Mobile device network authentication systems and methods
View Patent ↗This disclosure relates to systems and methods for managing mobile device network access. Systems and methods are described that allow for a mobile device to identify and selectively authenticate with one of a plurality of mobile network operators based on one or more policies associated with the mobile device and/or its user. Based on one or more policies, the mobile device may determine that a particular network is a preferred network and used provisioned electronic subscriber information stored on the device associated with the preferred network to connect to the preferred network. In various embodiments, other available networks may be checked, and the mobile device may switch networks in the event a new preferred network is identified.
1. A method for managing network connectivity performed by a mobile device comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform the method, the method comprising:
receiving first electronic subscriber information comprising information configured to authenticate the mobile device with a first mobile network and second electronic subscriber information comprising information configured to authenticate the mobile device with a second mobile network;
authenticating a network connection between the first mobile network and the mobile device using the first electronic subscriber information;
generating, by a location sensor system of the mobile device, first contextual information, the first contextual information comprising location information indicating a location of the mobile device;
determining, based on the first contextual information and prior device location information, that the location of the mobile device has changed;
determining, in response to determining that the location of the mobile device has changed, that the second mobile network is available to the mobile device;
determining, in response to determining that the second mobile network is available to the mobile device, based, at least in part, on the first contextual information and one or more network access policies managed by the mobile device, that the second mobile network is a preferred mobile network in accordance with the one or more mobile network access policies; and
authenticating a network connection between the second mobile network and the mobile device using the second electronic subscriber information in response to determining that the second mobile network is the preferred mobile network.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first subscriber information is received from a first virtual mobile network operator system.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second subscriber information is received from a second virtual mobile network operator system different from the first virtual mobile network operator system.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second subscriber information is received from the first virtual mobile network operator system.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the second mobile network is a preferred mobile network is further based on second contextual information.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second contextual information is generated by the mobile device.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second contextual information is received by the mobile device.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second contextual information comprises at least one of mobile network download bandwidth information, mobile network upload bandwidth information, mobile network access cost information, and time information.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the second mobile network is a preferred mobile network comprises determining that the second mobile network is associated with higher upload speeds than the first mobile network.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the second mobile network is a preferred mobile network comprises determining that the second mobile network is associated with higher download speeds than the first mobile network.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the second mobile network is a preferred mobile network comprises determining that the second mobile network is associated with higher combined upload and download speeds than the first mobile network.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the second mobile network is a preferred mobile network comprises determining, based on the first contextual information, that the mobile device is located within a particular geographic region.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the second mobile network is a preferred mobile network comprises determining that the second mobile network is associated with lower network access costs than the first mobile network.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the second mobile network is a preferred mobile network comprises determining that the mobile device has been connected to the first mobile network for a particular duration of time.