Profile diversion management system and profile diversion management method

Abstract

To disclose a system that enables an on-vehicle communication apparatus mounted on an automobile to divert a profile of mobile communication service that is used at a mobile apparatus by a user when the user rides in the automobile.SOLUTION: A profile diversion management system 1 is configured such that when a vehicle riding event occurs, a first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 mounted on a mobile apparatus 3 is replaced with a second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 mounted on an on-vehicle communication apparatus 4 as an electronic subscriber identification medium 2 in which a contract profile 200 is validated to enable the on-vehicle communication apparatus 4 to divert the contract profile 200. Preferably, unlocking a key 70 of an automobile 7 is made to be the vehicle riding event.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention is an invention for reusing contract information for mobile communication services used on mobile devices in on-board communication equipment installed in automobiles. [Background technology]

[0002] There is an increasing demand for establishing a wireless LAN environment inside an automobile (hereinafter referred to as "in-vehicle"). By establishing a wireless LAN environment inside a vehicle, various devices that are compatible with wireless LAN, such as personal computers, game consoles, and car navigation systems, can be connected to the Internet inside the vehicle.

[0003] There are three methods for creating a wireless LAN environment inside a vehicle: using a mobile device with tethering functionality, using a mobile wireless LAN device, and using on-board communication equipment that is a wireless LAN device designed specifically for automobiles.

[0004] The method of using a mobile device with tethering function and the method of using a mobile wireless LAN device have problems such as rapid battery consumption, as well as the inability to use services provided by the automobile company. The services provided by the automobile company include emergency notification services that automatically notify emergency contacts when a traffic accident is detected. For this reason, it is desirable to use on-board communication devices to create a wireless LAN environment inside the vehicle.

[0005] To use in-vehicle communication devices, a new contract for mobile communication services is required. Most vehicle occupants already have contracts for mobile communication services when they use mobile devices. For this reason, it is desirable to be able to reuse the contract information for the mobile communication services subscribed to on mobile devices on in-vehicle communication devices.

[0006] Contract information related to mobile communication services is stored in a subscriber identity medium such as a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module). The contract information stored in the subscriber identity medium includes information related to the telecommunications carrier providing the mobile communication service and information related to the subscriber. In conventional subscriber identity media, the contract information is fixed, but in recent years, electronic subscriber identity media that can add contract information remotely via OTA (Over The Air) have been developed. Electronic subscriber identity media are sometimes called eUICC (Embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card) or eSIM (Embedded SIM). The form of electronic subscriber identity media includes not only a form equivalent to a chip mounted on an IC card, but also a card-type form with the same shape as a SIM.

[0007] In the technical field to which electronic subscriber identity media belong, an object that packages contract information and applications related to mobile communication services is called a profile. Electronic subscriber identity media can store multiple profiles and can switch the profile to be enabled on the electronic subscriber identity medium.

[0008] Profile switching is generally performed by the user. To enable users to switch profiles, software with a UI (User Interface) for managing profiles (switching, deleting, etc.) is implemented in devices equipped with electronic subscriber identification media (e.g., smartphones).

[0009] Patent Document 1 discloses a system in which a user can switch the profile to be enabled in an electronic subscriber identification medium via a server connected to a network. In the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, even if the communication device does not have an operation means such as a touch panel display, the user can access the server using a user terminal and switch the profile to be enabled in the electronic subscriber identification medium attached to the communication device via the server. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-2793 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] However, conventional inventions that switch the state (enabled or disabled) of a profile stored in an electronic subscriber identification medium do not take into consideration the reuse of a mobile communication service profile (contract information) used in a mobile device in an in-vehicle communication device.

[0012] Therefore, the present invention discloses a system that allows, when a user gets into a car, to reuse the mobile communication service profile that the user is using on his / her mobile device in the in-vehicle communication device installed in the car in which the user is riding. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The first invention for solving the above-mentioned problem comprises a mobile device equipped with a first electronic subscriber identification medium, a vehicle-mounted communication device equipped with a second electronic subscriber identification medium, and a user On the mobile device The profile reuse management system includes a profile management device that manages contract profiles of contracted mobile communication services. The profile management device of the first invention is equipped with a profile reuse management means which, upon receiving an invalidation request to invalidate the contract profile, transmits an invalidation command to set the contract profile to invalid to the equipment which sent the invalidation request, and, upon receiving an activation request to activate the contract profile, transmits an activation command to set the contract profile to valid to the equipment which sent the activation request only if the contract profile is not valid in either the first electronic subscriber identification medium or the second electronic subscriber identification medium. The mobile device of the first invention is equipped with a first profile management means which, when it detects a boarding event indicating boarding into a vehicle, transmits the invalidation request to the profile management device, and transfers the invalidation command received from the profile management device to the first electronic subscriber identification medium, thereby invalidating the contract profile stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium. The in-vehicle communication equipment of the first invention is equipped with a second profile management means which, upon detecting the boarding event, transmits the activation request to the profile management device, and transfers the activation command received from the profile management device to the second electronic subscriber identification medium, thereby activating the contract profile stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium. In the profile reuse management system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the profile management device When the boarding event occurs, The contract profile The electronic subscriber identification medium for which the electronic subscriber identification is valid is switched from the first electronic subscriber identification medium to the second electronic identification medium. .

