WO2013085436A1

WO2013085436A1 - Communication apparatus and information processing apparatus for downloading subscription information

Info

Publication number: WO2013085436A1
Application number: PCT/SE2011/051472
Authority: WO
Inventors: Shingo Murakami; Shinta Sugimoto; Ryoji Kato; Johan Hjelm; Toshikane Oda
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ)
Priority date: 2011-12-05
Filing date: 2011-12-05
Publication date: 2013-06-13

Abstract

A communication apparatus comprising a first interface for non-IP communication; a second interface for wirelessly communicating with a mobile communication network;a storage device; and a BIP controller having a BIP stack and an adaptation function enabling a processor of the storage device to communicate with an OTA server via the information processing apparatus is provided. When the communication apparatus can communicate with the information processing apparatus via the first interface, the storage device sends the BIP controller a proactive APDU command defined for BIP for requesting subscription information, the BIP controller sends the information processing apparatus an instruction defined in the APDU command, the BIP controller receives subscription information from the information processing apparatus in response to the instruction, the BIP controller forwards the received subscription information to the storage device, and the storage device stores the forwarded subscription information in the storage device.

Description

Communication apparatus and information processing apparatus for downloading subscription information

5 TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a communication apparatus and an information processing apparatus . 0 BACKGROUND

[0002] The BIP (Bearer Independent Protocol), which is standardized in ETSI TS 102 223 and 3GPP TS 31.111, is used to provision an eSIM (embedded

Subscriber Identity Module) , the standard that is

5 emerging in the GSMA (GSM Association) for downloadable subscription information. The CCE (Connected Consumer Electrics) such as a camera sends a request for eSIM to an OTA (On the Air) server and downloads an eSIM via the Internet using a TCP/IP stack in the CCE.

0 [0003] WO 01/95070 discloses that a PC accesses a merchant server via the Internet and a mobile device via a Bluetooth® interface. The PC is enabled to obtain a digital signature of the mobile device to perform electric commences with a merchant server in a 5 secure way.

SUMMARY [0004] When a CCE cannot communicate with the OTA server using a TCP/IP stack in the CCE, BIP cannot be used to download an eSIM. The present invention is intended to address this problem, and it is a feature thereof to introduce an improved technology for using BIP to provide a communication apparatus with

subscription information.

[0005] According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication apparatus (for example, a camera) comprising: a first interface for communicating with an information

processing apparatus (for example, a PC) using non-IP (Internet Protocol) communication; a second interface for wirelessly communicating with a mobile

communication network; a storage device having a memory and a processor; and a BIP (Bearer Independent

Protocol) controller having a BIP stack and an

adaptation function enabling the processor of the storage device to communicate with an OTA (Over The Air) server which provisions subscription information via the information processing apparatus, wherein when the communication apparatus can communicate with the information processing apparatus via the first

interface, the processor of the storage device sends the BIP controller a proactive APDU command defined for BIP for requesting subscription information, the BIP controller sends the information processing apparatus an instruction defined in the APDU command via the first interface, the BIP controller receives

subscription information from the information

processing apparatus via the first interface in

response to the instruction, the BIP controller forwards the received subscription information to the storage device, and the processor of the storage device stores the forwarded subscription information in the memory of the storage device so that the communication apparatus can communicate with the mobile communication network via the second interface.

[0006] According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus (for example, a PC) comprising: a first interface for communicating with a communication apparatus (for example, a camera) using non-IP

communication; a second interface for communicating with an OTA server which provisions subscription information using IP communication; and a controller for receiving an instruction for requesting

subscription information from the communication

apparatus via the first interface, receiving

subscription information from the OTA server via the second interface in response to the instruction, and sending the received subscription information to the communication apparatus via the first interface.

[0007] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008] Fig. 1 illustrates a system including a communication apparatus and an information processing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention ;

[0009] Fig. 2 illustrates exemplary functional block diagrams of a camera and a personal computer according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0010] Fig. 3 is a flow chart illustrating

exemplary operations of the system in Fig. 1 according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0011] Fig. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating eSIM download using non-IP communication according to some embodiments of the present invention; and

[0012] Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating eSIM download using IP communication according to some embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings. Each embodiment described below will be helpful in understanding a variety of concepts from the generic to the more specific. It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is defined by claims, and is not limited by each embodiment described below. In addition, not all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are always indispensable for the present invention.

