Location information erase on SIM cards

• US 20020082049A1
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Prise, Michael Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,089,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and system of erasing at least part of the location information stored on a subscriber identity module (SIM of a mobile phone. The SIM stores the most recently used service provider in its location information. Either at power down or power up, the location information is erased so during the power up routine, the service provider search schedule will not find a service provider when it first searches the most recently used service provider stored in the location information. In this case, the service provider search routine will appropriately choose either the home service provider or a preferred service provider rather than the service provider stored in the location information. The method of erasing at least part of the location information may be carried out by a program stored on the SIM card or by a wireless network transmitting an instructive signal to the wireless device. The method and system may also provide that if the service provider stored in the location information corresponds to the home service provider or a preferred service provide, then none of the location information is erased.

Claims

1. A method of organizing a search for a service provider in a wireless device storing location information, the method comprising:

at power down of the wireless device, erasing at least part of the location information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein erasing at least part of the location information further comprises erasing location information associated with a service provider.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein erasing at least part of the location information further comprises erasing location information associated with a most recently used service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a global system for mobile communications device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the wireless device has a subscriber identity module.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein erasing at least part of the location information further comprises erasing location information from a subscriber identity module.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein all the location information is erased from the subscriber identity module.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein erasing at least part of the location information is performed by a program stored on a subscriber identity module.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein erasing at least part of a location information is performed by a wireless network transmitting a signal to the wireless device.

10. A method of organizing a search for a service provider in a wireless device storing location information, the method comprising:

at power up of the wireless device, erasing at least part of the location information.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein erasing at least part of the location information further comprises erasing location information associated with a service provider.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein erasing at least part of the location information further comprises erasing location information associated with a most recently used service provider.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless device is associated with a global system for mobile communications.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless device uses a subscriber identity module.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein erasing at least part of the location information further comprises erasing location information from a subscriber identity module.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein all the location information is erased from the subscriber identity module.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein erasing at least part of the location information is performed by a program stored on a subscriber identity module.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein erasing at least part of a location information is performed by a wireless network transmitting a signal to the wireless device.

20. A method of selectively erasing information on a subscriber identity module storing location information associated with a service provider, the method comprising:

comparing the location information with a home service provider and a preferred service provider; and

if the service provider is not the home service provider or the preferred service provider, erasing at least part of the location information.

21. The method of selectively erasing information on a subscriber identity module of claim 20, wherein erasing at least part of the location information further comprises erasing location information associated with the service provider.

22. A method of selectively erasing location information associated with a service provider for a wireless device, the wireless device having a group of preferred service providers, the method comprising:

comparing the location information with a home service provider and a portion of the group of preferred service providers; and

if the service provider is not the home service provider or one of the portion of the group of preferred service providers, erasing at least part of the location information.

23. The method of selectively erasing location information of claim 22, wherein erasing at least part of the location information further comprises erasing location information associated with the service provider.

24. The method of selectively erasing location information of claim 23, wherein the location information is stored on a subscriber identity module.

25. The method of selectively erasing location information of claim 24, wherein the group of preferred service providers is stored on the subscriber identity module.

27. The subscriber module of claim 26, wherein the program erases at least some of the location information at power down.

28. The subscriber module of claim 26, wherein the program erases at least some of the location information at power up.

29. The subscriber module of claim 26, wherein the program erases location information associated with a most recently used service provider.

26. A subscriber module associated with a wireless device, the subscriber module comprising:

first memory for storing location information; and

second memory that stores a program executable to erase at least some of the location information.

30. A subscriber module associated with a wireless device, the subscriber module comprising:

first memory that stores data associated with location information; and

second memory that stores a program executable to erase at least some of the data associated with a most recently used service provider.

31. The subscriber module of claim 30, wherein the first memory further stores data associated with a home service provider and a preferred service provider.

32. The subscriber module of claim 31, wherein the second memory stores a program that erases at least some of the data when the most recently used service provider is not the home service provider or the preferred service provider.

33. A wireless device having a subscriber module associated with a wireless device, the wireless device comprising:

first memory for storing location information; and

second memory that stores a program executable to erase at least some of the location information.

34. The wireless device of claim 33, wherein the program erases at least some of the location information at power down.

35. The wireless device of claim 33, wherein the program erases at least some of the location information at power up.

36. The subscriber module of claim 33, wherein the program erases location information associated with a most recently used service provider.

38. The recording medium of claim 37, wherein the first memory further stores data associated with a home service provider and a preferred service provider.

39. The recording medium of claim 38, wherein the second memory stores a program that erases at least some of the data when the most recently used service provider is not the home service provider or the preferred service provider.

37. A recording medium associated with the use of a wireless device, the recording medium comprising:

first memory that stores data associated with location information; and

second memory that stores a program executable to erase at least some of the data associated with a most recently used service provider.