[0015] No. 2 The invention is 1 In the profile reuse management system described in the invention, the first profile management means and the second profile management means are each characterized in that they detect the unlocking of a key on a car door as the entry event.

[0016] No. 3 The invention is 1 Invention or 2 In the profile reuse management system described in the invention, when the first profile management means detects a disembarking event indicating disembarking from a vehicle, it sends the activation request to the profile management device and transfers the activation command received from the profile management device to the first electronic subscriber identification medium, thereby activating the contract profile stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium, and when the second profile management means detects the disembarking event, it sends the invalidation request to the profile management device and transfers the invalidation command received from the profile management device to the second electronic subscriber identification medium, thereby invalidating the contract profile stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium. In the profile reuse management system according to the third invention, when the disembarking event occurs, the electronic subscriber identification medium for which the contract profile is valid is switched from the second electronic subscriber identification medium to the first electronic identification medium.

[0017] No. 4 The invention is 3 In the invention, the first profile management means and the second profile management means each detect the locking of a key provided on a door of a vehicle as the exit event.

[0018] No. 5 The invention provides a method for detecting an event that indicates a user getting into a vehicle when a mobile device equipped with a first electronic subscriber identification medium detects the event. On the mobile devicea step of transmitting an invalidation request for invalidating a contract profile of a contracted mobile communication service to a profile management device that manages the contract profile; a step of the profile management device transmitting an invalidation command for invalidating the contract profile to the mobile device when the profile management device receives the invalidation request from the mobile device; a step of the mobile device transferring the invalidation command received from the profile management device to the first electronic subscriber identification medium and invalidating the contract profile stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium; and a step of an in-vehicle communication device equipped with a second electronic subscriber identification medium validating the contract profile when the in-vehicle event is detected. a step of transmitting an activation request to the profile management device to set the contract profile to be valid, to the device that sent the activation request, only if the contract profile is not valid in either the first electronic subscriber identification medium or the second electronic subscriber identification medium, when the profile management device receives the activation request from the in-vehicle communication equipment; and a step of the in-vehicle communication equipment transferring the activation command received from the profile management device to the second electronic subscriber identification medium, thereby enabling the contract profile stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium.

[0019] No. 6 The invention is 5 In the profile reuse management method described in the invention, the mobile device and the second profile management means each detect the unlocking of a key on a car door as the entry event.

[0020] No. 7 Inventions The first 5 Invention or 6The invention is characterized in that the method includes the steps of: when the in-vehicle communication device detects an alighting event indicating alighting from the automobile, transmitting the deactivation request to the profile management device; when the profile management device receives the deactivation request from the in-vehicle communication device, transmitting the deactivation command to the in-vehicle communication device; when the in-vehicle communication device receives the deactivation request from the in-vehicle communication device, the in-vehicle communication device transfers the deactivation command received from the profile management device to the second electronic subscriber identification medium to invalidate the contract profile stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium; when the mobile device detects the alighting event, transmitting the activation request to the profile management device; when the profile management device receives the activation request from the mobile device, transmitting the activation command to the mobile device only if the contract profile is not valid in either the first electronic subscriber identification medium or the second electronic subscriber identification medium; and when the mobile device transfers the activation command received from the profile management device to the first electronic subscriber identification medium to validate the contract profile stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium.

[0021] No. 8 The invention is 7 In the invention, the mobile device and the in-vehicle communication device each detect the locking of the door of the vehicle as the exit event.

[0022] In addition, this application also claims patent rights to the mobile device, the in-vehicle communication device, and the profile management device that constitute the profile reuse management system of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0023] In order to solve the problem of the present application, the present invention is configured so that when a boarding event occurs indicating boarding into a vehicle, the electronic subscriber identification medium that activates the contract profile of the mobile communication service used by a user boarding the vehicle on a mobile device is switched from the electronic subscriber identification medium attached to the mobile device to the electronic subscriber identification medium attached to the vehicle-mounted communication equipment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a profile reuse management system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a profile reuse management system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an electronic subscriber identity medium. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram for explaining a series of operations for registering an in-vehicle communication device in a profile management device. [Diagram 5] 11 is a diagram for explaining a series of operations for activating a contract profile of an in-vehicle communication device. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a series of operations for activating a contract profile on a mobile device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. This embodiment is intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the drawings are schematic diagrams drawn to facilitate understanding of the present invention.

