Mobile communication device profound identity brokering framework

• US 9,949,304 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2016
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: McCracken, Jr., Billy Gene, Spanel, Robert L., Urbanek, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Navar, Erica
• Application Number:
  US15/365,934
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• 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 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A mobile communication device. The device comprises a cellular radio transceiver, a processor, and a memory integral with the device, wherein the memory is apportioned into a plurality of partitions. The device further comprises a first wireless communication identity stored in a first partition of the memory and a second wireless communication identity stored in a second partition of the memory, wherein the second wireless communication identity is different from the first wireless communication identity. The device further comprises an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, detects a triggering event and in response to the triggering event selects one of the wireless communication identities to be an active communication identity of the device, wherein a wireless communication identity comprises a network access identity and a list of wireless communication systems to which the device is authorized to attach.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a wireless communication link by a mobile communication device, comprising:

receiving a first wireless communication identity from a first server via a wireless identity broker and storing the first wireless communication identity in a first sub-partition of a non-transitory memory of the mobile communication device, wherein the first wireless communication identity comprises a first network access identity associated with a first country, a first list of wireless communication systems to which the mobile communication device is authorized to attach, and a first rule set for prioritizing among the wireless communication systems identified in the first list, and wherein the wireless identity broker mediates transport of the first wireless communication identity to the non-transitory memory;

receiving a second wireless communication identity from a second server via the wireless identity broker and storing the second wireless communication identity in a second sub-partition of the non-transitory memory, wherein the second wireless communication identity comprises a second network access identity associated with a second country, a second list of wireless communication systems to which the mobile communication device is authorized to attach, and a second rule set for prioritizing among the wireless communication systems identified in the second list, wherein at least the first network access identity is different from the second network access identity, and wherein the wireless identity broker mediates transport of the second wireless communication identity to the non-transitory memory;

determining, by an application stored in the non-transitory memory and executable by a processor of the mobile communication device, a country in which the mobile communication device is located; and

based on the country, one of;

deactivating, by the application, the first wireless communication identity in the first sub-partition and activating, by the application, the second wireless communication identity in the second sub-partition, or

deactivating, by the application, the second wireless communication identity in the second sub-partition and activating, by the application the first wireless communication identity in the first sub-partition, wherein the first sub-partition of the non-transitory memory is accessed based on a first sub-key and the second sub-partition of the non-transitory memory is accessed based on a second sub-key, and wherein the mobile communication device establishes a wireless communication link based on an active wireless communication identity and only a single wireless communication identity is active on the mobile communication device at one time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising rebooting the mobile communication device to complete activating either the first wireless communication identity or the second wireless communication identity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication identity is provisioned by a first provisioning entity, wherein the second wireless communication identity is provisioned by a second provisioning entity, and wherein the first provisioning entity is different from the second provisioning entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory memory is a removable non-transitory memory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory memory is a trusted security zone, and wherein the trusted security zone provides hardware assisted security.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sub-key is different from the second sub-key.

7. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a cellular radio transceiver;

a non-transitory memory integral with the mobile communication device, wherein the memory is apportioned into a plurality of sub-partitions;

a first wireless communication identity received from a first server via a wireless identity broker and stored in a first sub-partition of the non-transitory memory, wherein a wireless communication identity comprises a network access identity, a list of wireless communication systems to which the mobile communication device is authorized to attach, and a rule set for prioritizing among the wireless communication systems identified in the list, and wherein the wireless identity broker mediates transport of the first wireless communication identity to the non-transitory memory;

a second wireless communication identity received from a second server via the wireless identity broker and stored in a second sub-partition of the non-transitory memory, wherein the second wireless communication identity is different from the first wireless communication identity, and wherein the wireless identity broker mediates transport of the second wireless communication identity to the non-transitory memory;

a processor; and

an application stored in the non-transitory memory that, when executed by the processor;

