Physical SIM to eSIM Conversion on the Device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the conversion of a physical SIM to an eSIM on a device. This application describes a cellular service transfer mechanism that can be used to convert cellular service credentials on a physical SIM (pSIM) card included in a wireless device to a newly downloaded electronic SIM (eSIM) on the embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the wireless device. The transfer of these credentials for cellular service access can occur locally within the wireless device, which has authorization for the transfer obtained from an authorization server of a mobile network operator (MNO) associated with the pSIM. The new eSIM corresponding to the previously used pSIM can be downloaded from the MNO's provisioning server to the eUICC.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The described embodiments relate to wireless communication and include methods and apparatus for supporting the transfer of cellular wireless services, such as cellular voice and data services, from a physical subscriber identity module (pSIM) included in a wireless device to an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) in the wireless device for an electronic SIM (eSIM). Background Art

[0002] Next-generation (e.g., fourth-generation (4G) and fifth-generation (5G)) cellular wireless networks that use updated radio access technologies and implement one or more 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), and 5G standards are rapidly evolving and being deployed by network operators globally. The updated cellular wireless networks provide a wide range of packet-based voice and data services. A user of a wireless device can access services provided by a wireless network service provider (also referred to as a mobile network operator (MNO)) based on a service subscription controlled by authentication credentials included in a profile; when included in a removable universal integrated circuit card (UICC), the authentication credentials are also referred to as a subscriber identity module (SIM), and when included in an embedded UICC (eUICC) of a wireless device, the authentication credentials are also referred to as a SIM card, or an electronic SIM (eSIM). With a removable UICC and an unlocked wireless device, a user can access different services by replacing the UICC / SIM combination. With an eUICC that can be configured, an eSIM can be downloaded to the eUICC to access different wireless services. A wireless device that accommodates multiple UICC / SIMs and / or multiple eSIMs on the eUICC provides multiple user identities for the same wireless device to access different services, including services that can span different cellular wireless networks using different cellular radio access technologies (RATs). A user can transfer or seek to transfer cellular services associated with a physical SIM (pSIM) included in a wireless device to an eSIM on the eUICC of the wireless device, for example, to access services and / or capabilities that are not available without replacing the pSIM in the wireless device. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application describes a cellular service transfer mechanism that can be used to convert cellular service credentials on a physical SIM (pSIM) card included in a wireless device into an electronic SIM (eSIM) on an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the wireless device. The transfer of these credentials for cellular service access can occur locally within the wireless device, which has authorization for the transfer obtained from a mobile network operator (MNO) authorization server associated with the pSIM. A new eSIM corresponding to the previously used pSIM can be downloaded from the MNO's provisioning server to the eUICC. In some cases, the pSIM of the wireless device includes credentials on the pSIM that do not include specific features or cannot be updated using an over-the-air (OTA) update mechanism to provide access to specific services and / or capabilities. In some embodiments, access to one or more features of a fifth-generation (5G) cellular wireless network is enabled for the wireless device by converting the pSIM credentials into eSIM credentials on the eUICC of the wireless device. In some embodiments, access to a 5G standalone (SA) cellular wireless network is enabled by converting the pSIM to an eSIM. In some embodiments, the 5G SA cellular wireless network provides improved privacy by encrypting the user identity (e.g., by using an encrypted subscriber hidden identifier (SUCI) instead of an unencrypted subscriber permanent identifier (SUPI)) to communicate with and access the services of the cellular wireless network. In some embodiments, the conversion of credentials from the pSIM to the eSIM provides access to packet voice services, such as access to Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) voice via next-generation radio (VoNR) of a 5G cellular wireless network. In some embodiments, the conversion of credentials from the pSIM to the eSIM provides access to cellular services of a first wireless network via the new eSIM, and access to cellular services of a second wireless network via replacing the pSIM in the SIM tray of the wireless device with a different pSIM card. In some embodiments, the wireless device determines whether a set of criteria are met to convert the credentials of the pSIM included in the wireless device into an eSIM on the eUICC of the wireless device. The set of criteria can include one or more of the following: i) whether the MNO associated with the eSIM supports the 5G SA mode; ii) whether the wireless device supports the 5G SA mode; iii) whether a 5G cellular wireless network is available for the wireless device where the wireless device is located; iv) whether the MNO supports locally converting the pSIM to an eSIM on the wireless device; v) whether the SUCI capability is not available on the pSIM of the wireless device; vi) whether a password security mechanism is enabled on the wireless device; or vii) whether a non-cellular wireless connection is available for the wireless device.After all or a subset of the set of criteria are met and user consent is obtained, the wireless device may perform the conversion of pSIM credentials to eSIM on the wireless device. The conversion includes downloading the eSIM from the MNO configuration server and installing the eSIM on the eUICC of the wireless device. After converting the pSIM to eSIM, the wireless device may disable the pSIM, mark the pSIM as converted, and register the corresponding eSIM software stack of the wireless device with the 5G SA cellular wireless network of the MNO. In some embodiments, one or more setting preferences associated with the previously used pSIM are transferred to the newly installed eSIM on the wireless device.

[0004] Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the embodiments.

[0005] The present invention content is provided only for the purpose of summarizing some exemplary embodiments in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the subject matter described herein. It should therefore be understood that the above features are merely examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope of the subject matter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The present disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like structural elements.

[0007] Figure 1 A block diagram showing exemplary components of a system configured to implement various techniques described herein according to some embodiments.

[0008] Figure 2 A block diagram showing a more detailed view of specific components of a mobile wireless device according to some embodiments Figure 1 is shown.

[0009] Figure 3A A block diagram showing an exemplary system for capturing a user identity according to some embodiments.

[0010] Figure 3B A diagram showing an example of user identity privacy protection in a 5G Standalone (SA) cellular wireless network according to some embodiments.

[0011] Figure 4A A flowchart showing a scenario for enabling the 5G SA cellular capabilities of a mobile wireless device according to some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 4BA diagram showing additional exemplary scenarios that can benefit from the conversion from pSIM to eSIM on a mobile wireless device, according to some embodiments.

[0013] Figure 5 A diagram showing the conversion of pSIM to eSIM on a device, according to some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 6A A flowchart showing a set of exemplary actions taken by a mobile wireless device for the conversion of pSIM to eSIM on the device, according to some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 6B Another flowchart showing a set of exemplary actions taken by a mobile wireless device for the conversion of pSIM to eSIM on the device, according to some embodiments.

[0016] Figure 7A And Figure 7B A diagram showing an exemplary call flow for converting pSIM to eSIM in a mobile wireless device, according to some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 8A 、 Figure 8B And Figure 8C Additional diagrams showing exemplary call flows for the conversion of pSIM to eSIM in a mobile wireless device, according to some embodiments.

[0018] Figure 9A And Figure 9B A diagram showing a series of exemplary user interface screens displayed during the conversion of pSIM to eSIM in a mobile wireless device, according to some embodiments.

[0019] Figure 10 An exemplary table showing a set of user-defined preferences of a cellular service profile that can be transferred from pSIM to eSIM, according to some embodiments.

[0020] Figure 11A A diagram showing different configurations of pSIM and eSIM capabilities in a mobile wireless device, according to some embodiments.

[0021] Figure 11B A diagram showing an exemplary pSIM to eSIM conversion that affects the dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) capability of a mobile wireless device, according to some embodiments.

[0022] Figure 12 A flowchart showing an exemplary method for pSIM to eSIM conversion performed by a mobile wireless device, according to some embodiments.

[0023] Figure 13A block diagram showing exemplary elements of a mobile wireless device in accordance with some embodiments. Detailed Description

[0024] Representative applications of the methods and apparatuses according to the present application are described in this section. These examples are provided only to add context and facilitate understanding of the described embodiments. Thus, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the described embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known processing steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the described embodiments. Other applications are possible, such that the following examples should not be regarded as restrictive.

[0025] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in accordance with the described embodiments. While these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the described embodiments, it is to be understood that these examples are not restrictive; such that other embodiments may be used and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the described embodiments.

[0026] Cellular wireless capabilities continue to be incorporated into a wide variety of electronic devices, including mobile phones, tablets, portable computers, wearable devices, automobiles, etc. Additionally, credentials for accessing cellular wireless services have evolved from removable secure universal integrated circuit cards (UICCs) (also known as subscriber identity module (SIM) cards) to include electronic SIMs (eSIMs) that can be installed on a secure system board and dynamically updated, such as embedded UICCs (eUICCs). A user may seek to transfer cellular credentials from a physical SIM (pSIM) in a device to an eSIM on the eUICC of that device.

