Method and apparatus for remote multiple access to subscriber identity module

A mobile telecommunications system for communicating with a plurality of client devices transmitting commands along a local link to a SIM card and receiving responses to the commands from the SIM card transmitted along the local link, comprising

• a server device transferring the commands from the local link to the SIM card, and transferring the responses to the commands from the SIM card for transmission along the local link, the server device transmitting a broadcast message in response to the SIM card not being electrically coupled to the server device, wherein the server receives an indication signal from the plurality of client devices in response to the transmitted broadcast message;
• and
• a client address manager determining whether local link addresses associated with the commands correspond to permitted client devices and whether a number of allowed client devices has been exceeded, to form valid commands.

A mobile telecommunications system for communicating with a plurality of client devices transmitting commands along a local link to a SIM card and receiving responses to the commands from the SIM card transmitted along the local link, comprising:

• a server device transferring the commands from the local link to the SIM card, and transferring the responses to the commands from the SIM card for transmission along the local link, the server device transmitting a broadcast message in response to the SIM card not being electrically coupled to the server device, wherein the server receives an indication signal from the plurality of client devices in response to the transmitted broadcast message;
• and
• a message serializer and router unit processing the commands for transmission to the SIM card, and associating the responses to the commands with address information for transmission of the responses to a client device of the plurality of client devices corresponding to the address information.

A mobile telecommunications system for communicating with a plurality of client devices transmitting commands along a local link to a SIM card and receiving responses to the commands from the SIM card transmitted along the local link, comprising:

• a server device transferring the commands from the local link to the SIM card, and transferring the responses to the commands from the SIM card for transmission along the local link, the server device transmitting a broadcast message in response to the SIM card not being electrically coupled to the server device, wherein the server receives an indication signal from the plurality of client devices in response to the transmitted broadcast message;
• and
• a timer determining the amount of time between the transmission of the commands by the server device to the SIM card and receipt of the responses to the commands from the SIM card by the server device, wherein the commands are discarded in response to the timer exceeding a predetermined period of time.

A mobile telecommunications system for communicating with a plurality of client devices transmitting commands along a local link to a SIM card and receiving responses to the commands from the SIM card transmitted along the local link, comprising:

• a server device transferring the commands from the local link to the SIM card, and transferring the responses to the commands from the SIM card for transmission along the local link, the server device transmitting a broadcast message in response to the SIM card not being electrically coupled to the server device, wherein the server receives an indication signal from the plurality of client devices in response to the transmitted broadcast message;
• and
• a timer, positioned within the plurality of client devices, determining the amount of time between the commands being transmitted by the plurality of client devices and the receiving of the responses to the commands from SIM card by the plurality of client devices, the timer transmitting a timeout message in response to the timer exceeding a second predetermined time period.

An apparatus enabling a plurality of client devices to access a SIM card, coupled to a server device, along a local link, comprising:

• a SIM card interface, coupling the SIM card to the server device, formatting the commands from the plurality of client devices for transmission to the SIM card, and formatting responses to the commands for transmission from the SIM card to the plurality of client devices, the SIM card interface transmitting a physical presence signal in response to the SIM card being coupled to the SIM card interface;
• and
• a router unit routing the commands from the server device to the SIM card interface, and routing the responses to the commands for transmission along the local link from the SIM card to the plurality of client devices, the router unit transmitting a broadcast message along the local link in response to detecting the physical presence signal transmitted by the SIM card interface.