[0014] Fig. 1 illustrates a system including a communication apparatus and an information processing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention. The system in Fig.l may include a camera 110, a personal computer (PC) 120, an OTA (Over the Air) server 140, and an SL (side-loading) application server 150.

[0015] The OTA server 140 provisions subscription information such as eSIM (embedded Subscriber Identity Module) based on a provisioning protocol when the OTA server 140 receives a request to do so. The OTA server 140 is connected to the Internet 160 and receives a request for eSIM through the Internet 160 using IP (Internet Protocol) communication.

[0016] The camera 110 is an example of a

communication apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention and the PC 120 is an example of an information processing apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention. The camera 110 can access the mobile communication network 170 using an eSIM which has been downloaded from the OTA server 140. When the camera 110 cannot communicate with the OTA server 140 using IP communication, for example when the camera 110 does not have an available eSIM, or when the camera 110 cannot temporarily access the Internet, the camera 110 cannot obtain an eSIM from the OTA server 140 using IP communication. In such case, the camera 110 can communicate with the OTA server 140 and obtain an eSIM from the OTA server 140 via the PC 120 which is connected to the camera 110 using non-IP communication such as USB, Bluetooth, NFC (Near Field Communication), IrDA, and so on. In other word, the camera 110 can obtain an eSIM in a way of "side-loading." The PC 120 supports both IP

communication to communicate with the OTA server 140 and non-IP communication to communicate with the camera 110. The user of the camera 110 may use the PC 120 to purchase an eSIM to be delivered to the camera 110. The SL application server 150 provides services for user registration, authentication, charging, and so on.

[0017] Although the camera 110 is used as an example of a communication apparatus of the present invention in Fig. 1, the present invention can apply to any kinds of communication apparatuses which can communicate with an information processing apparatus using non-IP communication and has a mobile network interface for wirelessly communicating with the mobile communication network 170. Other examples of the communication apparatus include mobile apparatuses such as a mobile phone, a video camera, a laptop computer, a portable media player, and so on, as well as non-mobile apparatuses such as a desktop computer, a car

navigation system, a television, a surveillance camera, and so on.

[0018] Although the PC 120 is used as an example of an information processing apparatus of the present invention in Fig. 1, the present invention can apply to any kinds of information processing apparatuses which can communicate with a communication apparatus using non-IP communication and with the OTA server 140 using IP communication. Other examples of the information processing apparatuses include a mobile phone, a land phone, a kiosk, and so on. A user of a communication apparatus may use his/her information processing apparatus or may use one which locates at a consumer electric shop.

[0019] Fig. 2 illustrates exemplary functional block diagrams of the camera 110 and the PC 120

according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] The camera 110 may include a CPU 111, a main memory 112, an eUICC (embedded Universal

Integrated Circuit Card) 113, and a BIP controller 114. The CPU 111 controls overall operations of the camera 110. The main memory 112 is implemented by a RAM and a ROM for example and stores computer programs and data used for operations of the camera 110. The main memory 112 may store images captured by the camera 110.

[0021] The eUICC 113 is an IC chip embedded in the camera 110. The eUICC 113 manages the eSIM to allow the camera 110 to access the mobile communication network 170. The eUICC 113 typically includes a processor 113p and a memory 113m. The processor 113p performs operations for data in the memory 113m, details of which will be described later. The memory 113m stores an eSIM downloaded from the OTA server 140. The memory 113m also stores an Elementary File

including ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card ID) which is an identifier uniquely assigned to the eUICC 113.

Although the camera 110 of the embodiment in Fig. 2 includes the eUICC 113, a camera of other embodiments may include a removable UICC instead.

[0022] The BIP controller 114 is used for

downloading an eSIM from the OTA server 140 and

includes a BIP stack and a BIP adapter 115 for the side-loading case. The BIP adapter 115 provides an adaptation function enabling the processor 113p to communicate with the OTA server 140 via the PC 120.

