Ue with limited service esim capabilities

Abstract

An apparatus configured to activate a limited service embedded Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM)based on detecting a predetermined condition, wherein activating the limited service eSIM allows the UE to access one or more services that are disallowed services for the limited service eSIM, generate, for transmission via a first network, a request to a server associated with the limited service eSIM for a link for a first service of the one or more services, process, based on signaling received from the server, a response including the link and initiate the first service with a receiver using the limited service eSIM via a second network, wherein the limited service eSIM does not include credentials to access the second network and wherein the link is included in information exchanged with the receiver via the first service or sent to a third party server that publishes the link for access by the receiver.

Description

UE with Limited Service eSIM CapabilitiesInventors: Vidur Gupta, Abishek Kumar Vaidyanathan, Gaurav Lamba and Li LiPriority / Incorporation By Reference

[0001] This application claims priority to US Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 585, 373 filed on September 26, 2023, entitled "UE with Limited Service eSIM Capabilities," the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.Background

[0002] Some user equipment (UE) are only equipped with embedded Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs) that enable limited communications with a network. For example, these type of eSIMs may be data-only, e.g., do not support voice or video. These types of eSIMs may be referred to as a provisioning eSIM or a bootstrap eSIM. However, UEs with only these types of eSIMs may result in a bad user experience under certain scenarios.Summary

[0003] Some example embodiments are related to an apparatus having a limited service embedded Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM) and processing circuitry configured to activate the limited service eSIM based on detecting a predetermined condition, wherein activating the limited service eSIM allows the UE to access one or more services that are disallowed services for the limited service eSIM, generate, for transmission via a first network, a request to a server associated with the limited service eSIM for a link for a first service of the one or more services, process, based on signaling received from the server, a response including the link andinitiate the first service with a receiver using the limited service eSIM via a second network, wherein the limited service eS IM does not include credentials to access the second network and wherein the link is included in information exchanged with the receiver via the first service or sent to a third party server that publishes the link for access by the receiver .Brief Description of the Drawings

[0004] Fig . 1 shows a diagram for enabling a user equipment (UE ) with a limited capability SIM to connect a voice or video call according to various example embodiments .

[0005] Fig . 2 shows a diagram for providing location data to a receiver using parallel transmission methods according to various example embodiments .

[0006] Fig . 3 shows a diagram for making voice or video calls to a receiver using parallel calling methods according to various example embodiments .

[0007] Fig . 4 shows a diagram for creating a persistent channel for a UE and a receiver to reestablish contact after an voice or video call has ended according to various example embodiments .

[0008] Fig . 5 shows a diagram for requesting a VoIP link and providing the link to a receiver by including the link in an S IP header according to various example embodiments .

[0009] Fig . 6 shows a diagram for requesting a VoIP link and providing the link to a third party server that may publish thelink for viewing by a receiver according to various example embodiments .

[0010] Fig. 7 shows a diagram for a device without a baseband processor to request a VoIP link and provide the link to a third party server that may publish the link for viewing by a receiver according to various example embodiments.

[0011] Fig. 8 shows an example network arrangement according to various example embodiments.

[0012] Fig. 9 shows an example UE according to various example embodiments.Detailed Description

[0013] The example aspects may be further understood with reference to the following description and the related appended drawings, wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numerals. The example aspects describe operations for allowing a user equipment (UE) with limited services (e.g. , SIM or eSIM services) to interact with a network to perform voice calls or short messaging service (SMS) operations. In some aspects, when making a voice call, example operations may include a mechanism by which the receiver of the call and the UE may reestablish contact over the Internet after the initial call has ended.

[0014] The example aspects are described with regard to a UE . However, the use of a UE is provided for illustrative purposes. The example aspects may be utilized with any electronic component that may establish a connection with a network and isconfigured with the hardware, software, and / or firmware to exchange information and data with the network. Therefore, the UE as described herein is used to represent any electronic component that is capable of accessing a network.

[0015] The example aspects are described with regard to one or more networks that may be accessed by the UE . In some aspects, the network may be a public land mobile network (PLMN) deployed by a mobile network operator (MNO) , e.g., a 5G NR network, a 4G network, a 5G-Advanced network, a 6G network, etc., that may be accessed for making voice calls, e.g., voice over NR, voice over LTE, etc. In some embodiments, the cellular calls are voice or video calls that are made without a physical SIM. In other aspects, the network may be a data-only network that may be accessed for signaling. In still other aspects, the network may be a local area network (LAN) , a wide area network (WAN) , a Wi-Fi network, or some other network (5G, 4G, etc. ) that may be accessed for a Voice over IP (VoIP) call. However, the use of these various networks is provided for illustrative purposes. The example aspects may apply to any type of network that utilizes similar functionalities.

