IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,764,746
Granted Patent B1
US 10,764,746 · App. 16/665,941 · Granted Sep 1, 2020

Electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) transfer from inactive device

Inventors: Ryan P. Dreiling (Shawnee, KS); Balasubramaniam Guru (Overland Park, KS); Philip W. Uehling (Olathe, KS)
Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
H04W8/205H04W4/60H04W4/80H04W8/26H04W12/004H04W60/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,764,746
App. No.
16/665,941
Granted
Sep 1, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

A mechanism of obtaining electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) credentials from an inactive mobile communication device is described. This includes communicating, by an active mobile communication device, with an inactive mobile communication device via a peer-to-peer wireless interface. The active mobile communication device receives identification data for the eSIM credentials as stored in the inactive mobile communication device. The active mobile communication device transmits the identification data for the eSIM credentials to a subscription manager data preparation (SMDP+) server. The active mobile communication device also receives the eSIM credentials from the SMDP+ server.

Claims (40)

1. A method of obtaining electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) credentials from an inactive mobile communication device, comprising:

communicating, by an active mobile communication device, with an inactive mobile communication device via a peer-to-peer wireless interface;

receiving, by the active mobile communication device, identification data for the eSIM credentials as stored in the inactive mobile communication device;

transmitting, by the active mobile communication device, the identification data for the eSIM credentials to a subscription manager data preparation (SMDP+) server; and

receiving, by the active mobile communication device, the eSIM credentials from the SMDP+ server.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating with the inactive mobile communication device includes communicating via a radio frequency identity (RFID) circuit in the inactive mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating with the inactive mobile communication device includes communicating via a near field communication (NFC) circuit in the inactive mobile communication device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identification data for the eSIM credentials include a stored confirmation code, and further comprising:

receiving, by the active mobile communication device, a user confirmation code from a user via user interface; and

confirming, by the active mobile communication device, a match between the user confirmation code and the stored confirmation code prior to transmitting the identification data for the eSIM credentials to the SMDP+ server.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the active mobile communication device, a wireless command via a peer-to-peer wireless interface to clear the identification data for the eSIM credentials from the inactive mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identification data for the eSIM credentials includes a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) address of the SMDP+ server, and further comprising:

establishing, by the active mobile communication device, a data connection with the SMDP+ server based on the FQDN address of the SMDP+ server.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identification data for the eSIM credentials includes an integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) of the inactive mobile communication device, an embedded universal integrated circuit card identifier (EID) of the inactive mobile communication device, a matching identifier (ID) associated with the eSIM credentials, a confirmation code associated with a user, or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identification data for the eSIM credentials includes data uniquely identifying the inactive mobile communication device to support looking up an integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) of the inactive mobile communication device, an embedded universal integrated circuit card identifier (EID) of the inactive mobile communication device, a matching identifier (ID) associated with the eSIM credentials, a confirmation code associated with a user, or combinations thereof.

9. A method of updating electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) credentials from an inactive mobile communication device to an active mobile communication device, comprising:

receiving, at a subscription manager data preparation (SMDP+) server, identification data for eSIM credentials associated with the inactive mobile communication device, the identification data for eSIM credentials received from the active mobile communication device;

validating, by the SMDP+ server, an integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) of the inactive mobile communication device, an embedded universal integrated circuit card identifier (EID) of the inactive mobile communication device, a matching identifier (ID) associated with the eSIM credentials, and a confirmation code associated with a user;

assigning the eSIM credentials to an EID of the active mobile communication device; and

initiating, by the SMDP+ server, a package download to transfer the eSIM credentials to the active mobile communication device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the identification data for eSIM credentials includes the ICCID of the inactive mobile communication device, the EID of the inactive mobile communication device, the matching ID associated with the eSIM credentials, the confirmation code associated with the user, and the EID of the active mobile communication device.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the identification data for eSIM credentials includes data uniquely identifying the inactive mobile communication device and the EID of the active mobile communication device, and further comprising:

