US 2023/0413036 A1Published application

Cellular wireless service plan transfer between non-linked wireless devices

AssigneeApple Inc.

InventorsRaj S. CHAUGULE, Bob BRADLEY, Can XIONG, Li LI, Najeeb M. ABDULRAHIMAN, Zexing SHI

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Abstract

This Application sets forth techniques for transfer of a cellular wireless service plan associated with a SIM or an semis between non-linked wireless devices. A target wireless device broadcasts an advertisement beacon requesting transfer of a cellular wireless service plan. After successful authentication with a source wireless device, using a manually entered verification code or a QR verification code, the target wireless device selects a cellular wireless service plan to transfer. The source wireless device obtains a transfer token from an MNO entitlement server for transfer of the selected cellular wireless service plan and provides the transfer token to the target wireless device via a secure, short distance Bluetooth connection or, alternatively, embedded in an encrypted QR code. The target wireless device uses the transfer token to obtain a new eSIM associated with transfer of the cellular wireless service plan.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A source wireless device comprising:

wireless circuitry comprising one or more antennas;
and
one or more processors communicatively coupled to the wireless circuitry and to a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the source wireless device to:
receive, from a target wireless device, a Bluetooth advertisement beacon including an action type indicating a request to transfer a cellular wireless service plan to the target wireless device;
send, to the target wireless device, a request to initiate a secure Bluetooth connection between the source wireless device and the target wireless device;
establish the secure Bluetooth connection with the target wireless device after successful verification of the source wireless device to the target wireless device via an authentication procedure;
receive, from the target wireless device, a plan transfer request to transfer a particular cellular wireless service plan associated with a subscriber identity module (SIM) or an electronic SIM (eSIM) selected from a list of cellular wireless service plans received from the source wireless device;
obtain, from a mobile network operator (MNO) entitlement server, a transfer token associated with associated with a new eSIM reserved for transfer of the particular cellular wireless service plan;
and
send, to the target wireless device, a plan transfer response that includes the transfer token.

7 more elements

A method for cellular wireless service transfer from a source wireless device to a target wireless device, the method comprising:

by the source wireless device:
receiving, from the target wireless device, a Bluetooth advertisement beacon including an action type indicating a request to transfer a cellular wireless service plan to the target wireless device;
sending, to the target wireless device, a request to initiate a secure Bluetooth connection between the source wireless device and the target wireless device;
establishing the secure Bluetooth connection with the target wireless device after successful verification of the source wireless device to the target wireless device via an authentication procedure;
receiving, from the target wireless device, a plan transfer request to transfer a particular cellular wireless service plan associated with a subscriber identity module (SIM) or an electronic SIM (eSIM) selected from a list of cellular wireless service plans received from the source wireless device;
obtaining, from a mobile network operator (MNO) entitlement server, a transfer token associated with associated with a new eSIM reserved for transfer of the particular cellular wireless service plan;
and
sending, to the target wireless device, a plan transfer response that includes the transfer token.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/333,476Filed 12 Jun 2023
Priority: 17 Jun 2022
Published: 21 Dec 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04W 8/205
Transfer of user or subscriber data: transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
H04W 8/183
Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data:…
H04W 12/06
Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity: authentication
H04W 12/069
Authentication: using certificates or pre-shared keys

Family

Application63/366,616Us provisional application · filed 17 Jun 2022
Application18/330,338Continuation · filed 6 Jun 2023
Application18/333,476Continuation
US 12,726,809 B2Related patent
US 2023/0413035 A1Published application
US 2023/0413036 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.