International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) Swapping System and Method in a SIM Card

Abstract

Provided is a system and method for swapping the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) in a SIM card. The present disclosure provides a system and method for swapping the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. The system uses an applet mechanism to perform a preliminary check of the IMSI, and then checks to confirm whether the IMSI has already been swapped. If it has been swapped, the system disables itself and terminates. After the above checks, if the applet mechanism determines to swap the IMSI, the applet mechanism not only updates the IMSI but also performs all other necessary actions. The applet mechanism can be used to update the 5th Generation (5G) IMSI in an existing SIM card. Since the applet mechanism can update the IMSI in the SIM independently of the SIM's wireless (OTA) / network connection after being triggered, it can completely eliminate service disruptions to customers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Reservation of Rights Part of the disclosure of this patent document includes materials that are the subject of intellectual property rights owned by Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its related companies (hereinafter collectively referred to as the patentee), such as, but not limited to, copyright, design, trademark, integrated circuit (IC) layout design, and / or trade dress protection. The patentee does not object to a third party copying the patent document or patent disclosure described in the patent file or record of the Patent and Trademark Office, but reserves all other rights. All rights to such intellectual property are fully reserved by the patentee.

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for updating an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) within a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for IMSI swapping in a SIM card.

Background Art

[0003] The following description of related art is intended to provide background information related to the field of the present disclosure. This section may include specific aspects of the technology that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, this section is only intended to deepen the reader's understanding of the present disclosure and does not admit prior art.

[0004] Problems with IR MACD, swap of the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), and network connection during the On-Demand Activation (ODA) activation process are related to the update of the new International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) in the SIM and other related elementary files (EF). The update of the IMSI is very important, and if the update is not completed properly, problems that may affect the end-customer's service may occur. Furthermore, in many cases, the target IMSI is updated normally in the subscriber's mobile phone, but due to various reasons such as Radio Link Failure (RLF) and power-off of the User Equipment (UE), the same IMSI is not updated on the Over-the-Air (OTA) server. Therefore, further OTA updates for that specific IMSI may be blocked. Since the connection is lost during the IMSI swap, the subscriber may face problems that affect the service and may have to swap the SIM. Furthermore, the UE may turn off for reasons such as battery power consumption or the user turning on the airplane mode. Sudden radio link failures can occur due to network coverage holes, but more commonly, a dual-SIM device receives a call on a different SIM card, and the radio of the first SIM is turned off by the device, which may affect the ongoing SIM OTA Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) / Short Message Service (SMS) session on the first SIM. The SIM OTA HTTP session incorporates a retry mechanism from the Short Message Service Center (SMSC) to deliver OTA SMS, but when the network connection is lost, the scheduled OTA commands may not be completed. This may put the subscriber's current 4th generation (4G) connection at risk during the update of important EFs such as IMSI, Internet Protocol Multimedia Private ID (IMPI), and IP Multimedia Public ID (IMPU). If such a connection is lost during the IMSI update, the subscriber may face problems that affect the service and may have to physically swap the SIM.

[0005] Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide a system and method that can mitigate problems associated with the prior art.

[0006] Objectives of the Invention Some of the objectives of the present disclosure that are met by at least one embodiment of this specification are listed below.

[0007] An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a system and method that can perform the swap of a subscriber's International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) by a simple and lightweight new subscriber identity module (SIM) applet at runtime instead of a wireless (OTA) server.

[0008] An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a system and method that can decouple the IMSI switching process locally via a SIM applet from its wireless execution at runtime and ensure normal switching regardless of a sudden loss of network connection.

[0009] An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a system and method that, when triggered from an OTA server, a new SIM applet can update the IMSI and related elementary files (EF). Since the SIM applet saves the target IMSI before being triggered (activated), if the target IMSI cannot be delivered to the applet, the IMSI update is not executed and the end user's current service is not affected.