[0016] A subscriber identification module (SIM) contains information that is used by the UE to establish a network connection. A SIM may be a physical SIM or an embedded SIM (eSIM) . A physical SIM may be removable from a device while an eSIM (digital SIM) may be embedded in the hardware of the device. In one example, a physical SIM may include an international mobile subscriber identifier (IMSI) that may be used for authentication with the network provider. A user may have a subscription with a cellular service provider that isenabled by a SIM. The network to which the UE may connect using the SIM may be the 5G NR cellular network, e.g. , a PLMN deployed by a mobile network operator (MNO) .

[0017] In the present description reference may be made to the SIMs performing a function (e.g. , communicating with the wireless network) . However, the SIMs themselves do not perform any functions or operations. Rather, the UE, or more precisely a processor (e.g. , a baseband processor) of the UE, implements one or more protocol stacks using the credentials and other information stored on the SIMs and then establishes a connection with networks using the one or more protocol stacks. Thus, when referring to a SIM communicating with a network, this includes the UE or the processor of the UE communicating via a connection associated with the SIM. Similarly, any other operation attributed to the SIM herein may be an operation being performed by a protocol stack implemented by the processor using the information provided by the SIM.

[0018] In another example, an eSIM may be a limited capability eSIM that may typically be used for only for certain operations such as remote provisioning of a device. The eSIM may be data-only and enabled to support certain types of data traffic, e.g. , allow listed data traffic for purposes such as provisioning. This type of eSIM will typically not allow the UE to access a PLMN network for the purposes of, for example, voice calls, video calls, SMS, etc. However, according to the example embodiments, the UE that includes a limited capability eSIM is provided with the capability to perform certain operations such as voice calls, video calls, SMS, etc. that are not typically associated with a UE having the limited capability eSIM.Reference to any particular type of information being included in a SIM is merely provided for illustrative purposes. A SIM may include a wide variety of different types of information that different networks or entities may refer to by different names. Accordingly, the example embodiments may apply to a SIM that contains any type of information used by the UE to establish a network connection.

[0019] As stated above, a UE may be equipped with a limited service eSIM enabling limited communications with a network. Throughout this description, this limited service eSIM may be referred to as a provisioning eSIM or a bootstrap eSIM. For example, the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM may be a data- only eSIM, e.g., does not support voice or video. The provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM may be provided by the manufacturer of the device and does not include credentials for accessing a PLMN. The provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM may support allowed listed traffic and may be activated by the UE in some specific scenarios. For example, if the UE does not have a network connection and needs provisioning, the UE may activate the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM and access a nearby network for the provisioning. Some non-limiting examples of when the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM may be activated may include, when the UE is taken out of the box and includes neither a physical SIM nor carrier eSIM, when a user has removed a physical SIM from the UE and the UE does not include a carrier eSIM, when the UE arrives in a different country and its current carrier SIM or eSIM cannot access the local network, etc. In these examples, the user of the UE does not have any access to any basic services expected of a UE, e.g. , voice calling, emergency calling, SMS, etc. The example embodiments leveragethe provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM included with the UE to provide these services to the user.

[0020] In some examples, the service that may be activated using the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM may be an emergency calling service to a public safety answering point (PSAP) . However, the example embodiments may also be applied to other scenarios that do not include emergency calls including, but not limited to, voice calls, video calls, SMS, location services, unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) , etc. Thus, reference to an emergency call or PSAP is only one example of the implementations of the example embodiments.

[0021] Fig. 1 shows a diagram 100 for enabling a user equipment (UE) 102 with a limited capability SIM to connect a voice or video call according to various example embodiments. The diagram 100 includes the UE 102, a server 104, and a first network 106 enabling communications between the UE 102 and the server 104. The diagram 100 further includes a receiver 108 (e.g., the called party or device) and a second network 110 enabling communications between the UE 102 and the receiver 108. As described above, the receiver 108 may be a PSAP in emergency calling situations but may also be any other device that may receive voice calls or video calls in non-emergency scenarios.