detects a triggering event, and

in response to the triggering event, selects the first wireless communication identity stored in the first sub-partition of the non-transitory memory or the second wireless communication identity stored in the second sub-partition of the non-transitory memory to be an active wireless communication identity of the mobile communication device, wherein the first sub-partition of the non-transitory memory is accessed based on a first sub-key and the second sub-partition of the non-transitory memory is accessed based on a second sub-key, and wherein the mobile communication device establishes a wireless communication link via the cellular radio transceiver based on the active wireless communication identity and only a single wireless communication identity is active on the mobile communication device at one time.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 7, wherein the non-transitory memory is a removable non-transitory memory or a trusted security zone.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 7, wherein the triggering event comprises detecting an electronic door scanner signal, a hotel identification wireless beacon signal, or a network identifier signal transmitted by a cell tower.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 7, wherein the application comprises logic to work with a first provisioning system to wirelessly receive the first wireless communication identity and to work with a second provisioning system to wirelessly receive the second wireless communication identity, and wherein the first provisioning system is different from the second provisioning system.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication device further comprises:

a third wireless communication identity stored in a third sub-partition of the non-transitory memory, wherein a wireless communication identity comprises a network access identity, a list of wireless communication systems to which the mobile communication device is authorized to attach, and a rule set for prioritizing among the wireless communication systems identified in the list; and

a fourth wireless communication identity stored in a fourth sub-partition of the non-transitory memory, wherein the third wireless communication identity is different from the first, second, and fourth wireless communication identities, and wherein the fourth wireless communication identity is different from the first, second, and third wireless communication identities.

20. The method of claim 7, wherein the first sub-key is different from the second sub-key, and wherein the first wireless communication identity in the first sub-partition cannot interact with the second wireless communication identity in the second sub-partition.

12. A method of establishing a wireless communication link by a mobile communication device, comprising:

receiving a first wireless communication identity from a first server via a wireless identity broker and storing the first wireless communication identity in a first sub-partition of a non-transitory memory of the mobile communication device, wherein the first wireless communication identity comprises a first network access identity, a first list of wireless communication systems to which the mobile communication device is authorized to attach, and a first rule set for prioritizing among the wireless communication systems identified in the first list, and wherein the wireless identity broker mediates transport of the first wireless communication identity to the non-transitory memory;

receiving a second wireless communication identity from a second server via the wireless identity broker and storing the second wireless communication identity in a second sub-partition of the non-transitory memory, wherein the second wireless communication identity comprises a second network access identity, a second list of wireless communication systems to which the mobile communication device is authorized to attach, and a second rule set for prioritizing among the wireless communication systems identified in the second list, wherein at least the first wireless communication identity is different from the second wireless communication identity, and wherein the wireless identity broker mediates transport of the second wireless communication identity to the non-transitory memory;

receiving, by an application stored in the non-transitory memory and executable by a processor of the mobile communication device, a trigger signal; and

based on the trigger signal, one of;

deactivating, by the application, the first wireless communication identity in the first sub-partition and activating, by the application, the second wireless communication identity in the second sub-partition, or

deactivating, by the application, the second wireless communication identity in the second sub-partition and activating, by the application, the first wireless communication identity in the first sub-partition, wherein the first sub-partition of the non-transitory memory is accessed based on a first sub-key and the second sub-partition of the non-transitory memory is accessed based on a second sub-key, and wherein the mobile communication device establishes a wireless communication link based on an active wireless communication identity and only a single wireless communication identity is active on the mobile communication device at one time.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first wireless communication identity corresponds to a business usage identity and the second wireless communication identity corresponds to a personal usage identity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first wireless communication identity is associated with a first wireless communication subscription account and the second wireless communication identity is associated with a second wireless communication subscription account.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first wireless communication identity is associated with a production use environment and the second wireless communication identity is associated with a first test environment.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing a third wireless communication identity in a third sub-partition of the non-transitory memory of the mobile communication device, wherein the third wireless communication identity comprises a third network access identity, a third list of wireless communication systems to which the mobile communication device is authorized to attach, and a third rule set for prioritizing among the wireless communication systems identified in the third list, and wherein the third wireless communication identity is associated with a second test environment.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the list of wireless communication systems to which the mobile communication device is authorized to attach comprises a coverage map.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the coverage map comprises one or more of an MLPL file, an MSPL file, an EQPRL file, an OPLMN file, an EHPLMN file, and an HPLMN file.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the coverage map file comprises a compilation of an MLPL file, an MSPL file, an EQPRL file, an OPLMN file, an EHPLMN file, and an HPLMN file.