# US 2018/0027480 A1 · ELECTRONIC SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY MODULE (eSIM) ASSIGNMENT FOR CARRIER CHANNEL DEVICES

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- Number: US 2018/0027480 A1
- Document ID: US20180027480A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/649,283
- Filed: 2017-07-13
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-21
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Avinash NARASIMHAN; Devin B. COLLIER; Clark P. MUELLER; David T. HAGGERTY
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180027480A1

## CPC

- H04W 48/08: Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery (signalling during connection H04W76/00)
- H04W 4/60: Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
- H04W 8/02: Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
- H04W 12/04: Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
- H04W 12/06: Authentication
- H04W 12/35: {Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning}
- H04B 1/3816: Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
- H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
- H04L 63/0869: {for achieving mutual authentication (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273)}
- H04W 8/183: {Processing at user equipment or user record carrier}
- H04W 12/71: Hardware identity
- H04W 74/08: Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA (hybrid access H04W74/02)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A pool of devices is initially associated under a single product type identifier, for example, a single stock keeping unit (SKU) identifier. Each device is associated with a secure element (SE), for example, an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC). A wireless telecommunications carrier purchases a subset of the devices from the owner of the pool of devices. A policy management server receives a shipment record and associates the subset of devices with a product identifier and with a carrier-specific activation policy. The policy management server sends an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) reservation request to a policy evaluation server, which contacts an eSIM delivery server associated with the purchasing carrier. The eSIM delivery server reserves eSIMs for the purchased devices. When an end user buys one of the devices from the subset, the purchased device is provisioned by the eSIM delivery server with the eSIM reserved for that device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A policy evaluation server comprising:
a memory; and
one or more processors, wherein the memory includes instructions that, when executed by a processor of the one or more processors, cause the policy evaluation server to perform operations comprising:
determining a first eSIM delivery server based on a first product identifier of a first device, wherein: i) the first device is identified by a first device identification number, and ii) the first device is associated with a first secure element (SE),
sending a first request message, wherein the first request message: i) requests reservation of a first eSIM, ii) includes the first device identification number, and iii) includes a first SE identifier of the first SE,
determining a second eSIM delivery server based on a second product identifier of a second device, wherein: i) the second device is identified by a second device identification number, and ii) the second device is associated with a second SE, and
sending a second request message, wherein the second request message: i) requests reservation of a second eSIM, ii) includes the second device identification number, and iii) includes a second SE identifier of the second SE.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The policy evaluation server of claim 1, wherein the sending the first request message comprises sending the first request message to the first eSIM delivery server.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The policy evaluation server of claim 1, wherein: i) the first product identifier is a first stock keeping unit (SKU) number associated with a first telecommunications carrier, and ii) the second product identifier is a second SKU number associated with a second telecommunications carrier different from the first telecommunications carrier.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The policy evaluation server of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying an activation policy stipulated by the first telecommunications carrier.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The policy evaluation server of claim 4, wherein the first eSIM is in conformance with the activation policy.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The policy evaluation server of claim 4, wherein: i) the activation policy is a representation of how the first device can be activated by an end user with a telecommunications carrier, and ii) the activation policy is a locked activation policy requiring that a purchasing end user only activate the first device with the first telecommunications carrier or the activation policy is an unlocked activation policy allowing the purchasing end user to activate the first device with a telecommunications carrier other than the first telecommunications carrier.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The policy evaluation server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, from the first eSIM delivery server, a first report, wherein the first report comprises a first eSIM identifier for the first eSIM; and
receiving, from the second eSIM delivery server, a second report, wherein the second report comprises a second eSIM identifier for the second eSIM.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The policy evaluation server of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:
sending the first eSIM identifier to a policy management server; and
sending the second eSIM identifier to the policy management server.

### Claim 9

A method by a policy management server, the method comprising:
by the policy management server:
receiving a first shipment record, wherein: i) the first shipment record indicates that a first plurality of a plurality of devices has been shipped to a first telecommunications carrier, ii) a first device of the first plurality of devices has a first device identification number, and iii) the plurality of devices is associated with a single product type identifier;
associating a first product identifier with the first plurality of devices;
associating a first activation policy with the first product identifier based on an identity of the first telecommunications carrier; and
assigning a first activation policy to the first device, wherein the first activation policy is associated with the first telecommunications carrier.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
sending a first request message to a policy evaluation server, wherein the first request message: i) requests a first eSIM for the first device, ii) includes the first device identification number, iii) identifies the first activation policy, and iv) includes the first product identifier.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
receiving a second shipment record, wherein: i) the second shipment record indicates that a second plurality of the plurality of devices has been shipped to a second telecommunications carrier, and ii) a second device of the second plurality of devices has a second device identification number;
associating a second product identifier with the second plurality of devices;
associating a second activation policy with the second product identifier based on an identity of the second telecommunications carrier; and
assigning a second activation policy to the second device, wherein the second activation policy is associated with the second telecommunications carrier.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
sending a second request message to a policy evaluation server, wherein the second request message: i) requests a second eSIM for the first device, ii) includes the second device identification number, iii) identifies the second activation policy, and iv) includes the second product identifier.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein: i) the first activation policy is a representation of how the first device can be activated by an end user with a telecommunications carrier, and ii) the first activation policy is a locked activation policy requiring that a purchasing end user only activate the first device with the first telecommunications carrier or the first activation policy is an unlocked activation policy allowing the purchasing end user to activate the first device with a telecommunications carrier other than the first telecommunications carrier.

### Claim 14

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a process of a policy management and evaluation server, cause the policy management and evaluation server to perform operations comprising:
receiving a first shipment record, wherein: i) the first shipment record indicates that a first plurality of a plurality of devices has been shipped to a first telecommunications carrier, ii) a first device of the first plurality of devices has a first device identification number, iii) the first device is associated with a first secure element (SE), and iv) the plurality of devices is associated with a single product type identifier;
associating a first product identifier with the first plurality of devices;
associating a first activation policy with the first product identifier based on an identity of the first telecommunications carrier; and
sending a first request message to a first eSIM delivery server, wherein the first request message: i) requests reservation of the first eSIM, ii) includes the first device identification number, and iii) includes the first SE identifier.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the single product type identifier is a stock keeping unit (SKU) number not associated with a particular telecommunications carrier.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein: i) the first activation policy is a representation of how a first device of the first plurality of devices can be activated by an end user with a telecommunications carrier, and ii) the first activation policy is a locked activation policy requiring that a purchasing end user only activate the first device with the first telecommunications carrier or the first activation policy is an unlocked activation policy allowing the purchasing end user to activate the first device with a telecommunications carrier other than the first telecommunications carrier.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving, from the first eSIM delivery server, a first report, wherein the first report comprises a first eSIM identifier for the first eSIM;
receiving a first inquiry from the first telecommunications carrier, wherein the first inquiry requests the first eSIM identifier; and
sending the first eSIM identifier to the first telecommunications carrier.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a second shipment record, wherein: i) the second shipment record indicates that a second plurality of the plurality of devices has been shipped to a second telecommunications carrier, ii) a second device of the second plurality of devices has a second device identification number, and iii) the second device is associated with a second secure element (SE);
associating a second product identifier with the second plurality of devices;
associating a second activation policy with the second product identifier based on an identity of the second telecommunications carrier; and
sending a second request message to a second eSIM delivery server, wherein the second request message: i) requests reservation of the second eSIM, ii) includes the second device identification number, and iii) includes the second SE identifier.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first product identifier is a first stock keeping unit (SKU) number associated with a first telecommunications carrier.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second product identifier is a second SKU number associated with a second telecommunications carrier different from the first telecommunications carrier.