Management systems for multiple access control entities

• US 9,100,810 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schell, Stephan V., Haggerty, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Application Number:
  US13/079,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20120108204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for managing multiple user access control entities or clients. For example, in one embodiment, a “wallet” of electronic subscriber identity modules (eSIMs) may be stored and used at a user device and/or distributed to other devices for use thereon. In another embodiment, a networked server may store and distribute eSIM to a plurality of user devices in communication therewith. A database of available eSIM is maintained at the wallet entity and/or at the network which enables request for a particular eSIM to be processed and various rules for the distribution thereof to be implemented. Security precautions are implemented to protect both user and network carrier specific data as the data is transmitted between networked entities. Solutions for eSIM backup and restoration are also described.

Claims

1. A method for swapping electronic subscriber identity modules (eSIMs), the method comprising:

at a remote device;

receiving, from a mobile device via a local network connection, a request to swap a first eSIM stored by the mobile device with a second eSIM stored in a database managed by the remote device, wherein;

the mobile device and the remote device are peer devices on the local network connection,

the mobile device is capable of storing a plurality of eSIMs, and

each eSIM of the plurality of eSIMs includes information for authenticating with a Mobile Network Operator (MNO);

utilizing the database to determine whether the second eSIM is available to the mobile device; and

when the second eSIM is available to the mobile device;

receiving, from the mobile device via the local network connection, the first eSIM,

causing the first eSIM to be removed from the mobile device,

transmitting, to the mobile device via the local network connection, the second eSIM, and

updating, for each of the first eSIM and the second eSIM, a respective status identifier included in the database to reflect the swap.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the second eSIM is available to the mobile device comprises checking the respective status identifier for the second eSIM before the respective status identifier is updated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the second eSIM is available to the mobile device comprises determining whether the mobile device is associated with a subscription that permits access to a service level that is provided by the second eSIM.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transferring, to the mobile device, a selectable list of available eSIMs that includes the second eSIM, wherein the remote device receives the request to swap the first eSIM with the second eSIM after the transferring.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the second eSIM from the database after the second eSIM is transmitted to the mobile device.

5. A remote device configured to communicate with a mobile device that is capable of storing multiple electronic subscriber identity modules (eSIMs), the remote device comprising:

a storage apparatus, wherein the storage apparatus is configured to store a plurality of eSIMs, and each eSIM of the plurality of eSIMs includes information for authenticating with a Mobile Network Operator (MNO); and

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to cause the remote device to;

compile, based on the plurality of eSIMs, a list of eSIMs that are available for use by the mobile device;

transmit, via a local network connection, the list of eSIMs to the mobile device, wherein the remote device and the mobile device are peer devices over the local network connection;

receive, from the mobile device via the local network connection, a request to access an eSIM included in the list of eSIMs;

transmit, via the local network connection, the eSIM to the mobile device;

receive, via the local network connection, a different eSIM from the mobile device,

cause the different eSIM to be removed from the mobile device; and

update, for each of the eSIM and the different eSIM, a respective status identifier to reflect that the eSIM is stored by the mobile device, and that the different eSIM is not stored by the mobile device.

6. The remote device of claim 5, wherein the list of eSIMs is compiled based on service levels that are accessible to the mobile device and are provided by each eSIM included in the list of eSIMs.

7. The remote device of claim 5, wherein the status identifier for the eSIM stored by the mobile device is updated to indicate that the eSIM is not available for use by other mobile devices.

8. The remote device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the remote device to:

receive a second request from the mobile device to return the eSIM; and

in response, update the status identifier for the eSIM stored by the mobile device to indicate that the eSIM is available for use by other mobile devices.

9. The remote device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the remote device to:

command the mobile device to return the eSIM; and

in response, update the status identifier for the eSIM stored by the mobile device to indicate that the eSIM is available for use by other mobile devices.

10. The remote device of claim 9, wherein, prior to updating the status identifier for the eSIM stored by the mobile device, the processor is further configured to cause the remote device to:

verify that operation of the eSIM is disabled at the mobile device.

22. The remote device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

cause the remote device to remove the eSIM from the storage apparatus after the eSIM is transmitted to the mobile device.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor included in a computing device, cause the computing device to provide, to a mobile device, access to a plurality of electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs) stored in a database, by performing steps that include:

generating a list of one or more of the plurality of eSIMs that are accessible to the mobile device, wherein each eSIM of the plurality of eSIMs includes information for authenticating with a Mobile Network Operator (MNO);

transmitting, via a local network connection, the list to the mobile device, wherein the computing device and the mobile device are peer devices over the local network connection;

receiving, from the mobile device via the local network connection, a request to access at least one eSIM from the eSIMs included in the list;

transmitting, via the local network connection, the at least one eSIM to the mobile device;

receiving, via the local network connection, a different eSIM from the mobile device;

causing the different eSIM to be removed from the mobile device; and

updating, for each of the at least one eSIM and the different eSIM, a respective status identifier included in the database to reflect that the at least one eSIM is stored by the mobile device, and that the different eSIM is not stored by the mobile device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein generating the list comprises adding, to the list, each eSIM of the plurality of eSIMs whose respective status identifier indicates that the mobile device is permitted to access the eSIM.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the steps further include, responsive to an occurrence of an event:

causing the at least one eSIM to be removed from the mobile device, and

updating the respective status identifier of the at least one eSIM to reflect the removal of the at least one eSIM from the mobile device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the steps further include:

receiving a second request to access the at least one eSIM from a second mobile device; and

determining whether the at least one eSIM can be provided to the second mobile device based at least in part on the respective status identifier.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the steps further include:

removing the at least one eSIM from the database after the at least one eSIM is transmitted to the mobile device.

15. A mobile device configured to communicate with a remote device, wherein the remote device is configured to store and manage a plurality of electronic subscriber identity modules (eSIMs), and the mobile device comprises:

a storage apparatus, wherein the storage apparatus is configured to store multiple eSIMs, each eSIM including information for authenticating with a Mobile Network Operator (MNO); and

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to cause the mobile device to;

receive, from the remote device via a local network connection, a list of eSIMs that includes at least one eSIM of the plurality of eSIMs stored by the remote device, wherein the at least one eSIM is downloadable for usage on the mobile device, and the remote device and the mobile device are peer devices on the local network connection;

download, from the remote device via the local network connection, the at least one eSIM;

provide, to the remote device via the local network connection, a different eSIM included in the storage apparatus;

remove the different eSIM from the storage apparatus; and

cause the remote device to update information related to each of the at least one eSIM and the different eSIM to indicate that the at least one eSIM is not downloadable for usage on other mobile devices, and that the different eSIM is downloadable for usage on other mobile devices.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the mobile device to:

transmit a request to the remote device to download the at least one eSIM.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the mobile device to:

use the at least one eSIM to enable a user of the mobile device to access wireless services provided by an MNO.

18. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the mobile device to:

transmit a request to the remote device to return the at least one eSIM to the remote device; and

cause the remote device to update the information relating to the at least one eSIM to indicate that the at least one eSIM is downloadable for usage on other mobile devices.

19. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the mobile device to:

receive a command from the remote device to return the at least one eSIM to the remote device; and

cause the remote device to, upon receipt of the at least one eSIM, update the information relating to the at least one eSIM to indicate that the at least one eSIM is downloadable for usage on other mobile devices.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein returning the at least one eSIM to the remote device comprises:

disabling the eSIM at the mobile device, or

transmitting the eSIM to the remote device and deleting the eSIM from the storage apparatus of the mobile device.

24. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the mobile device to:

instruct the remote device to remove the at least one eSIM after the at least one eSIM is downloaded from the remote device.