Method and Devices for Hardware Identifier-Based Subscription Management

• US 20200137567A1
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Karapantelakis, Athanasios, FIKOURAS, Ioannis, INAM, Rafia, Li, Qiang, MOKRUSHIN, Leonid, TESLENKO, Maxim, VANDIKAS, Konstantinos, VULGARAKIS FELJAN, Aneta
• Granted Patent: US 11,134,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• 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

Abstract

Methods and devices enable connecting devices to cellular networks using the devices'"'"' hardware identifiers. Subscriber records include a hardware identifier assigned when the devices are manufactured. A target hardware identifier included in an attachment request is associated with an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI, available to the cellular network if, according to subscriber records, the device is registered.

Claims

1-40. -40. (canceled)

41. A method performed by a network device in a cellular network, for enabling connecting devices to the cellular network using hardware identifiers uniquely assigned when the devices are manufactured, the method comprising:

storing subscriber records, each subscriber record including a hardware identifier of a device;

receiving a target hardware identifier of a target device that has requested to attach to the cellular network; and

if the subscriber records comprise a record including the target hardware identifier, associating an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI, to the target hardware identifier.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the record includes an encryption key of the target device, the encryption key and the IMSI being used in a process for attaching the target device to the cellular network.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

storing one or more IMSI activation or deactivation blocks in a blockchain, each IMSI activation or deactivation block including the target hardware identifier, the IMSI or a previously used IMSI, a status indication and a time-stamp indicating when the IMSI or the previously used IMSI has been associated with the hardware identifier for an IMSI activation block with “

activated”

as the status indication, and when the previously used IMSI ceased being associated with the hardware identifier for an IMSI deactivation block with “

deactivated”

as the status indication.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein

the record is included in the blockchain prior to any of the one or more IMSI activation or deactivation blocks, and/or

the blockchain includes at least one IMSI activation block with another hardware identifier than the target hardware identifier.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the associating includes mapping the target hardware identifier to one of available IMSIs of the cellular network, using one of

applying a modulus function to the target hardware identifier,

randomly selecting one of available IMSIs of the cellular network, and

using the output of a first-in-first-out queue of the available IMSIs.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein the target hardware identifier is a Media Access Control, MAC, address of the target device.

47. A non-transitory computer readable recording media storing executable codes which, when executed by a network device in a cellular network make the network device to perform any of the methods in claim 41 that enable attaching devices to the cellular network using hardware identifiers uniquely assigned when the devices are manufactured.

48. A network device in a cellular network configured to enable attaching devices to the cellular network using hardware identifiers uniquely assigned when the devices are manufactured, the network device comprising:

a data storing unit that stores subscriber records, each subscriber record including a hardware identifier of a device; and

a processor connected to the data storing unit and configured

to receive a target hardware identifier of a target device that has requested to attach to the network, and

if the subscriber records comprise a record including the target hardware identifier, to associate an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI, to the target hardware identifier.

49. The network device of claim 48, wherein the record includes an encryption key of the target device, the encryption key and the IMSI being used in a process for attaching the target device to the cellular network.

50. The network device of claim 48, wherein the data storing unit also stores one or more IMSI activation or deactivation blocks in a blockchain, each IMSI activation or deactivation block including the target hardware identifier, the IMSI or a previously used IMSI, a status indication and a time-stamp indicating when the IMSI or the previously used IMSI has been associated with the hardware identifier for an IMSI activation block with “

activated”

as the status indication, and when the previously used IMSI ceased being associated with the hardware identifier for an IMSI deactivation block with “

deactivated”

as the status indication.

51. The network device of claim 50, wherein

the record is included in the blockchain prior to any of the one or more IMSI activation or deactivation blocks, and/or

the blockchain includes at least one IMSI activation block with another hardware identifier than the target hardware identifier.

52. The network device of claim 48, wherein, when associating the IMSM to the hardware identifier, the processor maps the target hardware identifier to one of available IMSIs of the cellular network, the processor

applies a modulus function to the target hardware identifier,

randomly selects one of available IMSIs of the cellular network, or

uses an output of a first-in-first-out queue of the available IMSIs.

53. A method performed by a device having a hardware identifier uniquely assigned when the device was manufactured, the method comprising:

transmitting an attachment request for connecting to a cellular network, the attachment request including the hardware identifier of the device;

receiving a reply related to the attachment request; and

engaging in a procedure for connecting the device to the cellular network using information included in the reply.

54. A non-transitory computer readable recording media storing executable codes which, when executed by a device having a hardware identifier uniquely assigned when the device was manufactured, make the device to perform the method in claim 53 to attach to a cellular network using the hardware identifier.

55. A device having a hardware identifier uniquely assigned when the device was manufactured, the device comprising:

a cellular interface configured to transmit an attachment request for connecting to a cellular network, the attachment request including the hardware identifier of the device, and to receive a reply related to the attachment request; and

a processor configured to generate the attachment request and communications related to attaching the device to the cellular network using information included in the reply.

56. A method performed by a network node in a cellular network, for attaching devices to the cellular network using hardware identifiers uniquely assigned when the devices are manufactured, the method comprising:

forwarding an attachment request including a hardware identifier of a device, to a network device able to verify whether the device is registered to use the cellular network; and

initiating a procedure for connecting the device to the cellular network based on a response to the attachment request indicating an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI, associated with the hardware identifier.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the response includes an encryption key of the device.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein the initiating includes sending an encryption key of the network node to the device.

59. A non-transitory computer readable recording media storing executable codes which, when executed by a network node make the network node to perform any of the methods in claim 56 for attaching devices to the cellular network using hardware identifiers uniquely assigned when the devices are manufactured.

60. A network node in a cellular network configured to intermediate attaching devices to the cellular network using hardware identifiers uniquely assigned when the devices are manufactured, the network node comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive from a device and transmit to a network device an attachment request including a hardware identifier of a device, the network device being able to verify whether the device is registered in the cellular network; and

a processor configured to initiate a procedure for connecting the device to the cellular network based on a response to the attachment request indicating an International Mobile Subscriber Identity, IMSI, associated with the hardware identifier.