[0022] As described above, it may be considered that the UE 102 is equipped with a provisioning eSIM or a bootstrap eSIM embedded SIM (eSIM) enabling limited communications with a network and may not support voice or video. However, in the example embodiments, the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM may be allowed in certain scenarios to request a VoIP link toperform voice or video calls . As described above , in one example , the scenario may include an emergency calling scenario . Other scenarios may include, but are not limited to , a predetermined time period after the UE 102 is initially activated, a predetermined time period after a physical carrier S IM is removed or a carrier eS IM profile is deleted from the UE 102 , a predetermined time period after the UE 102 arrives in a new country, etc . That is , the entity that provides the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM may define any scenario in which the provisioning eS IM or bootstrap eSIM may be enabled to perform voice calls , video calls or any other services that are not normally provided by the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eS IM . The scenario may be triggered by the UE detecting the occurrence of a predetermined condition such as the user initiating an emergency call or any other condition indicating a defined scenario has been triggered .

[0023] In 112 , the UE 102 enables or activates the eS IM to initiate the voice or video call , e . g . , the user of the UE 102 activates a voice call or video call application . After activation, the eS IM may attempt to access a nearby network to communicate with the server 104 . In this example, the eS IM accesses the first network 106 . The first network 106 may be referred to as a bootstrap network . The first network 106 enables the UE 102 to communicate with the server 104 . The first network 106 may be a cellular network or any type of network that allows the UE 102 to communicate with the server 104 .

[0024] In 114 , the UE 102 transmits an HTTP request for the server 104 to generate a VoIP link using the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM . When requesting the VoIP link from theserver 104, the UE 102 may indicate a condition in the HTTP header that indicates the UE 102 is in a scenario that allows the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM to be used for a voice or video call. For example, the HTTP header may indicate "emergency." Other designations may be used to indicate that the UE 102 is in other scenarios allowing the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM to be used for a voice or video call. The request is received at the first network 106. In 116, the first network 106 forwards the HTTP request to the server 104.

[0025] In 118, the server 104 generates the requested VoIP link. As described above, the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM may be provided by the manufacturer of the UE 102. The server 104 may be a provisioning server implemented by the manufacturer of the UE 102 or a third party tasked with provisioning the UE 102. The server 104 may include a series of servers that are in communication. For example, when a provisioning server of the server 104 receives the request for the VoIP link, the provisioning server may forward this request to a VoIP server of the server 104 to generate the requested VoIP link.

[0026] In some example embodiments, the link may be generated with a special randomized ID when the scenario is identified, e.g., via information in the HTTP header of the request. This randomized ID may be used in various manners including the examples provided below.

[0027] In 120, the server 104 transmits an HTTP response including the requested VoIP link. The response is received atthe first network 106. In 122, the first network 106 forwards the HTTP response to the UE 102.

[0028] In another aspect of the example embodiments, the UE 102 may use the VoIP link to make the voice or video call to the receiver 108. The UE 102 may camp on the second network 110, e.g., the closest network supporting voice calls, to make the voice or video call. In some example embodiments, the UE 102 may automatically trigger initiation of the voice or video call upon receipt of the VoIP link. In other example embodiments, the UE 102 may prompt the user to initiate the voice or video call upon receipt of the VoIP link.

[0029] In 124, the UE 102 initiates the voice or video call to the receiver 108 using the second network 110, e.g., a Voice over LTE (VoLTE) call, a Voice over NR (VoNR) call, etc. In the example embodiments, the UE 102 adds the received VoIP link to the header of the SIP request for the VoIP call. The cellular voice or video call is received at the second network 110. In 126, the cellular voice or video call is forwarded to the receiver 108 and the voice or video call is established between the UE 102 and the receiver 108. Accordingly, the VoIP link is provided to the receiver 108 when the voice or video call is established.

[0030] After the voice or video call has ended, the receiver 108 may desire to reestablish contact with the UE 102. In 128, the receiver 108 opens the VoIP link and joins the VoIP call, e.g., via the first network 106. When the receiver 108 opens the VoIP link an alert may be triggered for notifying the UE 102 that the receiver 108 has joined the call. In 130, the alert issent from the receiver 108 to the server 104. For example, the alert may include the randomized ID so the server 104 understands the UE 102 is the UE to which the alert is to be forwarded. In 132, the server 104 sends the alert to the first network 106 (e.g., the bootstrap network) and, in 134, the alert is forwarded to the UE 102 via the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM. In 136, the UE 102 receives the alert and opens the VoIP link. Again, the alert may include the randomized ID so the UE 102 understands the link that should be opened.

[0031] In another aspect of the example embodiments, when the UE 102 receives the alert, the UE 102 may open the VoIP link and join the call, thus establishing a VoIP session with the receiver 108. In some example embodiments, the user may select to join the call. In other example embodiments, the alert may trigger the UE 102 to join the call automatically.

