Updating profiles for secondary wireless devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9949113-B1
Application number	US-201715612986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 2, 2017
Priority date	Jun 2, 2017
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

Techniques to manage updates for eSIMs of a secondary wireless device are disclosed. Responsive to a user input, expiration of a timer, receipt of a message from an associated primary wireless device, processing circuitry of the secondary wireless device commands an eUICC to update an eSIM. A secure data connection is established between the eUICC and a network provisioning server, either directly from the secondary wireless device to a cellular wireless network or relayed indirectly via the primary wireless device. The eUICC and the network provisioning server exchange messages in accordance with a BIP process to update the eSIM. The eUICC provides a status to the processing circuitry indicating success or failure for the eSIM update. Upon success, a portion of the secondary wireless device may be placed in a reduced power state. Upon failure, the eSIM update process may repeat up to a maximum number of retries.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for updating electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs) on an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) included in a secondary wireless device, the method comprising:
by processing circuitry of the secondary wireless device external to the eUICC:
performing an eSIM update process that includes:
sending, to the eUICC, a command to trigger an eSIM update applet on the eUICC;
receiving, from the eUICC, a request to establish a secure data connection to a network provisioning server;
establishing the secure data connection between the eUICC and the network provisioning server; and
receiving, from the eUICC, an eSIM update status; and

repeating the eSIM update process until the eSIM update status indicates success or a maximum number of retries occurs.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
by the processing circuitry of the secondary wireless device external to the eUICC:
entering a reduced power state when the eSIM update status indicates success.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the eSIM update process is repeated when the eSIM update status indicates failure.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secure data connection includes a cellular wireless data connection between secondary wireless device and the network provisioning server.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
by the eUICC of the secondary wireless device:
sending a request for an eSIM update to the network provisioning server in accordance with a bearer independent protocol (BIP); and
receiving one or more responses that include the eSIM update from the network provisioning server in accordance with the BIP.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry of the secondary wireless device performs the eSIM update process responsive to receipt of a user-initiated update.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry of the secondary wireless device performs the eSIM update process in response to expiration of an update timer while the secondary wireless device is connected to an external power source.

8. A method for updating electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs) on an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) included in a secondary wireless device associated with a primary wireless device, the method comprising:
by processing circuitry of the secondary wireless device external to the eUICC:
performing an eSIM update process that includes:
sending, to the eUICC, a command to trigger an eSIM update applet on the eUICC;
receiving, from the eUICC, a request to establish a secure data connection to a network provisioning server;
sending, to the primary wireless device, a request to establish the secure data connection to the network provisioning server;
receiving, from the eUICC, an eSIM update status; and

repeating the eSIM update process until the eSIM update status indicates success or a maximum number of retries occurs.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
by the processing circuitry of the secondary wireless device external to the eUICC:
entering a reduced power state when the eSIM update status indicates success.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the eSIM update process is repeated when the eSIM update status indicates failure.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the secure data connection includes a cellular wireless data connection between the primary wireless device and the network provisioning server.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the secure data connection further includes a non-cellular wireless data connection between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
by the eUICC of the secondary wireless device:
sending a request for an eSIM update to the network provisioning server in accordance with a bearer independent protocol (BIP); and
receiving one or more responses that include the eSIM update from the network provisioning server in accordance with the BIP.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry of the secondary wireless device performs the eSIM update process responsive to receipt of a notification from the primary wireless device, the notification indicating availability of an eSIM update for the eUICC.

15. A method for updating electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs) on an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) included in a secondary wireless device, the method comprising:
by the eUICC:
receiving, from processing circuitry of the secondary wireless device external to the eUICC, a command to trigger an eSIM update applet on the eUICC;
providing, to the processing circuitry in response to the command to trigger the eSIM update applet, a request to establish a secure data connection to a network provisioning server;
when the secure data connection is established between the eUICC and the network provisioning server, retrieving an eSIM update from the network provisioning server in accordance with a bearer independent protocol (BIP); and
providing, to the processing circuitry, an eSIM update status that includes an indication of whether the eSIM update succeeded or failed.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the secure data connection includes a cellular wireless data connection between the secondary wireless device and the network provisioning server.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein secure data connection includes a cellular wireless data connection between a primary wireless device associated with the secondary wireless device and the network provisioning server.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the secure data connection further includes a non-cellular wireless data connection between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein retrieval of the eSIM update includes the eUICC of the secondary wireless device:
sending a request for the eSIM update to the network provisioning server in accordance with the BIP; and
receiving one or more responses that include the eSIM update from the network provisioning server in accordance with the BIP.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the processing circuitry of the secondary wireless device repeats triggering of the eSIM update up to a maximum number of retries when the eSIM update status indicates failure.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Vasudevan Chandiramohan
• Malthankar Rohan C
• Vashi Prashant H
• Nagarajan Viswanath
• Yerrabommanahalli Vikram Bhaskara
• Rivera-Barreto Rafael L
• Miller Samuel J
• Jeyakumar Kannan
• Li Li

Classifications

• H04W8/205

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

• H04W8/18

  Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data · CPC title

• H04W8/24 Primary

  Transfer of terminal data · CPC title

• H04W4/50 Primary

  Service provisioning or reconfiguring · CPC title

• H04W4/001

  Electricity · mapped topic