US-20260129440-A1 - TECHNIQUES FOR MANAGING COMMUNICATION WITH WIRELESS DEVICES FLAGGED FOR CERTAIN ACTIVITY

Abstract

This Application sets forth techniques for managing communication with wireless devices that have been flagged due to certain activity. In particular, the techniques effectively eliminate unnecessary interactions and enable enhanced user feedback when wireless devices that have been flagged are attempting to interact with mobile network operators (MNOs). The techniques can be implemented by a variety of entities to achieve different and efficient results under various scenarios. Such entities can include, for example, i) equipment identity registries that track unique identifiers of wireless devices that have been flagged due to certain activity, ii) MNO servers, such as SM-DP+ servers, and iii) wireless devices. Additionally, individual components within wireless devices can implement the techniques variously, including using issuer security domain root (ISD-R) components, local profile assistants (LPAs), electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) components, and/or baseband components included in the wireless devices.

Inventors

• Stanley M. Mayalil
• Hyewon Lee
• Pinki GYANCHANDANI
• Rajeev Verma
• Xiangying Yang

Assignees

• APPLE INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20251027

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method for interacting with a wireless device that has been flagged due to certain activity, the method comprising, at an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) of the wireless device: receiving, from a baseband component of the wireless device, a network attach failure notification; providing, to an issuer security domain root (ISD-R) component of the wireless device, a request to suspend profile-related activities on the wireless device; and updating a configuration of the wireless device so that the wireless device is prohibited from performing the profile-related activities.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at a local profile assistant (LPA) included in the wireless device, detecting a trigger operation at the wireless device, wherein the trigger operation comprises: a first request to download an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) profile to the wireless device, a second request to perform at least one management operation on at least one eSIM profile managed by the wireless device, and/or a third request to connect to a mobile network operator (MNO) using at least one eSIM profile managed by the wireless device.
3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising, at the LPA, and in response to detecting the trigger operation: issuing, to the ISD-R, a fourth request for information associated with the eUICC and/or to obtain a challenge-based response from the eUICC; and receiving, from the eUICC, an indication that the updated configuration prohibits the wireless device from performing profile-related activities.
4. 4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising: displaying, via a user interface of the wireless device, a notification that indicates the wireless device has been flagged due to certain activity.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, and prior to receiving the network attach failure notification at the eUICC: providing, to the baseband component, a second request to receive notifications from the baseband component whenever the baseband component experiences a network attach failure.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network attach failure notification identifies that the wireless device has been flagged due to certain activity by a mobile network operator (MNO) associated with at least one eSIM profile in the eUICC.
7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the profile-related activities prohibited by the configuration comprise performing attachment attempts to a cellular wireless network associated with a mobile network operator (MNO).
8. 8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the profile-related activities prohibited by the configuration comprise downloading, modifying, and/or deleting one or more eSIM profiles in the eUICC.
9. 9 . An apparatus for interacting with a wireless device that has been flagged due to certain activity, the apparatus comprising an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) of the wireless device configured to: receive, from a baseband component of the wireless device, a network attach failure notification; provide, to an issuer security domain root (ISD-R) component of the wireless device, a request to suspend profile-related activities on the wireless device; and update a configuration of the wireless device so that the wireless device is prohibited from performing the profile-related activities.
10. 10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a local profile assistant (LPA) of the wireless device, wherein the LPA is configured to detect a trigger operation at the wireless device, the trigger operation comprising: a first request to download an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) profile to the wireless device, a second request to perform at least one management operation on at least one eSIM profile managed by the wireless device, and/or a third request to connect to a mobile network operator (MNO) using at least one eSIM profile managed by the wireless device.
11. 11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the LPA is further configured to, in response to detecting the trigger operation: issue, to the ISD-R, a fourth request for information associated with the eUICC and/or to obtain a challenge-based response from the eUICC; and receive, from the eUICC, an indication that the updated configuration prohibits the wireless device from performing profile-related activities.
12. 12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising one or more components of the wireless device configured to: display, via a user interface of the wireless device, a notification that indicates the wireless device has been flagged due to certain activity.
13. 13 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the eUICC is further configured to, and prior to receiving the network attach failure notification: provide, to the baseband component, a second request to receive notifications from the baseband component whenever the baseband component experiences a network attach failure.
14. 14 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the network attach failure notification identifies that the wireless device has been flagged due to certain activity by a mobile network operator (MNO) associated with at least one eSIM profile in the eUICC.
15. 15 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the profile-related activities prohibited by the configuration comprise performing attachment attempts to a cellular wireless network associated with a mobile network operator (MNO).