[0032] The VoIP link may remain active even after the VoIP callback has ended. Thus, the receiver 108 may callback a second time, if necessary. In some embodiments, the UE 102 may initiate a callback to the receiver 108 while the link remains active.The link may remain active for some predetermined duration of time or it may be deactivated when the receiver 108 determines no further callbacks are necessary.

[0033] In 136, the receiver 108 determines no further callbacks are necessary and the VoIP link may be terminated. When the receiver 108 ends the VoIP link, an alert may be triggered. In 138, the alert to terminate the VoIP call is sent from the receiver 108 to the server 104, e.g., the alert may include the randomized ID so the server understands the linkthat is to be terminated and the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM that is to be deactivated. In 140, the server 104 deregisters the UE 102 from the service. In 142, the server 104 sends a deregistration alert. The alert is received at the first network 106. In 144, the first network 106 forwards the deregister alert to the UE 102. In 146, the UE 102 receives the alert and deactivates the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM. In this example, the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM may continue to be active for its designated purpose, e.g., provisioning, but is deactivated for the purposes of providing the additional services via the cellular network, e.g., voice calls, video calls, SMS, etc.

[0034] In the above example, it was considered that the receiver 104 used the callback feature of the example embodiments. However, there is no requirement that the callback feature be used. For example, when the call 126 is completed, the receiver 104 may immediately proceed to 136 to terminate the VoIP link.

[0035] In another aspect of the example embodiments, location data may be transmitted to the receiver via the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM. In some aspects, the location data may be transmitted via multiple parallel channels, e.g., via the eSIM and via existing location transmission techniques. This allows the receiver to receive the location information in as timely a manner as possible, e.g., reduces latency with respect to sending the location data via only a single manner.

[0036] Fig. 2 shows a diagram 200 for providing location data to a receiver 204 using parallel transmission methods accordingto various example embodiments. The diagram 200 includes a UE 202 and a receiver 204. The UE 202 and the receiver 204 may communicate via a first network 206, e.g., a bootstrap network, enabled by the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM of the UE 202 as described above. The UE 202 and the receiver 204 may also communicate via a second network 208, e.g., a closest camped network for making a voice or video call. The techniques described for the diagram 200 may be applied in combination with those described above for the diagram 100 of Fig. 1.

[0037] In 210, the UE 202 transmits location data to the first network 206 via the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM. The location data may be sent in, for example, an HTTP message. In 212, the UE 202 transmits the location data to the second network 208 via existing signaling techniques, e.g., as data included in the voice or video call initiated with reference to Fig. 1. In 214, the first network 206 forwards the location data to the receiver 204. In 216, the second network 208 forwards the location data to the receiver 204.

[0038] The receiver 204 may receive one or both of the messages. When a first message is received via either the first or second networks 206, 208, if and when a second message is received from the other one of the networks, the second message may be discarded. The location data may be sent via either of the two signaling techniques described above. In some example embodiments, the location data may be sent only via the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM.

[0039] In another aspect of the example embodiments, the UE may transmit the VoIP link to the receiver via the provisioningeSIM or bootstrap eSIM. In some aspects, the VoIP link may be transmitted in parallel with the voice or video call being attempted by the UE .

[0040] Fig. 3 shows a diagram for making voice or video calls to a receiver 304 using parallel calling methods according to various example embodiments. The diagram 300 includes a UE 302 and a receiver 304. The UE 302 and the receiver 304 may communicate via a first network 306, e.g. , a bootstrap network, enabled by the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM of the UE 302 as described above. The UE 302 and the receiver 304 may also communicate via a second network 308, e.g. , a closest camped network for making the voice or video call. The techniques described for the diagram 300 may be applied in combination with those described above for the diagrams of Figs. 1-2.

[0041] In 310, the UE 302 transmits the VoIP link to the first network 306 via the provisioning eSIM or bootstrap eSIM. The link may be sent in an HTTP message. The UE 302 has previously received the VoIP link from a server, e.g. , in the manner described with reference to Fig. 1. In 312, the UE 302 initiates a voice call via the second network 308 according to existing calling techniques. In 314, the first network 306 forwards the link to the receiver 304. In 316, the second network 308 forwards the voice or video call to the receiver 304.

[0042] The receiver 304 may receive one or both of the messages. When the VoIP link is received first, the receiver 304 may open the link and join the VoIP call. If and when the cellular voice or video call is received, the receiver 304 maydrop the cellular voice or video call because the receiver has already joined the call using the link. When the cellular voice or video call is received first, the receiver 304 may establish the voice or video call and read the VoIP link from the header. If and when the VoIP link is received via the first network 306, the message may be dropped.