[0027] This application describes a cellular service transfer mechanism that can be used to convert cellular service credentials on a physical SIM (pSIM) card (e.g., UICC) included in a wireless device to an electronic SIM (eSIM) on the wireless device's embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC). Transfer of credentials for cellular service access can occur within the wireless device, which has transfer authorization obtained from a mobile network operator (MNO) authorization server associated with the pSIM. A new eSIM corresponding to the previously used pSIM can be downloaded from the MNO's provisioning server to the eUICC and installed on the eUICC of the wireless device. In some cases, the pSIM of the wireless device includes credentials on the pSIM that do not provide access to a particular service or capability of the cellular wireless network or cannot be updated using an over-the-air (OTA) update mechanism to provide access to the particular service and / or capability. In some embodiments, conversion of the pSIM credentials to eSIM credentials on the eUICC of the wireless device enables access to one or more features of a fifth-generation (5G) cellular wireless network. In some embodiments, access to a 5G standalone (SA) cellular wireless network is enabled by converting the pSIM to an eSIM. In some embodiments, the 5G SA cellular wireless network provides improved privacy by encrypting the user identity (e.g., by using an encrypted subscriber concealment identifier (SUCI) instead of an unencrypted subscriber permanent identifier (SUPI) to communicate with and access services of the cellular wireless network). In some embodiments, the new eSIM provides use of the SUCI to communicate with the 5G cellular wireless network in place of the SUPI used by the pSIM. In some embodiments, conversion of the credentials from the pSIM to the eSIM provides access to packet voice services (such as Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) voice via next-generation radio (VoNR) services over a 5G cellular wireless network). In some embodiments, conversion of the credentials from the pSIM to the eSIM provides access to cellular services of a first wireless network via the eSIM and access to cellular services of a second wireless network by replacing the pSIM (e.g., a first UICC) in the SIM tray of the wireless device with a different pSIM card (e.g., a second UICC). In some embodiments, the wireless device determines whether a set of criteria are met to convert the credentials of the pSIM included in the wireless device to an eSIM on the eUICC of the wireless device.The set of criteria may include one or more of the following: i) whether the MNO associated with the eSIM supports the 5G SA mode; ii) whether the wireless device supports the 5G SA mode; iii) whether the 5G cellular wireless network is available for the wireless device; iv) whether the MNO supports locally converting the pSIM to eSIM on the wireless device; v) whether the SUCI capability is not available on the pSIM of the wireless device; vi) whether a password security mechanism is enabled on the wireless device; or vii) whether a wireless connection other than via the pSIM (e.g., a non-cellular wireless connection) is available for the wireless device. When all or a subset of the set of criteria is met and user consent is obtained, the wireless device may perform a conversion of the pSIM to eSIM credentials on the wireless device. The conversion includes downloading a new eSIM from the MNO configuration server and installing the new eSIM on the eUICC of the wireless device. After converting the pSIM to eSIM, the wireless device may disable the previously used pSIM, mark the previously used pSIM as converted, and register the corresponding eSIM software stack of the wireless device with the 5G SA cellular wireless network of the MNO. In some embodiments, one or more user-defined setting preferences associated with the previously used pSIM are transferred to the newly installed eSIM on the wireless device.

[0028] The following references Figures 1 to 13 are made to discuss these and other embodiments; however, those skilled in the art will readily understand that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

[0029] Figure 1 FIG. shows a block diagram of different components of a system 100 configured to implement various techniques described herein. More specifically, Figure 1 FIG. shows a brief overview of the system 100, which, as shown, includes a mobile wireless device 102, a set of base stations 112-1 to 112-n managed by different mobile network operators (MNOs) 114, and a set of configuration servers 116 in communication with the MNO 114. The mobile wireless device 102 may represent a mobile computing device (e.g., of or ), the base stations 112-1 to 112-n may represent cellular wireless network entities configured to communicate with the mobile wireless device 102, including evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB) and / or next-generation Node B (gNodeB or gNB), and the MNO 114 may represent different wireless service providers that provide specific services (e.g., voice and data) available for the mobile wireless device 102 to subscribe to.

[0030] As Figure 1As shown, the mobile wireless device 102 may include processing circuitry, an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) 108, and baseband wireless circuitry 110. The processing circuitry may include a processor 104 and a memory 106. In some embodiments, in addition to or instead of the eUICC, the mobile wireless device 102 includes one or more physical subscriber identity module (SIM) cards (not shown). These components of the mobile wireless device 102 work together to enable the mobile wireless device 102 to provide useful features to the user of the mobile wireless device 102, such as localized computing, location-based services, and Internet connectivity. The eUICC 108 may be configured to store multiple electronic SIMs (eSIMs) for accessing different MNOS 114 via base stations 112-1 to 112-n. For example, the eUICC 108 may be configured to store and manage one or more eSIMs for one or more MNOS 114 for different subscriptions associated with the mobile wireless device 102. To be able to access services provided by the MNO, the eSIM may be configured to the eUICC 108. In some embodiments, the eUICC 108 obtains one or more eSIMs (or updates to one or more eSIMs) from one or more associated configuration servers 116. Note that the configuration server 116 may be maintained by the manufacturer of the mobile wireless device 102, the MNO 114, a third-party entity, etc. eSIM data communication between the MNO configuration server 116 and the eUICC 108 (or between the MNO configuration server 116 and the processing circuitry (e.g., the processor 104) of the mobile wireless device 102 external to the eUICC 108) may use a secure communication channel.

[0031] Figure 2 A more detailed view 200 of specific components of a Figure 1 mobile wireless device 102 according to some embodiments is shown. As Figure 2 shown, the processor 104 in combination with the memory 106 may implement a primary operating system (OS) 202, which is configured to execute application programs 204 (e.g., native OS applications and user applications). Also as Figure 2As shown, the eUICC 108 can be configured to implement an eUICC OS 206, which is configured to manage the hardware resources of the eUICC 108 (e.g., the processor and memory embedded in the eUICC 108). The eUICC OS 206 can also be configured to manage the eSIM 208 stored in the eUICC 108, for example, by enabling, disabling, modifying, or otherwise performing management of the eSIM 208 within the eUICC 108 and providing access to the eSIM 208 to the radio circuitry 110 to provide access to wireless services to the mobile wireless device 102. The eUICC 108 OS can include an eSIM manager 210, which can perform management functions on various eSIMs. According to Figure 2 the illustrated diagram, each eSIM 208 can include a plurality of applets 212 that define how the eSIM 208 operates. For example, one or more of the applets 212, when implemented by the baseband radio circuitry 110 and the eUICC 108, can be configured to enable the mobile wireless device 102 to communicate with the MNO 114 and provide useful features (e.g., phone calls and the Internet) to the user of the mobile wireless device 102.

[0032] Similarly, as Figure 2 shown, the baseband radio circuitry 110 of the mobile wireless device 102 can include a baseband OS 214, which is configured to manage the hardware resources of the baseband radio circuitry 110 (e.g., the processor, memory, different radio components, etc.). According to some embodiments, the baseband radio circuitry 110 can implement a baseband manager 216, which is configured to interact with the eUICC 108 to establish a secure channel with the MNO configuration server 116 and obtain information (such as eSIM data) from the MNO configuration server 116 for managing the eSIM 208. The baseband manager 216 can be configured to implement services 218, which represent a collection of software modules that are instantiated by various applets 212 of the enabled eSIM 208 included in the eUICC 108. For example, the services 218 can be configured to manage different connections between the mobile wireless device 102 and the MNO 114 according to different eSIMs 208 enabled within the eUICC 108.

