Electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) assignment for carrier channel devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10142917-B2
Application number	US-201715649283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2017
Priority date	Jul 21, 2016
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A pool of devices is initially associated under a single product type identifier, for example, a single stock keeping unit (SKU) identifier. Each device is associated with a secure element (SE), for example, an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC). A wireless telecommunications carrier purchases a subset of the devices from the owner of the pool of devices. A policy management server receives a shipment record and associates the subset of devices with a product identifier and with a carrier-specific activation policy. The policy management server sends an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) reservation request to a policy evaluation server, which contacts an eSIM delivery server associated with the purchasing carrier. The eSIM delivery server reserves eSIMs for the purchased devices. When an end user buys one of the devices from the subset, the purchased device is provisioned by the eSIM delivery server with the eSIM reserved for that device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A policy evaluation server comprising:
a memory; and
one or more processors, wherein the memory includes instructions that, when executed by a processor of the one or more processors, cause the policy evaluation server to perform operations comprising:
determining a first eSIM delivery server based on a first product identifier of a first device, wherein: i) the first device is identified by a first device identification number, and ii) the first device is associated with a first secure element (SE),
sending a first request message, wherein the first request message: i) requests reservation of a first eSIM, ii) includes the first device identification number, and iii) includes a first SE identifier of the first SE,
determining a second eSIM delivery server based on a second product identifier of a second device, wherein: i) the second device is identified by a second device identification number, and ii) the second device is associated with a second SE, and
sending a second request message, wherein the second request message: i) requests reservation of a second eSIM, ii) includes the second device identification number, and iii) includes a second SE identifier of the second SE.

2. The policy evaluation server of claim 1 , wherein the sending the first request message comprises sending the first request message to the first eSIM delivery server.

3. The policy evaluation server of claim 1 , wherein: i) the first product identifier is a first stock keeping unit (SKU) number associated with a first telecommunications carrier, and ii) the second product identifier is a second SKU number associated with a second telecommunications carrier different from the first telecommunications carrier.

4. The policy evaluation server of claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying an activation policy stipulated by the first telecommunications carrier.

5. The policy evaluation server of claim 4 , wherein the first eSIM is in conformance with the activation policy.

6. The policy evaluation server of claim 4 , wherein: i) the activation policy is a representation of how the first device can be activated by an end user with a telecommunications carrier, and ii) the activation policy is a locked activation policy requiring that a purchasing end user only activate the first device with the first telecommunications carrier or the activation policy is an unlocked activation policy allowing the purchasing end user to activate the first device with a telecommunications carrier other than the first telecommunications carrier.

7. The policy evaluation server of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, from the first eSIM delivery server, a first report, wherein the first report comprises a first eSIM identifier for the first eSIM; and
receiving, from the second eSIM delivery server, a second report, wherein the second report comprises a second eSIM identifier for the second eSIM.

8. The policy evaluation server of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:
sending the first eSIM identifier to a policy management server; and
sending the second eSIM identifier to the policy management server.

9. A method by a policy evaluation server, the method comprising:
by the policy evaluation server:
determining a first eSIM delivery server based on a first product identifier of a first device, wherein: i) the first device is identified by a first device identification number, and ii) the first device is associated with a first secure element (SE),
sending a first request message, wherein the first request message: i) requests reservation of a first eSIM, ii) includes the first device identification number, and iii) includes a first SE identifier of the first SE,
determining a second eSIM delivery server based on a second product identifier of a second device, wherein: i) the second device is identified by a second device identification number, and ii) the second device is associated with a second SE, and
sending a second request message, wherein the second request message: i) requests reservation of a second eSIM, ii) includes the second device identification number, and iii) includes a second SE identifier of the second SE.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sending the first request message comprises sending the first request message to the first eSIM delivery server.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein: i) the first product identifier is a first stock keeping unit (SKU) number associated with a first telecommunications carrier, and ii) the second product identifier is a second SKU number associated with a second telecommunications carrier different from the first telecommunications carrier.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
by the policy evaluation server:
identifying an activation policy stipulated by the first telecommunications carrier.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first eSIM is in conformance with the activation policy.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein: i) the activation policy is a representation of how the first device can be activated by an end user with a telecommunications carrier, and ii) the activation policy is a locked activation policy requiring that a purchasing end user only activate the first device with the first telecommunications carrier or the activation policy is an unlocked activation policy allowing the purchasing end user to activate the first device with a telecommunications carrier other than the first telecommunications carrier.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
by the policy evaluation server:
receiving, from the first eSIM delivery server, a first report, wherein the first report comprises a first eSIM identifier for the first eSIM;
receiving, from the second eSIM delivery server, a second report, wherein the second report comprises a second eSIM identifier for the second eSIM;
sending the first eSIM identifier to a policy management server; and
sending the second eSIM identifier to the policy management server.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a policy evaluation server, cause the policy evaluation server to perform operations comprising:
determining a first eSIM delivery server based on a first product identifier of a first device, wherein: i) the first device is identified by a first device identification number, and ii) the first device is associated with a first secure element (SE),
sending a first request message, wherein the first request message: i) requests reservation of a first eSIM, ii) includes the first device identification number, and iii) includes a first SE identifier of the first SE,
determining a second eSIM delivery server based on a second product identifier of a second device, wherein: i) the second device is identified by a second device identification number, and ii) the second device is associated with a second SE, and
sending a second request message, wherein the second request message: i) requests reservation of a second eSIM, ii) includes the second device identification number, and iii) includes a second SE identifier of the second SE.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein:
i) the first product identifier is a first stock keeping unit (SKU) number associated with a first telecommunications carrier,
ii) the second product identifier is a second SKU number associated with a second telecommunications carrier different from the first telecommunications carrier, and
iii) the operations further comp

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Narasimhan Avinash
• Collier Devin B
• Mueller Clark P
• Haggerty David T

Classifications

• H04L41/0806

  for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play · CPC title

• H04L63/0869

  for achieving mutual authentication (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273) · CPC title

• H04W4/60 Primary

  Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04W48/08 Primary

  Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery (signalling during connection H04W76/00) · CPC title