Method of setting up network lock function of electronic device and electronic device using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12256465-B2
Application number	US-202217841826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2022
Priority date	Jul 19, 2021
Publication date	Mar 18, 2025
Grant date	Mar 18, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a communication module, a subscriber identification module, and at least one processor. The at least one processor may identify identification information of the subscriber identification module stored in the subscriber identification module when the subscriber identification module is identified as being first inserted, may configure a network service provider based on the identified identification information, may generate a signature by using lock information of the subscriber identification module, may identify network lock information when the signature is identified as being valid, and may set up a network lock function of the communication module based on the identified network lock information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a communication module;
a subscriber identification module; and
at least one processor,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
identify whether the subscriber identification module is first inserted,
identify identification information of the subscriber identification module stored in the subscriber identification module when the subscriber identification module is identified as being first inserted,
configure a network service provider based on the identified identification information,
generate a signature by using lock information of the subscriber identification module,
identify whether the signature is valid,
identify network lock information when the signature is identified as being valid, and
set up a network lock function of the communication module based on the identified network lock information.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one processor comprises a first processor and a second processor, and
the first processor is configured to:
identify whether the subscriber identification module is first inserted,
identify the identification information of the subscriber identification module stored in the subscriber identification module when the subscriber identification module is identified as being first inserted,
configure the network service provider based on the identified identification information, and
generate the signature by using the lock information of the subscriber identification module and deliver the signature to the second processor, and

the second processor is configured to:
identify whether the signature delivered by the first processor is valid,
identify the network lock information when the signature is identified as being valid, and
set up the network lock function based on the identified network lock information.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to configure the network service provider using information on a country to which a subscriber of the electronic device belongs and information on a subscriber network service provider of the electronic device which are included in the identification information of the subscriber identification module.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the network lock information comprises a temporary network lock password, a network control key (NCK), a master control key (MCK), a network subset code key (NSCK), a service provider control key (SPCK), a subscriber identity module (SIM)/USIM lock (SIMCK), a corporate lock key (CPCK) network lock, activation/deactivation information of the network lock, set-up information for types of network lock or lock of subscriber identification information, a permission mobile country code (MCC)/mobile network code (MNC) list of service provider subscriber identification information, and/or a black MCC/MNC list.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a memory,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify the subscriber identification module as being first inserted, based on information on the network service provider being not stored in the memory.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
transmit, to a server, the identification information of the subscriber identification module and identification information of the electronic device, and
receive network service provider information, a signature, and network lock information from the server.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein:
the at least one processor comprises a first processor and a second processor,
the first processor is configured to:
identify whether the subscriber identification module is first inserted, and
deliver the identification information of the electronic device to the second processor when the subscriber identification module is identified as being first inserted, and

the second processor is configured to:
identify the identification information of the subscriber identification module stored in the subscriber identification module,
transmit the identification information of the subscriber identification module and the identification information of the electronic device to the server,
receive the network service provider information, the signature, and the network lock information from the server,
identify whether the signature is valid,
identify the network lock information when the signature is identified as being valid, and
set up the network lock function of the communication module based on the identified network lock information.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the identification information of the electronic device comprises an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), a mobile equipment identifier (MEID), an embedded multimedia card identifier (eMMC ID), an embedded SIM (eSIM) ID, an identifier (ID) of the electronic device, a communication processor identifier (CP ID), and/or an application processor identifier (AP ID).

9. An operating method of an electronic device, comprising:
identifying whether a subscriber identification module is first inserted;
identifying identification information of the subscriber identification module stored in the subscriber identification module when the subscriber identification module is identified as being first inserted;
configuring a network service provider based on the identified information;
generating a signature by using lock information of the subscriber identification module;
identifying whether the signature is valid;
identifying network lock information when the signature is identified as being valid; and
setting up a network lock function based on the identified network lock information.

10. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein:
identifying whether the subscriber identification module is first inserted, identifying the identification information of the subscriber identification module stored in the subscriber identification module, configuring the network service provider, and generating the signature are performed by a first processor, and
identifying whether the signature is valid, identifying the network lock information when the signature is identified as being valid, and setting up the network lock function based on the identified network lock information are performed by a second processor.

11. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein configuring the network service provider further comprises configuring the network service provider using information on a country to which a subscriber of the electronic device belongs and information on a subscriber network service provider of the electronic device which are included in the identification information of the subscriber identification module.

12. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein the network lock information comprises a temporary network lock password, a network control key (NCK), a master control key (MCK), a network subset code key (NSCK), a service provider control key (SPCK), a subscriber identity module (SIM)/USIM lock (SIMCK), a corporate lock key (CPCK) network lock, activation/deactivation information of the network lock, set-up information for types of network lock or lock of subscriber identification information, a permission mobile country code (MCC)/mobile network code (MNC) list of service provider subscriber identification information, and/or a black MCC/MNC list.

13. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein identifying whether a subscriber identification module is first inserted further comprises identifying the subscriber

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Donghyun
• Jeong Hanjae
• Chung Hyunchool
• Na Seungjoo
• Moon Youcheol
• Park Junwoo
• Lee Jisun
• Ju Sangyoung

Classifications

• H04W8/24

  Transfer of terminal data · CPC title

• H04W12/71

  Hardware identity · CPC title

• H04W12/72

  Subscriber identity · CPC title

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• H04W12/40

  Security arrangements using identity modules · CPC title