System, servers, methods and computer programs for machine-to-machine equipment management

• US 9,210,035 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2011
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Hjelm, Johan, Gehlen, Guido
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Peling
• Application Number:
  US13/983,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20130339512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

It is presented a method for machine-to-machine equipment management, executed in a subscription server arranged to provide an electronically transferable subscriber identity module. The method comprises the steps of: receiving a request for the electronically transferable subscriber identity module for a machine-to-machine equipment; obtaining a location rule; obtaining a calculated authorized area based on the location rule and a position of the machine-to-machine equipment; generating an electronically transferable subscriber identity module; sending the electronically transferable subscriber identity module to the machine-to-machine equipment; obtaining a position of the machine-to-machine equipment; determining whether the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorized area; and when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorized area, restricting operation of the machine-to-machine equipment. It is also presented a corresponding system, subscription server, registration server, methods, computer programs and computer program products.

Claims

1. A system for machine-to-machine equipment management comprising a subscription server arranged to provide an electronically transferable subscriber identity module, and a registration server arranged to provide connectivity to a machine-to-machine equipment, wherein the subscription server comprises:

a policy storage module arranged to store a location rule to be applied for the machine-to-machine equipment;

a communication module arranged to obtain a calculated authorised area from the registration server based on the location rule and a position of the machine-to-machine equipment, to send the electronically transferable subscriber identity module via the registration server to the machine-to-machine equipment, to obtain a position of the machine-to-machine equipment from the registration server;

a module creator arranged to receive a request for an electronically transferable subscriber identity module for a machine-to-machine equipment and to generate the electronically transferable subscriber identity module comprising the position;

a policy enforcer arranged to restrict operation of the machine-to-machine equipment when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorised area such that when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the calculated authorised area but within a warning area, less restrictive restrictions are applied than when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the warning area; and

wherein the registration server comprises;

a communication module arranged to receive a location rule message from the subscriber server, the location rule message comprising a location rule to be applied for the machine-to-machine equipment, and to send the calculated authorised area to the subscription server;

a position obtainer arranged to obtain a position of the machine-to-machine equipment; and

a controller arranged to calculate the calculated authorised area using the location rule and the position.

2. A subscription server for machine-to-machine equipment management and for providing an electronically transferable subscriber identity module, the subscription server comprising:

a policy storage module arranged to store a location rule to be applied for the machine-to-machine equipment;

a communication module arranged to obtain a calculated authorised area based on the location rule and a position of the machine-to-machine equipment, to send the electronically transferable subscriber identity module to the machine-to-machine equipment, and to obtain a position of the machine-to-machine equipment;

a module creator arranged to receive a request for an electronically transferable subscriber identity module for a machine-to-machine equipment and to generate the electronically transferable subscriber identity module comprising information about the position; and

a policy enforcer arranged to restrict operation of the machine-to-machine equipment when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorised area such that when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the calculated authorised area but within a warning area, less restrictive restrictions are applied than when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the warning area.

3. The subscription server according to claim 2, wherein the policy enforcer is arranged to disable the electronically transferable subscriber identity module when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorised area.

4. The subscription server according to claim 2, wherein the policy enforcer is arranged to constrain access of the electronically transferable subscriber identity module when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorised area.

5. A method for machine-to-machine equipment management, executed in a subscription server arranged to provide an electronically transferable subscriber identity module, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for the electronically transferable subscriber identity module for a machine-to-machine equipment;

obtaining a location rule to be applied for the machine-to-machine equipment;

obtaining a calculated authorised area based on the location rule and a position of the machine-to-machine equipment;

generating an electronically transferable subscriber identity module comprising information about the position;

sending the electronically transferable subscriber identity module to the machine-to-machine equipment;

obtaining a position of the machine-to-machine equipment;

determining whether the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorised area;

when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorised area, restricting operation of the machine-to-machine equipment; and

when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the calculated authorised area but within a warning area, applying less restrictive restrictions than when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the warning area.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of restricting operation comprises disabling the electronically transferable subscriber identity module.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of restricting operation comprises constraining access of the electronically transferable subscriber identity module.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of obtaining a location rule comprises obtaining a location rule based on an identity of the machine-to-machine equipment.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of obtaining a position comprises verifying authorisation for the subscription server to obtain the position for the machine-to-machine equipment.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein the steps of obtaining the position, determining and restricting operation are repeated.

11. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program for machine-to-machine equipment management using a subscription server arranged to provide an electronically transferable subscriber identity module, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when executed in a controller of the subscription server, causes the subscription server to:

receive a request for the electronically transferable subscriber identity module for a machine-to-machine equipment;

obtain a location rule to be applied for the machine-to-machine equipment;

obtain a calculated authorised area based on the location rule and a position of the machine-to-machine equipment;

generate an electronically transferable subscriber identity module comprising information about the position;

send the electronically transferable subscriber identity module to the machine-to-machine equipment;

obtain a position of the machine-to-machine equipment;

determine whether the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorised area; and

when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorised area, restrict operation of the machine-to-machine equipment; and

when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the calculated authorised area but within a warning area, apply less restrictive restrictions than when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the warning area.

12. A registration server for machine-to-machine equipment management arranged for providing connectivity to a machine-to-machine equipment, the registration server comprising:

a position obtainer arranged to obtain a position of the machine-to-machine equipment; and

a controller arranged to calculate the calculated authorised area using the location rule and the position, the calculated authorised area defining an area within which the machine-to-machine equipment is authorised to function;

a communication module arranged to receive a location rule message comprising a location rule to be applied for a machine-to-machine equipment, and to send a calculated authorised area to a subscription server arranged to provide an electronically transferable subscriber identity module comprising information about the position;

a policy engine arranged to send a message to the subscription server to restrict operation of the machine-to-machine equipment when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorised area;

to send a message to the subscription server to apply less restrictive restrictions when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the calculated authorised area but within a warning area, than when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the warning area.

13. A method for machine-to-machine equipment management, executed in a registration server arranged to provide connectivity to a machine-to-machine equipment, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a location rule message comprising a location rule to be applied for a machine-to-machine equipment;

obtaining a position of the machine-to-machine equipment;

calculating a calculated authorised area using the location rule and the position, the calculated authorised area defining an area within which the machine-to-machine equipment is authorised to function;

sending the calculated authorised area to a subscription server arranged to provide an electronically transferable subscriber identity module comprising information about the position;

determining whether the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorised area;

when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorised area, sending a message to the subscription server to restrict operation of the machine-to-machine equipment; and

when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the calculated authorised area but within a warning area, sending a message to the subscription server to apply less restrictive restrictions than when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the warning area.

14. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program for machine-to-machine equipment management using a registration server arranged to provide connectivity to a machine-to-machine equipment, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when executed in a controller of the registration server, causes the registration server to:

receive a location rule message comprising a location rule to be applied for a machine-to-machine equipment;

obtain a position of the machine-to-machine equipment;

calculate a calculated authorised area using the location rule and the position, the calculated authorised area defining an area within which the machine-to-machine equipment is authorised to function;

send the calculated authorised area to a subscription server arranged to provide an electronically transferable subscriber identity module comprising information about the position; and

determine whether the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorised area;

when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside of the calculated authorised area, send a message to the subscription server to restrict operation of the machine-to-machine equipment; and

when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the calculated authorised area but within a warning area, send a message to the subscription server to apply less restrictive restrictions than when the position indicates that the machine-to-machine equipment is outside the warning area.