[0033] Figure 3AFIG. 300 is a block diagram of an exemplary system for capturing a user identity. The system includes a mobile wireless device 102 that includes an unencrypted Subscriber Permanent Identifier (SUPI) 304 by which a subscription of a user of the mobile wireless device 102 can be uniquely identified when communicating with an exemplary cellular radio network entity, namely an evolved Node B (eNodeB) 306. Examples of SUPI 304 include an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). The mobile wireless device 102 and the eNodeB 306 can communicate via a Uu interface that can be eavesdropped on by a third party for some messages or for certain time periods, such as before a secure connection is established between the mobile wireless device 102 and the eNodeB 306. In some cases, when the eNodeB 306 is connected to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 308 of the core network via a secure S1-MME interface and the MME 308 is connected to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 310 via a secure S6a interface, the eNodeB 306 can "explicitly" send some messages to and receive some messages from the mobile wireless device 102. For example, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) paging message sent from the eNodeB 306 to the mobile wireless device 102 can include the SUPI 304 of the mobile wireless device 102 in an unprotected manner. Similarly, certain RRC Network Access Stratum (NAS) messages sent from the mobile wireless device 102 to the eNodeB 306 can also include the SUPI 304 of the mobile wireless device 102, protecting the SUPI 304 from eavesdropping by an eavesdropper without using encryption. Exemplary RRC NAS messages include an RRC attachment request message, a UE-initiated RRC detachment request message, and an RRC identity response message. A passive eavesdropping entity, such as a passive SUPI catcher 312, can eavesdrop on communications sent from the eNodeB 306, such as paging messages, or communications sent from the mobile wireless device 102, such as attachment / detachment request messages, and determine the SUPI 304 of the mobile wireless device 102. In addition, an active eavesdropping entity, such as an active SUPI catcher 314, can mimic communications from the eNodeB 306, and send a request identity message to the mobile wireless device 102 and receive an identity response message including the SUPI 304 of the mobile wireless device 102. The Uu interface between the mobile wireless device 102 and the eNodeB 306 is vulnerable to SUPI exposure due to passive and / or active attacks. When communicating over an insecure communication link, the SUPI 304 can be protected from eavesdropping by securely encrypting at least a portion of the SUPI 304, such as a Mobile Subscriber Identification Number (MSIN), between the mobile wireless device 102 and the eNodeB 306.In addition, in the case of using a one-time use temporary public / secret key pair, if a previously used secret key is compromised, the SUPI 304 can be protected from future decryption. Identity privacy protection can be applied to any message including the globally unique mobile subscriber identifier communicated between the mobile wireless device 102 and the cellular radio network entity, including over an insecure connection vulnerable to eavesdropping. Examples of radio network entities include radio access network entities such as eNodeB 306 or next generation NodeB (also known as gNodeB or gNB), or core network entities such as MME 308, HSS 310, Authentication Server Function (AUSF) or Access and Mobility Function (AMF). The message can include a mobile subscriber identifier, such as the MSIN of SUPI 304, which can be securely encrypted to protect the privacy of the mobile subscriber identifier. The encrypted version of SUPI 304 can be referred to as the Subscriber Concealed Identifier (SUCI). The user can preferably access the communication with the cellular radio network using the SUCI rather than using the SUPI to improve the privacy protection of the user identity.

[0034] Figure 3BFigure 320 shows the protection of user identity privacy in a 5G Standalone (SA) cellular radio network. The SUPI 304 of the mobile radio device 102 may include a home network identifier, such as a Mobile Country Code (MCC) indicating the home country in which the cellular radio network operates, and a Mobile Network Code (MNC) identifying a particular cellular radio network of a Mobile Network Operator (MNO), where the particular cellular radio network is the home network associated with the mobile radio device 102. The SUPI 304 may also include a user-specific identifier, e.g., a Mobile Subscriber Identification Number (MSIN). The eUICC 108 of the mobile radio device 102 may create an encrypted SUCI 326 based on the SUPI 304 (e.g., as shown by encryption 324), rather than including the SUPI 304 in messages communicated with the cellular radio network. The SUCI 326 may include an updated network identifier 322 that includes a SUCI type value, a home network identifier, and a routing indicator. When the SUCI type value indicates an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), the home network identifier may include an MCC value and an MNC value. When the SUCI type value indicates a Network Access Identifier (NAI), the home network identifier may include a domain name. The SUCI 326 may also include an encrypted version of the MSIN extracted from the SUPI 304 and generated using a network common shared encryption key. The SUCI 326 may include a protection scheme identifier value, a home network common key identifier value indicating the network common shared encryption key used to generate the protection scheme output, and the protection scheme output may be decrypted by the network to identify the user. In some embodiments, the mobile radio device 102 may be configured to use the SUCI 326 when communicating with a 5G SA cellular radio network. In some embodiments, converting a pSIM to an eSIM 208 on the eUICC 108 of the mobile radio device 102 may provide for the use of the SUCI 326 without the need to replace the pSIM on the mobile radio device 102. In some embodiments, converting a pSIM to an eSIM 208 on the eUICC 108 of the mobile radio device 102 may provide for the use of the SUCI 326 without the need for an OTA update of the pSIM on the mobile radio device 102.

[0035] Figure 4AFlowchart 400 shows a set of steps that can be taken to enable 5G SA cellular wireless service for a mobile wireless device 102 by replacing the pSIM. A user can obtain and initialize a 5G-capable mobile wireless device 102. The user can install the pSIM from a previously used mobile wireless device 102 (e.g., a mobile wireless device 102 that does not support 5G). After installing the pSIM, 5G cellular wireless service may not be available because the pSIM may not be enabled to support access to 5G cellular wireless service, and instead, a non-5G-supported cellular wireless device (such as 4G LTE cellular wireless service) is available on the mobile wireless device 102. The user can contact the MNO associated with the pSIM to obtain information about the pSIM's ability to access 5G SA cellular wireless service. The user may be advised to obtain a new pSIM to replace the previously used pSIM in the mobile wireless device 102, and after installing the new pSIM, 5G cellular wireless service can be enabled for the mobile wireless device 102. However, replacing the pSIM may require visiting an MNO sales outlet or waiting for the delivery of the replacement pSIM. When upgrading the mobile wireless device 102 to gain access to one or more 5G cellular wireless services and / or the capabilities they offer, converting the pSIM credentials to a 5G-supported eSIM on the mobile wireless device 102 can provide an excellent user experience.

[0036] Figure 4BFigures 410 and 420 illustrate situations where a user can benefit from the conversion from a pSIM to an eSIM on a mobile wireless device 102. In the first figure 410, the cellular service provider of the mobile wireless device 102 can change. For example, when MNO "B" acquires MNO "A" associated with the pSIM in the mobile wireless device 102. MNO "B" can provide specific cellular wireless services to the user via MNO "A" on the mobile wireless device 102 that may not have been available previously. For example, MNO "B" can provide voice through the Next Generation Radio (VoNR) service. In some cases, the pSIM previously associated with MNO "A" may not be usable and / or updated using the OTA mechanism to allow access to the VoNR service. The user of the mobile wireless device 102 can obtain a new pSIM from MNO "B" and replace the previously used pSIM in the mobile wireless device 102 to gain access to the VoNR service. In the second figure 420, the user of the mobile wireless device 102 can seek to access cellular wireless services from MNO "A" that may be associated with the first pSIM in the mobile wireless device 102, and also seek to access cellular wireless services from MNO "B" that may be associated with the second pSIM, such as when roaming to a visited country, and the second pSIM is used to access the cellular wireless services of MNO "B" in the visited country. The mobile wireless device 102 can include a tray that supports the use of only one pSIM at a time. The replacement of the pSIM in the mobile wireless device 102 provides access to the cellular wireless services of only one cellular service provider (e.g., MNO "A" or MNO "B") at a time. However, in some cases, the mobile wireless device 102 can support dual SIM mode in a configuration that combines a pSIM and an eSIM simultaneously. The user can seek to convert the pSIM of MNO "A" to the eSIM 208 on the eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102. The conversion can be completed at the sales outlet of MNO "A", and after the conversion is completed, the pSIM from MNO "B" can be inserted into the mobile wireless device 102. In Figure 4B both of the situations shown, as with Figure 4A the situations described, the replacement of the pSIM may require additional sub-optimal actions for the user to enable access to the new service. Instead, the on-device conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 as described herein may be preferred.

[0037] Figure 5FIG. 500 illustrates the conversion of a pSIM to an eSIM 208 on a device. The mobile wireless device 102 may include one or more UICCs 118-x that store one or more pSIMs thereon. The mobile wireless device 102 may also include an eUICC 108 configured to store one or more eSIMs 208. A user of the mobile wireless device 102 may seek to transfer the cellular service credentials on the device from one or more pSIMs to one or more eSIMs 208 on the eUICC 108, as indicated at 502. In some embodiments, the user of the mobile wireless device 102 may initiate the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 on the mobile wireless device 102. In some embodiments, the mechanism in the mobile wireless device 102 may determine the conditions under which the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 may occur on the mobile wireless device 102. When the conditions are met, the mobile wireless device 102 may determine the compatibility of the cellular wireless network associated with the pSIM to determine whether the conversion to the eSIM 208 is feasible. In some embodiments, when both the mobile wireless device 102 and the cellular wireless network associated with the pSIM support the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 and a data connection other than via the pSIM is available, and when acceptance to proceed with the conversion is obtained from the user of the mobile wireless device 102, the mobile wireless device 102 may perform the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM. The conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM may occur locally on the mobile wireless device 102 without the need for the user of the mobile wireless device 102 to replace the pSIM on the mobile wireless device 102 or to visit a point of sale of the MNO 114 associated with the pSIM.