[0026] Fig. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a profile reuse management system 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of the profile reuse management system 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 shows a configuration of an electronic subscriber identification medium 2.

[0027] The profile reuse management system 1 illustrated in Fig. 1 includes a mobile device 3 and an in-vehicle communication device 4 as devices equipped with an electronic subscriber identification medium 2 that stores a contract profile 200 that stores contract information for a mobile communication service to which a user 6 has subscribed. The profile reuse management system 1 also includes a profile management device 5 connected to a mobile communication network 8 corresponding to the mobile communication service to which the user 6 has subscribed as a device that manages the reuse of the contract profile 200. The profile reuse management system 1 according to the embodiment is configured so that, when the user 6 gets into an automobile 7, the contract profile 200 used for the mobile communication service to which the user 6 has subscribed on the mobile device 3 can be reused on the in-vehicle communication device 4.

[0028] In the profile reuse management system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, two electronic subscriber identification media 2 are used. One electronic subscriber identification medium 2 is attached to a mobile device 3. The other electronic subscriber identification medium 2 is attached to an in-vehicle communication device 4 mounted on an automobile 7 in which a user 6 rides. When describing the two electronic subscriber identification media 2 in a distinguished manner, in this embodiment, the electronic subscriber identification medium 2 attached to the mobile device 3 is called the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21, and the electronic subscriber identification medium 2 attached to the in-vehicle communication device 4 is called the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22. In FIG. 1, the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 is a card type, and the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 mounted on the automobile 7 is an embedded type, but in the present invention, the form of the electronic subscriber identification medium 2 attached to the mobile device 3 and the in-vehicle communication device 4 does not matter.

[0029] The electronic subscriber identity medium 2 is a general term for a device that can add a contract profile 200 required for connecting to a mobile communication service subscribed by a user 6 via OTA (Over The Air). In the technical field related to mobile communication, the electronic subscriber identity medium 2 is called an eUICC (Embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card) or an eSIM (embedded Subscriber Identity Module).

[0030] The configuration of the electronic subscriber identity medium 2 illustrated in Fig. 3 conforms to the standard defined by the Global Systems for Mobile Communication Association. The electronic subscriber identity medium 2 illustrated in Fig. 3 has an ISD-R202 (Issuer Security Domain Root) as a security domain (SD: Security Domain) that is the root of the electronic subscriber identity medium 2. The electronic subscriber identity medium 2 illustrated in Fig. 3 also has an ISD-P203 (Issuer Security Domain Profile), which is an SD that stores a profile. The status of the profile (valid or invalid) is information held by the ISD-P203. The ISD-R202 has a function to create the ISD-P203, a function to load a profile into the ISD-P203, a function to change the status of the ISD-P203, i.e., the status of the profile, and the like.

[0031] At least one profile is stored in the electronic subscriber identification medium 2 to enable OTA (Over The Air). The Global Systems for Mobile Communication Association specifies two types of profiles. One is a provisioning-only profile 201 (Provisioning Profile) that is stored when the electronic subscriber identification medium 2 is manufactured. The provisioning-only profile 201 is a profile that can be used only for processing related to provisioning of the electronic subscriber identification medium 2, such as downloading a contract profile 200 that is not the provisioning-only profile 201. The other is a contract profile 200 (Operational Profile) that stores contract information for the mobile communication service to which the user 6 has subscribed. The contract profile 200 can also function as the provisioning-only profile 201.

[0032] The electronic subscriber identity medium 2 illustrated in Figure 3 stores two profiles. One profile is a provisioning-only profile 201 stored when the electronic subscriber identity medium 2 is manufactured. The other profile is a contract profile 200 for the mobile communication service with which the user 6 subscribes to the mobile device 3. As illustrated in Figure 3, multiple profiles can be stored in the electronic subscriber identity medium 2, but even if multiple profiles are stored in the electronic subscriber identity medium 2, only one profile can be enabled in the electronic subscriber identity medium 2. In Figure 3, the contract profile 200 is enabled.

[0033] The mobile device 3 is a portable terminal equipped with a function for connecting to a mobile communication service. In order to connect to the mobile communication service, the mobile device 3 according to this embodiment is equipped with a first electronic subscriber identification medium 21. As illustrated in FIG. 1, it is preferable to use a smartphone as the mobile device 3. Other than a smartphone, a personal computer or a tablet computer can also be used as the mobile device 3.

