SIM profile brokering system

• US 9,451,446 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Spanel, Robert L., Urbanek, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US13/744,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20140206313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/418, 455/466
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/062 applying encryption of the keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A method for receiving identity information for a mobile communication device is provided. The method comprises a memory module on the mobile communication device receiving, over a wireless communication link, a device identifier and an authentication key, wherein no identity information had previously been provided to the memory module. The memory module may be one of a subscriber identity module (SIM), a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), or a removable identity module (R-UIM).

Claims

1. A method for receiving identity information for a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

a memory module on the mobile communication device receiving, over a wireless communication link, a device identifier and an authentication key, wherein no identity information had previously been provided to the memory module, wherein the memory module is one of a subscriber identity module (SIM), a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), or a removable identity module (R-UIM).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory module receives the device identifier and the authentication key at the time of activation or at the time of fulfillment of the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device includes an application configured to establish the wireless communication link to an identity server and further configured to retrieve the device identifier and the authentication key from the identity server over the wireless communication link.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the application determines the identity server from which to retrieve the device identifier and the authentication key by communicating with a routing component that directs the application to the identity server appropriate for the memory module.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the application determines the identity server from which to retrieve the device identifier and the authentication key by referring to a pre-existing association between the identity server and the memory module.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the number of instances of identity information that the identity server is capable of concurrently retaining for the mobile communication device is greater than the number of memory modules on the mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device identifier and the authentication key are the only information that can be retrieved over the wireless communication link.

8. A method for providing identity information for a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

an identity server storing concurrently a plurality of instances of the identity information; and

the identity server providing at least one of the instances of the identity information to at least one memory module on the mobile communication device, wherein the number of concurrently stored instances of the identity information is greater than the number of memory modules, wherein the at least one memory module is one of a subscriber identity module (SIM), a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), or a removable identity module (R-UIM).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identity information is provided over a secure wireless communication link between the identity server and the mobile communication device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein no identity information was previously provided to at least one of the memory modules.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the identity information replaces other identity information that had previously been provided to at least one of the memory modules.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the replacement of the other identity information is triggered by at least one of:

a message from the identity server to the mobile communication device informing the mobile communication device that new identity information is available;

an automated query by the mobile communication device to determine if new identity information is available; and

a manual query to determine if new identity information is available.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the identity information is provided to the mobile communication device at the time of activation or at the time of fulfillment of the mobile communication device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the identity information is the only information that can be provided over the wireless communication link.

15. A mobile communication device comprising:

a cellular radio transceiver;

a processor;

a non-transitory memory; and

an application stored in the non-transitory memory that, when executed by the processor, is configured to use the cellular radio transceiver to establish a secure wireless communication link between the device and an identity server, is further configured to retrieve identity information from the identity server over the wireless communication link, and is further configured to install the identity information on a memory module on the device, wherein the memory module is one of a subscriber identity module (SIM), a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), or a removable identity module (R-UIM).

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the mobile communication device receives the identity information at the time of activation or at the time of fulfillment of the mobile communication device.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the identity information is one of an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) or a mobile directory number (MDN).

18. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the identity information replaces other identity information that had previously been provided to the memory module.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 18, wherein the replacement of the other identity information is triggered by at least one of:

a message from the identity server to the mobile communication device informing the mobile communication device that new identity information is available;

an automated query by the mobile communication device to determine if new identity information is available; and

a manual query to determine if new identity information is available.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the number of instances of identity information that the identity server is capable of concurrently retaining for the mobile communication device is greater than the number of memory modules on the mobile communication device.