Dynamic SIM activation policy updating for wireless devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12520123-B2
Application number	US-202318190396-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2023
Priority date	May 12, 2022
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

This application describes techniques for dynamically updating a subscriber identity module (SIM) activation policy for enabling use of an electronic SIM (eSIM) and/or a physical SIM (pSIM) in a wireless device. The wireless device is initially configured with a less restrictive SIM activation policy and during setup is reconfigured to a more restrictive SIM activation policy that locks the wireless device to a particular mobile network operator (MNO) based on an eSIM or a pSIM installed in the wireless device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for dynamic subscriber identity module (SIM) activation policy updating of a wireless device, the method comprising:
by the wireless device: generating and subsequently sending, to a first network-based server, a device activation request message that includes a unique hardware identifier (ID) of the wireless device; receiving, from the first network-based server, responsive to successful determination that the wireless device supports dynamic SIM activation policy updating, a device activation response message that includes a SIM activation policy rule that blocks use of all fully functional cellular wireless SIM profiles by the wireless device; generating and subsequently sending, to the first network-based server, a baseband activation request message that includes a unique identifier for a fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile installed in the wireless device; receiving, from the first network-based server, a baseband activation response message that includes an updated SIM activation policy rule that restricts the wireless device to using fully functional cellular wireless SIM profiles of a mobile network operator (MNO) associated with the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile identified by the unique identifier; and configuring the wireless device in accordance with the updated SIM activation policy rule.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
by the wireless device: sending, to a second network-based server after receipt of the device activation response message, a SIM installation message identifying the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile installed in the wireless device; receiving, from the second network-based server, a SIM installation response message indicating the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile is eligible for use by the wireless device; and enabling the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile in the wireless device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile comprises a physical SIM (pSIM) on a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) installed in the wireless device, the pSIM configured for access to cellular wireless services of the MNO.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile comprises an electronic SIM (eSIM) downloaded to an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the wireless device from a provisioning server of the MNO.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique hardware ID included in the device activation request message comprises a serial number of the wireless device.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the device activation request message further includes an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) identifier (EID) value of the eUICC of the wireless device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier for the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile included in the baseband activation request message comprises an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) value.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
by the wireless device: validating the baseband activation response message based on a certificate associated with the first network-based server installed in the wireless device; and after successful validation of the baseband activation response message, activating cellular baseband capability of the wireless device to enable use of the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the certificate is installed in the wireless device during manufacture of the wireless device.

10 . A method for dynamic subscriber identity module (SIM) activation policy updating of a wireless device, the method comprising:
by a first network-based server:
receiving, from the wireless device, a device activation request message that includes a unique hardware identifier (ID) of the wireless device;
determining, based at least in part on identification of the wireless device, whether the wireless device supports use of a dynamic SIM activation policy;
generating and subsequently sending, to the wireless device responsive to successful determination that the wireless device supports dynamic SIM activation policy updating, a device activation response message that includes a SIM activation policy rule that blocks use of all fully functional cellular wireless SIM profiles by the wireless device;
receiving, from the wireless device, a baseband activation request message that includes a unique identifier for a fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile installed in the wireless device;
determining an updated SIM activation policy rule for the wireless device to restrict the wireless device to use fully functional cellular wireless SIM profiles of a mobile network operator (MNO) associated with the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile identified by the unique identifier; and
generating and subsequently sending, to the wireless device, a baseband activation response message that includes the updated SIM activation policy rule.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
by a second network-based server:
receiving, from the wireless device after sending the device activation response message, a SIM installation message identifying the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile installed in the wireless device; and
sending, to the wireless device, a SIM installation response message indicating the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile is eligible for use by the wireless device.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile comprises a physical SIM (pSIM) on a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) installed in the wireless device, the pSIM configured for access to cellular wireless services of the MNO.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile comprises an electronic SIM (eSIM) downloaded to an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the wireless device from a provisioning server of the MNO.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein unique hardware ID included in the device activation request message comprises a serial number of the wireless device.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the device activation request message further includes an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) identifier (EID) value of the eUICC of the wireless device.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the unique identifier for the fully functional cellular wireless SIM profile included in the baseband activation request message comprises an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) value.

17 . 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, cause the wireless device to dynamically update a subscriber identity module (SIM) activation policy of the wireless device by at least:
generating and subsequently sending, to a first network-based server, a device activation request message that includes a unique hardware identifier (ID) of the wireless device;
receiving, from the first network-based server, responsive to successful determination that the wireless device supports dynamic SIM activation policy updating, a device activation response message that includes a SIM activation policy rule that blocks use of all fully funct

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Vaidyanathan Abishek Kumar
• Parthasarathy Arjun
• Lin George
• Li Li
• Kattavoor Sivakumar Mohanasundaram

Classifications

• H04W60/04

  using triggered events · CPC title

• H04W4/50

  Service provisioning or reconfiguring · CPC title

• H04W8/205

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

• H04W8/183 Primary

  Processing at user equipment or user record carrier · CPC title