Detailed operations of the BIP controller 114 will be described later. Although the BIP controller 114 is implemented as a hardware component in the embodiment in Fig. 2, the BIP controller 114 may be implemented as a software component such as a program and the CPU 111 may load the program into the main memory 112 to execute operations of the BIP controller 114.

[0023] The camera 110 may further include a mobile network interface 116, a USB interface 117, and a LAN interface 118. The camera 110 can communicate with the mobile communication network via the mobile network interface 116 using the eSIM in the eUICC 113. The camera 110 can communicate with the PC 120 via the USB interface 117, which is an example of network

interfaces using non-IP communication. The camera 110 can communicate with the Internet 160 using a TCP/IP stack via the LAN interface 128 through the router 130 for example.

[0024] The camera 110 may further include a user interface 119. The user interface 109 provides an interface with a human such as a user of the camera 110 and includes a display, buttons, a touch screen, and/or a speaker, and the like, for example. The camera 110 may further include known components (not shown) such as lenses, an image sensor, and a battery, for example.

[0025] The PC 120 may include a CPU 121, a memory

122, and a storage device 123. The CPU 121 controls overall operations of the PC 120. The memory 122 is implemented by a RAM and a ROM for example and stores computer programs and data used for operations of the PC 120. The storage device 123 is, for example, a non- volatility storage device such as a hard disk drive. The user of camera 110 may install utility software that comes with the camera 110 into the storage device 123. The installed utility software may include an SL application 124 that allows the user to perform side- loading operations. The SL application 124 may include a BIP proxy 125 that is used for relaying communication between the camera 110 and the OTA server 140. The SL application 124 stored in storage device 123 is loaded to the memory 122 when the CPU 121 executes procedures defined by the SL application 124. Detailed procedures of the SL application 124 will be described later.

Although the SL application 124 is implemented as a software component in this embodiment, the SL

application 124 may be implemented as a hardware component such as an ASIC (application specific

integrated circuit) to execute procedures of the SL application 124.

[0026] The PC 120 may further include a USB interface 127 and a LAN interface 128. The PC 120 can communicate with the camera 110 via the USB interface 127. The PC 120 can communicate with the Internet 160 using a TCP/IP stack via the LAN interface 128 through the router 130 for example.

[0027] The PC 120 may further include a user interface 126. [0028] The user interface 126 provides an

interface with humans such as a user of PC 120 and includes a display, a keyboard, a mouse, and/or a speaker and the like, for example.

[0029] Fig. 3 is a flow chart illustrating

exemplary operations of the system in Fig. 1 according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0030] In step S301, the camera 110 determines whether camera 110 can communicate with the PC 120 using non-IP communication. If it is determined that the camera 110 can communicate with the PC 120, the process proceeds to step S302. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S303.

[0031] For example, the user of the camera 110 installs a utility software of the camera 110 and starts the SL application 124 included in the utility software. The SL application 124 instructs the user to connect the camera 110 to the PC 120 via a USB cable. As a result, a USB connection over the USB cable is established between the camera 110 and the PC 120 so that the camera 110 can communicate with the PC 120 via the USB cable using non-IP communication.

[0032] In step S303, the camera 110 determines whether camera 110 can communicate with the OTA server 140 using IP communication. If it is determined that the camera 110 can communicate with the OTA server 140, the process proceeds to step S304. Otherwise, the process ends. In this case, the camera 110 may display an error message indicating that an eSIM cannot be downloaded .

[0033] The camera 110 may have IP connectivity by which the camera 110 can download an eSIM from the OTA server 140 using IP communication without the PC 120. In such case, the camera 110 may communicate with the OTA server 140 using IP communication to obtain an eSIM. In an example, the camera 110 may have a LAN interface 118 by which the camera 110 establishes a TCP

connection between the LAN interface 118 and the OTA server 140 through the Internet 160. In another

example, the camera 110 may already have one eSIM in the eUICC 113 and establish a TCP connection between the mobile network interface 116 and the OTA server 140 through the mobile communication network 170 and the Internet 160 in order to obtain another eSIM.