16. 16 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the profile-related activities prohibited by the configuration comprise downloading, modifying, and/or deleting one or more eSIM profiles in the eUICC.
17. 17 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for interacting with a wireless device that has been flagged due to certain activity, the instructions comprising: instructions for receiving, from a baseband component of the wireless device, a network attach failure notification; instructions for providing, to an issuer security domain root (ISD-R) component of the wireless device, a request to suspend profile-related activities on the wireless device; and instructions for updating a configuration of the wireless device so that the wireless device is prohibited from performing the profile-related activities.
18. 18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further comprise detecting a trigger operation at the wireless device, the trigger operation comprising: a first request to download an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) profile to the wireless device, a second request to perform at least one management operation on at least one eSIM profile managed by the wireless device, and/or a third request to connect to a mobile network operator (MNO) using at least one eSIM profile managed by the wireless device.
19. 19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for, in response to detecting the trigger operation: issuing, to the ISD-R, a fourth request for information associated with an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) and/or to obtain a challenge-based response from the eUICC; and receiving, from the eUICC, an indication that the updated configuration prohibits the wireless device from performing profile-related activities.
20. 20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further comprise: instructions for providing, to the baseband component, a second request to receive notifications from the baseband component whenever the baseband component experiences a network attach failure.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/932,268, entitled “TECHNIQUES FOR MANAGING COMMUNICATION WITH WIRELESS DEVICES FLAGGED FOR CERTAIN ACTIVITY,” filed Sep. 14, 2022, the content of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. FIELD The described embodiments set forth techniques for managing communication with wireless devices that have been flagged due to certain activity. In particular, the techniques effectively eliminate unnecessary interactions and enable enhanced user feedback when wireless devices that have been flagged for certain activity are attempting to interact with mobile network operators (MNOs). BACKGROUND Many wireless devices are configured to use removable Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICCs) that enable the wireless devices to access services provided by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). In particular, each UICC includes at least a microprocessor and a read-only memory (ROM), where the ROM is configured to store an MNO profile that the wireless device can use to register and interact with an MNO to obtain wireless services via a cellular wireless network. A profile may also be referred to as a subscriber identity module (SIM). Typically, a UICC takes the form of a small removable card, commonly referred to as a SIM card, which is inserted into a UICC-receiving bay of a mobile wireless device. In more recent implementations, UICCs are being embedded directly into system boards of wireless devices as embedded UICCs (eUICCs), which can provide advantages over traditional, removable UICCs. The eUICCs can include a rewritable memory that can facilitate installation, modification, and/or deletion of one or more electronic SIM (eSIM) profiles on the eUICC, where the eSIM profiles can provide for new and/or different services and/or updates for accessing extended features provided by MNOs. In this regard, an eUICC can beneficially eliminate the need to include UICC-receiving bays in wireless devices. In some cases, an MNO can determine, when interacting with a wireless device, that the wireless device has been flagged due to certain activity. Exemplary certain activity can include, for example, the MNO identifying that two or more devices share a unique identifier and have attempted to interact with the MNO, the MNO receiving (e.g., from a customer or other entity) a notification that a particular wireless device has been lost or misappropriated, and the like. When the MNO determines that it is communicating with a flagged wireless device, the MNO typically abandons interacting with the wireless device. Unfortunately, communication is well underway before such abandonment occurs, which constitutes a series of drawbacks. For example, provisioning an eSIM profile to a wireless device includes multiple stages to complete, including operations that occur at the wireless device on which the eSIM profile is to be installed, at manufacturer servers that manage the wireless device, and at MNO servers from which the eSIM profile is downloaded and activated for service. In this regard, abandoning a partially completed eSIM profile provisioning process can be wasteful in relation to both power and network bandwidth consumption. Moreover, no mechanisms exist for the MNO to inform a wireless device that it has been flagged, thereby leaving the wireless device incapable of determining why further communication with the MNO is being denied. This can be frustrating for innocent, unassuming users of flagged wireless devices that are left with no indication of the nature of the issue. In view of the foregoing considerations, there exists a need for a technique that effectively eliminates unnecessary interactions and enables enhanced user feedback when wireless devices that have been flagged for certain activity are attempting to communicate with an MNO. SUMMARY This Application sets forth techniques for managing communication with wireless devices that have been flagged due to certain activity. In particular, the techniques effectively eliminate unnecessary interactions and enable enhanced user feedback when wireless devices that have been flagged are attempting to interact with mobile network operators (MNOs). One embodiment sets forth a method for interacting with a wireless device that has been flagged due to certain activity. According to some embodiments, the method is implemented primarily by a provisioning server, e.g., a subscription manager-data preparation (SM-DP+) server, and includes: (1) receiving, from a local profile assistant (LPA) of the wireless device, a client authentication request, where the client authentication request includes at least one unique identifier associated with the wireless device, (2) providing the at least one unique identifier to an equipment identity registry, where the equipment identity registry manages unique identifiers of wireless devices that have been flagge