Management method and management server for using SIM cards

• US 9,872,168 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2016
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Soracom, Inc. (KDDI Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Soracom, Inc. (KDDI Corporation)
• Inventors: Tamagawa, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US15/320,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20170201876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 455558, 455418, 455566, 4554351
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

First, an MVNO 230A that has obtained one or more SIM cards logs in to a management screen provided by an MVNE 210 in association with a user ID of the MVNO 230A. From the standpoint of the MVNE 210, it is determined whether a user ID of a user who has accessed a management screen of a management server of the MVNE 210 is under MVNO contract (S301). When the user ID is under MVNO contract, an identification number given to each SIM card and a passcode for authentication given as needed are received as registration information (S302). If the management server of the MVNE 210 can receive necessary registration information, each SIM card of which an identification number is specified by the registration information is associated with the user ID as an SIM card used by the MVNO 230A (S303).

Claims

1. A management method for using a plurality of SIM cards, comprising steps of:

receiving registration information for registering one or more SIM cards; and

associating one or more SIM cards, one or more identification numbers of which are specified by the received registration information, with a user ID of a user of the plurality of SIM cards,

wherein communication status is changeable on a management screen provided for the user ID,

wherein communication quality of each SIM card is changeable on the management screen, and

wherein the registration information includes a group ID allocated to the one or more SIM cards as a set of SIM cards, comprising a step of specifying one or more identification numbers of the one or more SIM cards by referring to a correspondence table between the group ID obtained from the received registration information and the one or more SIM cards to which the group ID is allocated.

2. The management method according to claim 1, wherein the communication quality is at least one of speed limit, capacity limit and time slot limit.

3. The management method according to claim 2, wherein management of the communication status or the communication quality is performed on an instance on a cloud.

4. The management method according to claim 1, wherein the registration number includes a passcode corresponding to the group ID.

5. The management method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

generating a registration code corresponding to the registration information; and

sending the registration code to a terminal of the user.

6. The management method according to claim 1, wherein association of the one or more SIM cards with the user ID is performed without requiring an additional input from the user after obtaining the group ID.

7. The management method of claim 6, wherein a SIM card associated with the user ID is displayed on a management screen provided for the user ID after the association.

8. The management method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of displaying an input screen for designating a group name of the one or more SIM cards to be associated with the user ID after obtaining the group ID;

wherein the registration information further includes the group name.

9. A program storage medium, readable by a computer, storing a program for having a computer to perform a management method for using a plurality of SIM cards, the management method comprising steps of:

receiving registration information for registering one or more SIM cards; and

associating one or more SIM cards, one or more identification numbers of which are specified by the received registration information, with an user ID of an user of the plurality of SIM cards,

wherein communication status is changeable on a management screen provided for the user ID,

wherein communication quality of each SIM card is changeable on the management screen, and

wherein the registration information includes a group ID allocated to the one or more SIM cards as a set of SIM cards, comprising a step of specifying one or more identification numbers of the one or more SIM cards by referring to a correspondence table between the group ID obtained from the received registration information and the one or more SIM cards to which the group ID is allocated.

10. A management server for using a plurality of SIM cards, comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving registration information for registering one or more SIM cards; and

an associating unit for associating one or more SIM cards, one or more identification numbers of which are specified by the received registration information, with an user ID of an user of the plurality of SIM cards,

wherein communication status is changeable on a management screen provided for the user ID,

wherein communication quality of each SIM card is changeable on the management screen, and

wherein the registration information includes a group ID allocated to the one or more SIM cards as a set of SIM cards, comprising a step of specifying one or more identification numbers of the one or more SIM cards by referring to a correspondence table between the group ID obtained from the received registration information and the one or more SIM cards to which the group ID is allocated.