Event triggered network migration of subscribers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11864148-B2
Application number	US-202217670376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2022
Priority date	Feb 11, 2022
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A method includes receiving, by an equipment identity register application in the target mobile network, an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of a user equipment (UE) associated with the subscriber and a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) identifier (ID) identifying an inactive SIM card inserted into the UE or an inactive electronic SIM (eSIM) profile installed at the UE, determining that the UE is attempting to attach to the target mobile network for a first time based on the IMEI and the SIM ID, adding an event to an event queue of the target mobile network, and processing the event by accessing subscriber data stored at the source mobile network to validate that the IMEI of the UE is indicated in the subscriber data stored at the source mobile network, wherein the subscriber data includes a subscriber account indicated by the IMEI of the UE.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for migrating a subscriber from a source mobile network associated with a source mobile network operator to a target mobile network associated with a target mobile network operator, wherein the method comprises:
receiving, by an equipment identity register application in the target mobile network, an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of a user equipment (UE) associated with the subscriber and a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) identifier (ID) identifying a SIM card inserted into the UE or electronic SIM (eSIM) profile installed at the UE, wherein the SIM card or the eSIM profile is inactive;
determining, by the equipment identity register application, that the UE having the SIM card or eSIM profile is attempting to attach to the target mobile network for a first time based on the IMEI of the UE and the SIM ID identifying the SIM card or the eSIM profile;
adding, by the equipment identity register application, an event to an event queue of the target mobile network, wherein the event indicates the IMEI of the UE and the SIM ID identifying the SIM card or the eSIM profile; and
processing, by a network event orchestration manager application in the target mobile network, the event by accessing subscriber data stored at the source mobile network to validate that the IMEI of the UE is indicated in the subscriber data stored at the source mobile network, wherein the subscriber data includes a subscriber account indicated by the IMEI of the UE;
when the IMEI of the UE is indicated in the subscriber data:
transmitting, to the UE using a target mobile network application program interface (API), an instruction to activate the SIM card or eSIM profile at the UE;
transmitting, to the UE using the target mobile network API, SIM data to the UE to program the SIM card or the eSIM profile at the UE, wherein the SIM data associates the SIM card or the eSIM profile to the subscriber; and
permitting the UE to attach to the target mobile network after activating the SIM card or the eSIM profile and transmitting the SIM data to the UE.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the network event orchestration manager application, a source service for the subscriber that is to be migrated from the source mobile network operator to the target mobile network operator;
determining, by the network event orchestration manager application, a target service provided by the target mobile network operator, wherein the target service matches the source service; and
accessing, by the network event orchestration manager application, service data associated with the source service at the source mobile network to provide the target service to the UE.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the source service and the target service are associated with at least one of billing services, voicemail services, text messaging services, or third-party application services.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising registering, by the equipment identity register application, the IMEI of the UE and the SIM ID identifying the SIM card or the eSIM profile.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subscriber data remains stored at the source mobile network, without being stored at the target mobile network, while the UE accesses the target mobile network.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the target mobile network API, the subscriber data from the source mobile network; and
storing, by the network event orchestration manager application, the subscriber data in a memory of the target mobile network.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SIM data includes a Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network Number (MSISDN) identifying the subscriber.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deactivating, by the network event orchestration manager application, a cellular subscription of the subscriber from the source mobile network.

9. A method for migrating a subscriber from a source mobile network associated with a source mobile network operator to a target mobile network associated with a target mobile network operator, wherein the method comprises:
receiving, by an equipment identity register application in the target mobile network, when a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card associated with the subscriber is inserted into a user equipment (UE), an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of the UE and an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI) of the SIM card, wherein the SIM card is inactive;
determining, by the equipment identity register application, that a combination of the IMEI of the UE and the IMSI of the SIM card has not been previously registered with the target mobile network;
adding, by the equipment identity register application, an event to an event queue of the target mobile network when the UE combination of the IMEI of the UE and the IMSI of the SIM card has not been previously registered with the target mobile network, wherein the event comprises the IMEI of the UE;
processing, by a network event orchestration manager application in the target mobile network, the event by accessing subscriber data stored at the source mobile network to validate that the IMEI of the UE is indicated in the subscriber data stored at the source mobile network, wherein the subscriber data includes a subscriber account associated with the IMEI of the UE;
migrating, by the network event orchestration manager application, the subscriber data at the source mobile network to the target mobile network by authorizing the target mobile network to access the subscriber data stored at the source mobile network to provide network services to the subscriber, without relocating the subscriber data from the source mobile network to the target mobile network; and
transmitting, to the UE using a target mobile network application program interface (API), SIM data and an instruction to activate the SIM card, wherein the SIM data associates the SIM card to the subscriber when the IMEI of the UE is indicated in the subscriber data.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising deactivating a cellular subscription of the subscriber from the source mobile network.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining, by the network event orchestration manager application, a source service for the subscriber that is to be migrated from the source mobile network operator to the target mobile network operator;
determining, by the network event orchestration manager application, a target service provided by the target mobile network operator, wherein the target service matches the source service; and
accessing, by the network event orchestration manager application, service data associated with the source service at the source mobile network to provide the target service to the UE.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the source service and the target service are associated with at least one of billing services, voicemail services, text messaging services, or third-party application services.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising registering, by the equipment identity register application, the IMEI of the UE and the IMSI of the SIM card.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the SIM data includes an MSISDN identifying the subscriber.

15. A system comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one non-transitory memory;
an equipment identity register application, stored in the at least one non-transitory memory, which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to be configured to:
determine that a combinatio

Assignees

• T Mobile Innovations Llc
• T Mobile Innovatons Llc

Inventors

• Agarwal Mukesh
• Dreiling Ryan P
• Uehling Philip Warren
• Yelmat Vijay Bhanu Reddy

Classifications

• H04W60/04 Primary

  using triggered events · CPC title

• H04M15/49

  Connection to several service providers · CPC title

• H04M15/887

  limit per user or user related number · CPC title

• H04W4/50

  Service provisioning or reconfiguring · CPC title

• H04W8/265

  for initial activation of new user · CPC title