Location information erase on SIM cards
View Patent ↗A method and system of erasing at least part of the location information stored on a subscriber identity module (SWI) 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.
1. 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, 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 at power up of the wireless device, wherein the location information is associated with a most recently used service provider.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless device is associated with a global system for mobile communications.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the wireless device uses a subscriber identity module.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein erasing at least part of the location information further comprises erasing location information from a subscriber identity module.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein all the location information is erased from the subscriber identity module.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. The method of selectively erasing information on a subscriber identity module of claim 1 , wherein erasing at least part of the location information further comprises erasing location information associated with the service provider.
9. The method of selectively erasing information on a subscriber identity module of claim 1 , wherein the preferred service provider is one of a group of preferred service providers, the method further comprising:
comparing the location information with the 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.
10. The method of selectively erasing location information of claim 9 , wherein the group of preferred service providers is stored on the subscriber identity module.