Retention of old mobile number on SIM card replacement

• US 7,379,754 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2003
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Axalto SA (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Axalto SA (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Sharma, Vineet
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phuong; Dai
• Application Number:
  US10/531,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20060063564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,685 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/407, 455/410, 455/411, 455/412.2, 455/415, 455/557, 455/558, 455/551, 380/248, 380/249
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability

Abstract

A method for managing phone numbers attribution after replacement of a first portable object (SCA) by a second portable object (SCB), the first portable object (SCA) being coupled to a communication device (CD) arranged to communicate with a network, the first portable object (SCA) including a first identification data (IMSI_A, ADM_A, Ki_A) identifying a first phone number (MSISDN_A). The method includes sending a message that includes a second identification data identifying a second phone number (MSISDNB) assigned to the second portable object (SCB) to an application server (AS); inserting the second portable object (SCB) into the communication device (CD), and subsequently sending a message (M2) for replacing, in the second portable object (SCB), the second identification data (IMSI_B, ADM_B, Ki_B) with the first identification data (IMSI_A, ADM_A, Ki_A).

Claims

1. A method for managing phone numbers attribution after replacement of a first portable object by a second portable object, the first portable object being coupled to a communication device arranged to communicate with a network, the first portable object comprising a first identification data identifying a first phone number, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

a first sending step, in which the communication device sends to an application server a message including a second identification data identifying a second phone number assigned to the second portable object, wherein before the first sending step, the application server sends a secure message for deleting, in the first portable object, the first identification data;

an inserting step, in which the second portable object is inserted in the communication device, the second portable object comprising a second identification data identifying the second phone number; and

a second sending step, in which an application server sends a message for replacing, in the second portable object, the second identification data by the first identification data attached to the first phone number.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a using step, in which a user uses the second portable object with the first phone number.

3. The method according to claim 2, herein in the using step, the communication device communicates with the network using the second portable object, the first phone number and the first identification data.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the secure message is encrypted, the encryption being performed by using an encryption key attached to the portable object, and by using an algorithm that resides both on the Application Server, and on the portable object.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the second sending step, the application server sends a secure message.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the secure message is encrypted, the encryption being performed by using an encryption key attached to the second portable object, and by using an algorithm that resides both on the Application Server, and on the second portable object.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is coupled to the first portable object during the first sending step;

and wherein the communication device is coupled to the second portable object during the second sending step.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first portable object is removed from the communication device prior to the inserting step.

9. An application server arranged to communicate with a communication device, the communication device being coupled to a first portable object, the first portable object comprising a first identification data identifying a first phone number the application server storing the first identification data wherein the application server comprises a computer program arranged to perform the following steps:

a receiving step, in which the application server receives from the communication device, a message including second identifying data identifying a second phone number assigned to a second portable object, wherein before the receiving step, the application server sends a secure message for deleting, in the first portable object, the first identification data and

a sending step, in which the application server sends a message for replacing, in the second portable object, the second identification data by the first identification data, wherein the second sending step is configured to perform after the second portable object has been coupled to the communication device.

10. The application server according to claim 9, wherein the communication device is coupled to the first portable object during the receiving step;

and wherein the communication device is coupled to the second portable object during the sending step.

11. The application server according to claim 9, wherein the first portable object is removed from the communication device prior to coupling the second portable object to the communication device.