Summary of the Invention

[0010] This section is provided to introduce, in a simplified form, specific objectives and aspects of the present disclosure that are further described in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or delimit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0011] In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a system for swapping an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). The system may include a processor operably coupled to a memory storing instructions executed by the processor. The processor may receive a request from a computing device. The computing device may be connected to the processor via a primary network. The request may be based on converting a subscriber identification module (SIM) associated with the computing device from the primary network to a secondary network. The processor may determine that an applet mechanism is enabled. The processor may determine a preliminary check of the secondary network via the applet mechanism. The processor may determine whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network based on the preliminary check. The processor may replace the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network based on a negative determination of whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network.

[0012] In one embodiment, the processor may reject a request from the computing device based on the applet mechanism being disabled.

[0013] In one embodiment, the processor may disable the applet mechanism based on an affirmative determination of whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network.

[0014] In one embodiment, the processor may update a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) code associated with the secondary network.

[0015] In one embodiment, the processor may use one or more elementary files (EFs) to replace the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network.

[0016] In one embodiment, the applet mechanism may be configured to update Internet Protocol Multimedia Private Identity (IMPI) and IP Multimedia Public User Identity (IMPU) associated with a secondary network using one or more EF configurations.

[0017] In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for swapping IMSI. The method may include receiving, by a processor associated with the system, a request from a computing device associated with a primary network. The request may be based on replacing a SIM associated with the computing device from the primary network with a secondary network. The method may include determining, by the processor, that the applet mechanism is enabled. The method may include determining, by the processor, a preliminary check of the secondary network via the applet mechanism. The method may include determining, by the processor, based on the preliminary check, whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network. The method may include replacing, by the processor, the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network based on a negative determination of whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network.

[0018] In one embodiment, the method may include rejecting, by the processor, a request from the computing device based on the applet mechanism being disabled.

[0019] In one embodiment, the method may include disabling, by the processor, the applet mechanism based on an affirmative determination of whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network.

[0020] In one embodiment, the method may include updating, by a processor, a PLMN code associated with a secondary network.

[0021] In one embodiment, the method may include replacing, by a processor, an IMSI of a primary network with an IMSI of a secondary network using one or more EFs.

[0022] In one aspect, a user equipment (UE) for sending a request includes one or more processors communicatively coupled to a processor within the system. The one or more processors may be coupled to a memory. Instructions are stored in the memory, which, when executed by the one or more processors, may cause the one or more processors to send a request to the processor via a primary network. The request may be based on replacing a SIM associated with the UE from a primary network with a secondary network. The processor may be configured to receive a request from the UE. The processor may determine that an applet mechanism is enabled. The processor may determine a preliminary check of the secondary network via the applet mechanism. The processor may determine, based on the preliminary check, whether the IMSI of the primary network has been replaced with the IMSI of the secondary network. The processor may replace the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network based on a negative determination of whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network.

[0023] In one aspect, the non-transitory computer-readable medium may comprise a processor with executable instructions that enable the processor to receive requests via a computing device. The request may be based on a conversion from a primary network of a SIM associated with the computing device to a secondary network. The processor may determine that the applet mechanism is enabled. The processor may determine a preliminary check of the secondary network via the applet mechanism. The processor may determine whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network based on the preliminary check. The processor may replace the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network based on a negative determination of whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network with the IMSI of the secondary network.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] The drawings incorporated herein and constituting a part of this disclosure illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems, and like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. In some of the drawings, block diagrams are used to show components and may not represent the internal circuitry of each component. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that such a disclosure of the drawings includes the disclosure of the electrical, electronic, or circuit components commonly used to implement such components.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] For the purpose of explanation below, various specific details are described so that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be fully understood. However, it is clear that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented without these specific details. Some of the functions described below can be used independently or in combination with other functions. For each individual function, it may not be able to address all the problems described above, or only some of the problems described above. Some of the above-mentioned problems may not be completely solved by any of the features described below.

[0026] The following description provides only exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, it is intended to provide those skilled in the art with an effective explanation for implementing the exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made to the functions and arrangements of the elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the described disclosure.

