VIRTUAL SIM CARD CLOUD PLATFORM

• US 20150017950A1
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Zhao, Sky, Smeets, Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 10,349,272 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 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

A method of obtaining a virtual SIM for a mobile device comprises sending, to a TTA for authentication, a request for a virtual SIM for a mobile device associated with the TTA. The authenticated request is sent from the mobile device to an NRS application (or to a combined NRS/PCSS application). The mobile device subsequently receives information identifying a PCSS application (or a combined NRS/PCSS application) in a computing environment that provides a virtual SIM for the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining a virtual SIM (subscriber identity module) for a mobile device comprising:

sending, to a TTA (terminal trust anchor) for authentication, a request for a virtual SIM for a mobile device associated with the TTA;

sending the authenticated request from the mobile device to an NRS (number registration service) application; and

receiving, at the mobile device, virtual SIM information, the virtual SIM information identifying a PCSS (private cloud storage service) application in a computing environment that provides a virtual SIM for the mobile device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising verifying, at the mobile device, the received virtual SIM information.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein verifying the received virtual SIM information comprises comparing a token received with the virtual SIM information with a token received from the NRS application.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising caching access information for the virtual SIM at the mobile device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the authenticated request for a virtual SIM for the mobile device is authenticated by a token provided by the TTA.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to carry out a method as defined in claim 1.

6. A method of generating a virtual SIM (subscriber identity module) for a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, at an application in a computing environment, a request for a virtual SIM for a mobile device, the request including information identifying a TTA (terminal trust anchor) associated with the mobile device;

generating virtual SIM information for the mobile device;

allocating storage space for the mobile device in the application in the computing environment; and

sending the virtual SIM information to the mobile device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the received request for a virtual SIM includes a mobile number for the mobile device.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein sending the virtual SIM information to the mobile device includes sending a token to the mobile device, wherein the token is one of a token previously sent to the mobile device and a token derived from a token previously sent to the mobile device.

9. A mobile device configured to execute a client application for obtaining a virtual SIM (subscriber identity module) for the mobile device, the mobile device comprising a processor and memory storing programming instructions that, when executed by the processor, establish the application, which comprises:

a module for sending, to a TTA (terminal trust anchor) for authentication, a request for a virtual SIM for the mobile device, the TTA being associated with the mobile device;

a first interface for sending a request for a virtual SIM for the mobile device to an NRS (number registration service) application, the request being authenticated by the TTA; and

a second interface for receiving, at the mobile device, virtual SIM information which identifies a PCSS (private cloud storage service) application in a computing environment that provides a virtual SIM for the mobile device.

10. The mobile device as claimed in claim 9, and further comprising a module for verifying the received virtual SIM information.

11. The mobile device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the module is adapted to compare a token received with the virtual SIM information with a token received from the NRS application.

12. The mobile device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first interface is the second interface

13. The mobile device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the application further comprises a cache module.

14. The mobile device as claimed in claim 9, and further comprising the TTA.

15. A telecommunications network entity configured to execute an application for generating a virtual SIM (subscriber identity module) for a mobile device in a computing environment, the network entity comprising a processor and memory storing programming instructions that, when executed by the processor, establish the application, which comprises:

a virtual SIM card generation module for generating virtual SIM information for the mobile device in response to the request for a virtual SIM for the mobile device;

a virtual SIM module for allocating storage space for the mobile device; and

an interface for sending the virtual SIM information to the mobile device.

16. The telecommunications network entity as claimed in claim 15, wherein the virtual SIM card generation module is adapted to verify security information included in the request for a virtual SIM for the mobile device before generating the virtual SIM information for the mobile device.

17. A method of processing a request for a virtual SIM for a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, at an application in a computing environment, a request for a virtual SIM for a mobile device, the request including information verified by a TTA (terminal trust anchor) of the mobile device;

verifying, at the application, the request;

generating a mobile number for the device; and

forwarding to a PCSS (private cloud storage service) application the request and information identifying the TTA of the mobile device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the information identifying the TTA of the mobile device comprises one of the information verified by a TTA received in the request for the virtual SIM and information derived from the information verified by a TTA received in the request for the virtual SIM.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising selecting a network operator application based on information in the request identifying a preferred network operator, and forwarding the request to the selected network operator application.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising, before receiving the request for a virtual SIM for the mobile device, provisioning a client application for the mobile device in response to a request from the mobile device.

21. A telecommunications network entity configured to execute an application for processing a request for a virtual SIM (subscriber identity module) for a mobile device in a computing environment, the network entity comprising a processor and memory storing programming instructions that, when executed by the processor, establish the application, which comprises:

a first interface for receiving a request for a virtual SIM for a mobile device, the request including information verified by a TTA (terminal trust anchor) of the mobile device;

a TTA authentication module for verifying the request;

a module for generating a mobile number for the mobile device; and

a second interface for forwarding to a PCSS (private cloud storage service) application the request and information identifying the TTA of the mobile device.

22. The telecommunications network entity as claimed in claim 21, wherein the first interface is different from the second interface

23. The telecommunications network entity as claimed in claim 21, wherein the application further comprises a client package (CP) provisioning module for provisioning a client application for the mobile device in response to a request from the mobile device.

24. The telecommunications network entity as claimed in claim 21, wherein the application further comprises one or more network operator modules for generating network access data in response to the request for a virtual SIM for the mobile device.

25. The telecommunications network entity as claimed in claim 24, wherein the first interface is adapted to forward the request for a virtual SIM for the mobile device to a selected one of the network operator modules based on information in the request identifying a preferred network operator.