

where the provisioning system is to send a first message to the key system, the first message including an identifier associated with the user device,

where the key system is to;

receive the first message from the provisioning system,

identify a key associated with the user device, and

send a second message to the provisioning system, the second message including the key,

where the provisioning system is further to send a third message to the AAA device, the third message including;

the identifier associated with the user device and

the key,

where the AAA device is to;

receive the third message from the provisioning system,

authenticate the user device, based on at least one of the identifier associated with the user device or the key, to generate an authentication result, and

send the authentication result to the provisioning system, and

where the provisioning system is further to;

receive the authentication result from the AAA device, and

determine whether to send the second activation response based on the authentication result.

26. A method, comprising:

receiving, by one or more devices, a request to activate a smart card associated with a user device, the smart card being different from the user device;

determining, by the one or more devices and based on the request, that the user device is unregistered;

registering, by the one or more devices and based on the request, the user device, the registering of the user device including;

causing the smart card to update credentials of the user device, and

receiving, from the smart card, information associated with the updated credentials of the user device; and

sending, by the one or more devices and to the smart card, an activation response to activate the smart card after the user device is registered, the activation response including information, based on the updated credentials, to enable the user device to communicate with a particular network,

the activation response causing the smart card to program the user device to access the particular network using the information included in the activation response.

27. The method of claim 26, where the information, included in the activation response, includes at least one of:

a mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN),

a mobile directory number (MDN),

a mobile identification number (MIN),

a preferred roaming list (PRL),

a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier,

a code division multiple access (CDMA) Al2 network access identifier (NAI), or

a CDMA NAI.

28. The method of claim 26, where the request includes an identifier associated with the user device, and

where determining whether the user device is registered includes:

comparing the identifier, associated with the user device, to a set of identifiers associated with previously registered user devices, and

determining that the user device is registered when the identifier, associated with the user device, corresponds to an identifier in the set of identifiers associated with previously registered user devices.

29. The method of claim 26, where registering the user device further includes:

storing information associated with the user device, and

authenticating, based on the stored information, the user device or a user of the user device.

30. The method of claim 26, where the one or more devices include a home subscriber server and a packet gateway, and

where the method further comprises:

receiving, by the home subscriber server, an attachment request from the user device, the attachment request including an identifier associated with a user of the user device;

determining, by the home subscriber server, whether to accept the attachment request based on the identifier associated with the user;

receiving, by the packet gateway, a connection request from the user device; and

establishing, by the packet gateway, a data connection with the user device based on data included in the connection request.

31. The method of claim 26, where the one or more devices include an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) device, and a packet gateway, and

where the method further comprises:

receiving, by the AAA device, an attachment request from the user device;

performing, by the AAA device, an authentication function regarding the user device based on the attachment request;

determining, by the AAA device, whether to accept the attachment request based on a result of the authentication function;

receiving, by the packet gateway, a connection request from the user device; and

establishing, by the packet gateway, a data connection with the user device based on information in the connection request.

32. The method of claim 26, where the one or more devices include an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) device, and a home agent,

where the method further comprises:

receiving, by the AAA device, an attachment request from the user device;

performing, by the AAA device, an authentication function regarding the user device based on the attachment request;

determining, by the AAA device, whether to accept the attachment request based on a result of the authentication function;

receiving, by the home agent, a connection request from the user device; and

establishing, by the home agent, a data connection with the user device based on the connection request.

33. The method of claim 26, where the one or more devices include a provisioning system, a key system, and an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) device,

where the method further comprises:

sending, by the provisioning system, a first message to the key system, the first message including an identifier associated with the user device;

identifying, by the key system, a key associated with the user device;

sending, by the key system, a second message to the provisioning system, the second message including the key;

sending, by the provisioning system, a third message to the AAA device, the third message including;

the identifier associated with the user device, and

the key;

authenticating, by the AAA device and based on at least one of the identifier associated with the user device or the key, the user device to generate an authentication result;

sending, by the AAA device, the authentication result to the provisioning system; and

determining, by the provisioning system, to send the activation response based on the authentication result.

34. A non-transitory computer-readable medium to store instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more devices, cause the one or more devices to;

receive a request to activate a smart card associated with a user device, the smart card being different from the user device;

determine, based on the request, that the user device is unregistered;

cause the smart card to update credentials of the user device, and

receive, from the smart card, information associated with the updated credentials of the user device;

cause the smart card to program the user device to access a particular network based on the updated credentials.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 34, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more devices, cause the one or more devices to;

receive an attachment request from the user device, the attachment request including an identifier associated with a user of the user device;

determine whether to accept the attachment request based on the identifier associated with the user;

receive a connection request from the user device; and

establish a data connection with the user device based on data included in the connection request.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 34, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more devices, cause the one or more devices to;

receive an attachment request from the user device;

perform an authentication function regarding the user device based on the attachment request;

determine whether to accept the attachment request based on a result of the authentication function;

receive a connection request from the user device; and

establish a data connection with the user device based on information in the connection request.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 34, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more devices to cause the smart card to program the user device, further cause the one or more devices to;

determine an identifier associated with the user device;

identify a key associated with the user device;

authenticate, based on at least one of the identifier associated with the user device or the key, the user device to generate an authentication result; and

cause the smart card to program the user device further based on the authentication result.