Apparatus and methods for controlling distribution of electronic access clients
US9450759B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 5, 2011 |
| Grant date | Sep 20, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 17, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W12/12
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for controlling the distribution of electronic access clients to a device. In one embodiment, a virtualized Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) can only load an access client such as an electronic Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM) according to an activation ticket. The activation ticket ensures that the virtualized UICC can only receive eSIMs from specific carriers (“carrier locking”). Unlike prior art methods which enforce carrier locking on a software application launched from a software chain of trust (which can be compromised), the present invention advantageously enforces carrier locking with the secure UICC hardware which has, for example, a secure code base.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.