[0034] The mobile device 3 according to this embodiment has a mobile communication function for connecting to a mobile communication service subscribed to by the user 6, using a contract profile 200 stored in a first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 attached to the mobile device 3. Furthermore, the mobile device 3 according to this embodiment has a first profile management means 30 for managing profiles used in the mobile device 3, as shown in Fig. 2. The first profile management means 30 is a function that can be realized by software implemented in the mobile device 3.

[0035] When the first profile management means 30 provided in the mobile device 3 detects an entry event indicating entry into the automobile 7, it requests the profile management device 5 to invalidate the contract profile 200 stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21. In addition, when the first profile management means 30 provided in the mobile device 3 detects an exit event in which the user 6 exits the automobile 7, it requests the profile management device 5 to activate the contract profile 200 stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21.

[0036] When getting into the automobile 7, the lock 70 on the door of the automobile 7 is usually unlocked. Therefore, it is preferable to set unlocking the key 70 of the automobile 7 as the getting-in event. For the same reason, it is preferable to set locking the key 70 of the automobile 7 as the getting-out event. Note that each of the getting-in event and the getting-out event can also be an operation of a UI (User Interface) displayed on the display of the mobile device 3.

[0037] The in-vehicle communication device 4 mounted on the automobile 7 in which the user 6 rides is a communication device for mobile communication services mounted on the automobile 7. As with the mobile device 3, the in-vehicle communication device 4 is also equipped with a second electronic subscriber identification medium 22. The in-vehicle communication device 4 mounted on the automobile 7 in which the user 6 rides may take various forms. The in-vehicle communication device 4 may be incorporated into a pillar of the automobile 7, for example. The functions of the in-vehicle communication device 4 may also be provided in a car navigation system.

[0038] The in-vehicle communication device 4 according to this embodiment has a mobile communication function for accessing a mobile communication service to which the user 6 has subscribed, using a profile stored in a second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 attached to the in-vehicle communication device 4. The in-vehicle communication device 4 also functions as an access point for a wireless LAN. Furthermore, the in-vehicle communication device 4 according to this embodiment has a second profile management means 40 for managing profiles used in the in-vehicle communication device 4, as shown in FIG. 2. The second profile management means 40 is a function that can be realized by software implemented in the in-vehicle communication device 4.

[0039] When the second profile management means 40 provided in the in-vehicle communication device 4 detects an entry event, it requests the profile management device 5 to activate the contract profile 200 stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 attached to the in-vehicle communication device 4. When the second profile management means 40 provided in the in-vehicle communication device 4 detects an exit event, it requests the profile management device 5 to disable the contract profile 200 stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 attached to the in-vehicle communication device 4. The entry event in the in-vehicle communication device 4 can be the same as that in the mobile device 3. The exit event in the in-vehicle communication device 4 can be the same as that in the mobile device 3.

[0040] The contract profile 200 stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 has not been downloaded in advance to the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 attached to the in-vehicle communication device 4. Therefore, in order to reuse the contract profile 200 stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 in the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22, it is necessary to download the contract profile 200 stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 to the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22.

[0041] The profile management device 5 is a device that complies with the SM (Subscription Manager) standard defined by the Global Systems for Mobile Communication Association. The profile management device 5 has a download function for downloading a profile to the electronic subscriber identification medium 2. Furthermore, the profile management device 5 has a profile reuse management means 50 for managing the state of the profile stored in the electronic subscriber identification medium 2, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0042] The profile management device 5 includes a database 52 that stores the contract profile 200 in association with the medium identifier of the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 that stores the contract profile 200 to be stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21. When the electronic subscriber identification medium 2 is an eUICC, the medium identifier is called an EID (eUICC Identify). The EID is data held by the ISD-R 202.

[0043] Being able to reuse the contract profile 200 used in the mobile device 3 in the in-vehicle communication device 4 is desirable for the user 6, since it is not necessary to make a new contract for a mobile communication service for the in-vehicle communication device 4. However, if the contract profile 200 used in the mobile device 3 can be reused in the in-vehicle communication device 4, there is a possibility that the contract profile 200 of the user 6 may be used in the in-vehicle communication device 4 that is not authorized by the user 6.

[0044] To prevent this, the profile management device 5 according to this embodiment includes an in-vehicle communication device registration means 51 that registers in a database 52 a media identifier of the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 for which reuse of the contract profile 200 used in the mobile device 3 is permitted, in association with the contract profile 200. The registration of the media identifier of the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 for which reuse of the contract profile 200 used in the mobile device 3 is permitted is performed at the instruction of the user 6.