[0034] In the embodiment in Fig. 3, the camera 110 checks non-IP communication (in step S301) before it checks IP communication (in step S303) . In another embodiment, camera 110 checks non-IP communication after it checks IP communication. For example, the user interface 126 of the PC 120 is typically more user-friendly and richer than the user interface 119 of the camera 110. When both the IP and non-IP

communication are available, the user of the camera 110 may download an eSIM using IP communication via the PC 120 so as to input necessary information to purchase the eSIM easily. Fig. 4 is an exemplary sequence diagram illustrating S302 of Fig. 3 according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] In step S401, the BIP proxy 125 sends a request command to the BIP adapter 115 to send an ICCID via the USB connection. In step S402, the BIP adapter 115 sends the eUICC 113 an APDU (Application Protocol Data Unit) READ command, for example, to obtain the ICCID of the eUICC 113. In step S403, the processor 113p of the eUICC 113 returns the ICCID stored in the memory 113m of the eUICC 113 to the BIP adapter 115. In step S404, the BIP adapter 115 returns the received ICCID to the BIP proxy 125 via the USB connection.

[0036] In step S405, the user of the camera 110 interacts with the SL application server 150 through the SL application 124 to purchase a new eSIM for the camera 110. For example, in order to purchase a new eSIM, the user of the camera 110 inputs registering name, password, credit card information, and the ICCID obtained from the eUICC 113 to a web form presented by the SL application server 150. The items other than the ICCID may be registered in the SL application 124 before the user starts the eSIM purchase procedures. In such case, upon a receipt of the ICCID in step S404, the SL application 124 may automatically send these items with the received ICCID to the SL application server 150.

[0037] In step S406, when the SL application server 150 has collected necessary information for the eSIM purchase and provisioning, the SL application server 150 sends an eSIM assignment request to the OTA server 140 with the ICCID of the eUICC 113 and an IP address of the PC 120. The IP address of the PC 120 may be an IP address assigned to the LAN interface 128 of the PC 120 and the SL application server 150 obtains this IP address from the request sent from the PC 120 in step S405.

[0038] In step S407, when receiving the eSIM assignment request, the OTA server 140 assigns an eSIM associated with the received ICCID and IP address and returns acknowledgement to the SL application server

150. In step S408, the SL application server 150 sends to the SL application 124, for example in response to step S405, the address information such as an IP address (or hostname) and port number of the OTA server 140 to trigger SIM provisioning.

[0039] In step S409, the SL application 124 triggers the BIP proxy 125 with the address information of the OTA server 140 to activate the BIP adapter 115, and the BIP proxy 125 sends the address information of the OTA server 140 to the BIP adapter 115 via the USB connection to trigger the eUICC 113 to start BIP. In step S410, the BIP adapter 115 sends an APDU PUSH command to the eUICC 113. This command includes the address information of the OTA server 140.

[0040] In step S411, the processor 113p in the eUICC 113 sends an OPEN_CHANNEL command, which is a proactive APDU command defined for BIP, to the BIP controller 114. This command includes the address information of the OTA server 140. In step S412, the BIP controller 114 requests the BIP adapter 115 to establish a channel (for example, TCP connection) with the OTA server 140 specified by the address information included the OPEN_CHANNEL command according to an instruction defined in this command, and the BIP adapter 115 forwards this instruction to the BIP proxy 125 via the USB connection. In step S413, the BIP proxy 125 establishes a channel to the OTA server 140 specified by the address information in step S412.

[0041] In step S414, the OTA server 140 checks an

IP address of the established channel (that is, an IP address of the PC 120) and retrieves an ICCID which was associated with the IP address in step S407. The OTA server 140 makes a secured packet which includes an eSIM for the camera 110 and is protected by an OTA key referenced by the ICCID, and sends this packet to the BIP proxy 125. The BIP proxy 125 receives this packet and forwards it to the BIP adapter 115 via the USB connection. The BIP adapter 115 forwards the received packet to the BIP controller 114. [0042] In step S415, the BIP controller 114 sends relevant APDU commands to the eUICC 113 in order to send the received secured packet to the eUICC 113. In step S416, the processor 113p in the eUICC 113 decrypts the secured packet using its ICCID and installs the downloaded eSIM into the memory 113m in the eUICC 113. In step S417, the BIP controller 114 may notify a success installation of the BIP proxy 125 via the BIP adapter 115. In step S418, the BIP proxy 125 may close the channel between the BIP proxy 125 and the OTA server 140.