querying a lookup table with the identification data for eSIM credentials to obtain the ICCID of the inactive mobile communication device, the EID of the inactive mobile communication device, the matching ID associated with the eSIM credentials, the confirmation code associated with the user, or combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

performing a fraud check with a mobile network operator (MNO) server prior to assigning the eSIM credentials to the EID of the active mobile communication device.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

deactivating a relationship between the eSIM credentials and the inactive mobile communication device contemporaneously with assigning the eSIM credentials to the EID of the active mobile communication device.

14. A first mobile communication device configured to obtain electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) credentials from an inactive mobile communication device, the first mobile communication device comprising:

a peer-to-peer wireless interface configured to:

communicate with an inactive mobile communication device via a peer-to-peer wireless interface; and

receive identification data for the eSIM credentials as stored in the inactive mobile communication device;

a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the identification data for the eSIM credentials to a subscription manager data preparation (SMDP+) server; and

a wireless receiver configured to receive the eSIM credentials from the SMDP+ server.

15. The first mobile communication device of claim 14 , wherein the peer-to-peer wireless interface includes a radio frequency identity (RFID) reader configured to communicate with an RFID circuit in the inactive mobile communication device.

16. The first mobile communication device of claim 14 , wherein the peer-to-peer wireless interface includes a near field communication (NFC) circuit configured to communicate with an NFC circuit in the inactive mobile communication device.

17. The first mobile communication device of claim 14 , wherein the peer-to-peer wireless interface is further configured to transmit a wireless command to clear the identification data for the eSIM credentials from the inactive mobile communication device.

18. The first mobile communication device of claim 14 , wherein the identification data for the eSIM credentials includes an integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) of the inactive mobile communication device, an embedded universal integrated circuit card identifier (EID) of the inactive mobile communication device, a matching identifier (ID) associated with the eSIM credentials, a confirmation code associated with a user, or combinations thereof.

19. The first mobile communication device of claim 14 , wherein the identification data for the eSIM credentials includes data uniquely identifying the inactive mobile communication device to support looking up an integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) of the inactive mobile communication device, an embedded universal integrated circuit card identifier (EID) of the inactive mobile communication device, a matching identifier (ID) associated with the eSIM credentials, a confirmation code associated with a user, or combinations thereof.

20. The first mobile communication device of claim 14 , wherein the identification data for the eSIM credentials includes a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) address of the SMDP+ server, the first mobile communication device further comprising: a processor configured to establish a data connection, via the wireless transmitter, with the SMDP+ server based on the FQDN address of the SMDP+ server.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2022
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
To: IBSV LLC; LAYER3 TV, LLC; PUSHSPRING, LLC; T-MOBILE CENTRAL LLC; T-MOBILE USA, INC.; ASSURANCE WIRELESS USA, L.P.; BOOST WORLDWIDE, LLC; CLEARWIRE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; CLEARWIRE IP HOLDINGS LLC; SPRINTCOM LLC; SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.; SPRINT INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED; SPRINT SPECTRUM LLC
Reel/Frame 062595/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2021
From: SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.
To: T-MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 055604/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 2, 2020
From: T-MOBILE USA, INC.; ISBV LLC; T-MOBILE CENTRAL LLC; LAYER3 TV, INC.; PUSHSPRING, INC.; BOOST WORLDWIDE, LLC; CLEARWIRE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; CLEARWIRE IP HOLDINGS LLC; CLEARWIRE LEGACY LLC; SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.; SPRINT INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED; SPRINT SPECTRUM L.P.; ASSURANCE WIRELESS USA, L.P.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
Reel/Frame 053182/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2019
From: DREILING, RYAN P.; GURU, BALASUBRAMANIAM; UEHLING, PHILIP W.
To: SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.
Reel/Frame 050851/0885 →
Cited By (5)
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