[0027] To fully understand the embodiments, specific details are shown in the following description. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments can be implemented without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form so as not to obscure the embodiments with unnecessary details. In other examples, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and technologies may be shown without unnecessary details so as not to obscure the embodiments.

[0028] Also, note that individual embodiments may be described as processes represented as flowcharts, flow diagrams, data flow diagrams, structural diagrams, or block diagrams. In a flowchart, operations are described as sequential processes, but many of the operations can be executed in parallel or simultaneously. Also, the order of operations can be changed. A process ends when the operations are completed, but there may be additional steps not included in the figure. A process can correspond to a method, function, procedure, subroutine, subprogram, etc. When a process refers to a function, its end refers to the function returning to the calling function or the main function.

[0029] As used herein, the expressions "exemplary" and / or "illustrative" mean an example, instance, or illustration. To avoid doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. Further, any aspect or design described as "exemplary" and / or "illustrative" herein should not necessarily be construed as more preferable or advantageous than other aspects or designs, nor is it intended to exclude equivalent exemplary structures and technologies known to those skilled in the art. Further, as long as the terms "comprising", "having", "containing", and other similar words are used in any of the detailed descriptions or claims, such terms are intended to be as inclusive as the term "comprising" as an open connective, without excluding additional elements or other elements.

[0030] Throughout this specification, when reference is made to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "one instance" or "an instance", it means that the particular features, structures, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places in this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0031] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are to be construed to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Further, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. It is understood that the expression "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0032] Various embodiments throughout the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1-6.

[0033] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary network architecture (100) of a system (110) proposed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the network architecture (100) may include a system (110). The system (110) may be connected to one or more computing devices (104-1, 104-2... 104-N) via a network (106). One or more computing devices (104-1, 104-2... 104-N) may be equivalently designated as user equipment (UE) (104) and may be operated by one or more users (102-1, 102-2... 102-N). Further, one or more users (102-1, 102-2... 102-N) may be equivalently referred to as user (102) or users (102).

[0035] In one embodiment, the computing device (104) may include, but is not limited to, mobile, laptop, etc. Further, the computing device (104) may include smartphones, virtual reality (VR) devices, augmented reality (AR) devices, general-purpose computers, desktops, personal digital assistants, tablet computers, and mainframe computers. Further, an input device for receiving input from the user (102) such as a touchpad, touch-responsive screen, electronic pen, etc. may be used. Those skilled in the art will understand that the computing device (104) is not limited to the aforementioned devices and that various other devices may be used.

[0036] In one embodiment, the network (106) may include, without limitation and by way of example, at least a portion of one or more networks, which has one or more nodes that transmit, receive, forward, generate, buffer, store, route, switch, process, or combine one or more messages, packets, signals, waves, voltage or current levels, or combinations thereof. The network (106) may include, but is not limited to, one or more of a wireless network, a wired network, the Internet, an intranet, a public network, a private network, a packet switching network, a circuit switching network, an ad hoc network, an infrastructure network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a cable network, a cellular network, a satellite network, an optical fiber network, or combinations thereof.

[0037] In one embodiment, the system (110) may receive a request from the computing device (104). The request may be based on converting a subscriber identification module (SIM) associated with the computing device (104) from a network, i.e., a primary network (106) to a secondary network (108). It is understood that the secondary network (108) is similar to the examples of the network (106) described above. The system (110) may determine whether the applet mechanism is enabled. In response to an affirmative determination, the system (110) may determine a preliminary check of the secondary network (108) via the applet mechanism. Based on an affirmative determination of the preliminary check, the system (110) may determine whether a replacement of the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of the primary network (106) is made with the IMSI of the secondary network (108).

[0038] In one embodiment, the system (110) may replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108) using one or more elementary files (EFs). The applet mechanism may be configured to update the Internet Protocol Multimedia Private ID (IMPI) and the Internet Protocol Multimedia Public User ID (IMPU) associated with the secondary network (108) using one or more EFs.

[0039] In one embodiment, the system (110) may replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108) based on a negative decision as to whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108).

[0040] In one embodiment, the system (110) may reject receipt of a request from the computing device (104) in response to a negative decision to enable the applet mechanism.