[0043] In another aspect of the example embodiments, a VoIP based callback channel may be created to allow the user to retain context with the same receiver and avoid reentering a queue. In particular, there may be scenarios where UEs lack PLMN coverage in certain areas, e.g., basement-level parking garages, hospitals with cellphone jammers, etc. However, the UE may still have Wi-Fi, satellite or other network connections. Thus, the UE with, for example, Wi-Fi access may create a persistent channel allowing callback in various scenarios.

[0044] Fig. 4 shows a diagram 400 for creating a persistent channel for a first UE 402 and a second UE 404 to reestablish contact according to various example embodiments. The diagram 400 includes the first UE 402, the second UE 404, a first server 406 and a second server 408. The first server 406 may represent a VoIP server and the second server may represent a push notification server 408.

[0045] In 410, the first UE 402 requests the creation of a VoIP link from the first server 406. The request may be sent via, e.g., a cloud service, from a registered phone number, or in other ways. In 412, the first server 406 returns the VoIP link. In 414, the first UE 402 sends the link to the second UE404. The link may be sent in various manners, e.g., text messages, email, sidelink, etc.

[0046] In 416, the second UE 404 joins the VoIP call via the link. The first server 406 is notified that the second UE 404 joined the call. In 418, the first server 406 requests the second server 408 to alert the first UE 402 that the second UE 404 joined the call. In 420, the second server 408 alerts the first UE 402 that the second UE 404 joined the call. The first UE 402 may then join the call.

[0047] In some aspects of the example embodiments, the VoIP link may be provided to a receiver and enable the receiver to alternate between a SIP call and the VoIP call.

[0048] Fig. 5 shows a diagram 500 for requesting a VoIP link and providing the link to a receiver 504 by including the link in a SIP header according to various example embodiments. The diagram 500 includes a UE 502, a receiver 504, a server 506 and a network 508. The server 506 may represent a VoIP server and the network 508 may represent a closest camped PLMN.

[0049] In 510, the UE 502 requests the creation of a VoIP link from the server 506. In 512, the server 506 returns the VoIP link. In 514, the UE 502 initiates a voice call and includes the VoIP link in the SIP header. The call is received at the network 508. In 516, the network 508 forwards the call to the receiver 504.

[0050] The call is received at the receiver 504 with the link. The receiver 504 may select to join the VoIP call ormaintain the voice call. The receiver 504 may alternate between these options. After the voice call has ended, the receiver 504 may open the link. Opening the link may trigger a push notification to the UE 502 that the receiver 504 has joined the VoIP call.

[0051] In another aspect, a third party database may be enabled to receive a VoIP link from a UE and publish the link for viewing by the receiver.

[0052] Fig. 6 shows a diagram 600 for requesting a VoIP link and providing the link to a third party server 610 that may publish the link for viewing by a receiver 604 according to various example embodiments. The diagram 600 includes a UE 602, a receiver 604, a first server 606, a network 608 and a second server 610. The first server 606 may represent a VoIP server and the network 608 may represent a closest camped PLMN. The second server 610 may represent a third party server.

[0053] In 612, the UE 602 requests the creation of a VoIP link from the first server 606. In 614, the first server 606 returns the VoIP link. In 616, the UE 602 send the link to the second server 608. In 618, the second server 608 publishes the link for viewing by an operator.

[0054] In 620, the UE 602 initiates a voice or video call, . The call is received at the network 608. In 622, the network 608 forwards the call to the receiver 604. The call is received at the receiver 604. The receiver 604 may select to join the VoIP call published by the second server 610 or maintain the voice call. The receiver 604 may alternate between theseoptions. After the voice call has ended, the receiver 604 may open the link. Opening the link may trigger a push notification to the UE 602 that the receiver 604 has joined the VoIP call.

[0055] In another aspect of the example embodiments, a device without a baseband processor may make voice calls and provide a callback option via Wi-Fi networks.

[0056] Fig. 7 shows a diagram 700 for a device without a baseband processor to request a VoIP link and provide the link to a third party server 710 that may publish the link for viewing by a receiver 704 according to various example embodiments. The diagram 700 includes a UE 702, a receiver 704, a first server 706, a second server 708 and a third server 710. The first server 706 may represent a VoIP server. The second server 708 may represent a receiver routing server. The third server 710 may represent the third party server.

[0057] In 712, the UE 702 requests the creation of a VoIP link from the first server 706. In 714, the first server 706 returns the VoIP link. In 716, the UE 702 sends GNSS coordinates to the second server 708. The second server 708 may return to the UE 702 a nearest receiver operator ID. In 718, the UE 702 sends the link to the third server 710. In 720, the third server 708 publishes the link for viewing by a receiver operator.

