IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,943,624
Granted Patent B2
US 11,943,624 · App. 17/934,885 · Granted Mar 26, 2024

Electronic subscriber identity module transfer eligibility checking

Inventors: Jean-Marc Padova (San Francisco, CA); Xiangying Yang (Cupertino, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04W12/72H04W8/20H04W12/069H04W88/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,943,624
App. No.
17/934,885
Granted
Mar 26, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to eligibility checking for transfer of one or more electronic subscriber identity modules (eSIMs) between two mobile wireless devices. Eligibility to transfer an eSIM to an eUICC of a target device can depend on whether the eUICC of the target device satisfies certain security requirements for the eSIMs to be transferred. The mobile wireless devices can obtain a transfer eligibility result based on communication with one or more network-based servers that can determine compatibility for eSIM transfer.

Claims (38)

1. A target device configured for electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) transfer eligibility checking, the target device comprising:

wireless circuitry comprising one or more antennas; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the wireless circuitry and to a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the target device to perform actions that include:

receiving, from a source device, a request for eSIM transfer eligibility checking during an authentication procedure with the source device;

providing, to a network server, trust configuration information of an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) of the target device;

receiving, from the network server, the trust configuration information of the eUICC of the target device and a network server generated signature;

providing, to the source device, the trust configuration information of the eUICC of the target device and the network server generated signature; and

upon successful authentication of eSIM transfer eligibility by the source device based on the network server generated signature, performing an eSIM transfer of one or more eSIMs from an eUICC of the source device to the eUICC of the target device.

2. The target device of claim 1 , wherein the network server comprises a subscription manager data preparation (SM-DP+) server.

3. The target device of claim 1 , wherein the network server comprises a digital letter of approval (DLOA) server.

4. The target device of claim 1 , wherein the trust configuration information of the eUICC of the target device includes a white list of trusted entities and/or a black list of untrusted entities.

5. The target device of claim 4 , wherein the eUICC of the target device includes one or more certificates and one or more public keys extracted from signed and verified certificates provided by one or more trusted entities included in the white list of trusted entities.

6. The target device of claim 1 , wherein the authentication of eSIM transfer eligibility by the source device further includes a determination by the eUICC of the source device whether an eUICC certification configuration or a root of trust configuration of the target device is compatible with the one or more eSIMs to transfer from the eUICC of the source device to the eUICC of the target device.

7. The target device of claim 6 , wherein the eUICC of the source device performs the determination based on the trust configuration information of the eUICC of the target device.

8. The target device of claim 1 , wherein the successful authentication of eSIM transfer eligibility includes a determination that a trust configuration of the eUICC of the target device and a trust configuration of the one or more eSIMs to be transferred includes at least one common root of trust.

9. A source device configured for electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) transfer eligibility checking, the source device comprising:

wireless circuitry comprising one or more antennas; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the wireless circuitry and to a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the source device to perform actions that include:

providing, to a target device, a request for eSIM transfer eligibility checking during an authentication procedure with the target device;

obtaining, from the target device, trust configuration information of an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) of the target device and a network server generated signature generated by a network server for the target device responsive to receipt of the trust configuration information from the target device; and

upon successful authentication of eSIM transfer eligibility based on the network server generated signature, performing an eSIM transfer of one or more eSIMs from the eUICC of the source device to the eUICC of the target device.

10. The source device of claim 9 , wherein the network server comprises a subscription manager data preparation (SM-DP+) server.

11. The source device of claim 9 , wherein the network server comprises a digital letter of approval (DLOA) server.

12. The source device of claim 9 , wherein the trust configuration information of the eUICC of the target device includes a white list of trusted entities and/or a black list of untrusted entities.

13. The source device of claim 12 , wherein the eUICC of the target device includes one or more certificates and one or more public keys extracted from signed and verified certificates provided by one or more trusted entities included in the white list of trusted entities.

14. The source device of claim 9 , wherein the authentication of eSIM transfer eligibility includes a determination by the eUICC of the source device whether an eUICC certification configuration or a root of trust configuration of the target device is compatible with the one or more eSIMs to transfer from the eUICC of the source device to the eUICC of the target device.

15. The source device of claim 14 , the eUICC of the source device performs the determination based on the trust configuration information of the eUICC of the target device.

16. The source device of claim 9 , wherein the successful authentication of eSIM transfer eligibility includes a determination that a trust configuration of the eUICC of the target device and a trust configuration of the one or more eSIMs to be transferred includes at least one common root of trust.

17. A method for electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) transfer eligibility checking by a target device, the method comprising:

by the target device:

receiving, from a source device, a request for eSIM transfer eligibility checking during an authentication procedure with the source device;

providing, to a network server, trust configuration information of an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) of the target device;

receiving, from the network server, the trust configuration information of the eUICC of the target device and a network server generated signature;

providing, to the source device, the trust configuration information of the eUICC of the target device and the network server generated signature; and

upon successful authentication of eSIM transfer eligibility by the source device based on the network server generated signature, performing an eSIM transfer of one or more eSIMs from an eUICC of the source device to the eUICC of the target device.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the trust configuration information of the eUICC of the target device includes a white list of trusted entities and/or a black list of untrusted entities.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the authentication of eSIM transfer eligibility by the source device further includes a determination by the eUICC of the source device whether an eUICC certification configuration or a root of trust configuration of the target device is compatible with the one or more eSIMs to transfer from the eUICC of the source device to the eUICC of the target device.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the successful authentication of eSIM transfer eligibility includes a determination that a trust configuration of the eUICC of the target device and a trust configuration of the one or more eSIMs to be transferred includes at least one common root of trust.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 17147410 · Jan 12, 2021
Provisional Application 62960598 · Jan 13, 2020
Related Publication 20230013030A1 · Jan 19, 2023