Direct eSIM transfer between wireless devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12425837-B2
Application number	US-202217932669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2022
Priority date	Sep 16, 2021
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

The described embodiments set forth techniques for transferring an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) with the same integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) value from a source mobile wireless device to a target mobile wireless device directly with a mobile network operator (MNO) provisioning server. The target mobile wireless device downloads the eSIM from the MNO provisioning server after deletion of the eSIM on the source mobile wireless device and reassignment of the eSIM with the same ICCID value to the target mobile wireless device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for obtaining an electronic Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM) for access to services of a mobile network operator (MNO) from a source mobile wireless device by a target mobile wireless device, the method comprising:
by the target mobile wireless device:
providing, to the source mobile wireless device, device transfer information for transfer of the eSIM;
receiving, from the source mobile wireless device, information for installation of the eSIM on an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the target mobile wireless device;
downloading, from an MNO provisioning server, the eSIM;
installing, on the eUICC of the target mobile wireless device, the eSIM; and
sending, to the MNO provisioning server, notification of successful eSIM installation on the eUICC,
wherein:
communication of the device transfer information is via a secure, encrypted communication path;
the secure, encrypted communication path comprises an indirect communication path via a cloud network services server managed by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the source and target mobile wireless devices;
the eSIM, after installation on the eUICC of the target mobile wireless device, has an identical integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) value as a unique ICCID value previously used for the eSIM on the eUICC of the source mobile wireless device; and
each of the source and target mobile wireless devices share a common user account via the cloud network services server.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
by the target mobile wireless device:
camping on an access network of the MNO using credentials of the eSIM.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device transfer information comprises an eUICC identifier (EID) value for the eUICC of the target mobile wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information for installation of the eSIM comprises a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the MNO provisioning server.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the information for installation of the eSIM further comprises a MatchingID specific for downloading the eSIM from the MNO provisioning server to the target mobile wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information for installation of the eSIM comprises a device manufacturer device services server from which to obtain a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the MNO provisioning server.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target mobile wireless device receives the information for installation of the eSIM from the source mobile wireless device by scanning a dynamic quick response (QR) code displayed by the source mobile wireless device.

8. A target mobile 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, cause the target mobile wireless device to obtain from a source mobile wireless device an electronic Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM) for access to services of a mobile network operator (MNO) by at least:
providing, to the source mobile wireless device, device transfer information for transfer of the eSIM;
receiving, from the source mobile wireless device, information for installation of the eSIM on an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the target mobile wireless device;
downloading, from an MNO provisioning server, the eSIM;
installing, on the eUICC of the target mobile wireless device, the eSIM; and
sending, to the MNO provisioning server, notification of successful eSIM installation on the eUICC,
wherein:
communication of the device transfer information is via a secure, encrypted communication path;
the secure, encrypted communication path comprises an indirect communication path via a cloud network services server managed by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the source and target mobile wireless devices;
the eSIM, after installation on the eUICC of the target mobile wireless device, has an identical integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) value as a unique ICCID value previously used for the eSIM on the eUICC of the source mobile wireless device; and
each of the source and target mobile wireless devices share a common user account via the cloud network services server.

9. The target mobile wireless device of claim 8 , wherein the device transfer information comprises an eUICC identifier (EID) value for the eUICC of the target mobile wireless device.

10. The target mobile wireless device of claim 8 , wherein the information for installation of the eSIM comprises a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the MNO provisioning server.

11. The target mobile wireless device of claim 10 , wherein the information for installation of the eSIM further comprises a MatchingID specific for downloading the eSIM from the MNO provisioning server to the target mobile wireless device.

12. The target mobile wireless device of claim 8 , wherein the information for installation of the eSIM comprises a device manufacturer device services server from which to obtain a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the MNO provisioning server.

13. The target mobile wireless device of claim 8 , wherein the target mobile wireless device receives the information for installation of the eSIM from the source mobile wireless device by scanning a dynamic quick response (QR) code displayed by the source mobile wireless device.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for obtaining an electronic Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM) for access to services of a mobile network operator (MNO) from a source mobile wireless device by a target mobile wireless device, the instructions comprising:
instructions for providing, to the source mobile wireless device, device transfer information for transfer of the eSIM;
instructions for receiving, from the source mobile wireless device, information for installation of the eSIM on an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the target mobile wireless device;
instructions for downloading, from an MNO provisioning server, the eSIM;
instructions for installing, on the eUICC of the target mobile wireless device, the eSIM; and
instructions for sending, to the MNO provisioning server, notification of successful eSIM installation on the eUICC,
wherein:
communication of the device transfer information is via a secure, encrypted communication path;
the secure, encrypted communication path comprises an indirect communication path via a cloud network services server managed by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the source and target mobile wireless devices;
the eSIM, after installation on the eUICC of the target mobile wireless device, has an identical integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) value as a unique ICCID value previously used for the eSIM on the eUICC of the source mobile wireless device; and
each of the source and target mobile wireless devices share a common user account via the cloud network services server.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising:
instructions for camping on an access network of the MNO using credentials of the eSIM.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the device transfer information comprises an eUICC identifier (EID) value for the eUICC of the target mobile wireless device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the information f

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Jin Sherman X
• Rivera-Barreto Rafael L
• Malthankar Rohan C
• Rodgers Clive E
• Chaugule Raj S
• Li Li

Classifications

• H04W60/04

  using triggered events · CPC title

• H04W8/20

  Transfer of user or subscriber data · CPC title

• H04W8/183 Primary

  Processing at user equipment or user record carrier · CPC title

• H04W12/35

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

• H04W12/40

  Security arrangements using identity modules · CPC title