[0058] The receiver 704 may select to join the VoIP call published by the third server 710. The receiver 704 may callback using the same link. Opening the link may trigger a push notification to the UE 702 that the receiver 704 has joined the VoIP call.

[0059] In the above examples, it was considered that the UE did not include a phone number for the receiver to call back the UE . However, in some instances the UE may have a phone number but for any of a variety of reasons, the phone number is not available to the receiver for call back purposes. For example, the UE may have an unknown or private number, e.g., the user of the UE does not want the receiver to know the phone number of the UE . In another example, there may be data issues on the cellular network, e.g., the phone number of the UE is incorrect or garbled when received by the receiver. The above example embodiments may also be used in these scenarios, e.g. , the UE may include the link for an IP session so the receiver may call back the UE for a limited period of time, e.g. , 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc. In this manner, the receiver may call the UE back but the user is not obliged to share the phone number with the receiver.

[0060] Fig. 8 shows an example network arrangement 800 according to various example embodiments. The example network arrangement 800 include a UE 810. The UE 810 may be any type of electronic component that is configured to communicate via a network, e.g. , mobile phones, tablet computers, desktop computers, smartphones, phablets, embedded devices, wearables (e.g., HMD, AR glasses, etc. ) , Internet of Things (loT) devices, etc. An actual network arrangement may include any number of UEs being used by any number of users. Thus, the example of one UE 810 is merely provided for illustrative purposes.

[0061] The UE 810 may communicate directly with one or more networks. In the example of the network configuration 800, thenetworks with which the UE 810 may wirelessly communicate are a 5G NR radio access network (5G NR-RAN) 820, an LTE radio access network (LTE-RAN) 822 and a wireless local access network (WLAN) 824. However, the UE 810 may also communicate with other types of networks and the UE 810 may also communicate with networks over a wired connection. Therefore, the UE 810 may include a 5G NR chipset to communicate with the 5G NR-RAN 820, an LTE chipset to communicate with the LTE-RAN 822 and an ISM chipset to communicate with the WLAN 824.

[0062] The 5G NR-RAN 820 and the LTE-RAN 822 may be portions of cellular networks that may be deployed by a network carrier (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc. ) . These networks 820, 822 may include, for example, cells or base stations (Node Bs, eNodeBs, HeNBs, eNBS, gNBs, gNodeBs, macrocells, microcells, small cells, femtocells, etc. ) that are configured to send and receive traffic from UEs that are equipped with the appropriate cellular chip set. The WLAN 824 may include any type of wireless local area network (Wi-Fi, Hot Spot, IEEE 802. llx networks, etc . ) .

[0063] The UE 810 may connect to the 5G NR-RAN via the gNB 820A or the gNB 820B. Reference to two gNBs 820A, 820B is merely for illustrative purposes. The example embodiments may apply to any appropriate number of gNBs. The UE 810 may also connect to the LTE-RAN 822 via the eNBs 822A, 822B. Any association procedure may be performed for the UE 810 to connect to the 5G NR-RAN 820 and the LTE-RAN 822. For example, as discussed above, the 5G NR-RAN 820 and the LTE-RAN 822 may be associated with a particular cellular provider where the UEs 810 and / or the user thereof has a contract and credential information (e.g.,stored on a SIM card) . Upon detecting the presence of the 5G NR-RAN 820, the UE 810 may transmit the corresponding credential information to associate with the 5G NR-RAN 820. More specifically, the UE 810 may associate with a specific base station (e.g. , the gNB 820A of the 5G NR-RAN 820, the eNB 822A of the LTE-RAN 822) .

[0064] In addition to the networks 820, 822 and 824 the network arrangement 800 also includes a cellular core network 830, the Internet 840, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 850, and a network services backbone 860. The cellular core network 830 may be considered to be the interconnected set of components that manages the operation and traffic of the cellular network. The cellular core network 830 also manages the traffic that flows between the cellular network and the Internet 840. The IMS 850 may be generally described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to the UE 810 using the IP protocol. The IMS 850 may communicate with the cellular core network 830 and the Internet 840 to provide the multimedia services to the UE 810. The network services backbone 860 is in communication either directly or indirectly with the Internet 840 and the cellular core network 830. The network services backbone 860 may be generally described as a set of components (e.g., servers, network storage arrangements, etc. ) that implement a suite of services that may be used to extend the functionalities of the UE 810in communication with the various networks .

