Selecting a Subscriber Identity in a User Equipment Device Having Multiple Subscriber Identities

• US 20130281085A1
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sen, Abhishek, Chaudhary, Madhusudan, Anantharaman, Karthik
• Application Number:
  US13/648,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20130281085A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Selecting a subscriber identity in a user equipment (UE) device having multiple subscriber identities. Location information may be obtained using a first wireless communication technology. The location information may be provided to a subscriber identity module (SIM) in the UE device. A first subscriber identity may be selected by the SIM based on the location information. The UE device may be registered with a network using a second wireless communication technology. The first subscriber identity may be used to register the UE device with the network.

Claims

1. A method for a user equipment (UE) device to select a subscriber identity, wherein the UE device is configured to perform cellular wireless communication and non-cellular wireless communication, the method comprising:

obtaining location information for the UE device, wherein said obtaining is performed using non-cellular wireless communication;

providing the location information to a subscriber identity module (SIM), wherein the SIM is comprised in or coupled to the UE device;

wherein the SIM comprises a plurality of subscriber identities, wherein the SIM is configured to activate a first subscriber identity based on the location information;

registering with a network using the first subscriber identity, wherein said registering is performed using cellular wireless communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-cellular wireless communication comprises WLAN communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-cellular wireless communication comprises global navigational satellite system communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises one or more of a mobile country code (MCC) and a mobile network code (MNC).

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the location information identifies the network.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein providing the location information to the SIM comprises providing an envelope command comprising the location information to the SIM.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at a later time:

obtaining new location information for the UE device, wherein said obtaining is performed using non-cellular wireless communication;

providing the new location information to the SIM;

wherein the SIM is configured to deactivate the first subscriber identity and activate a second subscriber identity based on the new location information;

registering with a new network using the second subscriber identity, wherein said registering is performed using cellular wireless communication.

8. A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium comprising program instructions for a user equipment (UE) device to select a subscriber identity, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

boot the UE device;

obtain location information using a first wireless communication technology;

provide the location information to a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, wherein the SIM card is configured to use multiple subscriber identities, wherein the SIM card is configured to select a first subscriber identity based on the location information;

register the UE device with a network using a second wireless communication technology, wherein the first subscriber identity is used to register the UE device with the network.

9. The memory medium of claim 8,

wherein the second wireless communication technology is a cellular telecommunication technology, wherein the network is a cellular telecommunication network.

10. The memory medium of claim 8,

wherein the first wireless communication technology is a non-cellular wireless communication technology.

11. The memory medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are further configured to:

obtain new location information using the first wireless communication technology;

provide the new location information to the SIM card, wherein the SIM card is configured to select a second subscriber identity based on the new location information;

register the UE device with a new network using the second wireless communication technology, wherein the second subscriber identity is used to register the UE device with the new network.

12. The memory medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are further configured to:

obtain the location information using a third wireless communication technology.

13. A user equipment (UE) device, wherein the UE device is configured for use with a subscriber identity module (SIM) comprising subscriber identity information for a plurality of subscriber identities, the UE device comprising:

one or more antennas for performing wireless communication;

a processor;

a non-transitory computer accessible memory medium comprising program instructions executable by the processor to;

receive location information via non-cellular wireless communication;

generate information configured for use by the SIM in selecting an active subscriber identity from the plurality of subscriber identities, wherein the information is generated based on the location information;

provide the information to the SIM;

register with a cellular network using subscriber identity information for the active subscriber identity provided by the SIM.

14. The UE device of claim 13,

wherein the plurality of subscriber identities comprise at least a first subscriber identity for use in a first geographic region and a second subscriber identity for use in a second geographic region;

wherein the location information indicates a geographic region in which the UE device is located.

15. The UE device of claim 13, wherein the non-cellular wireless communication comprises one or more of:

WLAN;

or

a global navigational satellite system (GNSS).

16. The UE device of claim 13,

wherein the plurality of subscriber identities comprise at least a first international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) and a second IMSI.

17. The UE device of claim 13,

wherein the information configured for use by the SIM comprises a command, wherein the command is executable by the SIM.

18. The UE device of claim 17,

wherein the command is executable by the SIM to initiate a SIM refresh.

19. The UE device of claim 17,

wherein the command is executable by the SIM to update location information in the SIM.

20. The UE device of claim 13,

wherein the SIM is an application executing on a smart card coupled to the UE device.

21. The UE device of claim 13,

wherein the SIM is an embedded SIM (eSIM) comprised in the UE device.

22. A user equipment (UE) device, the UE device comprising:

a subscriber identity module (SIM) comprising a first international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) and a second IMSI;

one or more antennas for performing wireless communications;

a processor;

wherein the UE device is configured to;

obtain first location information using a first wireless communication technology;

activate the first IMSI in the SIM based on the first location information;

register with a first network using a second wireless communication technology, wherein the first IMSI is used to identify the UE device to the first network in order to register with the first network;

obtain second location information using the first wireless communication technology;

activate the second IMSI in the SIM based on the second location information;

register with a second network using the second wireless communication technology, wherein the second IMSI is used to identify the UE device to the second network in order to register with the second network.

23. The UE device of claim 22,

wherein the first IMSI is for use with a home network of the UE device, wherein the second IMSI is for use while roaming.

24. The UE device of claim 22,

wherein the first IMSI is provided by a first service provider, wherein the second IMSI is provided by a second service provider.

25. The UE device of claim 22,

wherein the first location information comprises a first mobile country code (MCC) and a first mobile network code (MNC), wherein the first MNC is an MNC associated with the first network.

26. The UE device of claim 22,

wherein the first location information indicates that the UE device is located in a first country, wherein the second location information indicates that the UE device is located in a second country.