Deleted eSIM recovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12452644-B2
Application number	US-202217932667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2022
Priority date	Sep 16, 2021
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

The described embodiments set forth techniques for recovering one or more electronic subscriber identity modules (eSIMs) previously deleted from an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of a mobile wireless device. Prior to deletion of an eSIM, the mobile wireless device uploads first eSIM subscription information to a cloud network services server and stores second eSIM subscription information in a secure memory of the eUICC. The mobile wireless device can subsequently download the first eSIM subscription information to verify matching to the second eSIM subscription information stored in the eUICC before displaying an option for recovering the eSIM. The mobile wireless device sends to a mobile network operator (MNO) provisioning server an eSIM recovery request notification that includes at least a portion of the first eSIM subscription information, and the MNO provisioning server provides an eSIM recovery response message indicating approval and a network address to download the eSIM.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for recovering electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs) for access to services of a mobile network operator (MNO) by a mobile wireless device, the method comprising:
by the mobile wireless device:
establishing a secure connection with a cloud network services server using a secure login procedure and multi-factor authentication;
downloading, from the cloud network services server, first eSIM subscription information for the mobile wireless device;
determining whether the first eSIM subscription information matches second eSIM subscription information obtained from a secure memory of an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the mobile wireless device; and
when the first eSIM subscription information matches the second eSIM subscription information for one or more eSIMs previously deleted from the eUICC of the mobile wireless device:
indicating that the one or more eSIMs previously deleted from the eUICC of the mobile wireless device are recoverable;
receiving a user command to recover an eSIM associated with the MNO and previously deleted from the eUICC of the mobile wireless device;
sending, to an MNO provisioning server, a notification message requesting recovery of the eSIM previously deleted from the eUICC of the mobile wireless device;
receiving, from the MNO provisioning server, a response message indicating the eSIM is available for download;
downloading the eSIM from the MNO provisioning server; and
installing the eSIM on the eUICC of the mobile wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first eSIM subscription information comprises:
an eUICC identifier (EID) value for the eUICC of the mobile wireless device; and
for each eSIM of the one or more eSIMs previously deleted from the eUICC of the mobile wireless device:
an integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) value for the eSIM; and
a network address for a provisioning server associated with the eSIM.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second eSIM subscription information comprises for each eSIM of the one or more eSIMs previously deleted from the eUICC of the mobile wireless device:
the ICCID value for the eSIM; and
the network address for the provisioning server associated with the eSIM.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
when the first eSIM subscription information does not match the second eSIM subscription information for at least one eSIM, suppressing indication that the at least one eSIM is recoverable.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
by the mobile wireless device, prior to establishing the secure connection with the cloud network services server for downloading the first eSIM subscription information:
receiving a second user command to delete the eSIM from the eUICC of the mobile wireless device;
establishing a second secure connection with the cloud network services server using the secure login procedure and multi-factor authentication; and
uploading, to the cloud network services server, the first eSIM subscription information for the eSIM to be deleted.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
by the mobile wireless device:
storing the second eSIM subscription information for the eSIM to be deleted in the secure memory of the eUICC of the mobile wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
by the mobile wireless device:
deleting the eSIM from the eUICC of the mobile wireless device; and
sending, to the MNO provisioning server associated with the eSIM, an eSIM deletion notification message.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification message requesting recovery of the eSIM previously deleted from the eUICC of the mobile wireless device comprises:
an integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) value for the eSIM; and
an eUICC identifier (EID) value of the eUICC of the mobile wireless device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the response message indicating the eSIM is available for download comprises:
the ICCID value for the eSIM;
the EID value of the eUICC of the mobile wireless device; and
a network address of the MNO provisioning server from which to download the eSIM.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the response message indicating the eSIM is available for download comprises:
the ICCID value for the eSIM;
the EID value of the eUICC of the mobile wireless device; and
a network address of a device manufacturer devices services server from which to obtain a network address for the MNO provisioning server from which to download the eSIM.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
by the mobile wireless device, prior to establishing the secure connection with the cloud network services server for downloading the first eSIM subscription information:
receiving a second user command to perform an erase all contents and settings procedure for the mobile wireless device;
establishing a second secure connection with the cloud network services server using the secure login procedure and multi-factor authentication;
uploading, to the cloud network services server, first eSIM subscription information for the eSIM to be deleted;
storing second eSIM subscription information for the eSIM to be deleted in the secure memory of the eUICC of the mobile wireless device;
deleting the eSIM from the eUICC of the mobile wireless device; and
sending, to the MNO provisioning server associated with the eSIM, an eSIM deletion notification message.

12. A method for recovering an electronic Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM) to provide access to services of a mobile network operator (MNO) by a mobile wireless device, the method comprising:
by an MNO provisioning server of the MNO:
receiving, from the mobile wireless device, a first notification message indicating deletion of an eSIM from an eUICC of the mobile wireless device;
updating a status of the eSIM maintained by the MNO provisioning server from an installed state to a deleted state;
receiving, from the mobile wireless device, a second notification message requesting recovery of the eSIM previously deleted from the eUICC of the mobile wireless device;
updating the status of the eSIM maintained by the MNO provisioning server from the deleted state to a released state;
sending, to the mobile wireless device, a response message indicating the eSIM is available to download;
downloading the eSIM to the mobile wireless device;
receiving, from the mobile wireless device, a third notification message indicating successful installation of the eSIM on the eUICC of the mobile wireless device; and
updating the status of the eSIM maintained by the MNO provisioning server from the released state to the installed state.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second notification message requesting recovery of the eSIM previously deleted from the eUICC of the mobile wireless device comprises:
an integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) value for the eSIM; and
an eUICC identifier (EID) value of the eUICC of the mobile wireless device.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the response message indicating the eSIM is available for download comprises:
the ICCID value for the eSIM;
the EID value of the eUICC of the mobile wireless device; and
a network address of the MNO provisioning server from which to download the eSIM.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the response message indicating the eSIM is available for download comprises:
the ICCID value for the eSIM;
the EID value of the eUICC of the mobile wireless device; and
a network address of a device manufacturer devices services server from w

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04W8/183

  Processing at user equipment or user record carrier · CPC title

• H04W8/205 Primary

  Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier · CPC title