[0041] In one embodiment, the system (110) may disable the applet mechanism based on an affirmative decision as to whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108).

[0042] In one embodiment, the system (110) may terminate the process of receiving a request based on a negative decision to enable the applet mechanism. Further, the system (110) may update the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) code associated with the secondary network (108).

[0043] FIG. 1 shows exemplary components of a network architecture (100), but in other embodiments of the network architecture (100), the number, type, and arrangement of components may be different from FIG. 1, or may include additional features not shown in FIG. 1, but are not limited thereto. Further, or alternatively, functions described herein as being performed by one or more components of the network architecture (100) may be performed by one or more other components of the network architecture (100).

[0044] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary block diagram (200) of a system (110) proposed according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] According to FIG. 2, the system (110) may include one or more processors (202) implementable as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuits, and / or any device that processes data based on operation instructions. Among other functions, the one or more processors (202) may be configured to obtain and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory (204) of the system (110). The memory (204) may be configured to store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and these instructions or routines may be obtained and executed to create or share data packets via a network service. The memory (204) may include any non-transitory storage device, including, for example, volatile memory such as random access memory (RAM), or non-volatile memory such as erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, etc.

[0046] In one embodiment, the system (110) may include an interface(s) (206). The interface(s) (206) may include various interfaces, such as for example, data input / output (I / O) devices and storage devices. The interface(s) (206) may also provide a communication path to one or more components of the system (110). Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, a processing engine(s) (208) and a database (210). An example of the processing engine(s) (208) may include, but is not limited to, a data acquisition engine (212).

[0047] In one embodiment, the processing engine(s) (208) may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (e.g., programmable instructions) to implement one or more functions of the processing engine(s) (208). In the examples described herein, such a combination of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming of the processing engine(s) (208) may be processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, and the hardware of the processing engine(s) (208) may include processing resources (e.g., one or more processors) for executing such instructions. In this example, the machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resources, implement the processing engine(s) (208). In such an example, the system (110) may comprise a machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions and processing resources for executing the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be separate from and accessible to the system (110) and the processing resources. In other examples, the processing engine(s) (208) may be implemented by an electronic circuit.

[0048] In one embodiment, the processor (202) may receive a request from a computing device (e.g., 104) via the data parameter engine (212). The processor (202) may store the received request in the database (210). This request may be based on converting the SIM associated with the computing device (104) from the primary network (106) to the secondary network (108).

[0049] In one embodiment, the processor (202) may determine whether the applet mechanism is enabled. In response to a positive determination, the processor (202) may determine a preliminary check of the secondary network (108) via the applet mechanism. Based on a positive determination of the preliminary check, the processor (202) may determine whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108).

[0050] In one embodiment, the processor (202) may use one or more EFs to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108). The applet mechanism may be configured to update the IMPI and IMPU associated with the secondary network (108) using one or more EFs.

[0051] In one embodiment, based on a negative determination of whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108), the processor (202) may replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108).

[0052] In one embodiment, in response to a negative determination of enabling the applet mechanism, the processor (202) may reject the receipt of a request from the computing device (104).

[0053] In one embodiment, the processor (202) may disable the applet mechanism based on a positive decision on whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with that of the secondary network (108).

[0054] In one embodiment, the processor (202) may end the process of receiving a request based on a negative decision on enabling the applet mechanism. Further, the processor (202) may update the PLMN code associated with the secondary network (108).

[0055] FIG. 2 illustrates the components of the system (110), but in other embodiments, the system (110) may include a different number, type, and arrangement of components than those in FIG. 2, or additional functions not shown in FIG. 2. Further (or alternatively), the functions described herein as being performed by one or more components of the system (100) may be performed by one or more other components of the system (100).

[0056] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary sequence flow diagram (300) of the conversion from the fourth generation (4G) to the fifth generation (5G) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Step 310: The 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) SIM (302) may be successfully connected to the 4G IMSI via the 4G / 5G User Equipment (UE) (304) and the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) / Evolved Packet Core (EPC) (306).