[0065] Fig. 9 shows an example UE 810 according to various example embodiments. The UE 810 will be described with regard to the network arrangement 800 of Fig. 8. The UE 810 may include aprocessor 905, a memory arrangement 910, a display device 915, an input / output (I / O) device 920, a transceiver 925 and other components 930. The other components 930 may include, for example, an audio input device, an audio output device, a power supply, a data acquisition device, ports to electrically connect the UE 810 to other electronic devices, etc.

[0066] The processor 905 may be configured to execute a plurality of engines of the UE 810. For example, the engines may include a limited service eSIM engine 935 for performing various operations related to providing a mechanism for a UE to obtain cellular like services when only including a limited service eSIM and establishing contact with a device or a server after a voice or video call has ended, as described above.

[0067] The above referenced engine 935 being an application (e.g., a program) executed by the processor 905 is provided merely for illustrative purposes. The functionality associated with the engine 935 may also be represented as a separate incorporated component of the UE 810 or may be a modular component coupled to the UE 810, e.g., an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuitry to receive signals and processing circuitry to process the signals and other information. The engines may also be embodied as one application or separate applications. In addition, in some UEs, the functionality described for the processor 905 is split among two or more processors such as a baseband processor and an applications processor. The example embodiments may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of a UE .

[0068] The memory arrangement 910 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the UE 810. The display device 915 may be a hardware component configured to show data to a user while the I / O device 920 may be a hardware component that enables the user to enter inputs. The display device 915 and the I / O device 920 may be separate components or integrated together such as a touchscreen.

[0069] The transceiver 925 may be a hardware component configured to establish a connection with the 5G NR-RAN 820 and / or any other appropriate type of network. Accordingly, the transceiver 925 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g. , set of consecutive frequencies) . The transceiver 925 includes circuitry configured to transmit and / or receive signals (e.g. , control signals, data signals) . Such signals may be encoded with information implementing any one of the methods described herein. The processor 905 may be operably coupled to the transceiver 925 and configured to receive from and / or transmit signals to the transceiver 925. The processor 905 may be configured to encode and / or decode signals (e.g., signaling from a base station of a network) for implementing any one of the methods described herein.Examples

[0070] In a first example, a method, comprising activating a limited service embedded Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM) based on detecting a predetermined condition, wherein activating the limited service eSIM allows the UE to access one or more services that are disallowed services for the limited serviceeSIM, generating, for transmission via a first network, a request to a server associated with the limited service eSIM for a link for a first service of the one or more services, processing, based on signaling received from the server, a response including the link and initiating the first service with a receiver using the limited service eSIM via a second network, wherein the limited service eSIM does not include credentials to access the second network and wherein the link is included in information exchanged with the receiver via the first service or sent to a third party server that publishes the link for access by the receiver.

[0071] In a second example, the method of the first example, further comprising processing, based on signaling received from the server, a deregister notification indicating the first service with the receiver has been terminated and deactivating the limited service eSIM for the first service.

[0072] In a third example, the method of the first example, wherein the first service is a cellular voice call, a cellular video call, or a short messaging service (SMS) over a cellular connection .

[0073] In a fourth example, the method of the third example, wherein, when the first service is a cellular voice call, the link comprises a Voice over IP (VoIP) session link.

[0074] In a fifth example, the method of the third example, wherein, when the first service is a cellular video call, the link comprises a Video over IP (VoIP) session link.

[0075] In a sixth example, the method of the third example, further comprising processing, based on signaling received from the server, a notification that the receiver has joined an Internet Protocol (IP) session related to the first service using the link, wherein the notification is received after the first service is terminated on the second network and joining the IP session to reestablish the first service with the receiver .

[0076] In a seventh example, the method of the sixth example, wherein the UE automatically joins the IP session based on the notification .

[0077] In an eighth example, the method of the sixth example, further comprising displaying, to a user, an indication that the receiver has joined the IP session based on the notification.

[0078] In a ninth example, the method of the first example, further comprising deactivating the limited service eSIM a predetermined duration after the eSIM is activated.

[0079] In a tenth example, the method of the first example, wherein the predetermined condition comprises an indication that the first service is an emergency call and the receiver comprises a public safety answering point (PSAP) .

[0080] In an eleventh example, the method of the first example, wherein the first service comprises transmitting location data via the second network.

[0081] In a twelfth example, the method of the eleventh example, further comprising generating, for transmission via the first network, the location data at substantially a same time as the location data is transmitted via the second network.

[0082] In a thirteenth example, the method of the first example, wherein the second network is a public land mobile network (PLMN) .

[0083] In a fourteenth example, the method of the thirteenth example, wherein the PLMN is a geographically closest PLMN to the UE.

