Methods and devices of registering, verifying identity of, and invalidating non-SIM mobile terminals accessing a wireless communication network

An application Server, AS, configured to register a non-Subscriber Identity Module, non-SIM, mobile terminal with a wireless network, the AS comprising:

• a processing unit;
• and
• a memory, the memory having instructions stored therein that are executable by the processing unit to cause the processing unit to:
• receive, from a trusted SIM mobile terminal, an identifier of the non-SIM mobile terminal as an indication that the trusted SIM mobile terminal is associated with the non-SIM mobile terminal;
• receive a request for registration of the non-SIM mobile terminal from the non-SIM mobile terminal after receiving the identifier of the non-SIM mobile terminal, the non-SIM mobile terminal being associated with the trusted SIM mobile terminal by means of the identifier of the non-SIM mobile terminal, the trusted SIM mobile terminal being registered with the wireless network and the identifier having been provided by the SIM mobile terminal;
• responsive to receiving the request for registration of the non-SIM mobile terminal, issue a virtual International Mobile Station Equipment Identity, vIMEI, for the non-SIM mobile terminal, the vIMEI being based on the identifier of the non-SIM mobile terminal;
• provide an Equipment Identity Register, EIR, with the vIMEI;
• provide a certificate issuing entity in the network with the vIMEI;
• receive, from the certificate issuing entity, a certificate issued based on the vIMEI;
• and
• provide the non-SIM mobile terminal with the issued certificate.

A method performed by an Application Server, AS, of registering a non-Subscriber Identity Module, non-SIM, mobile terminal with a wireless network, the method comprising:

• receiving a request for registration of the non-SIM mobile terminal from the non-SIM mobile terminal, the non-SIM mobile terminal being associated with a trusted SIM mobile terminal by means of an identifier of the non-SIM mobile terminal, the trusted SIM mobile terminal being registered with the wireless network and the identifier having been provided by the SIM mobile terminal;
• responsive to receiving the request for registration of the non-SIM mobile terminal, issuing a virtual International Mobile Station Equipment Identity, vIMEI, for the non-SIM mobile terminal, the vIMEI being based on the identifier of the non-SIM mobile terminal;
• providing an Equipment Identity Register, EIR, with the vIMEI;
• providing a certificate issuing entity in the network with the vIMEI;
• receiving, from the certificate issuing entity, a certificate issued based on the vIMEI;
• providing the non-SIM mobile terminal with the issued certificate;
• responsive to providing the non-SIM mobile terminal with the issued certificate, determining that the non-SIM mobile terminal is a trusted mobile terminal registered with the wireless network;
• and
• responsive to determining that the non-SIM mobile terminal is a trusted mobile terminal, receiving from the non-SIM mobile terminal the identifier of the further non-SIM mobile terminal as an indication that the non-SIM mobile terminal is associated with the further non-SIM mobile terminal.