[0058] Step 312: Based on the subscriber's consent, 4G LTE may be selected for the conversion from 4G to 5G via the EUTRAN / EPC (306) and the SIM Over-the-Air (OTA) and Operations Support System (OSS) / Business Support System (BSS) (310).

[0059] Step 314: The system (e.g., 110) creates EF_Target_IMSI_EF_IMSI_SWAP_Config and downloads the IMSI swap applet via the OTA Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) channel through 4GSIM (302), 4G / 5G UE (304), EUTRAN and EPC (306), SIMOTA and OSS / BSS (310).

[0060] Step 316: The system (110) creates 5GDF and 5GEF, updates 5GEF, updates target_IMSI, HPLMNWACT, PLMNwACT, and may change and update the size of EFUST across 4GSIM (302), 4G / 5G UE (304), EUTRAN and EPC (306), SIMOTA and OSS / BSS (310).

[0061] Step 318: The system (110) may enable the IMSI swap applet by setting byte 01 of EFIMSI_SAWP_Config to 0x01 across 4GSIM (302), 4G / 5G UE (304), EUTRAN and EPC (306), SIMOTA and OSS / BSS (310).

[0062] Step 320: The IMSI swap applet replaces the 4G IMSI with the 5G IMSI and updates the relevant EFs across 4GSIM (302), 4G / 5G UE (304), EUTRAN and EPC (306), SIMOTA and OSS / BSS (310).

[0063] Step 322: The IMSI swap applet sends a RERESH command to the UE, and the UE may read a 5GSIM containing new credential information via 4GSIM (302) and 4G / 5G UE (304).

[0064] Step 324: The IMSI swap applet may succeed with the 5G IMSI over 4GLTE / 5G New Radio (NR).

[0065] Step 326: When the connection to the new 5G IMSI is successful, the old 4G IMSI can be de-provisioned from the network.

[0066] Therefore, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, a 4G SIM exists within a 4G / 5G device and can be initially connected to a 4G network (NW). Before performing a SIM conversion operation from 4G to 5G with the subscriber's SIM, the subscriber's consent may be required. Thereafter, a new 5G IMSI may be assigned to the subscriber. The new 5G IMSI may be provisioned within the network. Thereafter, two transparent EFs are created. The EFTarget_IMSI, EFIMSI_SWAP_Config, and IMSI swap applet shown in Table 1 may be downloaded to the SIM.

[0067] [Table 1]

[0068] In the next step, in addition to the common commands, IMSI-specific data is included. The IMSI data portion may be split into sub BOM / OPM campaigns. In this step, the required 5GDFs and EFs are created, updated, and other EFs may also be updated as shown in Table 2. The next new 5GDFs and EFs may be created and updated with appropriate values via the BOM campaign.

[0069] [Table 2]

[0070] The next EF may be updated via the BOM campaign as shown in Table 3.

[0071] [Table 3] The next EF of the IMSI swap applet is updated as follows via the OPM flow as shown in Table 4.

[0072]

Table 4

[0073] In one embodiment, when the aforementioned steps are successfully completed, the IMSI swap applet can be enabled by setting byte 01 of EFIMSI_SWAP_Config to 0x01 through the BOM campaign. Further, the IMSI SWAP applet can replace the 4G IMSI with the 5G IMSI and update the related EF. When the change of the IMSI is successful, the IMSI SWAP applet triggers REFRESH, and the UE can be disconnected from the 4G network using the 4G IMSI. The UE (304) can read the content of the new 5G SIM using the new 5G authentication information including the new 5G IMSI. After that, the UE (304) can attempt a new connection using the available 4G LTE or 5G NR network. Since the new 5G IMSI has already been initially provisioned in the network, the new attach request from the UE (304) using the 5G IMSI can succeed in either the 4G LTE NW or the 5G NR NW. Upon receiving confirmation that the connection of the subscriber with the new 5G IMSI from the core network is successful, the old 4G IMSI can be de-provisioned from the core network, the OSS / BSS, and the SIMOTA platform.