[0045] As a function for managing reuse of the contract profile 200, the profile management device 5 is provided with a profile reuse management means 50. When the profile reuse management means 50 of the profile management device 5 receives an invalidation request to set the status of the contract profile 200 to invalid, it transmits an invalidation command to the device that transmitted the invalidation request. When the profile reuse management means 50 receives an activation request to set the contract profile 200 to valid, it transmits an activation command to the device that transmitted the activation request only if the contract profile 200 is not valid in either the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 or the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22. When the profile reuse management means 50 performs this operation, the device in which the contract profile 200 is valid is switched.

[0046] The disable command is a command executed by the ISD-R202 of the electronic subscriber identification medium 2. When the ISD-R202 of the electronic subscriber identification medium 2 receives an disable command from a device equipped with the electronic subscriber identification medium 2, the ISD-R202 sets the state of the ISD-P203 indicated by the disable command, i.e., the state of the profile stored in this ISD-P203, to disabled. Similarly, the enable command is a command executed by the ISD-R202 of the electronic subscriber identification medium 2. When the ISD-R202 of the electronic subscriber identification medium 2 receives an enable command from a device equipped with the electronic subscriber identification medium 2, the ISD-R202 sets the state of the ISD-P203 indicated by the enable command, i.e., the state of the profile stored in this ISD-P203, to enabled.

[0047] When the contract profile 200 used in the mobile device 3 is reused in the in-vehicle communication device 4, an invalidation request for setting the state of the contract profile 200 to invalid is transmitted from the mobile device 3 to the profile management device 5. The profile reuse management means 50 of the profile management device 5 transmits an invalidation command to the mobile device 3. Also, in this case, an activation request for setting the state of the contract profile 200 to valid is transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 4 to the profile management device 5. The profile reuse management means 50 of the profile management device 5 transmits an activation command to the in-vehicle communication device 4 only when the contract profile 200 is invalid in both the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 and the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22.

[0048] When the contract profile 200 reused by the in-vehicle communication device 4 is used in the mobile device 3, an invalidation request for setting the state of the contract profile 200 to invalid is transmitted from the in-vehicle communication device 4 to the profile management device 5. The profile reuse management means 50 of the profile management device 5 transmits an invalidation command to the in-vehicle communication device 4. Also, in this case, an activation request for setting the state of the contract profile 200 to valid is transmitted from the mobile device 3 to the profile management device 5. The profile reuse management means 50 of the profile management device 5 transmits an activation command to the mobile device 3 only when the contract profile 200 is invalid in both the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 and the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22.

[0049] In order to confirm whether the contract profile 200 is invalid in either the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 or the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22, when the profile reuse management means 50 sets the contract profile 200 to be valid, the profile reuse management means 50 associates the media identifier of the electronic subscriber identification medium 2 of the contract profile 200 that has been set to be valid with the contract profile 200 and stores it.

[0050] From here, the operations of the profile reuse management system 1 will be described. This description also includes a description of a profile reuse management method. Fig. 4 is a diagram explaining a series of operations for registering an in-vehicle communication device 4 in the profile management device 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram explaining a series of operations for enabling the contract profile 200 of the in-vehicle communication device 4. Fig. 6 is a diagram explaining a series of operations for enabling the contract profile 200 of the mobile device 3.

[0051] First, a series of operations for registering the in-vehicle communication device 4 in the profile management device 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. In order to use the profile reuse management system 1, it is necessary to register the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 of the in-vehicle communication device 4 mounted in the automobile 7 in which the user 6 is riding in the profile management device 5 as an initial setting.

[0052] When the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 of the in-vehicle communication device 4 mounted on the automobile 7 in which the user 6 is riding is registered in the profile management device 5, in step S1, the mobile device 3 receives a registration request for the in-vehicle communication device 4. The user 6 uses a UI possessed by the first profile management means 30 to instruct the first profile management means 30 of the mobile device 3 to register the in-vehicle communication device 4.

[0053] In step S2, the first profile management means 30 included in the mobile device 3 transmits registration instruction information including the medium identifier of the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 attached to the mobile device 3 and the address of the profile management apparatus 5 to the second profile management means 40 included in the in-vehicle communication device 4. The registration instruction information can be transmitted using mobile communication using the provisioning-only profile 201 stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22, as well as the wireless LAN function of the in-vehicle communication device 4. The registration instruction information can also be transmitted using short-range wireless communication other than wireless LAN, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0054] In step S3, the second profile management means 40 provided in the in-vehicle communication device 4 transmits an in-vehicle communication device registration request including the medium identifier of the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 included in the first registration instruction information and the medium identifier of the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 attached to the in-vehicle communication device 4 to the address of the profile management device 5 included in the registration instruction information. Mobile communication using the provisioning-only profile 201 is used to transmit the in-vehicle communication device registration request.