[0038] Figure 6AFIG. 600 shows a flow chart of actions that may be taken to convert the cellular wireless service credentials of a pSIM included in a mobile wireless device 102 to credentials on an eSIM 208 on an eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102. At 602, the mobile wireless device 102 may detect the presence of the pSIM in the mobile wireless device 102. The mobile wireless device may then determine whether a set of criteria for converting the pSIM to the eSIM 208 is met, the set of criteria including a plurality of individual conditions as described herein. In some embodiments, one or more (or all) of these criteria must be met for the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 to occur. At 604, the mobile wireless device 102 may determine, for example, based on information obtained from a carrier combination included in the mobile wireless device 102, whether the MNO 114 associated with the pSIM supports 5G Standalone (SA) mode. At 606, the mobile wireless device 102 determines whether the mobile wireless device 102 is capable of supporting 5G cellular wireless service. At 608, the mobile wireless device 102 determines whether the 5G cellular wireless network of the MNO 114 associated with the pSIM is available at the location where the mobile wireless device 102 is operating. At 610, the mobile wireless device 102 determines whether the MNO 114 supports the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 on the mobile wireless device 102. At 612, the mobile wireless device 102 determines whether the pSIM does not provide support for the use of the SUCI 326, for example, when the UICC 118 is unable to perform the encryption of the SUPI 304 to generate the SUCI 326, such as when the pSIM on the UICC 118 lacks the necessary encryption key from the MNO 114 to perform the encryption. In some embodiments, when at least one of the criteria shown by actions 604, 606, 608, 610, and 612 is not met, the conversion process may be paused. In some embodiments, when each of the criteria shown by actions 604, 606, 608, 610, and 612 is met, the mobile wireless device 102 may determine that the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 is available, and at 614, provide a prompt to the user of the mobile wireless device 102, via, for example, the display of the mobile wireless device 102 or other input / output mechanism, to request consent to convert the pSIM to the eSIM 208. At 616, the mobile wireless device 102 may obtain user consent to continue with the conversion, and at 618, the mobile wireless device 102 may continue with the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 on the eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102. Details of the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 are further described herein. At 620, after completing the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208, the mobile wireless device 102 may disable the pSIM and mark the pSIM as having been converted.At 622, the mobile wireless device 102 can use the 5G SA cellular wireless network of the MNO 114 associated with the newly installed eSIM 208 (and previously associated with the pSIM) to register the eSIM 208 software stack with the converted credentials. Figure 6A The actions shown in Figure 6A provide a mechanism in which when a user seeks to use 5G cellular wireless services, a user of the mobile wireless device 102 can convert the pSIM to the eSIM 208, which has enhanced identity privacy protection provided by using the SUCI 326 with a 5G SA cellular wireless network, and the existing pSIM of the mobile wireless device 102 cannot provide this capability.

[0039] Figure 6B Another flowchart 650 showing the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 on the mobile wireless device 102 is shown. At 652, the mobile wireless device 102 detects the presence of an activated pSIM in the mobile wireless device 102. At 654, the mobile wireless device 102 determines whether the mobile wireless device 102 supports 5G cellular wireless services. At 656, the mobile wireless device 102 determines whether the MNO 114 associated with the activated pSIM of the mobile wireless device 102 supports converting the pSIM to the eSIM 208 on the eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102. At 658, the mobile wireless device 102 determines whether the mobile wireless device 102 is password protected to reduce the chance of an accidental pSIM to eSIM 208 conversion on the mobile wireless device 102. In some embodiments, when any one of the conditions at 654, 656, or 658 is not met, the mobile wireless device 102 can determine that the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 is not supported. In some embodiments, when all of the conditions at 654, 656, and 658 are met, the mobile wireless device 102 uses a mechanism other than via the pSIM at 660 to determine whether a data connection is available for the mobile wireless device 102, e.g., a non-cellular wireless connection (such as Whether the non-cellular wireless connection (e.g., Wi-Fi connection) can be used for the mobile wireless device 102. When the non-cellular wireless connection is unavailable, at 666, the mobile wireless device 102 can prohibit the display of the option to convert the pSIM to the eSIM 208 (e.g., by graying out the option or otherwise making the option unselectable in the user interface of the mobile wireless device 102). At 668, the mobile wireless device 102 provides a warning to the user of the mobile wireless device 102 to indicate that the non-cellular wireless connection must be available for the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 to occur. In some embodiments, a Wi-Fi connection may be required for the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 to occur, and the mobile wireless device 102 can remind the user to enable Wi-Fi. Once Wi-Fi is enabled, the mobile wireless device 102 can check that the Wi-Fi connection is available (repeating the action at 660), and when the Wi-Fi connection is available, at 662, the mobile wireless device 102 can allow the option to convert the pSIM to the eSIM 208 to be available, e.g., by displaying the "Convert to eSIM" option to the user of the mobile wireless device 102. At 664, the mobile wireless device 102 can request the user's consent to proceed with the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208. When the user does not provide consent, the process can be exited. When the user provides consent for the conversion, at 670, the mobile wireless device 102 can perform one or more actions to transfer the cellular service credentials of the pSIM profile to the new eSIM 208 profile. The one or more actions can include a transfer request sent to the MNO authorization server. When the transfer fails, at 672, the mobile wireless device 102 can create a pending transfer of the pSIM profile to the eSIM 208 profile and then exit the conversion. When the transfer is successful, at 674, the mobile wireless device 102 can initiate the installation of the new eSIM 208 from the MNO configuration server 116, where the cellular service credentials of the pSIM are now transferred to the new eSIM 208. At 676, the mobile wireless device 102 downloads the new eSIM 208 from the MNO configuration server 116 and installs the new eSIM 208 on the eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102. At 678, in some embodiments, the mobile wireless device 102 migrates user-defined plan preferences (e.g., settings from the previous pSIM profile) to the new eSIM 208 installed on the eUICC 108. At 680, the mobile wireless device can determine that the installation of the new eSIM 208 has been completed. At 682, the mobile wireless device 102 determines whether multiple parallel eSIMs 208 can be enabled simultaneously on the mobile wireless device 102. When the mobile wireless device 102 supports multiple enabled eSIMs 208, at 684, the mobile wireless device 102 disables the pSIM profile.When the mobile wireless device 102 does not support multiple enabled eSIMs 208, the mobile wireless device delays disabling the pSIM profile. This precaution ensures that the pSIM is not disabled until successful activation of the eSIM 208 is confirmed. When only one eSIM 208 is activated at a time on the eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102, any other activated eSIM 208 on the eUICC 108 can be deactivated when the newly installed eSIM 208 is activated. At 686, the mobile wireless device 102 enables the newly installed eSIM 208 profile, and at 688, the mobile wireless device 102 confirms that the eSIM 208 profile has been successfully activated. In some embodiments, the mobile wireless device 102 confirms successful activation of the eSIM 208 profile based on receiving a message from a network-based server of the MNO 114, such as an MNO authorization server or an MNO configuration server 116. At 690, the mobile wireless device 102 determines whether the pSIM profile is still enabled, and at 692, the mobile wireless device 102 disables the pSIM profile if needed. At 694, the mobile wireless device 102 marks the pSIM profile as converted.