[0074] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary flowchart (400) for implementing an IMSI swap applet according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 5, the following steps may be included in the ASM.

[0076] Step 402: The system (110) can be enabled.

[0077] Step 404: The system (110) determines whether the applet is enabled. Based on a negative determination from this step, the system (110) may terminate / end the process.

[0078] Step 406: Based on a positive determination from Step 404, the system (110) may further determine whether the preliminary check of the new 5G IMSI was successful. Based on a negative determination from this step, the system (110) may terminate / end the process.

[0079] Step 408: Based on a positive determination from Step 406, the system (110) may determine whether the IMSI has already been swapped.

[0080] Step 410: Based on a positive determination from Step 408, the system (110) may disable the applet.

[0081] Step 412: Based on a negative determination from Step 408, the system (110) may swap the IMSI in the SIM with the new 5G IMSI, update the IMPI, IMPU, Home_IMSI, clear the LOCI file, restore the FPLMN, disable the applet, and send REFRESH to the UE.

[0082] Step 414: Further, the system (110) may terminate / end the process.

[0083]

Table 5

[0084]

Table 6

[0085]

Table 7

[0086] Table 5 above shows the coding according to EF-IMSI, and Table 6 above shows the description of EFIMSI_SWAP_Config that can activate or deactivate the applet. Furthermore, the settings of the applet can be made valid / invalid according to requirements.

[0087] Figures 5A - 5B show exemplary flowcharts (500A, 500B) for implementing the SIM swap applet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] Step 502: The system (110) checks byte 01 of EFIMSI_SWAP_config, proceeds further if it is 0x01, and ends otherwise.

[0089] Step 504: Based on the positive decision from step 502, the system (110) may check the PLMN of the EFIMSI. Based on the negative decision from this step, the system (110) may set byte 01 of EFIMSI_Swap_Config to 0x00 if the PLMN is equal to another one. Furthermore, the system (110) may proceed to end.

[0090] Step 506: Based on the positive decision from step 504, the system (110) may determine whether the PLMN of the EFIMSI is equal to the PLMN of the target IMSI. Based on the negative decision from this step, the system (110) may update the EF according to the target IMSI PLMN and may further proceed to step 508.

[0091] Step 508: Based on the positive decision from step 506, the system (110) may determine whether EF_IMSI is equal to the target IMSI. Based on the negative decision from this step, the system (110) may update the EFIMSI with the EF target IMSI and may further proceed to step 510.

[0092] Step 510: Based on the positive determination from step 508, the system (110) may determine whether the IMSI within the EFIMPI is equal to the EF target IMSI. Based on a negative determination from this step, the system (110) may update the IMSI and PLMN within the EFIMPI with TARGET_IMSI’, update the IMSI and PLMN within the EFIMPU with TARGET_IMSI, and may proceed to step 512.

[0093] Step 512: Based on the positive determination from step 510, the system (110) may determine whether the IMSI within the EFIMPU is equal to the EF target IMSI. Based on a negative determination from this step, the system (110) may update the IMSI and PLMN of the EFIMPI with TARGET_IMSI’, update the IMSI and PLMN of the EFIMPU with TARGET_IMSI’, and may proceed to step 514.

[0094] Step 514: Based on the positive determination from step 512, the system (110) may determine whether the home IMSI is equal to the EF target IMSI. Based on a negative determination from this step, the system (110) may update the EF home IMSI with the target IMSI and may proceed to step 516.

[0095] Step 516: The system (110) may restore the EFPLMN using the EFPLMN backup.

[0096] Step 518: The system (110) may update the relevant files.

[0097] Step 520: The system (110) may set byte 01 of the EF and IMSI_SWAP_Config to 0x00.

[0098] Step 522: The system (110) may issue REFRESH type 4.

[0099] Step 524: The system (110) may terminate.

[0100] Step 526: Based on the negative determination from step 504, the system (110) may further determine whether the PLMN of the home IMSI is equal to the target IMSI. Based on the negative determination from this step, the system (110) may update the target EF according to the target IMSI PLMN.

