Methods and apparatus to support globalplatform™ usage on an embedded UICC (eUICC)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9537858-B2
Application number	US-201414500912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2014
Priority date	May 15, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a technique for managing one or more electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs) on an embedded UICC (eUICC). In particular, the technique involves leveraging the GlobalPlatform™ Specification and/or other telecommunication standards to support the eSIMs on the eUICC. Each eUICC can include an Issuer Security Domain (ISD) owned by a device manufacturer and an eSIM manager that manages the plurality of eSIMs on the eUICC. Notably, binaries of one or more applications shared between different eSIMs can be standardized and stored in a manner that enables each eSIM to utilize the one or more applications (via the eSIM manager) without needing to individually store the binaries. Using this approach, the overall size and complexity of each eSIM can be reduced, which can increase the amount of available memory within the eUICC as well as the overall performance of the eUICC.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile device, comprising:
wireless circuitry; and
a secure element, configured to store:
an Issuer Security Domain (ISD) associated with an Issuer, wherein the Issuer is a mobile device manufacturer,
a plurality of electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs),
wherein: i) a first eSIM of the plurality of eSIMs comprises a first instance of a standardized application, ii) the first eSIM is associated with a first mobile network operator (MNO), iii) a second eSIM of the plurality of eSIMs comprises a second instance of the standardized application, and iv) the second eSIM is associated with a second MNO,

a standardized binary package associated with the standardized application,
a software entity configured to manage the plurality of eSIMs, wherein the secure element comprises a processor that causes the software entity to:
receive a request to activate the first eSIM or the second eSIM,
determine whether a standardized binary package exists on the secure element,
in response to a determination that the standardized binary package exists on the secure element:
i) trigger an activation of the first eSIM or the second eSIM, and
ii) enable the activated first eSIM or the activated second eSIM to access the standardized binary package, wherein the standardized binary package is stored separately from the first eSIM and separately from the second eSIM, and

in response to a determination that the standardized binary package does not exist on the secure element:
trigger an activation of the first eSIM or of the second eSIM.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the first eSIM comprises:
one or more applications associated with the Issuer.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the first eSIM comprises a standardized remote application management (RAM) application and a standardized remote file management (RFM) application.

4. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the first eSIM comprises a proprietary application and a binary package associated with only the proprietary application.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the standardized binary package comprises files, directories, and/or scripts necessary for instantiation of a first application on the secure element.

6. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein: i) the standardized binary package is a remote application management (RAM) binary package, and ii) the standardized application is a RAM application.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein: i) the standardized binary package is a network access (NA) binary package, and ii) the standardized application is a NA application.

8. The mobile device of claim 7 , wherein the NA binary package comprises a set of cryptographic keys.

9. The mobile device of claim 7 , wherein the standardized binary package comprises a set of cryptographic keys associated with a service provider to facilitate communication with a server of the service provider.

10. The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein the service provider is associated with a payment application.

11. A secure element, comprising:
an Issuer Security Domain (ISD) associated with an Issuer;
a first storage portion storing a plurality of electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs), wherein: i) the plurality of eSIMs comprises a first eSIM associated with a first mobile network operator (MNO), and ii) a second eSIM associated with a second MNO;
a second storage portion storing a standardized binary package associated with a standardized application, wherein the first storage portion is logically separated from the second storage portion; and
a software entity configured to manage the plurality of eSIMs, wherein the secure element comprises a processor that causes the software entity to:
receive a request to activate the first eSIM or the second eSIM,
determine whether a standardized binary package exists on the secure element,
in response to a determination that the standardized binary package exists on the secure element:
i) trigger an activation of the first eSIM or the second eSIM, and
ii) enable the activated first eSIM or the activated second eSIM to access the standardized binary package, and

in response to a determination that the standardized binary package does not exist on the secure element:
trigger an activation of the first eSIM or of the second eSIM.

12. The secure element of claim 11 , wherein the standardized binary package is associated with a standardized remote application management (RAM) application, a standardized remote file management (RFM) application, or a standardized network access (NA) application.

13. The secure element of claim 11 , wherein the first eSIM comprises a proprietary application and stores a binary package associated with only the proprietary application.

14. The secure element of claim 11 , wherein the Issuer is a device manufacturer.

15. The secure element of claim 11 , wherein the second storage portion is associated with the ISD.

16. The secure element of claim 11 , wherein the standardized binary package comprises files, directories, and/or scripts necessary for instantiation of a first application on the secure element.

17. The secure element of claim 11 , wherein: i) the standardized binary package is a remote application management (RAM) binary package, and ii) the standardized application is a RAM application.

18. The secure element of claim 11 , wherein: i) the standardized binary package is a network access (NA) binary package, and ii) the NA binary package comprises a set of cryptographic keys associated with a service provider to facilitate communication with a server of the service provider.

19. A method for managing a plurality of electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs) stored on a secure element, wherein: i) the plurality of eSIMs comprises a first eSIM associated with a first mobile network operator (MNO), and ii) a second eSIM associated with a second MNO, the method comprising:
receiving a request to activate the first eSIM or the second eSIM;
determining whether a standardized binary package exists on the secure element, wherein the standardized binary package is stored separately from the first eSIM and separately from the second eSIM;
in response to a determination that the standardized binary package exists on the secure element:
i) triggering an activation of the first eSIM or of the second eSIM, and
ii) enabling the activated first eSIM or the activated second eSIM to access the standardized binary package; and

in response to a determination that the standardized binary package does not exist on the secure element:
triggering an activation of the first eSIM or of the second eSIM.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the standardized binary package is associated with a standardized remote application management (RAM) application, a standardized remote file management (RFM) application, or a standardized network access (NA) application.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Ziat Mehdi

Classifications

• H04L63/0853 Primary

  using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234) · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• H04W4/60

  Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits · CPC title

• H04B1/3816

  Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices · CPC title

• H04W4/50

  Service provisioning or reconfiguring · CPC title