[0040] Figure 7A and Figure 7BFigures 700 and 740 illustrate an exemplary call flow for converting a pSIM profile to an eSIM 208 profile in a mobile wireless device 102. At 720, the baseband radio circuitry 110 of the mobile wireless device 102 may receive one or more system information broadcast (SIB) messages (e.g., SIB1 message) from the 4G LTE network 710 of the MNO 114, where the one or more SIB messages indicate support for 5G non-standalone (NSA) mode. In 5G non-standalone (NSA) mode, the enhanced packet core (EPC) of the 4G LTE network interface communicates with the 5G next-generation radio (NR) access network. In 5G standalone (SA) mode, the 5G core network interface communicates with the 5G NR access network. A broadcast SIB1 message from the MNO 4G LTE network 710 (which may be a 4G radio access network parallel to the 5G radio access network 708 of the same MNO 114) may indicate that 5G NSA is available, and thus the 5G NR access network node is available. At 722, the mobile wireless device 102 determines that the MNO 5G radio access network 708 is available based on the SIB1 message. At 724, the mobile wireless device 102 may receive additional SIB messages from the MNO 4G LTE network 710, e.g., an SIB24 message indicating the presence of a next-generation radio (NR) 5G neighboring cell. At 726, the mobile wireless device 102 may also receive an attach rejection message that includes a specific rejection reason value, e.g., cause #7. At 728, the mobile wireless device 102 may determine, based on one or more received SIB messages from the MNO 4G LTE network 710, that one or more 5G NR cells are available for the location where the mobile wireless device 102 is operating. At 728, the mobile wireless device 102 may further evaluate the reselection criteria broadcast by the MNO 4G LTE network 710 and determine the presence of a suitable 5G NR cell. Based on the evaluation of the SIB messages and the reselection criteria, the mobile wireless device 102 may infer that a suitable 5G cellular radio access network is available. At 730, the mobile wireless device 102 determines: i) whether the UICC 118 with only a single pSIM is included in the mobile wireless device 102, and ii) that support for 5G SUCI cipher encryption cannot be obtained via the single pSIM on the UICC 118 included in the mobile wireless device 102. When there is a 5G radio access network (as determined at least at 728) and there is no 5G SUCI support for a single pSIM (as determined at least at 730), the mobile wireless device 102 determines at 732 whether the mobile wireless device 102 (e.g., hardware / software / firmware) supports 5G cellular wireless service and whether the carrier combination (software / firmware from the MNO 114 associated with the pSIM) indicates support for 5G cellular wireless service.After checking that the mobile wireless device 102 (hardware / software / firmware) supports pSIM to eSIM 208 conversion and 5G services, the mobile wireless device 102 queries the MNO authorization server 704 at 734 to determine whether the MNO 114 associated with the pSIM supports credential transfer from the pSIM to the eSIM 208. At 736, the mobile wireless device 102 further queries the MNO authorization server 704 to determine whether the cellular wireless account associated with the mobile wireless device 102 supports 5G cellular wireless services. At 738, the mobile wireless device 102 additionally queries the MNO authorization server 704 to determine whether the credential transfer from the pSIM to the eSIM 208 can use a one-touch procedure that does not require logging in to the MNO web server 706, or whether the transfer uses a procedure that requires direct interaction with the MNO web server 706. At 742, the mobile wireless device 102 determines whether local conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 on the mobile wireless device 102 is supported. When all of the criteria in the previously checked criteria are met to ensure that both the mobile wireless device 102 and the MNO 114 cellular wireless network support pSIM to 5G eSIM conversion on the device, the mobile wireless device 102 proceeds with the call flow for the conversion. At 744, the core phone function 702 of the mobile wireless device 102 can interact with the user 714 of the mobile wireless device 102, such as for presenting and obtaining: i) permission for updated terms and conditions associated with using the new eSIM 208, downloading and installing the new eSIM on the eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102; ii) the protocol for converting the pSIM to the new eSIM 208; iii) the protocol for using 5G cellular wireless services, etc. In some embodiments, when the user 714 does not subscribe to 5G cellular wireless services, the core phone function 702 can present options for upgrading to 5G cellular wireless services. At 746, the core phone function 702 exchanges messages with the MNO authorization server 704 to transfer the credentials for the on-device conversion of the pSIM on the UICC 118 of the mobile wireless device to the eSIM 208 that can be downloaded to the eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102. In some embodiments, the mobile wireless device 102 and / or the MNO authorization server 704 communicate with the MNO web server 706 as part of the credential transfer for converting the pSIM to the eSIM 208. At 748, the mobile wireless device 102 downloads the eSIM 208 from the MNO configuration server 116 (e.g., the MNO SM-DP+ 712 server) and installs the downloaded eSIM 208 on the eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102.At 750, the mobile wireless device 102 provides the following indication to the user 714 of the mobile wireless device 102: 5G cellular wireless service associated with the newly installed eSIM 208 is available.

[0041] Figure 8A , Figure 8B and Figure 8C Flowcharts 800, 830, and 870 illustrate two exemplary pSIM-to-eSIM 208 conversion call flows for two different scenarios (the one-touch scenario and the MNO web server scenario). Figure 8A and Figure 8B illustrate the one-touch pSIM-to-eSIM 208 conversion call flow, while Figure 8A and 8C illustrate the pSIM-to-eSIM 208 conversion call flow that includes direct interaction with the MNO web server 706. In either case, Figure 8AThe actions shown are taken by the mobile wireless device 102 to effect the pSIM to eSIM 208 conversion. At 804, the mobile wireless device 102 sends a message (e.g., a getEntitlement message) to the MNO authorization server 704 to determine whether the transfer of a cellular service plan profile (e.g., authorized by the credentials of the pSIM) can be transferred to the eSIM 208, e.g., installed on the eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102. At 806, the MNO authorization server 704 responds with an indication of the status of the cellular service plan profile and the name (label) of the transfer. At 808, the mobile wireless device 102 initiates the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208. At 810, the mobile wireless device 102 creates a transfer plan item pending review that indicates that the transfer of the pSIM has been initiated but is not yet complete. At 812, the mobile wireless device 102 initiates the transfer by requesting one or more tokens from the MNO authorization server 704. At 814, the mobile wireless device 102 initiates an Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) procedure with the MNO authorization server, e.g., by sending a getAuthentication (EAP-AKA) message and a message (or combined message) to obtain a nonce response for authorization. At 816, the MNO authorization server 704 responds with the nonce, e.g., by sending a getCarrierAuthorizationNonce message that includes the nonce. At 818, the mobile wireless device 102 continues the authentication and authorization request by sending a second getAuthentication (EAP-AKA) message and an authenticateTrustFlag message with the nonce returned signed by the mobile wireless device 102. If the authentication and authorization are successful, the MNO authorization server 704 returns an authorization token to the mobile wireless device 102 at 820, e.g., in the second authenticateTrustFlag message. At 822, the mobile wireless device 102 continues by sending a third getAuthentication (EAP-AKA) message with a transfer authorization request (e.g., by sending a transferAuthorizationRequest message to the MNO authorization server 704) that includes an indication of a transfer token request (the "retrieve token" content in the request message) and the authorization token. At 824, the MNO authorization server 704 sends a transfer token to the mobile wireless device 102 in a response message (e.g., a transferAuthorizationResponse message).At 826, the mobile wireless device 102 has successfully obtained a response with a transfer token from the MNO authorization server 704 for transferring the credentials of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 (not yet installed in the eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102).

[0042] At Figure 8BIn

[832] , the mobile wireless device 102 continues in the one-touch call process by sending a transfer token to the MNO authorization server and requesting an indication of the type of transfer that will occur. For example, by sending a getAuthentication message that includes the transfer token and a transferAuthorizationRequest message seeking to retrieve the transfer type. At

[834] , the MNO authorization server 704 provides a transfer authorization response message that redirects the mobile wireless device 102 to the MNO web server 706 to determine the transfer type. For example, by sending a transferAuthorizationResponse message that includes: a null value (or a specific transfer type value indicating an unknown transfer type), a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), or other identifier for the MNO web server 706, and the web service publish data of the mobile wireless device 102 for communicating with the MNO web server 706. At

[836] , the mobile wireless device 102 sends the web service publish data to the MNO web server 706 and receives, in response at

[838] , an indication of the one-touch transfer type for transferring the pSIM to the eSIM 208. At

[840] , the mobile wireless device 102 sends a message to the MNO authorization server 704 to initiate the transfer, the message including the transfer token and an indication of the transfer, such as transferSIMService. At

[842] , the MNO authorization server 704 responds with a message (such as a transferSIMService message) and an indication that provides a second URL (such as a transfer URL) with a second set of publish data (such as transfer URL publish data), the indication not requiring the user to directly interact with the MNO web server 706 to authorize the transfer, such as indicating IS-Webview = false. At

[844] , the mobile wireless device 102 sends the transfer URL publish data to the MNO web server 706. At

[846] , the MNO web server 706 responds with an indication of whether the transfer status of the pSIM to eSIM transfer has been successful or failed and the status of the new eSIM 208 identified by the ICCID value (where the ICCID status is an active or pending release). The response also includes an indication that Use-DS = true. At

[848] , the MNO authorization server 704 sends a message via the ES2 interface to the MNO configuration server (such as the MNO SM-DP+ 712) to prepare for downloading and installing the eSIM 208 for the mobile wireless device 102. At

[850] , when the eSIM 208 is ready to be downloaded by the mobile wireless device 102, the MNO SM-DP+ 712 server provides an indication to the notification server (such as the discovery server 802) via the ES12 interface.At 852, the discovery server 802 sends a notification to the mobile wireless device 102 indicating that a pending eSIM 208 profile is available for download to the mobile wireless device 102. At 854, the mobile wireless device sends a message to the MNO SM-DP+ 712 server to retrieve the pending eSIM 208 profile. At 856, the MNO SM-DP+ 712 server downloads the eSIM 208 profile to the mobile wireless device 102. At 858, the mobile wireless device 102 installs the downloaded eSIM 208 profile on the eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102. At 860, the mobile wireless device 102 clears the placeholder for the pending eSIM 208 profile created previously at 810, and remaps the cellular service pointer of the previous pSIM profile locally in the mobile wireless device 102 to the newly installed eSIM 208 profile. In some embodiments, the mobile wireless device 102 enters a monitoring mode after installing the eSIM 208 profile and waits for a message from a network-based server of the MNO 114 before disabling the previous pSIM profile (e.g., before performing the remapping). In some embodiments, the message indicates the completion of the back-end configuration and / or activation of the eSIM 208 profile of the mobile wireless device 102. In some embodiments, the network-based server of the MNO 114 includes one of the following: the MNO authorization server 704, the MNO web server, the MNO SM-DP+ (or other MNO configuration server 116), or the discovery server 802. Additionally, at 860, the mobile wireless device 102 uses the credentials of the downloaded eSIM 208 profile to attach to the cellular wireless network of the MNO 114 associated with the downloaded eSIM 208 profile for authentication with the cellular wireless network of the MNO 114.

