METHOD FOR SWITCHING A SUBSCRIPTION FROM A FIRST MNO TO A SECOND MNO

• US 20140206338A1
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales DIS France SA
• Original Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Burianne, Yannick, Nishi, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 9,603,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• 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 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for switching a subscription of a user from a first MNO (1) to a second MNO (2), characterized in that it comprises requesting to a remoter server switching from the first MNO to the second MNO and temporary storing data updates related to the second MNO in a dedicated file.

Claims

1. A method for switching a subscription of a user from a first mobile network (1) to a second mobile network (2), comprising:

requesting to a remote server switch from the first mobile network to the second mobile network and temporary storing data updates related to the second mobile network in a dedicated file.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising setting a first flag, said first flag being configured to be set to “

on”

when the user authorizes the switch from the first mobile network (1) to the second mobile network (2).

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of after temporary storing of data updates is completed, requesting authorization from the user to perform the switch of mobile networks.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising setting a second flag, said second flag being configured to be set to “

on”

when the temporary storing of data updates is complete so as to unauthorise modification of data related to the first mobile network (1) to be updated.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising setting said second flag to “

off”

after the first flag is set to “

on”

, and then processing a final update, said final update consisting in updating data related to the first mobile network (1) by data updates related to the second mobile network (2).

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising setting the first flag to “

off”

upon the final update.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein data updates comprise data for attaching the user to the second mobile network (2).

8. The method according to claim 2, further comprising clearing temporarily stored data updates and clearing flags relating to the subscription switch when said subscription switch is aborted.

9. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising requesting the mobile device (3) to refresh its memory.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising sending a message to the remote server so as said remote server informs the first mobile network (1) of the end of the subscription of the user and so as the second mobile network (2) processes the switch at its side.

12. The method according to claim 2, further comprising a step of after temporary storing of data updates is completed, requesting authorization from the user to perform the switch of mobile networks.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising setting said second flag to “

off”

after the first flag is set to “

on”

, and then processing a final update, said final update consisting in updating data related to the first mobile network (1) by data updates related to the second mobile network (2).

14. The method according to claim 2, further comprising requesting the mobile device (3) to refresh its memory.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising sending a message to the remote server so as said remote server informs the first mobile network (1) of the end of the subscription of the user and so as the second mobile network (2) processes the switch at its side.

11. A subscription switch system comprising a first mobile network (1), a second mobile network (2), a mobile device (3), said mobile device being attached to the first mobile network (1), a token (4), said token comprising subscriber'"'"'s identity data related to the first mobile network (1) and adapted to communicate with said mobile device (3), a remote server adapted to communicate with the first mobile network (1), the second mobile network (2), the token (3), wherein the token (3) comprises means for starting and managing the subscription switch from the first mobile network (1) to a second mobile network (2) the token configured to request to a remote server to switch from the first mobile network to the second mobile network and temporary storing data updates related to the second mobile network in a dedicated file.

16. The subscription switch system of claim 11 wherein the token is further configured to set a first flag, said first flag being configured to be set to “

on”

when the user authorizes the switch from the first mobile network (1) to the second mobile network (2).

17. The subscription switch system of claim 11 wherein the token is further configured to after temporary storing of data updates is completed, requesting authorization from the user to perform the switch of mobile networks.

18. The subscription switch system of claim 16 wherein the token is further configured to after temporary storing of data updates is completed, requesting authorization from the user to perform the switch of mobile networks.

19. The subscription switch system of claim 11 wherein the token is further configured to set a second flag, said second flag being configured to be set to “

on”

when the temporary storing of data updates is complete so as to unauthorise modification of data related to the first mobile network (1) to be updated.

20. The subscription switch system of claim 16 wherein the token is further configured to set a second flag, said second flag being configured to be set to “

on”

when the temporary storing of data updates is complete so as to unauthorise modification of data related to the first mobile network (1) to be updated.