Subscriber Identification Module ("SIM") Based Machine-to-Machine ("M2M") Client Systems, Methods, and Apparatuses

• US 20150189459A1
• Filed: 01/02/2014
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Aon, Projit, Seipp, Bradley J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,596,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

Exemplary subscriber identification module (“SIM”) based machine-to-machine (“M2M”) client systems, methods, and apparatuses are described herein. An exemplary M2M device includes an M2M SIM client implemented on a SIM card installed in the M2M device. The M2M SIM client provides a platform messaging interface through which the M2M device communicates with an M2M platform, provides a device-side interface through which the M2M device interfaces with the M2M SIM client, and provides a set of one or more M2M services to the M2M device. The set of M2M services may include one or more of the exemplary M2M services described herein. Corresponding systems, methods, and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A machine-to-machine (“

M2M”

) device comprising;

a subscriber identification module (“

SIM”

) card installed in the M2M device; and

an M2M SIM client implemented on the SIM card and that;

provides a platform messaging interface through which the M2M device communicates with an M2M platform subsystem by way of a wireless network,

provides a device-side interface through which the M2M device interfaces with the M2M SIM client, and

provides a set of one or more M2M services to the M2M device.

2. The M2M device of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more M2M services comprises only horizontal M2M services that are universally usable across different vertical M2M solutions.

3. The M2M device of claim 1, wherein the providing of the set of one or more M2M services comprises:

performing, by the M2M SIM client, a discovery process to discover the M2M device to the M2M platform subsystem; and

reporting, by the M2M SIM client to the M2M platform subsystem in conjunction with the discovery process, the set of one or more M2M services supported by the M2M SIM client.

4. The M2M device of claim 1, wherein the providing of the set of one or more M2M services comprises performing, by the M2M SIM client, a configuration process to configure the M2M device.

5. The M2M device of claim 1, wherein the providing of the set of one or more M2M services comprises:

receiving, by the M2M SIM client, a device wakeup message from the M2M platform system; and

forwarding, by the M2M SIM client, the device wakeup message to the M2M device to initiate a wakeup process to wake up the M2M device.

6. The M2M device of claim 1, wherein the providing of the set of one or more M2M services comprises facilitating, by the M2M SIM client, an establishment of a data connection between the M2M device and the M2M platform subsystem by way of the wireless network.

7. The M2M device of claim 1, wherein the providing of the set of one or more M2M services comprises:

obtaining, by the M2M SIM client, at least one of performance data, analytics data, status data, and sensor reading data from the M2M device; and

delivering, by the M2M SIM client, the at least one of the performance data, analytics data, status data, and sensor reading data to the M2M platform subsystem by way of the wireless network.

8. The M2M device of claim 1, wherein the providing of the set of one or more M2M services comprises:

receiving, by the M2M SIM client, a device control command from the M2M platform subsystem; and

forwarding, by the M2M SIM client, the device control command to the M2M device.

9. The M2M device of claim 8, wherein the device control command comprises a request for the M2M device to update a preferred roaming list (“

PRL”

) maintained by the M2M device.

10. The M2M device of claim 1, wherein the providing of the set of one or more M2M services comprises:

receiving, by the M2M SIM client, a software update from the M2M platform subsystem; and

performing, by the M2M SIM client, the software update to update one of the M2M SIM client and a device-side client installed on the M2M device.

11. The M2M device of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more M2M services comprises:

a set of one or more horizontal M2M services universally usable across different vertical M2M solutions; and

a set of one or more vertical M2M services customized to a specific vertical M2M solution.

12. The M2M device of claim 11, wherein the providing of the set of one or more M2M services comprises converting, by the M2M SIM client, parameter data.

13. The M2M device of claim 11, wherein the providing of the set of one or more M2M services comprises authenticating the M2M device based on a SIM identifier for a SIM implemented on the SIM card and a device identifier for the M2M device.

14. The M2M device of claim 11, wherein the providing of the set of one or more M2M services comprises:

obtaining, by the M2M SIM client, sensor readings data from a set of one or more sensors associated with the M2M device; and

detecting, by the M2M SIM client, an occurrence of an event based on the sensor readings data and a predefined event detection heuristic.

15. The M2M device of claim 1, wherein the M2M device is configured to function as a gateway to the M2M platform subsystem for a plurality of in-field sensor devices communicatively coupled to the M2M device.

16. A subscriber identification module (“

SIM”

) card configured to be installed in a wireless device, the SIM card comprising;

a processor; and

an M2M SIM client configured to direct the processor to;

provide a platform messaging interface through which the wireless device communicates with an M2M platform subsystem by way of a wireless network,

provide a device-side interface through which the wireless device interfaces with the M2M SIM client, and

provide a set of one or more M2M services to the wireless device.

17. The SIM card of claim 16, wherein the set of one or more M2M services comprises only horizontal M2M services that are universally usable across different vertical M2M solutions.

18. The SIM card of claim 16, wherein the set of one or more M2M services comprises:

a set of one or more horizontal M2M services universally usable across different vertical M2M solutions; and

a set of one or more vertical M2M services customized to a specific vertical M2M solution.

19. A method comprising:

providing, by a machine-to-machine (“

M2M”

) subscriber identification module (“

SIM”

) client implemented on a SIM card installed in an M2M device, a platform messaging interface through which the M2M device communicates with an M2M platform subsystem by way of a wireless network;

providing, by the M2M SIM client, a device-side interface through which the M2M device interfaces with the M2M SIM client, and

providing, by the M2M SIM client, a set of one or more M2M services to the M2M device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of one or more M2M services comprises only horizontal M2M services that are universally usable across different vertical M2M solutions.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of one or more M2M services comprises:

a set of one or more horizontal M2M services universally usable across different vertical M2M solutions; and

a set of one or more vertical M2M services customized to a specific vertical M2M solution.

22. The method of claim 19, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.