[0043] Alternatively, at Figure 8CIn

[872] , the mobile wireless device 102 continues in the web page call flow by sending a transfer token to the MNO authorization server and requesting an indication of the type of transfer that will occur, e.g., by sending a getAuthentication message including the transfer token and a transferAuthorizationRequest message seeking to retrieve the transfer type. At

[874] , the MNO authorization server 704 provides a transfer authorization response message that indicates that the mobile wireless device 102 must continue with direct interaction with the MNO web server 706, e.g., by sending a transferAuthorizationReqponse message including the web page transfer type. At

[876] , the mobile wireless device 102 sends a message to the MNO authorization server 704 to initiate the transfer, the message including the transfer token and an indication of the transfer, e.g., transferSIMService. At

[878] , the MNO authorization server 704 responds with a message (e.g., a transferSIMService message) and an indication that provides a URL (e.g., a transfer URL) with a set of release data (e.g., transfer URL release data), the indication requiring the user to directly interact with the MNO web server 706 to authorize the transfer, e.g., indicating IS-Webview = true. At

[880] , the mobile wireless device 102 sends the transfer URL release data to the MNO web server 706. At

[882] , the MNO authorization server 704 sends a message via the ES2 interface to the MNO provisioning server (e.g., MNO SM-DP+ 712) to prepare for downloading and installing the eSIM 208 on the mobile wireless device 102. At

[884] , the MNO web server 706 responds to the mobile wireless device 102 with an alternative fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the MNO SM-DP+ 712 server, a unique identifier value of the new (to be downloaded / installed) eSIM 208, an ICCID value, the corresponding ICCID value of the pSIM, and a status indicating whether the eSIM 208 is ready (activated) for download or is a pending profile release for review. The response also includes an indication Use-DS = true. At

[886] , the mobile wireless device sends a message to the MNO SM-DP+ 712 server to retrieve the pending eSIM 208 profile. At

[888] , the MNO SM-DP+ 712 server downloads the eSIM 208 profile to the mobile wireless device 102. At

[890] , the mobile wireless device 102 installs the downloaded eSIM 208 profile on the eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102.At 892, the mobile wireless device clears the pending eSIM 208 profile placeholder previously created at 810 and remaps the cellular service pointer of the previous pSIM profile locally in the mobile wireless device 102 to the newly installed eSIM 208 profile. In some embodiments, the mobile wireless device 102 enters a monitoring mode after installing the eSIM 208 profile and waits for a message from the network-based server of the MNO 114 before disabling the previous pSIM profile (e.g., before performing the remapping). In some embodiments, the message indicates the completion of the backend configuration and / or activation of the eSIM 208 profile of the mobile wireless device 102. In some embodiments, the network-based server of the MNO 114 includes one of the following: the MNO authorization server 704, the MNO web server, the MNO SM-DP+ (or other MNO configuration server 116), or the lookup server 802.

[0044] Additionally, at 892, the mobile wireless device 102 uses the credentials of the downloaded eSIM 208 profile to attach to the cellular wireless network of the MNO 114 associated with the downloaded eSIM 208 profile for authentication with the cellular wireless network of the MNO 114.

[0045] Figure 9A and Figure 9BFIGs. 900, 950 show a series of exemplary user interface screens that may be displayed to a user on a mobile wireless device 102 during the conversion of a pSIM on a UICC 118 of the mobile wireless device 102 to an eSIM 208 on an eUICC 108 of the mobile wireless device 102. At 902, a set of available cellular wireless service plan profiles may be displayed on the mobile wireless device 102, which profiles include indications of associated MNOs 114 and status (e.g., "on" or "off" indicating enabled or disabled, respectively). At 904, for a particular cellular wireless service plan profile, options may be presented for converting a cellular service plan (which may be included in the UICC 118 of the mobile wireless device 102) to an eSIM 208 for installation on the eUICC 018 of the mobile wireless device 102. At 906, selecting a conversion option will continue to display a confirmation selection button, which may also include a request to enter a confirmation code or scan a QR code. When the conversion is selected to proceed, at 908, an additional information warning message may be presented as an overlay, and the user is requested to confirm the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 or cancel the conversion. When the confirmation of the conversion occurs, subsequently at 952, an indication of the conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 may be provided, e.g., by indicating that the activation of the new eSIM 208 is in progress while the mobile wireless device 102 takes various actions while communicating with a cellular radio network entity as described above. Once the conversion of the eSIM 208 has occurred, at 954, the previously used pSIM cellular profile may be indicated as "off" (disabled), while the newly installed eSIM 208 may be indicated as "on" (activated). Additionally, at 956, the previously used pSIM cellular profile may be marked as "converted". At 956, the selection by the user of the previously used and currently converted pSIM cellular profiles may cause the mobile wireless device 102 to display, at 958, an overlay message indicating that the pSIM is not active and that the UICC 118 may be removed from the mobile wireless device 102.

[0046] Figure 10Table 1000 shows a set of preferences (user-defined settings) for a cellular service profile (e.g., a pSIM profile) that can be transferred as part of (or after) the conversion to an eSIM 208 on an eUICC 108 of a mobile wireless device 102. When a new pSIM is installed or a new eSIM 208 is downloaded separately from the conversion of an existing pSIM, the automatic transfer of user-defined preferences may not necessarily occur because the relationship between the existing pSIM and the new pSIM or eSIM may be unknown outside of the user-initiated conversion process on the mobile wireless device 102. The pSIM to eSIM208 conversion procedure advantageously allows the automatic migration of multiple user-defined preferences from the pSIM to the eSIM208 in some cases where such migration does not occur when replacing the pSIM with a different pSIM. User-defined preferences that can be migrated from the pSIM to the eSIM 208 can include: an indication as to whether the profile is used as the default data line; an indication as to whether the profile is used as the default voice line, whether roaming is enabled, the messaging application is associated with the profile, the video chat application (e.g., ) is associated with the profile, whether a specific radio access technology (RAT) preference is selected when using the profile, and / or whether data is enabled, whether caller ID (ID) for outgoing calls is enabled. Some preference settings may depend on the MNO 114 associated with the newly installed eSIM 208, e.g., enabling or disabling Wi-Fi calling, and may not be automatically transferred in some cases.

[0047] Figure 11AFigures 1100, 1120 showing different configurations of a mobile radio device 102 including different combinations of UICC 118 and / or eUICC 108. In a first set of configurations, the mobile radio device 102 includes at most one enabled eSIM 208 (which may be a software, firmware, and / or hardware limitation) and a variable number of UICC 118. In a second set of configurations, the mobile radio device 102 allows multiple enabled eSIM 208s to be present on the same mobile radio device 102. In a first configuration, the mobile radio device 102-1 includes one or more UICC 118 and does not include an eUICC 108 (and thus no eSIM 208). In a second configuration, the mobile radio device 102-2 includes an eUICC 108 (on which at most one eSIM 208 can be enabled at a time) and does not include any UICC 118. In a third configuration, the mobile radio device 102-3 includes both a UICC 118 (or more than one, not shown) and an eUICC 108 (on which at most one eSIM 208 can be enabled at a time). In a fourth configuration, the mobile radio device 102-4 includes an eUICC 108 on which multiple eSIM 208s can be enabled simultaneously. In a fifth configuration, the mobile radio device 102-5 includes a UICC 118 (or more than one, not shown) and an eUICC 108 on which multiple eSIM 208s can be enabled simultaneously. The different configurations of the mobile radio device 102 can be used to provide dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) capabilities using a combination of activated pSIM and eSIM 208. For example, the mobile radio device 102-1 of the first configuration may include two activated pSIMs on two UICC 118-x. The mobile radio device 102-3 (and the mobile radio device 102-5 of the fifth configuration) of the third configuration may include one activated pSIM on a UICC 118 and one activated eSIM 208 on the eUICC 08. The mobile radio device 102-4 may include multiple activated eSIM 208s on the eUICC108. When converting a pSIM to an eSIM 208 in the mobile radio device 102, the mobile radio device 102 can affect the configuration's ability to maintain DSDS capabilities after the conversion. When only one activated eSIM 208 is allowed at a time on the eUICC 108, the DSDS capabilities may be lost after converting the pSIM to an eSIM 208.