[0055] In step S4, the in-vehicle communication device registration means 51 of the profile management device 5 searches the database 52 for the contract profile 200 that associates the media identifier of the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 included in the in-vehicle communication device registration request, and associates the media identifier of the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 included in the in-vehicle communication device registration request with this contract profile 200, thereby registering the in-vehicle communication device 4 in the database 52. With this, the series of operations for registering the in-vehicle communication device 4 in the profile management device 5 is completed.

[0056] Next, a series of operations for enabling the contract profile 200 in the in-vehicle communication device 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. When enabling the contract profile 200 in the in-vehicle communication device 4, that is, when the contract profile 200 used in the mobile device 3 is used in the in-vehicle communication device 4, the first profile management means 30 included in the mobile device 3 detects a riding event performed by the user 6 in step S10.

[0057] When a boarding event is detected, in step S11, the first profile management means 30 of the mobile device 3 transmits an invalidation request to invalidate the contract profile 200 stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 to the profile management device 5. The invalidation request includes the medium identifier of the electronic subscriber identification medium 2 and information for identifying the contract profile 200.

[0058] In step S12, the riding event performed by the user 6 is also detected by the second profile management means 40 provided in the in-vehicle communication device 4. In step 13, the second profile management means 40 provided in the in-vehicle communication device 4 transmits an activation request to the profile management device 5 to activate the contract profile 200 stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 attached to the in-vehicle communication device 4. The activation request includes the medium identifier of the electronic subscriber identification medium 2 and information for identifying the contract profile 200.

[0059] The method by which the mobile device 3 and the in-vehicle communication device 4 detect the boarding event varies depending on the specific content of the boarding event. When the unlocking of the key 70 of the automobile 7 is set as the boarding event, the second profile management means 40 can detect that the key 70 of the automobile 7 has been unlocked, that is, that a boarding event has occurred, by configuring the in-vehicle communication device 4 to input an unlocking signal (unlock signal) of the key 70 of the automobile 7. Furthermore, if the in-vehicle communication device 4 is configured to answer back the unlocking signal using wireless LAN or short-range wireless communication, the first profile management means 30 can detect that a boarding event has occurred from the answered-back unlocking signal. Furthermore, if the mobile device 3 is associated with the digital key of the automobile 7, the mobile device 3 can detect that a boarding event has occurred from the operation of unlocking the key 70 of the automobile 7.

[0060] When a request to disable the contract profile 200 stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 is transmitted from the first profile management means 30, the profile diversion management means 50 of the profile management device 5 transmits an disable command to set the state of the contract profile 200 to disabled to the mobile device 3 in step S14. At this time, the profile diversion management means 50 checks whether the medium identifier of the first electronic subscriber identification medium included in the disable request is associated with the contract profile 200 indicated in the disable request.

[0061] In step S15, the first profile management means 30 of the mobile device 3 transfers an invalidation command to the first electronic subscriber identity medium 21, and invalidates the state of the contract profile 200 stored in the first electronic subscriber identity medium 21.

[0062] When the second profile management means 40 requests the activation of the contract profile 200 stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22, the profile reuse management means 50 of the profile management device 5 checks in step S16 whether the contract profile 200 is invalid in either the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 or the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22.

[0063] Only when the contract profile 200 is invalid in either the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 or the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22, in step S17, the profile diversion management means 50 of the profile management device 5 transmits a command to activate the profile to the in-vehicle communication device 4. At this time, the profile diversion management means 50 checks whether the medium identifier of the second electronic subscriber identification medium included in the activation request is associated with the contract profile 200 indicated in the deactivation request.

[0064] In step S18, the second profile management means 40 of the in-vehicle communication device 4 transfers the disable command to the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22, and enables the state of the contract profile 200 stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22. By enabling the state of the contract profile 200 stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22, the in-vehicle communication device 4 becomes able to connect to the mobile communication service to which the user 6 has subscribed. Note that, since the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 according to this embodiment stores the provisioning-only profile 201, the in-vehicle communication device 4 can communicate with the profile management device 5 even if the contract profile 200 is not enabled. With this step, the explanation of FIG. 5 ends.

[0065] In addition, if the contract profile 200 of the mobile communication service to which the user 6 has subscribed has not been downloaded to the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22, in step S17, the profile reuse management means 50 of the profile management device 5 downloads the contract profile 200 of the mobile communication service to which the user 6 has subscribed to to the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22, and then activates the contract profile 200 stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22.

