Configurable UICC integrated in NB-IoT device
AssigneeT-Mobile USA, Inc.
InventorVenson Shaw
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method to configure a virtual integrated universal integrated circuit card (UICC) that is integrated in a narrowband Internet-of-Things (NB-IoT) host device of a telecommunications network. One or more network nodes can configure one or more authentication and encryption functions for the UICC based on a capability of the NB-IoT device and a condition of the 5G network. The network node(s) can detect a change in a condition of the network or the capability of the NB-IoT device and, in response, reconfigure the UICC for one or more second authentication and encryption functions.
Claims20
A method performed by one or more network nodes to configure a virtual integrated universal integrated circuit card (UICC) integrated in a narrowband Internet-of-Things (NB-IoT) device of a 5G network, the method comprising:
- maintaining a device profile that indicates a capability and a communications service of the NB-IoT device;
- determining one or more first authentication and encryption functions for the UICC,
- wherein the first authentication and encryption functions support the communications service based on the capability of the NB-IoT device and a condition of the 5G network;
- configuring the UICC to allocate the first authentication and encryption functions for the NB-IoT device;
- detecting a change in the condition of the 5G network, the capability of the NB-IoT device, or the communications service;
- in response to the detected change, determining one or more second authentication and encryption functions for the UICC,
- wherein the second authentication and encryption functions are determined to support the communications service based on the changed condition of the 5G network, the changed capability of the NB-IoT device, or the changed communications service of the NB-IoT device;
- and
- causing dynamic reconfiguration of the UICC to support the second authentication and encryption functions for the NB-IoT device,
- wherein the second authentication and encryption functions are set stronger than the first authentication and encryption functions when the detected change is a first change, and
- wherein the second authentication and encryption functions are set weaker than the first authentication and encryption functions when the detected change is a second change different from the first change.
At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a device profile that indicates a capability and a communications service of a narrowband Internet-of-Things (NB-IoT) device and storing instructions to be executed by at least one processor, wherein execution of the instructions cause one or more network nodes of a telecommunications network to:
- determine one or more first authentication and encryption functions for a virtual integrated universal integrated circuit card (UICC) that is integrated in the NB-IoT device;
- wherein the first authentication and encryption functions support a communications service based on a capability of the NB-IoT device and a state of a 5G network;
- configure the virtual UICC to allocate at least the first authentication and encryption functions of authentication and encryption for the NB-IoT device;
- detect a change in the 5G network, the capability of the NB-IoT device, or the communications service of the NB-IoT device;
- in response to the detected change, determine one or more second authentication and encryption functions of the virtual UICC,
- wherein the second authentication and encryption functions support the communications service based on the change to the 5G network, the capability of the NB-IoT device, or the communications service of the NB-IoT device;
- and
- dynamically reconfigure the virtual UICC to allocate the second authentication and encryption functions for the NB-IoT device,
- wherein the second authentication and encryption functions are set stronger than the first authentication and encryption functions when the detected change is a first change, and
- wherein the second authentication and encryption functions are set weaker than the first authentication and encryption functions when the detected change is a second change different from the first change.
A network node of a telecommunications network, the network node comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores a device profile that indicates a capability and a communications service of a narrowband Internet-of-Things (NB-IoT) device and stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the network node to:
- determine one or more first authentication and encryption functions for a virtual integrated universal integrated circuit card (UICC) that is integrated in the NB-IoT device,
- wherein the first authentication and encryption functions support the communications service based on the capability of the NB-IoT device;
- configure the first authentication and encryption functions of the UICC for the NB-IoT device;
- detect a change in a condition of the telecommunications network;
- in response to the detected change, determine one or more second authentication and encryption functions of the UICC,
- wherein the second authentication and encryption functions are determined to support the communications service based on the changed condition of the telecommunications network and the capability of the NB-IoT device;
- and
- dynamically reconfigure the first authentication and encryption functions of the UICC for the second authentication and encryption functions,
- wherein the second authentication and encryption functions are set stronger than the first authentication and encryption functions when the detected change is a first change, and
- wherein the second authentication and encryption functions are set weaker than the first authentication and encryption functions when the detected change is a second change different from the first change.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.