Facilitating Multiple Subscriber Identity Support in a Wireless Device
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsWen Zhao, Arun G. Mathias, Syed A. Mujtaba
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Facilitating multiple subscriber identity support in a wireless user equipment (UE) device. A UE may include or be coupled to multiple subscriber identity modules (SIMs). The UE may be configured to perform cellular communications with a first cellular network using a first subscriber identity provided by a first SIM. The UE may also be configured to perform cellular communications with a second cellular network using a second subscriber identity provided by a second SIM. The cellular communications with the first cellular network and the second cellular network may be performed concurrently using shared radio resources.
Claims21
A wireless user equipment (UE) device, the UE comprising:
- a radio, comprising one or more antennas for performing wireless communication;
- and
- a processing element operatively coupled to the radio;
- wherein the UE comprises or is coupled to at least two subscriber identity modules (SIMs), wherein the processing element and radio are configured to:
- perform cellular communications with a first cellular network using a first subscriber identity provided by a first SIM;
- and
- perform cellular communications with a second cellular network using a second subscriber identity provided by a second SIM,
- wherein the cellular communications with the first cellular network and the second cellular network are performed concurrently using shared radio resources.
A method for operating a wireless user equipment (UE) device, the method comprising:
- detecting that a first removable subscriber identity module (SIM) card is operatively coupled to the UE, wherein the first removable SIM provides a first subscriber identity supporting access to a first cellular network;
- generating a first embedded SIM (eSIM) based on the first removable SIM card, wherein the first eSIM is stored in device memory of the UE, wherein the first eSIM also provides the first subscriber identity;
- detecting that the first removable SIM card is de-coupled from the UE;
- detecting that a second removable SIM card is operatively coupled to the UE, wherein the second removable SIM card provides a second subscriber identity supporting access to a second cellular network;
- monitoring the cellular first network using the first subscriber identity provided by the first eSIM;
- and
- monitoring the second cellular network using the second subscriber identity provided by the second removable SIM card.
A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium comprising program instructions for operating a wireless user equipment (UE) device, wherein when executed at the UE, the program instructions cause the UE to implement a method comprising:
- at a first time, simultaneously utilizing a first antenna to perform cellular communications with a first cellular network using a first subscriber identity and utilizing a second antenna to perform cellular communications with a second cellular network using a second subscriber identity;
- at a second time, utilizing both the first antenna and the second antenna to perform cellular communications with the first cellular network using the first subscriber identity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.