Method for SIM card replacement

• US 8,175,589 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Inventors: Montaner Gutierrez, Javier, Touset Rios, Miguel Angel, Sendra Alcina, Jose Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): DESIR, PIERRE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US12/827,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20110053579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/559, 455/418, 455/556.1
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/28 Number portability ; Network address portability

Abstract

Method for SIM card replacement, aimed to obtain the functionality of a first SIM card storing a real IMSI number associated to a real MSISDN (MSISDN_rA,MSISDN_rB), the method comprising:

• • providing a user with a replacement SIM card storing a fake IMSI number (IMSI_fA,IMSI_fB);
  • associating the fake IMSI number (IMSI_fA,IMSI_fB) with a fake MSISDN (MSISDN_fA,MSISDN_fB);
  • setting unconditional call forwarding of all incoming calls aimed to the real MSISDN (MSISDN_rB) to the fake MSISDN (MSISDN_fB);
  • for each call originated from a calling mobile station (1a_f) using a replacement SIM card, replacing the calling party number (MSISDN_fA) with the real MSISDN (MSISDN_rA).

Claims

1. A method for SIM card replacement, aimed to obtain the functionality of a first SIM card storing a real IMSI number associated to a real MSISDN, the method comprising:

providing a user with a replacement SIM card storing a fake IMSI number;

associating the fake IMSI number with a fake MSISDN;

setting unconditional call forwarding of all incoming calls aimed to the real MSISDN to the fake MSISDN;

wherein the method further comprises;

replacing the calling party number with the real MSISDN for each call originated from a calling mobile station using a replacement SIM card;

wherein the method further comprises;

defining in all the S-CSCF a trigger rule to determine an AS associated to the fake MSISDN;

determining, in said AS, the real MSISDN associated to the fake MSISDN;

and wherein the replacement of the calling party number with the real MSISDN, for each call originated from a calling mobile station using a replacement SIM card, is carried out by;

obtaining from the mobile station an ISUP IAM message with the calling party number and the destination number;

converting the IAM message into a SIP message;

sending said SIP message to a S-CSCF;

obtaining, by means of the defined trigger rule, the AS associated with the calling party number;

obtaining the real MSISDN associated to the fake MSISDN;

replacing the calling party number, with the real MSISDN.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the setting of unconditional call forwarding of all incoming calls aimed to the real MSISDN to the fake MSISDN is established by:

sending an OTA command from a server that has previously authenticated the user of the replacement SIM card to the first SIM card to force the call forwarding.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises:

defining a Mobile Originated IN service associated to the fake MSISDN to determine its associated real MSISDN;

and wherein the replacement of the calling party number, for each call originated from a calling mobile station using a replacement SIM card, with the real MSISDN is carried out by;

checking if the fake MSISDN of said calling mobile station has a Mobile Originated IN service, and in that case using said Mobile Originated IN service to;

obtain the real MSISDN;

replace the calling party number with the real MSISDN.

4. Method according to claim 1, further comprising disabling the first SIM card.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises:

for each SMS originated from a mobile station;

using a replacement SIM card, replacing the sender number with the real MSISDN.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein it further comprises:

defining an SMS added-value service associated to the fake MSISDN to determine its associated real MSISDN;

and wherein the replacement of the sender number, for each SMS originated from a mobile station using a replacement SIM card, with the real MSISDN is carried out by;

checking if the fake MSISDN of said mobile station has an SMS added-value service, and in that case using said SMS added-value service to;

obtain the real MSISDN;

replace the sender number with the real MSISDN.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises, for each SMS aimed to the real MSISDN, replacing the destination number with the fake MSISDN.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein it further comprises:

defining an SMS added-value service associated to the real MSISDN to determine its associated fake MSISDN;

and wherein the replacement of the destination number, for each SMS aimed to the real MSISDN, with the fake MSISDN is carried out by;

checking if the real MSISDN has an SMS added-value service, and in that case using said SMS service to;

obtain the fake MSISDN;

replace the destination number with the fake MSISDN.