[0043] Fig. 5 is an exemplary sequence diagram illustrating S304 of Fig. 3 according to some

embodiments of the present invention.

[0044] In step S501, upon a receipt of a request from the user of the camera 110, the BIP adapter 115 sends the eUICC 113 an APDU READ command, for example, to obtain the ICCID of the eUICC 113. In step S502, the processor 113p of the eUICC 113 returns the ICCID stored in the memory 113m of the eUICC 113 to the BIP adapter 115. In step S503, the BIP adapter 115

displays the received ICCID to the user via the user interface 119.

[0045] In step S504, the user of the camera 110 interacts with the SL application server 150 through the SL application 124 to purchase a new eSIM for the camera 110. For example, in order to purchase a new eSIM, the user of the camera 110 inputs registering name, password, credit card information, an IP address of the camera 110, and the ICCID displayed at the camera 110 to a web form presented by the SL

application server 150.

[0046] In step S505, when the SL application server 150 has collects necessary information for the eSIM purchase and provisioning, the SL application server 150 sends an eSIM assignment request to the OTA server 140 with the ICCID of the eUICC 113 and an IP address of the camera 110. The IP address of the camera 110 may be an IP address assigned to the LAN interface 118 or the mobile network interface 116 of the camera 110 and the SL application server 150 obtains this IP address from the inputs sent from the PC 120 in step S504.

[0047] In step S506, when receiving the eSIM assignment request, the OTA server 140 assigns an eSIM associated with the received ICCID and IP address and returns acknowledgement to the SL application server

150. In step S507, the SL application server 150 sends to the BIP controller 114, for example in response to step S504, the address information such as an IP address (or hostname) and port number of the OTA server 140 to trigger SIM provisioning via the TCP connection.

[0048] In step S508, the BIP controller 114 sends an APDU PUSH command to the eUICC 113. This command includes the address information of the OTA server 140.

[0049] In step S509, the processor 113p in the eUICC 113 sends an OPEN_CHANNEL command to the BIP controller 114. This command includes the address information of the OTA server 140. In step S510, the BIP controller 114 establishes a channel to the OTA server 140 specified by the address information in step S509 via the TCP connection.

[0050] In step S511, the OTA server 140 checks an IP address of the established channel (that is, an IP address of the camera 110) and retrieves an ICCID which was associated with the IP address in step S506. The OTA server 140 makes a secured packet which includes an eSIM for the camera 110 and is protected by an OTA key referenced by the ICCID, and sends this packet to the BIP controller 114 via the TCP connection.

[0051] In step S512, the BIP controller 114 sends relevant APDU commands to the eUICC 113 in order to send the received secured packet to the eUICC 113. In step S513, the processor 113p in the eUICC 113 decrypts the secured packet using its ICCID and installs the downloaded eSIM into the memory 113m in the eUICC 113. In step S514, the BIP controller 114 may close the channel between the BIP controller 114 and the OTA server 140.

[0052] According to the above embodiments of the present invention, the provisioning of a communication apparatus with subscription information through non-IP interface such as USB, while using the standardized BIP protocol. This allows a vendor of the communication apparatus to maximize reusability of the BIP components that the vendor has developed. The BIP components inside the communication apparatus may work as a standalone BIP in a case where the communication apparatus has IP connectivity by itself, whereas the BIP components may work as a counterpart of the BIP Proxy inside the information processing apparatus in a case where the communication apparatus has no IP connectivity .

