Method for simplifying the exchange of a SIM card of subscribers of a digital mobile communications network

• US 7,280,845 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Deutschland GmbH (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile Deutschland GmbH (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Reemtsma, Jan-Hinnerk
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wendell; Andrew
• Application Number:
  US10/344,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20050075137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,252 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/466, 455/418, 455/419, 379/211.05, 379/357.01, 379/433.09
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• 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 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

With the present method for simplifying the exchange of a SIM card of subscribers of a digital mobile communications network, the subscriber disposes of an old active SIM card and makes us of a new inactive SIM card in a mobile terminal. The invention provides that the proper activation of the new SIM card and deactivation of the old SIM are carried out while in dialog with subscribers via a migration server connected to the mobile communication network.

Claims

1. Method for the simplified exchange of a SIM card by the subscribers of a digital mobile communication network, where a subscriber has at his disposal an old active SIM card and a new inactive SIM card for operation in a mobile terminal device, comprising the steps of utilizing the old active SIM card within a terminal device to activate a new SIM card (8) by communicating with a migration server and subsequently deactivating the old SIM card by carrying out a dialog with the subscriber (10) through a migration server (12) connected to the mobile communication network 11;

and informing the subscriber, following activation of the new SIM card, that the old SIM card can be exchanged for the new SIM card in the mobile terminal device.

3. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the new SIM card (8) is only activated after its receipt has been confirmed with certainty by the subscriber.

4. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the message is an SMS or an e-mail message.

5. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the exchange of the SIM card (8) can take place at a point in time freely selectable by the subscriber.

6. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the migration server (12) queries person data of the subscriber residing on the old SIM card, intermediately stores them and, during the initial log-in with the new SIM card (8), transfers these onto it.

7. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the subscriber 10 receives information of a terminal device about the procedure to follow with the old SIM card.

2. Method for the simplified exchange of a SIM card by the subscribers of a digital mobile communication network, where the subscriber has at his disposal an old active SIM card and a new inactive SIM card for operation in a mobile terminal device,

comprising the steps of utilizing the old active SIM card to activate a new SIM card (8) and subsequently deactivating the old SIM card by carrying out a dialog with the subscriber (10) through a migration server (12) connected to the mobile connection network 11, wherein sending a message with given content from the mobile terminal device to the migration terminal (12) utilizes the old SIM card within the terminal device;

activating the new SIM card (8) takes place through the migration server (12);

the subscriber (10), following activation of the new SIM card, is informed that the new SIM card 8 can be exchanged for the old SIM card;

exchanging the old SIM card (8) with the new SIM card in the mobile terminal device, and

deactivating the old SIM card through the migration server (12) as soon as the subscriber logs in for the first time with the new SIM card (8) into the mobile communication network (11).