SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTE PROVISIONING OF EMBEDDED UNIVERSAL INTEGRATED CIRCUIT CARDS

• US 20140004827A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rogers Communications Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rogers Communications Inc.
• Inventors: O'LEARY, Edward A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,137,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/75 Temporary identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

Methods and devices are described for provisioning embedded universal integrated circuit cards (EUICCs). A certification server may store records for each EUICC containing provisioned profile data. A regulatory domain server may govern a regulatory domain containing a plurality of mobile network operators (MNOs) and may assist with provisioning wireless devices containing EUICCs. The EUICC may store a hierarchy of profiles, including a device profile, a regulatory domain profile, and/or an MNO profile. The EUICC may include a fully-qualified domain name for the certification server, the device installation server, and/or the regulatory domain server so as to trigger provisioning or re-provisioning over an IP connection.

Claims

1. A method of provisioning an embedded universal integrated circuit card (EUICC) in a wireless device with an active profile, wherein the active profile corresponds to an mobile network operator (MNO) subscription for service and includes an active profile international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) and key material, the EUICC storing a fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) that resolves to a server, the method comprising:

establishing an IP connection between the wireless device and the server;

receiving, at the server, a provisioning request from the wireless device;

querying a certification server database for a record associated with the EUICC;

identifying, based on the record, an MNO provisioning server for provisioning the EUICC;

redirecting the wireless device to the MNO provisioning server, from which the EUICC is provisioned the active profile.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein establishing an IP connection includes establishing a non-cellular connection between a network and the wireless device, and providing IP connectivity to the wireless device via the non-cellular connection.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein the non-cellular connection comprises one of a WiFi connection, an Ethernet connection, a Bluetooth connection, and a Zigbee connection.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the provisioning request comprises a request to access the FQDN.

5. The method claimed in claim 4, wherein the server associated with the FQDN comprises a regulatory domain server associated with a regulatory domain operator, and wherein the regulatory domain operator governs a regulatory domain that includes the MNO.

6. The method claimed in claim 5, wherein the regulatory domain includes a plurality of mobile network operators including the MNO.

7. The method claimed in claim 4, wherein the server associated with the FQDN comprises one of a regulatory domain server, a device installation server, and an MNO server.

8. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the active profile comprises a new active profile, and wherein the wireless device includes an old active profile, and wherein the provisioning request comprises an MNO change command.

9. The method claimed in claim 8, further comprises receiving authorization from an old MNO server for a change to the new active profile with respect to the wireless device.

10. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the provisioning request includes geo-location information, and wherein the identifying further includes identifying the MNO provisioning server based upon the geo-location information.

11. The method claimed in claim 10, wherein the geo-location information includes one of GPS data and cellular network identifier data.

12. A method of provisioning an embedded universal integrated circuit card (EUICC) in a wireless device with an active profile, wherein an active profile corresponds to an mobile network operator (MNO) subscription for service and includes an active profile international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) and key material, the EUICC storing a current IMSI, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server, a cellular connection from the wireless device having the current IMSI;

determining that the current IMSI is a provisioning IMSI and not an active profile IMSI; and

redirecting the wireless device to a provisioning server, wherein the provisioning server comprises one of a certification server, a device provisioning server, a regulatory domain provisioning server, and an MNO provisioning server.

13. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein detecting that the current IMSI is a provisioning IMSI comprises determining that the mobile network code (MNC) corresponds to a regulatory domain, a device manufacturer, or a SIM vendor, and not an MNO.

14. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein detecting that the current IMSI is a provisioning IMSI comprises determining that the mobile country code (MCC) is a provisioning country code.

15. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein redirecting includes denying the wireless device cellular access.

16. The method claimed in claim 12, wherein redirecting includes providing the device with IP connectivity and providing the device with a fully-qualified domain name for the provisioning server.

17. The method claimed in claim 12, further comprising receiving a request at the provisioning server from the wireless device and sending the active profile to the wireless device for installation in the EUICC.

18. A certification server, comprising:

a processor;

memory storing a plurality of records, each record storing a respective EUICC identifier and an associated certificate; and

an authentication application stored in memory that, when executed, configures the processor to

receive a query from a server regarding a wireless device containing an EUICC, the query including an identifier associated with the EUICC,

select one of the plurality of records based on the received identifier matching the respective EUICC identifier, and

send a reply to the server, wherein the reply includes information regarding an MNO provisioning server associated with the EUICC.

19. A regulatory domain server operated by a regulatory domain operator for a regulatory domain, wherein the regulatory domain includes a plurality of mobile network operators (MNO) each having a public land mobile network, the regulatory domain server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing records for embedded universal integrated circuit cards (EUICCs) associated with wireless devices;

wherein the processor is configured to

receive a provisioning request from a wireless device, the provisioning request including an EUICC identifier,

determine whether the EUICC identifier matches one of the records stored in the memory and,

if so, redirect the wireless device to a provisioning server for one of the MNOs within the regulatory domain based on the contents of the record matching the EUICC identifier, or,

if not, query another server for provisioning information regarding the wireless device and receive a response thereto and redirect the wireless device based upon the response.

20. The regulatory domain server claimed in claim 19, wherein the another server comprises a certification server.