Secure Soft SIM Credential Transfer

• US 20080261561A1
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Gehrmann, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• 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 12/43 using shared identity modules, e.g. SIM sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

The method and apparatus described herein transfers soft SIM credentials from a transferring mobile device to a target mobile device while ensuring that only one mobile device contains active soft SIM credentials at a time. Broadly, a transferring mobile device securely transfers the soft SIM credentials to a target mobile device either directly or via a network server. Before the target mobile device receives or activates the soft SIM credentials, the transferring mobile device deactivates the soft SIM credentials to ensure that only one mobile device contains the active soft SIM credentials.

Claims

1. A method for transferring soft Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) credentials from a first mobile device to a second mobile device, the method comprising:

securely sending soft SIM credentials from the first mobile device to the second mobile device;

deactivating the soft SIM credentials at the first mobile device responsive to receipt of an installation complete message from the second mobile device; and

deleting the soft SIM credentials from the first mobile device responsive to receipt of an activation complete message from the second mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a secure connection between the first and second mobile devices, wherein securely sending the soft SIM credentials comprises sending the soft SIM credentials over the secure connection.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising encrypting the soft SIM credentials, wherein securely sending the soft SIM credentials comprises sending the encrypted soft SIM credentials from the first mobile device to the second mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising deleting the soft SIM credentials if no activation complete message is received from the second mobile device after a predetermined amount of time.

5. A method for transferring soft Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) credentials from a first mobile device to a second mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving soft SIM credentials from the first mobile device at the second mobile device;

installing the received soft SIM credentials and sending an installation complete message responsive to completing the installation;

receiving a deactivation complete message from the first mobile device indicating a deactivation of the soft SIM credentials at the first mobile device;

activating the soft SIM credentials at the second mobile device responsive to the received deactivation complete message; and

sending an activation complete message to the first mobile device to initiate removal of the soft SIM credentials from the first mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising establishing a secure connection between the first and second mobile devices, wherein receiving the soft SIM credentials comprises receiving the soft SIM credentials over the secure connection.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein receiving the soft SIM credentials comprises receiving an encrypted version of the soft SIM credentials from the first mobile device at the second mobile device.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising storing the received soft SIM credentials in a SIM unit of the second mobile device.

9. A method for transferring soft Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) credentials from a first mobile device to a second mobile device via a network server, the method comprising:

receiving a soft SIM transfer request including an identifier for the second mobile device;

securely sending the identifier for the second mobile device and soft SIM credentials associated with the first mobile device to the network server; and

deactivating the soft SIM credentials at the first mobile device responsive to receipt of a deactivation command at the first mobile device from the network server.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein securely sending the identifier and the soft SIM credentials comprises sending an encrypted version of the identifier for the second mobile device and an encrypted version of the soft SIM credentials associated with the first mobile device to the network server.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising establishing a secure connection between the first mobile device and the network server, wherein securely sending the identifier and the soft SIM credentials comprises sending the identifier for the second mobile device and the soft SIM credentials associated with the first mobile device over the secure connection to the network server.

12. A method for receiving soft Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) credentials from a first mobile device at a second mobile device via a network server, the method comprising:

securely sending a soft SIM transfer request including an identifier for the second mobile device to the first mobile device;

receiving a confirmation of said request from the first mobile device;

receiving protected soft SIM credentials associated with the first mobile device from the network server; and

activating the received soft SIM credentials at the second mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein receiving protected soft SIM credentials comprises receiving encrypted soft SIM credentials associated with the first mobile device from the network server.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein receiving protected security and soft SIM credentials comprises receiving soft SIM credentials associated with the first mobile device that are protected by a predetermined shared secret between the network server and the second mobile device.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising establishing a secure connection between the network device and the second mobile device, wherein receiving the protected soft SIM credentials comprises receiving the protected soft SIM credentials from the network server via the secure connection.

16. A method for transferring soft Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) credentials between a first mobile device and a second mobile device using a network server, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier for the second mobile device from the first mobile device at the network server;

receiving soft SIM credentials associated with the first mobile device from the first mobile device at the network server;

securely sending a deactivation command to the first mobile device to initiate deactivation of the soft SIM credentials at the first mobile device;

activating the soft SIM credentials at the network server responsive to receiving a deactivation acknowledgement from the first mobile device; and

securely sending the activated soft SIM credentials to the second mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein receiving the identifier and the soft SIM credentials comprises receiving an encrypted version of the identifier associated with the second mobile device from the first mobile device and an encrypted version of the soft SIM credentials associated with the first mobile device at the network server.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein securely sending the activated soft SIM credentials comprises encrypting the activated soft SIM credentials associated with the first mobile device, and sending the encrypted soft SIM credentials to the second mobile device.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein securely sending the activated soft SIM credentials comprises applying a predetermined shared secret to the activated soft SIM credentials associated with the first mobile device to generate protected soft SIM credentials, and sending the protected soft SIM credentials to the second mobile device.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein securely sending the activated soft SIM credentials comprises sending the activated soft SIM credentials over a secure channel established between the network server and the second mobile device.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising establishing a secure connection between the network device and the first mobile device, wherein receiving the soft SIM credentials comprises receiving the soft SIM credentials over the secure connection.