[0066] By activating the contract profile 200 stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22, the electronic subscriber identification medium 2 for which the contract profile 200 is activated is switched from the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 mounted on the mobile device 3 to the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 mounted on the in-vehicle communication device 4, and the contract profile 200 becomes available for use in the in-vehicle communication device 4. Note that the mobile device 3 cannot connect to a mobile communication service using the contract profile 200.

[0067] Next, a series of operations for activating the contract profile 200 in the mobile device 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. When activating the contract profile 200 in the mobile device 3, that is, when using the contract profile 200 that is being used in the in-vehicle communication device 4 in the mobile device 3, in step S20, the second profile management means 40 included in the in-vehicle communication device 4 detects a disembarking event.

[0068] When a disembarking event is detected, in step S21, the second profile management means 40 provided in the in-vehicle communication equipment 4 sends an invalidation request to the profile management device 5 to invalidate the contract profile 200 stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 attached to the in-vehicle communication equipment 4.

[0069] In step S22, the dismounting event performed by the user 6 is also detected by the first profile management means 30 included in the mobile device 3. In step S23, when the first profile management means 30 included in the mobile device 3 detects the dismounting event, it transmits an activation request to the profile management device 5 to set the contract profile 200 stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 to be valid. Note that, since the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 according to this embodiment stores the contract profile 200 that functions as the provisioning-only profile 201, the mobile device 3 can communicate with the profile management device 5 even if the contract profile 200 is not valid.

[0070] The method by which the mobile device 3 and the in-vehicle communication device 4 detect the disembarking event varies depending on the specific content of the disembarking event. When the locking of the key 70 of the automobile 7 is regarded as the disembarking event, the second profile management means 40 can detect that the key 70 of the automobile 7 has been locked, that is, that a disembarking event has occurred, by configuring the in-vehicle communication device 4 to input a locking signal (lock signal) of the key 70 of the automobile 7. In addition, if the in-vehicle communication device 4 is configured to answer back the locking signal using wireless LAN or short-range wireless communication, the first profile management means 30 can detect that a disembarking event has occurred from the answered-back locking signal. If the mobile device 3 is associated with the digital key of the automobile 7, the mobile device 3 can detect that a disembarking event has occurred from the operation of locking the key 70 of the automobile 7.

[0071] When an invalidation request for the contract profile 200 stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 is transmitted from the second profile management means 40, the profile diversion management means 50 of the profile management device 5 transmits an invalidation command for invalidating the contract profile 200 to the in-vehicle communication device 4 in step S24. At this time, the profile diversion management means 50 checks whether the medium identifier of the second electronic subscriber identification medium included in the invalidation request is associated with the contract profile 200 indicated in the invalidation request.

[0072] In step S25, the second profile management means 40 of the in-vehicle communication device 4 transfers the disable command to the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22, and disables the contract profile 200 stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22.

[0073] When an activation request to set the contract profile 200 stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 to valid is sent from the first profile management means 30, the profile reuse management means 50 of the profile management device 5 checks in step S26 whether the contract profile 200 is invalid in either the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 or the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22.

[0074] Only when the contract profile 200 is invalid in either the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 or the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22, in step S27, the profile reuse management means 50 of the profile management device 5 sends an activation command to the mobile device 3 to activate the profile.

[0075] In step S28, the first profile management means 30 of the mobile device 3 transfers the activation command to the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21, and activates the contract profile 200 stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21. At this time, the profile reuse management means 50 checks whether the medium identifier of the first electronic subscriber identification medium included in the activation request is associated with the contract profile 200 indicated in the activation request.

[0076] By activating the contract profile 200 stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21, the electronic subscriber identification medium 2 for which the contract profile 200 is activated is switched from the second electronic subscriber identification medium 22 mounted on the in-vehicle communication device 4 to the first electronic subscriber identification medium 21 mounted on the mobile device 3, and the contract profile 200 becomes possible on the mobile device 3. Note that in the in-vehicle communication device 4, connection to a mobile communication service using the contract profile 200 cannot be made. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1 Profile Reuse Management System 2 Electronic subscriber identification medium 21 1st electronic subscriber identification medium 22 Second electronic subscriber identification medium 200 Contract Profiles 3. Mobile devices 30 First profile management means 4 In-vehicle communication equipment 40 Second profile management means 5. Profile Management Device 50 Profile reuse management measures 51 Vehicle communication device registration means 52 Database

