IDENTITY MODULE WITH INTERCHANGEABLE UNIQUE IDENTIFIERS

• US 20140310785A1
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Prabdial, Yakeen, Gumbrell, Richard, Koraichi, Najib
• Granted Patent: US 9,526,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/45 using multiple identity modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A telecommunications system is provided, comprising a plurality of different cellular telecommunications networks, an identity module registrable on the plurality of different networks and containing multiple unique identifiers, each unique identifier being associated with a respective network; and, a device, operative in accordance with the identity module, to communicate with the networks when the identity module is registered on that network. The identity module comprises a common security key associated with at least two of the unique identifiers such that the identity module is registrable on each one of the plurality of networks when a unique identifier of the identity module and its associated security key are authenticated for that network.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system comprising:

a plurality of different wireless telecommunications networks;

an identity module registrable on the plurality of different networks and containing multiple unique identifiers, each unique identifier being associated with a respective network; and

,

a device, operative in accordance with the identity module, to communicate with each of the networks when the identity module is registered on that network,

wherein the identity module comprises a common security key associated with at least two of the unique identifiers such that the identity module is registrable on each one of the plurality of networks when a unique identifier of the identity module and its associated security key are authenticated for that network.

2. A telecommunications system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises an authentication server for authenticating the unique identifier and its associated security key on the plurality of networks.

3. A telecommunications system according to claim 2, wherein the authentication server comprises a database for storing the at least two unique identifiers and common security key, each unique identifier being associated with the common security key in the database.

4. A telecommunications system according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of networks comprises a local location register for receiving requests to access the network from the device operative to redirect the request to a central location register in accordance with the unique identifier, said central location register comprising the authentication server.

5. A telecommunications system according to claim 4, wherein the central location register is operative to instruct the local location register to grant the device access to its respective network if the authentication performed by the authentication server is successful.

6. A telecommunications system according to claim 1, wherein the identity module attempts to connect to one of the plurality of networks using the unique identifiers in accordance with one or more predetermined criteria selected from a group comprising cellular coverage, signal strength, cost, service quality, device priority and predicted device functionality on the network.

7. A telecommunications system according to claim 1, wherein the identity module attempts to connect to one of the plurality of networks using the unique identifiers in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

8. A telecommunications system according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined sequence is retained on the card as sequence data.

9. A telecommunications system according claim 7, wherein power is maintained to the device when the identity module attempts to connect using the unique identifiers.

10. A telecommunications system according to claim 2, wherein the authentication server authenticates the identity module for a particular network using a particular unique identifier in dependence on one or more criteria selected from a group comprising cellular coverage, signal strength, cost, service quality, device priority and predicted device functionality on the network.

11. A telecommunications system according to claim 7, further comprising a service platform in communication with the network, operative to instruct the identity module to reorder the sequence of unique identifiers, wherein the identity module is operative to reorder the sequence of identifiers upon instruction.

12. A telecommunications system according to claim 11, wherein the identity module is operative to transmit diagnostic data to the service platform.

13. A telecommunications system according to claim 11, wherein the reordered sequence of unique identifiers is calculated in dependence on one or more criteria selected from a group comprising the diagnostic data transmitted from the identity module, cellular coverage, signal strength, cost, service quality, device priority and predicted device functionality on the network.

14. A telecommunications system according to claim 11 wherein the service platform is operative to transmit a new unique identifier to the identity module and authentication server to be associated with the common security key and, upon receipt of the new unique identifier, the identity module is operative to add the new unique identifier to the predetermined sequence.

15. A telecommunications system according to claim 11, wherein the service platform is operative to instruct the identity module to delete a unique identifier from the sequence and, upon instruction, the identity module is operative to delete the unique identifier from the sequence.

16. A telecommunications system according to claim 11, wherein the service platform is operative to instruct the identity module to purge a unique identifier from the identity module and, upon instruction, the identity module is operative to purge the unique identifier from the module.

17. A telecommunications system according to claim 11, wherein the service platform is operative to instruct the identify module and authentication server to modify one or more of the unique identifiers stored on the identity module and authentication server and associated with the common security key and, upon instruction, the identity module and authentication server are operative to modify one or more of the stored unique identifiers associated with the common security key.

18. A method of using a telecommunications system having a plurality of different wireless telecommunications networks, comprising:

registering an identity module on a first one of the plurality of networks in accordance with a first unique identifier; and

,

registering the identity module on a second one of the plurality of networks in accordance with a second unique identifier;

wherein the identity module comprises a common security key associated with the first and second unique identifiers such that the identity module is registered on the networks when a unique identifier and its associated security key are authenticated for that network.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the first and second ones of the plurality of networks are the same network.

20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising providing an authentication server and, at the authentication server, authenticating a said unique identifier and its associated common security key on the first or second ones of the plurality of networks.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising, at the authentication server, storing the first and second unique identifiers and common security key, each unique identifier being associated with the common security key.

22. A method according to claim 20, further comprising providing a local location register and, at the local location register, receiving a request to access the network from a device operative in accordance with the identity module and redirecting the requests to a central location register in accordance with the unique identifier, said central location register comprising the authentication server.

23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising, at the central location register, instructing the local location register to grant access to its respective network if the authentication performed by the authentication server is successful.

24. A method according to claim 18, wherein the identity module comprises at least two unique identifiers associated with the common security key, the method further comprising:

attempting to register the identity module on one of the plurality of networks in accordance with one or more predetermined criteria selected from a group comprising cellular coverage, signal strength, cost, service quality, device priority and predicted device functionality on the network.

25. A method according to claim 18, wherein the identity module comprises at least two unique identifiers associated with the common security key, the method further comprising:

attempting to register the identity module on one of plurality of networks using the unique identifiers in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

26. A method according to claim 25, further comprising, at the identity module, storing the predetermined sequence as sequence data.

27. A method according to claim 18, further comprising maintaining power to the device between registering steps.

28. A method according to claim 20, further comprising, at the authentication server, authenticating the identity module for a particular network using a particular unique identifiers in dependence on one or more criteria selected from a group comprising cellular coverage, signal strength, cost, service quality, device priority and predicted device functionality on the network.

29. A method according to claim 25, further comprising providing a service platform and, at the service platform, instructing the identity module to reorder the sequence of unique identifiers and, at the identity module, reordering the sequence of unique identifiers upon instruction.

30. A method according to claim 29, further comprising, at the identity module, transmitting diagnostic data to the service platform.

31. A method according to claim 29, further comprising, at the service platform, calculating the reordered sequence of unique identifiers in dependence on one or more criteria selected from a group comprising the diagnostic data transmitted from the identity module, cellular coverage, signal strength, cost, service quality, device priority and predicted device functionality on the network.

32. A method according to claim 29, further comprising, at the service platform, transmitting a new unique identifier to the identity module and authentication server to be associated with the common security key and, at the identity module, adding the new unique identifier to the predetermined sequence upon receipt of the new unique identifier.

33. A method according to claim 29, further comprising, at the service platform, instructing the identity module to delete a unique identifier from the sequence, and, at the identity module, deleting the unique identifier from the sequence upon instruction.

34. A method according to claim 29, further comprising, at the service platform, instructing the identity module to purge a unique identifier from the identity module, and, at the identity module, purging the unique identifier from the module upon instruction.

35. A method according to claim 29, further comprising, at the service platform, instructing the identity module and authentication server to modify one or more of the unique identifiers stored on the identity module and authentication server and associated with the common security key, and at the identity module and authentication server, modifying one or more of the stored unique identifiers associated with the common security key.