[0048] Figure 11BFIG. 1140 shows an exemplary configuration in which the pSIM to eSIM conversion results in the loss of DSDS capabilities, and FIG. 1160 shows an exemplary configuration in which the DSDS capabilities are maintained after the pSIM to eSIM conversion. After the conversion, the availability of the DSDS capabilities may depend on whether the mobile wireless device 102 supports multiple simultaneously enabled eSIM 208 profiles. In an exemplary configuration of the mobile wireless device 102-3 (on which only one eSIM 208 profile could be enabled at a time), after converting the pSIM 1052-1 to the active eSIM 208-2 on the eUICC 108, the previously active eSIM 208-1 is deactivated. As part of the conversion process, the previously used pSIM 1052-1 also becomes deactivated. Therefore, after the conversion, only the newly installed eSIM 208-2 is active. After the conversion, the DSDS capabilities previously enabled by the combination of the pSIM 1052-1 and the eSIM 208-1 of the mobile wireless device 102-3 are disabled. In some cases, the user of the mobile wireless device 102-3 may be alerted to this change prior to the pSIM to eSIM conversion to allow cancellation of the conversion process. In an exemplary configuration of the mobile wireless device 102-5 (on which multiple eSIM 208 profiles could be enabled at a time), after converting the pSIM 1052-1 to the active eSIM 208-2 on the eUICC 108, the previously active eSIM 208-1 may remain active while the previously used pSIM 1052-1 becomes deactivated. After the conversion using the combination of eSIM1 208-1 and eSIM2 208-2, the DSDS capabilities of the combination of the previously used pSIM 1052-1 and eSIM1 208-1 may continue to be available. With the ability to use multiple enabled eSIM 208 profiles, the mobile wireless device 102 can maintain the DSDS capabilities after the conversion.

[0049] Figure 12Flowchart 1200 shows an exemplary method for pSIM to eSIM 208 conversion performed by wireless device 102. At 1202, wireless device 102 determines at least one criterion that is met for transferring the pSIM to eSIM 208 on wireless device 102. At 1204, wireless device 102 determines whether the wireless device has wireless connectivity using an alternative wireless connection other than via the pSIM to be converted. When the alternative wireless connection is available, at 1206, wireless device 102 obtains transfer credentials for transferring the pSIM to eSIM 208 to be installed on eUICC 108 of wireless device 102 from MNO authorization server 704. At 1208, wireless device 102 obtains eSIM 208 from MNO configuration server 116 (e.g., SM-DP+ 712 server) via the alternative wireless connection. At 1210, wireless device 102 installs eSIM 208 on eUICC 108 of wireless device 102. At 1212, wireless device 102 disables the pSIM. At 1214, wireless device 102 uses eSIM 208 to attach to the cellular wireless network of MNO 114 associated with eSIM 208.

[0050] In some embodiments, the method further includes, after installing eSIM 208 on eUICC 108 of wireless device 102, wireless device 102 transferring one or more user-defined settings from pSIM to eSIM 208. In some embodiments, the method further includes wireless device 102 marking the pSIM as converted and displaying a notification that indicates that removal of the pSIM from wireless device 102 is permitted. In some embodiments, the method further includes the following: when wireless device 102 supports multiple simultaneously enabled eSIMs 208, wireless device enables eSIM 208 after disabling pSIM; and when wireless device 102 supports at most one enabled eSIM 208 at a time, wireless device enables eSIM 208 before disabling pSIM. In some embodiments, eSIM 208 provides access to one or more 5G capabilities not available to wireless device 102 via pSIM. In some embodiments, the one or more 5G capabilities include an identity privacy protection feature. In some embodiments, the identity privacy protection feature includes using an encrypted SUCI 326 in place of an unencrypted SUPI 304 for one or more messages used to communicate with the cellular wireless network of the MNO. In some embodiments, the wireless connection includes a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection. In some embodiments, at least one criterion includes wireless device 102 supporting 5G cellular wireless service. In some embodiments, at least one criterion includes detecting one or more cells of a 5G network associated with the MNO. In some embodiments, at least one criterion includes determining that the pSIM lacks support for 5G identity privacy protection features. In some embodiments, the method further includes wireless device 102 entering a monitoring mode after installing eSIM 208 on eUICC 108, and the wireless device monitoring whether a message is received from a server based on the MNO 114 network before disabling pSIM, where the message indicates completion of activation of eSIM 208 within the cellular wireless network of the MNO. In some embodiments, the server based on the MNO 114 network includes MNO authorization server 704. In some embodiments, the server based on the MNO 114 network includes MNO configuration server 116, e.g., an SM-DP+ 712 server. In some embodiments, pSIM includes credentials and at least one criterion, the credentials including access to the home cellular wireless network, the at least one criterion for converting the pSIM transfer to eSIM 208 on eUICC 108, the at least one criterion including receiving a valid request from a user of wireless device 102 to perform the transfer conversion. In some embodiments, the method further includes replacing the pSIM of wireless device 102 with a second pSIM after disabling the pSIM, where the second pSIM includes credentials for accessing the cellular wireless network.In some embodiments, at least one criterion is used to convert a pSIM transfer to an eSIM 208 on an eUICC 108, and the at least one criterion includes a change of the MNO 114 associated with the pSIM. In some embodiments, the method further includes: when the at least one criterion is met and the wireless device 102 has wireless connectivity available via a wireless connection other than via the pSIM, i) displaying a notification that indicates an option for performing the transfer conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208, and ii) obtaining acceptance of the option before obtaining transfer credentials for transferring the pSIM to the eSIM 208 from an MNO authorization server 704 via the wireless connection. In some embodiments, the notification further indicates an option for performing the transfer conversion of the pSIM to the eSIM 208 that allows access to previously unavailable fifth-generation (5G) services via the pSIM on the wireless device 102. In some embodiments, the acceptance of the option includes approval of revised terms and conditions for cellular wireless service using the eSIM 208.

[0051] Representative exemplary apparatus

[0052] Figure 13 An exemplary computing device 1300 that can be used to implement various components and techniques described herein is shown in block diagram format. Specifically, a detailed view of the exemplary computing device 1300 shows various components that can be included in a mobile wireless device 102. As Figure 13As shown, the computing device 1300 may include one or more processors 1302 representing one or more microprocessors or controllers for controlling the overall operation of the computing device 1300. The one or more processors 1302 of the computing device 1300 may correspond to the one or more processors 104 of the mobile wireless device 102. In some embodiments, the computing device 1300 may further include a user input device 1308 that allows a user of the computing device 1300 to interact with the computing device 1300. For example, in some embodiments, the user input device 1308 may take various forms, such as buttons, keypads, dials, touchscreens, audio input interfaces, visual / image capture input interfaces, input in the form of sensor data, and the like. In some embodiments, the computing device 1300 may include a display 1310 (screen display) that may be controlled by one or more processors 1302 to display information to the user (e.g., information related to an ongoing process, such as during the initial setup or recovery of the computing device 1300). A data bus 1316 may facilitate data transfer between at least the storage device 1340, one or more processors 1302, and the controller 1313. The controller 1313 may be used to interact with and control different devices via the device control bus 1314. The computing device 1300 may further include a network / bus interface 1311 coupled to a data link 1312. In terms of wireless connections, the network / bus interface 1311 may include radio circuitry 110 that may be used to communicate with one or more cellular wireless networks 130 and / or non-cellular wireless networks, such as a wireless transceiver and / or a baseband processor. The computing device 1300 may further include one or more security elements 1350. The security element 1350 may include an eUICC 108 that may store one or more eSIMs 208 and a UICC 118 that may store a SIM.

[0053] The computing device 1300 further includes a storage device 1340, which may include a single storage device or multiple storage devices (e.g., hard disk drives, memory modules), and includes a storage management module that manages one or more partitions within the storage device 1340. In some embodiments, the storage device 1340 may include flash memory, semiconductor (solid-state) memory, and the like. The computing device 1300 may further include a random access memory (RAM) 1320 and a read-only memory (ROM) 1322. The ROM 1322 may store programs, utilities, or processes to be executed in a non-volatile manner. The RAM 1320 may provide volatile data storage and store instructions related to the operation of the computing device 1300.

