Cellular device SIM multiplexor and control interface
The present invention relates to a SIM multiplexing device that provides a mechanism for multiplexing multiple SIM cards into a single SIM device. The SIM Mux device interfaces to the host device via the host device's standard SIM slot. The SIM Mux application resides on the SIM Mux logic device and communicates with the device over the SIM slot's SIM I/O line using standard ISO-7816 messages. The SIM Mux application allows a user to select the active SIM slot via a SIM application interface and directs the logic device which SIM socket to activate on the shared SIM I/O line, thus enabling the user to utilize any one of the populated SIM cards at one time.
1. A subscriber identity module multiplexer device (SIM Mux) for maximizing network characteristics of a portable computer communication device by actively multiplexing multiple SIM cards into a single device comprising:
a plurality of SIM sockets for a plurality of SIM cards;
at least one host interface that interfaces with a SIM card slot of said portable computer communication device;
a SIM switch coupled with a processor that monitors communications between the SIM Mux and the SIM cards, the SIM switch causing the processor to connect a particular one of the plurality of SIM sockets to the at least one host interface, wherein:
the SIM switch causes the processor to bypass control commands from the portable computer communication device,
the processor activates, deactivates, monitors, and selects from among said plurality of SIM cards based on current networking characteristics of each individual network for said plurality of SIM cards, and
at least one of the plurality of SIM sockets is in electronic communication with the processor; and
a SIM Mux application stored in a memory of the SIM Mux, wherein the SIM Mux application manages the operation of said processor and provides said portable computer communication device with information and controls related to said plurality of SIM cards;
wherein an objective is enabled relative to said portable computer communication device or to the network characteristics associated with said portable computer communication device, said objective including one or more of the following:
network connectivity is increased, network costs are reduce, accuracy network communication is increased, network time required to respond is decreased, and network errors are reduced.
2. The SIM Mux of claim 1 , wherein a short-range wireless communication system is used to communicate information to the processor from the host interface.
3. The SIM Mux of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of SIM sockets is compatible with a virtual SIM card.
4. The SIM Mux of claim 1 , wherein the SIM Mux enables the portable computer communication device to switch between and use the plurality of SIM cards without having to turn off the portable computer communication device.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SIM Mux comprises three or more SIM Sockets.
6. A method for maximizing network characteristics of a portable computer communication device by actively multiplexing multiple subscriber identity module (SIM) cards into a single device comprising:
using a SIM Multiplexor device (SIM Mux) with the portable computer communication device, wherein the SIM Mux comprises:
a plurality of SIM sockets for a plurality of SIM cards;
a SIM switch coupled with a processor that communicates with the plurality of SIM cards, wherein:
the SIM switch causes the processor to bypass control commands from the portable computer communication device,
the processor activates, deactivates, monitors, and selects from among said plurality of SIM cards based on current networking characteristics of each individual network for said plurality of SIM cards, and
at least one of the plurality of SIM sockets is in electronic communication with the SIM switch;
a host interface that interfaces with at least one SIM card slot of said portable computer communication device and for communicating said processor;
a SIM Mux application stored in a memory of the SIM Mux, wherein the SIM Mux application manages the operation of said processor and provides said portable computer communication device with information and controls related to said plurality of SIM cards; and
enabling an objective relative to said portable computer communication device or to the network characteristics associated with said portable computer communication device, said objective including one or more of the following: increasing network connectivity, reducing network costs, increasing accuracy of network communication, decreasing time required to respond to network, and reducing network errors,
wherein the SIM Mux comprises three or more SIM Sockets.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a short-range wireless communication system is used to communicate information to the processor from the host interface.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of SIM sockets is compatible with a virtual SIM card.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the SIM Mux enables the portable computer communication device to switch between and use the plurality of SIM cards without having to turn off the portable computer communication device.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the host interface is a new case or battery for a mobile device.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the SIM Mux comprises at least two host interfaces,
the SIM switch causes the processor to compare a current network quality for each of the plurality of SIM cards connected to the host interfaces,
the network quality of each SIM card is an aggregate of the current networking characteristics of each individual network, and
the SIM switch causes the processor to determine the host interface with a highest network quality based on the results of the network quality comparison.