[0101] Step 528: Based on the positive determination from step 526, the system (110) may determine whether the IMSI within the EFIMPI is equal to the EF target IMSI. Based on the negative determination from this step, the system (110) may update the IMSI and PLMN within the EFIMPI with the target IMSI.

[0102] Step 530: Based on the positive determination from step 528, the system (110) may determine whether the home IMSI is equal to the EF target IMSI. Based on the negative determination from this step, the system (110) may update the IMSI and PLMN within the EFIMPU with the target IMSI.

[0103] Step 532: Based on the positive determination from step 530, the system (110) may determine whether the home IMSI is equal to the EF target IMSI. Based on the negative determination from this step, the system (110) may update the EF home IMSI with the target IMSI.

[0104] Step 534: Based on the positive determination from step 532, the system (110) may set byte 01 of the EF and IMSI_SWAP_Config to 0x00 and terminate.

[0105] FIG. 6 shows an exemplary computer system (600), and embodiments of the present invention are implemented by or implemented in a computer system.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 6, computer system (600) may include an external storage device (610), a bus (620), a main memory (630), a read-only memory (640), a mass storage device (650), communication port(s) (660), and a processor (670). One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that computer system (600) may include multiple processors and communication ports. Processor (670) may include various modules related to embodiments of the present invention. Communication port(s) (660) may be any of an RS-232 port for use in a modem-based dial-up connection, a 10 / 100 Ethernet port, a gigabit or 10 gigabit port using copper wire or fiber optic, a serial port, a parallel port, or any other existing or future port. Communication port(s) (660) may be selected according to a network such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or any network to which computer system (600) is connected.

[0107] In one embodiment, main memory (630) can be a random access memory (RAM) or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. Read-only memory (640) can be any static storage device(s), such as a programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip for storing static information such as startup or basic input / output system (BIOS) instructions of the processor (670), but is not limited thereto. Mass storage device (650) can be any current or future mass storage device solution that can be used to store information and / or instructions. Representative mass storage solutions can include, but are not limited to, a parallel advanced technology attachment (PATA) or serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) hard disk drive, or a solid state drive (internal or external, such as those with a universal serial bus (USB) or Firewire interface).

[0108] In one embodiment, bus (620) can communicatively couple processor(s) (670) with other memory, storage, and communication blocks. Bus (620) can be, for example, a peripheral component interconnect / PCI extended (PCI-X) bus for connecting expansion cards, drives, and other subsystems, a small computer system interface (SCSI), a universal serial bus (USB), etc., and other buses such as a front side bus (FSB) for connecting processor (670) to computer system (600).

[0109] In another embodiment, an operator and management interface, such as a display, keyboard, cursor control device, is also coupled to the bus (620) and can support direct interaction between the operator and the computer system (600). Other operator and management interfaces can be provided through a network connection connected via communication port(s) (660). The above components are only intended to illustrate various possibilities. The exemplary computer system (600) described above is in no way intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0110] Although a preferred embodiment is emphasized here to a considerable extent, it is understood that many embodiments are feasible without departing from the principles of the disclosure, and many changes can be made to the preferred embodiment. These and other changes in the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, and it is clearly understood that the foregoing description is merely illustrative of the present disclosure and not limiting.

[0111] Advantages of the Invention The present disclosure provides a system and method that can perform the swap of a subscriber's international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) by a simple and lightweight new subscriber identity module (SIM) applet at runtime instead of a wireless (OTA) server.

[0112] The present invention provides a system and method that decouples the IMSI switching process locally via a SIM applet from its wireless execution at runtime and guarantees normal switching regardless of a sudden loss of network connection.

[0113] The present invention provides a system and method in which, when triggered from an OTA server, a new SIM applet can update the IMSI and related elementary files (EFs). Since the SIM applet stores the target IMSI before being triggered (activated), if the target IMSI cannot be delivered to the applet, the IMSI update is not executed and the end user's current service is not affected.

