Methods And Systems For Routing Authentication And/Or Identification Data Of A Cellular Subscriber

• US 20160050554A1
• Filed: 10/22/2015
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simgo Asset Acquisition Corporation
• Original Assignee: Simgo Mobile Limited
• Inventors: Ben Shlush, Avi, Shmueli, Eyal
• Granted Patent: US 10,271,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• 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 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• 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 system for registering a cellular device, comprising: a hosting cellular device; a remote network node; and a socket communication device, comprising: a non cellular communication module which establishes a non cellular communication connection with the remote network node over a non cellular communication network and acquires identification and/or authentication data of a subscriber of a visited cellular network from the remote network node over the non cellular communication connection; a subscriber authentication unit adaptor configured to engage with contacts of a subscriber authentication unit socket of the hosting cellular device; and a managing module which receives the identification and/or authentication data from the non cellular communication module and provides the identification and/or authentication data to the hosting cellular device via the authentication unit adaptor; wherein the authentication unit adaptor forwards the identification and/or authentication data to the hosting cellular communication so as to allow registering the hosting cellular communication to the visited cellular network.

Claims

1. A system for registering a cellular device, comprising:

a hosting cellular device;

a remote network node; and

a socket communication device, comprising;

a non cellular communication module which establishes a non cellular communication connection with said remote network node over a non cellular communication network and acquires identification and/or authentication data of a subscriber of a visited cellular network from said remote network node over said non cellular communication connection;

a subscriber authentication unit adaptor configured to engage with contacts of a subscriber authentication unit socket of said hosting cellular device; and

a managing module which receives said identification and/or authentication data from said non cellular communication module and provides said identification and/or authentication data to said hosting cellular device via said authentication unit adaptor;

wherein said authentication unit adaptor forwards said identification and/or authentication data to said hosting cellular communication so as to allow registering said hosting cellular communication to said visited cellular network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said non cellular communication module acquires said identification and/or authentication data via a communication port of said hosting cellular device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said identification and/or authentication data comprises an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said subscriber authentication unit socket is a subscriber identification module (SIM) card socket.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein socket communication device further comprises an integrated subscriber identification module (SIM) card socket for engaging with contacts of a SIM card hosting a on-chip authentication data, said socket communication device provides said on-chip identification and/or authentication data via said subscriber authentication unit adaptor to register said on-chip identification and/or authentication data in a home cellular network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said socket communication device further comprises a switch for switching between a first connection between said integrated SIM card socket and said subscriber authentication unit adaptor and a second connection between said managing module and said subscriber authentication unit adaptor.

7. A method of registering a cellular device, comprising:

establishing a non cellular communication connection over a non cellular communication network with a remote network node;

acquiring identification and/or authentication data of a subscriber of a visited cellular network from said remote network node over said non cellular communication connection;

forwarding said identification and/or authentication data to a hosting cellular device via a subscriber authentication unit socket thereof; and

registering said hosting cellular device to said visited cellular network using said authentication data.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising detecting an initiation of a roaming process on said hosting cellular device and halting said roaming process in response to said detection.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising using an integrated subscriber authentication unit socket to acquire on-chip identification and/or authentication data from a subscriber authentication unit engaged therewith;

wherein said registering comprises identifying a location of said hosting cellular device and determining accordingly whether to provide said identification and/or authentication data or said on-chip identification and/or authentication data to said hosting cellular device via said subscriber authentication unit socket.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

using said non cellular communication connection to acquire an additional identification and/or authentication data from said remote network node;

providing said hosting cellular device with said additional identification and/or authentication data via said subscriber authentication unit socket; and

registering said hosting cellular device to another visited cellular network using said additional identification and/or authentication data.

11. A method for registering a gateway as a cellular device in a home cellular network, comprising:

establishing a communication connection over a communication network between a cellular device and a gateway;

receiving from a home cellular network, at said gateway, at least one request for at least one of identification and authentication of a subscriber during a network registration process;

routing said at least one request, via said communication connection, to said cellular device;

routing at least one response to said at least one request, via said communication connection, to said home cellular network so as to register said gateway to said home cellular network; and

connecting local calls received at said gateway via said home cellular network to said cellular device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said connecting is performed by using an international leg of a cellular service provider.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said connecting is performed via said communication connection.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said cellular communication connection is a non cellular communication connection.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one request comprises routing said at least one request via a subscriber authentication unit socket of said cellular device.

16. A subscriber authentication unit socket communication device, comprising:

a non cellular communication module which establishes a non cellular communication connection with a remote network node over a non cellular communication network and acquires identification and/or authentication data of a subscriber of a visited cellular network from said remote network node over said non cellular communication connection;

a subscriber authentication unit adaptor configured to engage with contacts of a subscriber authentication unit socket of a hosting cellular device; and

a managing module which receives said identification and/or authentication data from said non cellular communication module and provides said identification and/or authentication data to said hosting cellular device via said authentication unit adaptor.

17. The subscriber authentication unit socket communication device of claim 16, wherein said subscriber authentication unit adaptor is sized and shaped to engage with contacts of a subscriber identification module (SIM) card socket.

18. A method for registering a multi SIM cellular device having at least first and second SIM card sockets each associated with another mobile communication circuit, comprising:

establishing a first cellular communication connection using a home SIM card installed in the first SIM card socket over a visited cellular communication network with a remote network node;

acquiring identification and/or authentication data of a subscriber of said visited cellular communication network from said remote network node over said first cellular communication connection;

forwarding said identification and/or authentication data via a second SIM card socket of the multi SIM cellular device; and

registering the multi SIM cellular device to said visited cellular network using said identification and/or authentication data.