1. Field
An apparatus and a method consistent with exemplary embodiments broadly relate to an identifier management method and device of an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC), and more particularly, to a method and device for an eUICC managing an identifier according to a state of a network operator profile.
2. Description of Related Art
A universal integrated circuit card (UICC) is a smart card that is tangible and may be inserted into a terminal and configured to authenticate a network access. The UICC may include a network access application (NAA) for accessing several networks of an operator, such as a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) for accessing a WCDMA/LTE network and a subscriber identity module (SIM) for accessing a GSM network.
In an existing removable UICC, an integrated circuit card identification (ICCID) information value is recorded and used as an identifier of the UICC when a card is manufactured, and is not changed after becoming commercially available. In addition, the ICCID value is a value including a unique code (a network operator identification number composed of a country code and an operator code, for example, public land mobile network (PLMN)) of a network operator (mobile network operator, MNO). The ICCID value is allocated by the network operator and used, as an identifier of the UICC, to perform billing or inventory management in a network operator system.
For a terminal requiring miniaturization and durability, such as a machine to machine (M2M) terminal, an embedded SIM (hereinafter referred to as eSIM or eUICC) that is integrally installed into the terminal at the time of manufacture has been proposed instead of the existing removable UICC.
The embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) provides a network access authentication function like the existing removable UICC. However, access to networks of several providers should be processed using one eUICC because of a difference in physical structures. Furthermore, there are many issues such as eUICC opening, eUICC distribution, and eUICC subscriber information security, and thus, solutions for the issues need to be provided. In order to solve this, international standardization organizations such as GSMA and ETSI have developed standardization elements on necessary elements including a top structure together with related companies such as network operators, manufacturers, SIM vendors, and so on.
An external management system such as the subscriber manager (SM) has to record an unchanged unique value to identify the eUICC when the eUICC is manufactured. The network operator needs to allocate a unique ICCID value in order for the existing system to support the eUICC, and the system needs to manage the allocated unique ICCID value.
However, since the eUICC is installed in a terminal before the network operator is determined because of physical characteristics, the network operator cannot allocate and record the ICCID value when the eUICC is manufactured, and thus it is impossible to respond to an identifier information request including the ICCID.