[0114] The present invention provides a system and method that do not require pairing an IMSI with a TIM (global) IMSI. Thus, even in the case of sponsored roaming, the subscriber's home IMSI can be changed.

[0115] The present invention provides a system and method in which, during on-demand activation (ODA) activation, the temporary IMSI of a SIM is updated with the permanent IMSI. This contributes to the manufacture of circle-independent SIM cards.

Claims

1. A system (110) for swapping an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), the system (110) comprising: a processor (202); a memory (204) operably coupled to the processor (202), the memory (204) storing instructions which, when executed by the processor (202), receive a request from a computing device (104), the computing device (104) being connected to the processor (202) via a primary network (106), the request being based on a conversion of a subscriber identification module (SIM) associated with the computing device (104) from a primary network (106) to a secondary network (108); determine whether an applet mechanism is enabled; determine a preliminary check of the secondary network (108) via the applet mechanism; determine whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108) based on the preliminary check; replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108) based on a negative determination of whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108).

2. The system (110) according to claim 1, wherein the processor (202) rejects a request from the computing device (104) based on the applet mechanism being disabled.

3. The system (110) according to claim 1, wherein the processor (202) disables the applet mechanism based on an affirmative determination of whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108).

4. The system (110) according to claim 1, wherein the processor (202) updates a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) code associated with the secondary network (108).

5. The processor (202) of claim 1, wherein the system (110) replaces the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108) using one or more basic files (EF).

6. The system (110) of claim 5, wherein the applet mechanism is configured to update the Internet Protocol Multimedia Private Identity (IMPI) and the IP Multimedia Public User Identity (IMPU) associated with the secondary network (108) using the one or more EF.

7. A method for swapping an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), the method comprising: Receiving, by a processor (202) associated with a system (110), a request from a computing device (104) associated with a primary network (106), the request being based on a conversion of a subscriber identification module (SIM) associated with the computing device (104) from the primary network (106) to a secondary network (108); Determining, by the processor (202), that an applet mechanism is enabled; Determining, by the processor (202), a preliminary check of the secondary network (108) via the applet mechanism; Determining, by the processor (202), whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108) based on the preliminary check; Replacing, by the processor (202), the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108) based on a negative determination of whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108).

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising rejecting, by the processor (202), a request from the computing device (104) based on the applet mechanism being disabled.

9. The method according to claim 7, comprising the step of disabling the applet mechanism by the processor (202) based on a positive determination as to whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108).

10. The method according to claim 7, comprising the step of updating the public land mobile network (PLMN) code associated with the secondary network (108) by the processor (202).

11. The method according to claim 7, comprising the step of replacing the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108) using one or more elementary files (EF) by the processor (202).

12. A user equipment (UE) (104) for sending a request, wherein the UE (104) is one or more processors communicatively connected to a processor (202) associated with the system (110), the one or more processors being coupled to a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute a step of sending a request to the processor (202) via the primary network (106), the request being based on a conversion of a subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with the UE (104) from the primary network (106) to the secondary network (108), wherein the processor (202) is configured to receive a request from the UE (104), determine whether the applet mechanism is enabled, determine a preliminary check of the secondary network (108) via the applet mechanism, and determine whether replacement of the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108) is to be performed based on the preliminary check. A user equipment (UE) (104) configured to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108) based on a negative determination as to whether to replace the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108).

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a processor with executable instructions, which, when executed, Receiving a request via a computing device (104), the request being based on a conversion from a primary network (106) to a secondary network (108) of a subscriber identity module (SIM) associated with the computing device (104), said step; Determining whether an applet mechanism is enabled; Determining a preliminary check of the secondary network (108) via the applet mechanism; Based on the preliminary check, determining whether replacement of the international mobile subscriber entity (IMSI) of the primary network (106) is performed with the IMSI of the secondary network (108); Replacing the IMSI of the primary network (106) with the IMSI of the secondary network (108) based on a negative determination as to whether the IMSI of the primary network (106) is to be replaced with the secondary network (108), a computer-readable medium comprising.

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