US 12,245,332 B2
Direct eSIM transfer between wireless devices
Sherman X. Jin, Santa Clara, CA (US); Rafael L. Rivera-Barreto, Santa Clara, CA (US); Rohan C. Malthankar, San Jose, CA (US); Clive E. Rodgers, Palo Alto, CA (US); Raj S. Chaugule, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Li Li, Los Altos, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/932,668.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/261,296, filed on Sep. 16, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0081421 A1, Mar. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. H04W 8/20 (2009.01); H04W 8/18 (2009.01); H04W 60/04 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 8/205 (2013.01) [H04W 8/183 (2013.01); H04W 8/20 (2013.01); H04W 60/04 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for transferring an electronic Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM) for access to services of a mobile network operator (MNO) from a source mobile wireless device to a target mobile wireless device, the method comprising:
by the source mobile wireless device:
obtaining, from the target mobile wireless device, device transfer information for transfer of the eSIM;
sending, to an MNO provisioning server, a request for direct transfer of the eSIM having a unique integrated circuit identifier (ICCID) value from the source mobile wireless device to the target mobile wireless device;
receiving, from the MNO provisioning server, a first notification message to delete the eSIM from the source mobile wireless device;
deleting the eSIM from an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) of the source mobile wireless device;
sending, to the MNO provisioning server, a message confirming deletion of the eSIM;
receiving, from the MNO provisioning server, a second notification message indicating completion of eSIM reassignment to the target mobile wireless device; and
providing, to the target mobile wireless device, information for installation of the eSIM on an eUICC of the target mobile wireless device;
wherein:
communication of the device transfer information is via a secure, encrypted communication path; and
the eSIM, after installation on the eUICC of the target mobile wireless device, has an identical ICCID value as the unique ICCID value previously used on the eUICC of the source mobile wireless device.