Claims

1. A mobile device equipped with a first subscriber identification medium, an in-vehicle communication device equipped with a second subscriber identification medium, and a profile management device that manages a contract profile of a mobile communication service subscribed by the user with the mobile device, when the profile management device receives an invalidation request to invalidate the contract profile, it sends an invalidation command to set the contract profile to invalid to the device that sent the invalidation request, and when it receives an activation request to activate the contract profile, only if the contract profile is not valid in either the first subscriber identification medium or the second subscriber identification medium, it sends an activation command to set the contract profile to valid to the device that sent the activation request, and is provided with profile diversion management means, when the mobile device detects a boarding event indicating boarding a vehicle, it sends the invalidation request to the profile management device, transfers the invalidation command received from the profile management device to the first subscriber identification medium, and is provided with first profile management means for invalidating the contract profile stored in the first subscriber identification medium, when the in-vehicle communication device detects the boarding event, it sends the activation request to the profile management device, transfers the activation command received from the profile management device to the second subscriber identification medium, and is provided with second profile management means for validating the contract profile stored in the second subscriber identification medium, A profile diversion management system, characterized in that when the boarding event occurs by the profile management device, the subscriber identification medium in which the contract profile becomes valid is switched from the first subscriber identification medium to the second subscriber identification medium.

2. The profile diversion management system according to claim 1, wherein each of the first profile management means and the second profile management means detects unlocking of a key provided on a door of an automobile as the boarding event.

3. When the first profile management means detects a getting-off event indicating getting off from an automobile, it transmits the activation request to the profile management device, transfers the activation command received from the profile management device to the first electronic subscriber identification medium, and activates the contract profile stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium. When the second profile management means detects the getting-off event, it transmits the deactivation request to the profile management device, transfers the deactivation command received from the profile management device to the second electronic subscriber identification medium, and deactivates the contract profile stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium. The profile diversion management system according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that when the getting-off event occurs, the electronic subscriber identification medium in which the contract profile becomes valid is switched from the second electronic subscriber identification medium to the first electronic identification medium.

4. The profile diversion management system according to claim 3, characterized in that each of the first profile management means and the second profile management means detects the locking of a key provided on a door of an automobile as the getting-off event.

5. When a mobile device equipped with a first electronic subscriber identification medium detects a boarding event indicating boarding an automobile, a step of transmitting a deactivation request for deactivating a contract profile of a mobile communication service contracted by the user with the mobile device to a profile management device that manages the contract profile. When the profile management device receives the deactivation request from the mobile device, a step of transmitting a deactivation command for setting the contract profile to invalid to the mobile device. A step in which the mobile device transfers the deactivation command received from the profile management device to the first electronic subscriber identification medium and deactivates the contract profile stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium. When an in-vehicle communication device equipped with a second electronic subscriber identification medium detects the boarding event, a step of transmitting an activation request for activating the contract profile to the profile management device. When the profile management device receives the activation request from the in-vehicle communication device, if the contract profile is not valid for either the first electronic subscriber identification medium or the second electronic subscriber identification medium, the profile management device transmits an activation command for setting the contract profile to be valid to the device that transmitted the activation request to the in-vehicle communication device. The in-vehicle communication device transfers the activation command received from the profile management device to the second electronic subscriber identification medium to activate the contract profile stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium. A method for managing unauthorized use of a profile, characterized by including the above.

6. The profile unauthorized use management method according to claim 5, wherein each of the mobile device and the in-vehicle communication device detects unlocking of a key provided on a door of an automobile as the boarding event.

7. When the in-vehicle communication device detects a getting-off event indicating getting off from the automobile, the in-vehicle communication device transmits an inactivation request to the profile management device. When the profile management device receives the inactivation request from the in-vehicle communication device, the profile management device transmits an inactivation command to the in-vehicle communication device. The in-vehicle communication device transfers the inactivation command received from the profile management device to the second electronic subscriber identification medium to invalidate the contract profile stored in the second electronic subscriber identification medium. When the mobile device detects the getting-off event, the mobile device transmits an activation request to the profile management device. When the profile management device receives the activation request from the mobile device, if the contract profile is not valid for either the first electronic subscriber identification medium or the second electronic subscriber identification medium, the profile management device transmits an activation command to the mobile device. The mobile device transfers the activation command received from the profile management device to the first electronic subscriber identification medium to activate the contract profile stored in the first electronic subscriber identification medium. The profile unauthorized use management method according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterized by including the above.

8. The method for managing the diversion of a profile according to claim 7, wherein each of the mobile device and the in-vehicle communication device detects the locking of a key provided on a door of an automobile as the getting-off event.

9. A mobile device constituting a profile diversion management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

10. An in-vehicle communication device constituting a profile diversion management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

11. A profile management device constituting the profile diversion management system according to claim 1.

Images