APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR PROVISIONING SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY DATA IN A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20150312699A1
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rodgers, Clive Edward, Schell, Stephan V., Pantfoerder, Achim, Narang, Mohit
• Granted Patent: US 9,635,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user
• 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

Apparatus and methods for provisioning wireless devices for operation in one or more networks. In one embodiment, a provisioning service may provide access client (e.g., Subscriber Identity Module) data to a secure element in the wireless user device. The device may be preloaded with a provisioning SIM profile. The device may use the provisioning profile to roam onto a carrier, and communicate with a provisioning service, which may present the user with a list of available wireless carriers, such as carriers that service the user'"'"'s current geographic location. In response to a user selection, the provisioning service may load a SIM profile associated with the selected carrier onto the secure element. The loaded SIM profile can be used to obtain wireless service from the selected carrier. The user may add multiple SIM profiles, and/or may delete SIM profiles.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method for acquiring Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data at a mobile device, the method comprising:

by the mobile device;

receiving, from a provisioning service, a list of wireless carriers;

sending, to the provisioning service, an indication of a selection of a wireless carrier from the list of wireless carriers;

receiving, from the provisioning service, SIM data associated with the wireless carrier; and

storing the SIM data in a secure element included in the mobile device, wherein the SIM data is usable by the mobile device to access services provided by the wireless carrier.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, prior to receiving the list of wireless carriers from the provisioning service:

identifying a SIM provisioning profile that is accessible to the mobile device and usable to access the provisioning service; and

using the SIM provisioning profile, communicating, to the provisioning service, information associated with the SIM provisioning profile.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the SIM provisioning profile enables the mobile device to communicate with the provisioning service via a roaming wireless carrier with which the mobile device has established a roaming connection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the roaming wireless carrier is a local wireless carrier that communicates with a provisioning wireless carrier to verify the SIM provisioning profile.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the SIM provisioning profile is pre-loaded into the secure element included in the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein a trusted service manager associated with the provisioning service provides the SIM data to the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the list of wireless carriers includes rate plan information associated with wireless carriers in the list of wireless carriers.

9. A mobile device configured to acquire Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data, the mobile device comprising:

a processor configured to cause the mobile device to carry out steps that include;

identifying a SIM provisioning profile that is accessible to the mobile device and usable to access a provisioning service;

using the SIM provisioning profile, communicating, to the provisioning service, information associated with the SIM provisioning profile;

receiving, from the provisioning service, a list of wireless carriers;

obtaining a selection of a wireless carrier included in the list of wireless carriers;

sending, to the provisioning service, an indication of the selection of the wireless carrier;

receiving, from the provisioning service, SIM data associated with the wireless carrier; and

storing the SIM data in a secure element included in the mobile device, wherein the SIM data is usable by the mobile device to access services provided by the wireless carrier.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the mobile device receives the SIM data from a trusted service manager associated with the provisioning service.

11. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the list of wireless carriers includes rate plan information associated with wireless carriers in the list of wireless carriers.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the SIM provisioning profile enables the mobile device to communicate with the provisioning service via a roaming wireless carrier with which the mobile device has established a roaming connection.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the roaming wireless carrier is a local wireless carrier that communicates with a provisioning wireless carrier to verify the SIM provisioning profile.

14. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the SIM provisioning profile is pre-loaded into the secure element included in the mobile device.

15. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the provisioning service corresponds to a geographic region in which the mobile device is located.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor included in a mobile device, cause the mobile device to carry out steps that include:

receiving, from a provisioning service, a list of wireless carriers that correspond to a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) provisioning profile that is accessible to the mobile device;

sending, to the provisioning service, an indication of a selection of a wireless carrier from the list of wireless carriers;

receiving, from the provisioning service, SIM data associated with the wireless carrier; and

storing the SIM data in a secure element included in the mobile device, wherein the SIM data is usable by the mobile device to access services provided by the wireless carrier.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the steps further include, prior to receiving the list of wireless carriers from the provisioning service:

identifying a SIM provisioning profile that is accessible to the mobile device and usable to access the provisioning service; and

using the SIM provisioning profile, communicating, to the provisioning service, information associated with the SIM provisioning profile.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the mobile device receives the SIM data from a trusted service manager associated with the provisioning service.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the SIM provisioning profile enables the mobile device to communicate with the provisioning service via a roaming wireless carrier with which the mobile device has established a roaming connection.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the roaming wireless carrier is a local wireless carrier that communicates with a provisioning wireless carrier to verify the SIM provisioning profile.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the SIM provisioning profile is pre-loaded into the secure element included in the mobile device.