Method and apparatus for managing international mobile subscriber identity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9525997-B2
Application number	US-201314088594-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2013
Priority date	Nov 25, 2013
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, responsive to a mode of operation being a reseller mode, providing a second international mobile subscriber identity to a mobile communication device to cause the mobile communication device to store the second international mobile subscriber identity in the universal integrated circuit card and to cause the mobile communication device to delete the first international mobile subscriber identity from the universal integrated circuit card. Responsive to the mode of operation being an agency mode, a third international mobile subscriber identity and authentication keys can be provided to the mobile communication device to cause the mobile communication device to store the third international mobile subscriber identity and the authentication keys in the universal integrated circuit card without deleting the first international mobile subscriber identity from the universal integrated circuit card. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining, by a processing system including a processor, a mobile country code and a mobile network code for a mobile communication device based on a first registration associated with a universal integrated circuit card of the mobile communication device, wherein the universal integrated circuit card stores a first international mobile subscriber identity;
identifying, by the processing system, a mode of operation for the mobile communication device according to a subscriber account associated with the mobile communication device, wherein the subscriber account designates the mode of operation to be at least a roaming mode, a reseller mode or an agency mode;
responsive to the mode of operation being the reseller mode, selecting, by the processing system, a second international mobile subscriber identity from among a group of international mobile subscriber identities that are designated for a mobile network operator, wherein the selecting of the second international mobile subscriber identity is according to the mobile country code and the mobile network code;
responsive to the mode of operation being the reseller mode, providing, by the processing system, the second international mobile subscriber identity to the mobile communication device to cause the mobile communication device to store the second international mobile subscriber identity in the universal integrated circuit card, wherein the providing of the second international mobile subscriber identity to the mobile communication device causes the mobile communication device to delete the first international mobile subscriber identity from the universal integrated circuit card;
responsive to the mode of operation being the reseller mode, providing, by the processing system, the second international mobile subscriber identity to a home location register to facilitate establishing communications for the mobile communication device; and
responsive to the mode of operation being the agency mode, providing, by the processing system, a third international mobile subscriber identity and authentication keys to the mobile communication device to cause the mobile communication device to store the third international mobile subscriber identity and the authentication keys in the universal integrated circuit card without deleting the first international mobile subscriber identity from the universal integrated circuit card.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing of one of the second or third international mobile subscriber identity to the mobile communication device is via over-the-air programming messaging utilizing short message service messaging.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing of the second international mobile subscriber identity to the mobile communication device responsive to the mode of operation being the agency mode causes a second registration of the universal integrated circuit card for the establishing of the communications utilizing a target mobile network operator, and wherein the second registration is performed without user intervention.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second registration causes a network element on a host core network to be updated with the second international mobile subscriber identity.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing of the second international mobile subscriber identity to the mobile communication device responsive to the mode of operation being the reseller mode causes a second registration of the universal integrated circuit card for the establishing of the communications, and wherein the second registration is performed without user intervention.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising providing, by the processing system, network adjustments to enable routing of traffic associated with the group of international mobile subscriber identities to a host core network.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the mobile communication device is integrated with a vehicle communication system.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
detecting, by the processing system, a failure of the universal integrated circuit card to register with a target mobile network operator utilizing the third international mobile subscriber identity and the authentication keys; and
providing, by the processing system, roaming via the target mobile network operator for the mobile communication device responsive to the detecting of the failure to register with the target mobile network operator.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
detecting, by the processing system, a failure of the universal integrated circuit card to register with a target mobile network operator utilizing the third international mobile subscriber identity and the authentication keys; and
re-transmitting, by the processing system, the third international mobile subscriber identity and the authentication keys to the mobile communication device responsive to the detecting of the failure to register with the target mobile network operator.

10. A method comprising:
determining, by a system including a processor, a mobile network code for a mobile communication device based on a first registration associated with a universal integrated circuit card of mobile communication device, wherein the universal integrated circuit card stores a first international mobile subscriber identity;
identifying, by the system, a mode of operation for the mobile communication device according to a subscriber account associated with the mobile communication device, wherein the subscriber account designates the mode of operation to be at least a reseller mode or an agency mode;
responsive to the mode of operation being the reseller mode, providing, by the system, a second international mobile subscriber identity to the mobile communication device to cause the mobile communication device to store the second international mobile subscriber identity in the universal integrated circuit card, wherein the providing of the second international mobile subscriber identity to the mobile communication device causes the mobile communication device to delete the first international mobile subscriber identity from the universal integrated circuit card, wherein the second international mobile subscriber identity is selected from among a group of international mobile subscriber identities that are designated for a mobile network operator, and wherein the second international mobile subscriber identity is selected according to the mobile network code; and
responsive to the mode of operation being the agency mode, providing, by the system, a third international mobile subscriber identity and authentication keys to the mobile communication device to cause the mobile communication device to store the third international mobile subscriber identity and the authentication keys in the universal integrated circuit card without deleting the first international mobile subscriber identity from the universal integrated circuit card.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the providing of the second or third international mobile subscriber identity to the mobile communication device causes a second registration of the universal integrated circuit card for establishing communications for the mobile communication device, and wherein the second registration is performed without user intervention.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second registration causes a network element on a host core network to be updated with the second international mobile subscriber identity.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the providing of the second or third international mobile subscriber identity to the mobile commu

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp
• At & T Ip I Lp
• At & T Mobility Ii Llc

Inventors

• Rainer Brian Keith
• Kenerly Matthew Traye

Classifications

• H04W12/04

  Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] · CPC title

• H04W8/205 Primary

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

• H04W8/245

  from a network towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04W12/45

  using multiple identity modules · CPC title

• H04W4/025

  using location based information parameters · CPC title