[0084] In a fifteenth example, the method of the first example, further comprising generating, for transmission via the first network, the link to the receiver at substantially a same time as initiating the first service via the second network and joining the IP session of the first service via the first network .

[0085] In a sixteenth example, the method of the first example, wherein the request is an HTTP request and the response is an HTTP response.

[0086] In a seventeenth example, the method of the sixteenth example, wherein the HTTP request includes a header indicating the predetermined condition.

[0087] In an eighteenth example, the method of the first example, wherein the link comprises a randomized identification (ID) .

[0088] In a nineteenth example, the method of the first example , wherein the first service is initiated via a session initiation protocol ( SIP ) invite and the link is included in a header of the SIP invite .

[0089] In a twentieth example, the method of the first example , wherein the first service is associated with a phone number of the UE and the information exchanged with the receiver via the first service excludes the phone number of the UE .

[0090] In a twenty first example , a processor configured to perform any of the methods of the first through twentieth examples .

[0091] In a twenty second example , a user eguipment (UE ) configured to perform any of the methods of the first through twentieth examples .

[0092] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described example embodiments may be implemented in any suitable software or hardware configuration or combination thereof . An example hardware platform for implementing the example embodiments may include , for example, an Intel x86 based platform with compatible operating system, a Windows OS , a Mac platform and MAC OS , a mobile device having an operating system such as iOS , Android, etc . The example embodiments of the above described method may be embodied as a program containing lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that , when compiled, may be executed on a processor or microprocessor .

[0093] Although this application described various embodiments each having different features in various combinations , those skilled in the art will understand that any of the features of one embodiment may be combined with the features of the other embodiments in any manner not speci fically disclaimed or which is not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation of the device or the stated functions of the disclosed embodiments .

[0094] It is well understood that the use of personally identi fiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are generally recogni zed as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining the privacy of users . In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled so as to minimi ze risks of unintentional or unauthori zed access or use , and the nature of authori zed use should be clearly indicated to users .

[0095] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modi fications may be made in the present disclosure , without departing from the spirit or the scope of the disclosure . Thus , it is intended that the present disclosure cover modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalent .

Claims

What is claimed :1 . An apparatus comprising a limited service embedded Subscriber Identity Module ( eS IM) and processing circuitry configured to : activate the limited service eS IM based on detecting a predetermined condition, wherein activating the limited service eS IM allows the UE to access one or more services that are disallowed services for the limited service eS IM; generate , for transmission via a first network, a reguest to a server associated with the limited service eSIM for a link for a first service of the one or more services ; process , based on signaling received from the server, a response including the link; and initiate the first service with a receiver using the limited service eS IM via a second network, wherein the limited service eSIM does not include credentials to access the second network and wherein the link is included in information exchanged with the receiver via the first service or sent to a third party server that publishes the link for access by the receiver .2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to : process , based on signaling received from the server, a deregister notification indicating the first service with the receiver has been terminated; and deactivate the limited service eSIM for the first service .3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first service is a cellular voice call , a cellular video call , or a short messaging service ( SMS ) over a cellular connection .

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, when the first service is a cellular voice call, the link comprises a Voice over IP (VoIP) session link.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, when the first service is a cellular video call, the link comprises a Video over IP (VoIP) session link.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: process, based on signaling received from the server, a notification that the receiver has joined an Internet Protocol (IP) session related to the first service using the link, wherein the notification is received after the first service is terminated on the second network; and join the IP session to reestablish the first service with the receiver.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the UE automatically joins the IP session based on the notification.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: display, to a user, an indication that the receiver has joined the IP session based on the notification.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: deactivate the limited service eSIM a predetermined duration after the eSIM is activated.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition comprises an indication that the first service is an emergency call and the receiver comprises a public safety answering point (PSAP) .

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first service comprises transmitting location data via the second network.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: generate, for transmission via the first network, the location data at substantially a same time as the location data is transmitted via the second network.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second network is a public land mobile network (PLMN) .

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the PLMN is a geographically closest PLMN to the UE .

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: generate, for transmission via the first network, the link to the receiver at substantially a same time as initiating the first service via the second network; and join the IP session of the first service via the first network .

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the request is an HTTP request and the response is an HTTP response.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the HTTP request includes a header indicating the predetermined condition.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the link comprises a randomized identification (ID) .

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first service is initiated via a session initiation protocol (SIP) invite and the link is included in a header of the SIP invite.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first service is associated with a phone number of the UE and the information exchanged with the receiver via the first service excludes the phone number of the UE .

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