Apparatus and methods for distributing and storing electronic access clients

• US 9,438,600 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Haggerty, David T., Hauck, Jerrold Von, McLaughlin, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Cervetti, David Garcia
• Application Number:
  US14/257,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20140298018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 713/150, 713/155, 713/166, 713/189, 713/153, 713/193, 713/165, 726/1, 726/2, 726/3, 726/5, 726/6, 726/15, 726/26, 726/27, 380/255, 380/273, 380/277, 380/29, 380/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/24 Key scheduling, i.e. generating round keys or sub-keys for block encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/48 using secure binding, e.g. securely binding identity modules to devices, services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for efficiently distributing and storing access control clients within a network. In one embodiment, the access clients include electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs), and an eSIM distribution network infrastructure is described which enforces eSIM uniqueness and conservation, distributes network traffic to prevent “bottle necking” congestion, and provides reasonable disaster recovery capabilities. In one variant, eSIMs are securely stored at electronic Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) appliances which ensure eSIM uniqueness and conservation. Access to the eUICC appliances is made via multiple eSIM depots, which ensure that network load is distributed. Persistent storage is additionally described, for among other activities, archiving and backup.

Claims

1. A method for distributing access control clients to client devices, the method comprising:

at an access control client appliance that manages a plurality of access control clients;

receiving, from a client device, a request for an access control client of the plurality of access control clients;

encrypting the access control client for the client device using a public key associated with the client device;

providing the access control client to at least one access control client depot for storage; and

directing the client device to download the access control client from the at least one access control client depot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the access control client comprises an electronic Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the access control client appliance:

authenticating the client device prior to encrypting and providing the access control client to the at least one control client depot for storage.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the public key is associated with an electronic Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) of the client device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one access control client depot comprises two or more access control client depots, and the access control client is provided to each of the two or more access control client depots for storage.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, at the access control client appliance:

identifying that the client device receives the access control client from one of the two or more access control client depots; and

removing the access control client from each of the two or more access control client depots.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising, at the access control client appliance, and subsequent to providing the access control client to each of the two or more access control client depots for storage:

updating a status indicator associated with the access control client to indicate that the access control client is stored at each of the two or more access control client depots.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor included in an access control client depot, cause the access control client depot to carry out steps that include:

receiving an access control client from an access control client appliance that manages a plurality of access control clients, wherein the access control client is encrypted for a client device using a public key associated with the client device;

storing the access control client in a storage device, wherein the access control client is also stored by at least one other access control client depot;

receiving, from the client device, a request to provide the access control client to the client device; and

providing, to the client device, the access control client.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the steps further include:

receiving, from a different access control client depot, a request for the access control client; and

providing the access control client to the different access control client depot.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the public key is associated with an electronic Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) included in the client device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the steps further include:

receiving, from the client device, an indication that the access control client has been received; and

providing the indication to the access control client appliance to cause the access control client to be removed from the at least one other access control client depot.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the steps further include:

receiving, from the access control client appliance, a challenge variable associated with the access control client; and

storing the challenge variable in the storage device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the steps further include, in response to the request, and prior to providing the access control client to the client device:

verifying the client device based on the challenge variable.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein verifying the client device comprises comparing attributes of the client device against metadata associated with the access control client.

15. An access control client appliance, comprising:

a processor;

a storage device configured to store a plurality of access control clients; and

a memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the access control client appliance to carry out steps that include;

receiving, from a client device, a request for an access control client of the plurality of access control clients;

encrypting the access control client for the client device using a public key associated with the client device;

providing the access control client to at least one access control client depot for storage; and

directing the client device to download the access control client from the at least one access control client depot.

16. The access control client appliance of claim 15, wherein the steps further include:

authenticating the client device at the access control client appliance prior to encrypting and providing the access control client to the at least one control client depot for storage.

17. The access control client appliance of claim 16, wherein the public key is associated with an electronic Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) of the client device.

18. The access control client appliance of claim 15, wherein the at least one access control client depot comprises two or more access control client depots, and the access control client is provided to each of the two or more access control client depots for storage.

19. The access control client appliance of claim 18, wherein the steps further include:

identifying that the client device receives the access control client from one of the two or more access control client depots; and

removing the access control client from each of the two or more access control client depots.

20. The access control client appliance of claim 18, wherein the steps further include, subsequent to providing the access control client to each of the two or more access control client depots for storage:

updating a status indicator associated with the access control client to indicate that the access control client is stored at each of the two or more access control client depots.