Secondary eSIM provisioning for wireless devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12375900-B2
Application number	US-202218052090-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2022
Priority date	Nov 2, 2022
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

This application describes provisioning a secondary electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) to a wireless device to access a cellular wireless network of a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) to supplement and offload from a cellular wireless network of a mobile network operator (MNO) that provides cellular wireless services to users of the MVNO. Provisioning of the secondary eSIM can be triggered after i) boot up of the wireless device or ii) insertion of a primary SIM/eSIM that provides MVNO cellular service access via the MNO cellular wireless network. Provisioning can be anchored by an MVNO entitlement server or by a manufacturer device services server. Provisioning can also be triggered by the MNO cellular wireless network after attachment of the wireless device. Authentication and authorization of the wireless device to obtain the secondary eSIM can be based on the primary SIM/eSIM or on secure communication with the manufacturer device services server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus configured for operation in a wireless device, the apparatus comprising one or more processors communicatively coupled to wireless circuitry and to a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the wireless device to:
send, to a device services server of a manufacturer of the wireless device, a message indicating one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs) and/or electronic SIMs (eSIMs) installed in the wireless device;
receive, from the device services server, an authentication token to authenticate the wireless device and indicate authorization to download and install a secondary eSIM associated with a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO);
send, to an entitlement server of the MVNO, the authentication token;
receive, from the entitlement server of the MVNO, secondary eSIM information for provisioning the secondary eSIM to the wireless device; and
download to and install on an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the wireless device the secondary eSIM from a provisioning system of the MVNO,
wherein:
the secondary eSIM allows the wireless device to offload select cellular wireless services from a cellular wireless network of a mobile network operator (MNO) to a cellular wireless network of the MVNO.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wireless device includes a primary SIM or eSIM that provides access to cellular wireless services of the MVNO via the cellular wireless network of the MNO.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the primary SIM or eSIM and the secondary eSIM share a common mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN) value.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wireless device is further configured to:
attach to the cellular wireless network of the MVNO using the secondary eSIM; and
send, to the provisioning system of the MVNO, a message indicating successful attachment of the wireless device to the cellular wireless network of the MVNO using the secondary eSIM.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secondary eSIM information includes a unique identifier for the secondary eSIM and a network address for the provisioning system of the MVNO from which to download the secondary eSIM.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the device services server determines a requirement for provisioning the secondary eSIM to the wireless device based on the message indicating the one or more SIMs and/or eSIMs included in the wireless device; and
the message indicates:
the wireless device includes a primary SIM or eSIM for access to cellular wireless services of the MVNO via the cellular wireless network of the MNO; and
the wireless device does not include the secondary eSIM for access to the cellular wireless network of the MVNO.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a carrier configuration file for the MVNO in the wireless device indicates provisioning of the secondary eSIM is supported.

8. A method for provisioning a secondary electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) to an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of a wireless device, the method comprising:
sending, to a device services server of a manufacturer of the wireless device, a message indicating one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs) and/or eSIMs installed in the wireless device;
receiving, from the device services server, an authentication token to authenticate the wireless device and indicate authorization to download and install a secondary eSIM associated with a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO);
sending, to an entitlement server of the MVNO, the authentication token;
receiving, from the entitlement server of the MVNO, secondary eSIM information for provisioning the secondary eSIM to the wireless device; and
downloading to and installing on an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the wireless device the secondary eSIM from a provisioning system of the MVNO,
wherein:
the secondary eSIM allows the wireless device to offload select cellular wireless services from a cellular wireless network of a mobile network operator (MNO) to a cellular wireless network of the MVNO.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the wireless device includes a primary SIM or eSIM that provides access to cellular wireless services of the MVNO via the cellular wireless network of the MNO.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the primary SIM or eSIM and the secondary eSIM share a common mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN) value.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
attaching to the cellular wireless network of the MVNO using the secondary eSIM; and
sending, to the provisioning system of the MVNO, a message indicating successful attachment of the wireless device to the cellular wireless network of the MVNO using the secondary eSIM.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the secondary eSIM information includes a unique identifier for the secondary eSIM and a network address for the provisioning system of the MVNO from which to download the secondary eSIM.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the device services server determines a requirement for provisioning the secondary eSIM to the wireless device based on the message indicating the one or more SIMs and/or eSIMs included in the wireless device; and
the message indicates:
the wireless device includes a primary SIM or eSIM for access to cellular wireless services of the MVNO via the cellular wireless network of the MNO; and
the wireless device does not include the secondary eSIM for access to the cellular wireless network of the MVNO.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein a carrier configuration file for the MVNO in the wireless device indicates provisioning of the secondary eSIM is supported.

15. A wireless device comprising:
wireless circuitry comprising one or more antennas; and
one or more processors communicatively coupled to the wireless circuitry and to a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the wireless device to:
send, to a device services server of a manufacturer of the wireless device, a message indicating one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs) and/or electronic SIMs (eSIMs) installed in the wireless device;
receive, from the device services server, an authentication token to authenticate the wireless device and indicate authorization to download and install a secondary eSIM associated with a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO);
send, to an entitlement server of the MVNO, the authentication token;
receive, from the entitlement server of the MVNO, secondary eSIM information for provisioning the secondary eSIM to the wireless device; and
download to and install on an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the wireless device the secondary eSIM from a provisioning system of the MVNO,
wherein:
the secondary eSIM allows the wireless device to offload select cellular wireless services from a cellular wireless network of a mobile network operator (MNO) to a cellular wireless network of the MVNO.

16. The wireless device of claim 15 , wherein the wireless device includes a primary SIM or eSIM that provides access to cellular wireless services of the MVNO via the cellular wireless network of the MNO.

17. The wireless device of claim 16 , wherein the primary SIM or eSIM and the secondary eSIM share a common mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN) value.

18. The wireless device of claim 15 , wherein the wireless dev

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Chaugule Raj S
• Gonzalez Francisco J
• Chen Jianwei
• Basacchi John
• Li Li
• Cui Nai Tao

Classifications

• H04W60/04

  using triggered events · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• H04W12/069

  using certificates or pre-shared keys · CPC title

• H04W12/35

  Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title