[0054] Wireless terminology

[0055] According to various embodiments described herein, the terms "wireless communication device", "wireless device", "mobile device", "mobile station", and "user equipment (UE)" may be used interchangeably herein to describe one or more common consumer electronic devices that may be capable of performing processes associated with the various embodiments of the present disclosure. According to various specific implementations, any one of these consumer electronic devices may relate to: a cellular phone or smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a personal computer, a netbook computer, a media player device, an e-book device, a device, a wearable computing device, and any other type of electronic computing device having wireless communication capabilities, which wireless communication capabilities may include communication via one or more wireless communication protocols, such as protocols for communicating on the following networks: wireless wide area network (WWAN), wireless metropolitan area network (WMAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), wireless personal area network (WPAN), near field communication (NFC), cellular wireless network, fourth generation (4G) LTE, advanced LTE (LTE-A), and / or 5G or other currently or future-developed advanced cellular wireless networks.

[0056] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may also operate as part of a wireless communication system, which may include a group of client devices that may also be referred to as stations, client wireless devices, or client wireless communication devices, interconnected to an access point (AP) such as part of a WLAN, and / or interconnected to each other such as part of a WPAN and / or an "ad hoc" wireless network. In some embodiments, the client device may be any wireless communication device capable of communicating via WLAN technology (e.g., according to a wireless local area network communication protocol). In some embodiments, the WLAN technology may include a Wi-Fi (or more generally, WLAN) wireless communication subsystem or radio component, which Wi-Fi radio component may implement Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 technology, such as one or more of the following: IEEE 802.11a; IEEE 802.11b; IEEE 802.11g; IEEE 802.11-2007; IEEE 802.11n; IEEE 802.11-2012; IEEE 802.11ac; or other currently or future-developed IEEE 802.11 technology.

[0057] In addition, it should be understood that the UEs described herein may be configured as multi-mode wireless communication devices that are also capable of communicating via different third-generation (3G) and / or second-generation (2G) RATs. In these cases, the multi-mode UEs may be configured to preferentially attach to an LTE network that provides a faster data rate throughput compared to other 3G legacy networks that provide lower data rate throughputs. For example, in some specific implementations, the multi-mode UEs may be configured to fallback to a 3G legacy network, such as an evolved high-speed packet access (HSPA+) network, or a code division multiple access (CDMA) 2000 evolved-data only (EV-DO) network, when the LTE and LTE-A networks are otherwise unavailable.

[0058] It is well known that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of inadvertent or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly explained to the users.

[0059] The various aspects, embodiments, specific implementations, or features of the described embodiments may be used singly or in any combination. The various aspects of the described embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of hardware and software. The described embodiments may also be implemented as computer-readable code on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. A non-transitory computer-readable medium is any data storage device that can store data that can later be read by a computer system. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include read-only memory, random access memory, CD-ROM, HDD, DVD, magnetic tape, and optical data storage devices. The non-transitory computer-readable media may also be distributed over network-coupled computer systems such that the computer-readable code is stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0060] For purposes of illustration, the foregoing description uses specific names to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that no specific details are required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing description of the specific embodiments is presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the described embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings.

Claims

1. A wireless device configured for cellular service plan transfer, the wireless device comprising: Radio circuitry including one or more antennas; At least one processor communicatively coupled to a memory and the radio circuitry, the memory storing instructions to configure the wireless device to: Determine that at least one criterion is met, the at least one criterion for transferring a physical subscriber identity module (pSIM) included in the wireless device to an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) on an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the wireless device, wherein the at least one criterion includes determining that the pSIM lacks support for using an encrypted subscriber concealed identifier (SUCI), and wherein the eSIM provides support for using the encrypted SUCI in place of an unencrypted subscriber permanent identifier (SUPI); When the wireless device has wireless connectivity available via a wireless connection other than via the pSIM: Obtain transfer credentials for transferring the pSIM to the eSIM on the eUICC from a mobile network operator (MNO) authorization server via the wireless connection; And Obtain the eSIM from an MNO configuration server via the wireless connection; Install the eSIM on the eUICC; Disable the pSIM; And Use the eSIM to attach the wireless device to a cellular wireless network of the MNO.

2. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless device is further configured to: Transfer one or more user-defined settings from the pSIM to the eSIM after installing the eSIM on the eUICC of the wireless device.

3. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless device is further configured to: Mark the pSIM as converted; and Display a notification indicating that the pSIM is allowed to be removed from the wireless device.

4. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless device is further configured to: Enable the eSIM after disabling the pSIM when the wireless device supports multiple simultaneously enabled eSIMs; and Enable the eSIM before disabling the pSIM when the wireless device supports at most one enabled eSIM at a time.

5. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion includes determining that the MNO provides a 5G Standalone (SA) cellular wireless network that supports using the SUCI in place of the SUPI.

6. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless connection includes a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) connection.

7. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion includes that the wireless device supports communication via a 5G Standalone (SA) cellular wireless network.

8. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion includes detecting one or more cells of a 5G network associated with the MNO.

9. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion includes determining that a device password is set on the wireless device.

10. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless device is further configured to: enter a monitoring mode after installing the eSIM on the eUICC; and monitor the reception of messages from a server based on the MNO network before disabling the pSIM, the messages indicating completion of activation of the eSIM within the cellular radio network of the MNO.

11. The wireless device according to claim 10, wherein the server based on the MNO network includes the MNO authorization server or the MNO configuration server.

12. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein: the pSIM includes credentials for accessing a home cellular radio network; and the at least one criterion for converting the pSIM transfer to the eSIM on the eUICC includes receiving a valid request from a user of the wireless device to perform the transfer conversion.

13. The wireless device according to claim 12, wherein the wireless device is further configured to: accept replacement of the pSIM of the wireless device with a second pSIM after disabling the pSIM, wherein the second pSIM includes credentials for accessing an access cellular radio network.

14. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion for converting the pSIM transfer to the eSIM on the eUICC includes a change of the MNO associated with the pSIM from a first MNO to a second MNO, wherein the second MNO provides a specific cellular radio service that was previously unavailable via the first MNO and for which an over-the-air (OTA) update of the pSIM is unavailable.

15. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless device is further configured to: display a notification indicating an option for performing the conversion of the pSIM transfer to the eSIM; and obtain acceptance of the option before obtaining transfer credentials for transferring the pSIM to the eSIM from the MNO authorization server via the wireless connection.

16. The wireless device according to claim 15, wherein: the notification further indicates that the option for performing the conversion of the pSIM transfer to the eSIM allows access to fifth-generation (5G) services that were previously unavailable via the pSIM on the wireless device.

17. The wireless device according to claim 15, wherein the acceptance of the option includes consent to revised terms and conditions for cellular radio services using the eSIM.

18. An apparatus configured for cellular service plan transfer in a wireless device, the apparatus comprising: At least one processor configured to cause the wireless device to: Determine that at least one criterion is met, the at least one criterion for converting a physical subscriber identity module (pSIM) included in the wireless device to an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) on an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the wireless device, wherein the at least one criterion includes determining that the pSIM lacks support for using an encrypted subscriber concealed identifier (SUCI), and wherein the eSIM provides support for using an encrypted SUCI in place of an unencrypted subscriber permanent identifier (SUPI); When the wireless device has wireless connectivity via a wireless connection other than via the pSIM: Obtain transfer credentials for transferring the pSIM to the eSIM on the eUICC from a mobile network operator (MNO) authorization server via the wireless connection; And Obtain the eSIM from an MNO configuration server via the wireless connection; Install the eSIM on the eUICC; Disable the pSIM; And Use the eSIM to attach the wireless device to a cellular radio network of the MNO.

19. A method for cellular service plan transfer in a wireless device, the method comprising: By the wireless device: Determine that at least one criterion is met, the at least one criterion for converting a physical subscriber identity module (pSIM) included in the wireless device to an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) on an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the wireless device, wherein the at least one criterion includes determining that the pSIM lacks support for using an encrypted subscriber concealed identifier (SUCI), and wherein the eSIM provides support for using an encrypted SUCI in place of an unencrypted subscriber permanent identifier (SUPI); When the wireless device has wireless connectivity via a wireless connection other than via the pSIM: Obtain transfer credentials for transferring the pSIM to the eSIM on the eUICC from a mobile network operator (MNO) authorization server via the wireless connection; And Obtain the eSIM from an MNO configuration server via the wireless connection; Install the eSIM on the eUICC; Disable the pSIM; And Use the eSIM to attach the wireless device to a cellular radio network of the MNO.

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