[0053] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such

modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus (110) comprising:

a first interface (117) for communicating with an information processing apparatus (120) using non-IP

(Internet Protocol) communication;

a second interface (116) for wirelessly

communicating with a mobile communication network

(170) ;

a storage device (113) having a memory (113m) and a processor (113p); and

a BIP (Bearer Independent Protocol) controller (114) having a BIP stack and an adaptation function enabling the processor of the storage device to

communicate with an OTA (Over The Air) server (140) which provisions subscription information via the information processing apparatus, wherein

when the communication apparatus can communicate with the information processing apparatus via the first interface,

the processor of the storage device sends the BIP controller a proactive APDU command defined for BIP for requesting subscription information,

the BIP controller sends the information processing apparatus an instruction defined in the APDU command via the first interface,

the BIP controller receives subscription information from the information processing apparatus via the first interface in response to the instruction, the BIP controller forwards the received subscription information to the storage device, and

the processor of the storage device stores the forwarded subscription information in the memory of the storage device so that the communication apparatus can communicate with the mobile communication network via the second interface.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation function of the BIP controller enables the processor of the storage device to

communication with the OTA server when the adaptation function is activated by the information processing apparatus via the first interface.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the memory of the storage device stores an identifier;

when the communication apparatus can communicate with the information processing apparatus via the first interface, the BIP controller obtains the identifier from the storage device and sends the obtained

identifier to the information processing apparatus via the first interface; the BIP controller receives the subscription information from the information processing apparatus in the form of a secured packet; and

the processor of the storage device decrypts the secured packet using the identifier of the storage device .

4. The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein

when the communication apparatus can communicate with the information processing apparatus via the first interface, the BIP controller receives address

information of the OTA server from the information processing apparatus via the first interface, and includes the received address information in the instruction to be sent to the information processing apparatus .

5. The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising

a third interface (118) for communicating with an OTA server which provisions subscription information using IP communication, wherein

when the communication apparatus can communicate with the OTA server via the third interface, the BIP controller establishes a channel to and receives the subscription information from the OTA server via the third interface.

6. The communication apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising

when the communication apparatus can communicate with the OTA server via the second interface using first subscription information stored in the storage device, the BIP controller establishes a channel to and receives the subscription information from the OTA server via the second interface in order to obtain second subscription information.

7. An information processing apparatus (120)

comprising :

a first interface (127) for communicating with a communication apparatus (110) using non-IP

communication;

a second interface (128) for communicating with an OTA server (140) which provisions subscription information using IP communication; and

a controller (121) for

receiving an instruction for requesting subscription information from the communication

apparatus via the first interface,

receiving subscription information from the

OTA server via the second interface in response to the instruction, and sending the received subscription

information to the communication apparatus via the first interface.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

a controller receives an identifier of a storage device in the communication apparatus, and sends the received identifier to the OTA server, and

the received subscription information is

associated with the identifier.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein

a controller sends address information of the OTA server to the communication apparatus via the first interface, and

the instruction received from the communication apparatus includes the address information of the OTA server.

10. A computer program for causing a communication apparatus to execute a method, the communication apparatus comprising:

a first interface (117) for communicating with an information processing apparatus (120) using non-IP (Internet Protocol) communication; a second interface (116) for wirelessly

communicating with a mobile communication network

(170) ;

a storage device (113) having a memory (113m) and a processor (113p); and

communicate with an OTA (Over The Air) server (140) which provisions subscription information via the information processing apparatus, and the method comprising :

sending, by the processor of the storage device, the BIP controller a proactive APDU command defined for BIP for requesting subscription

information;

sending, by the BIP controller, the

information processing apparatus an instruction defined in the APDU command via the first interface;

receiving, by the BIP controller, subscription information from the information

processing apparatus via the first interface in

response to the instruction,

forwarding, by the BIP controller, the received subscription information to the storage device and

storing, by the processor of the storage device, the forwarded subscription information in the memory of the storage device so that the communication apparatus can communicate with the mobile communication network via the second interface.

11. A computer program for causing a communication apparatus to execute a method, the communication apparatus comprising:

communication; and

a second interface (128) for communicating with an OTA server (140) which provisions subscription information using IP communication; and the method comprising :

receiving an instruction for requesting

subscription information from the communication

apparatus via the first interface,

receiving subscription information from the OTA server via the second interface in response to the instruction, and

sending the received subscription information to the communication apparatus via the first interface.