Subscription management device and profile control method

Abstract

This subscription management device receives an update request related to a profile stored in an integrated circuit card of a terminal, and on the basis of the update request, updates at least one among information included in the profile and a status of the profile.

Description

Subscription management device and profile control method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a subscription management device and a profile control method for controlling the content of a profile for a terminal.

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP: registered trademark) has developed specifications for Long Term Evolution (LTE) and 5th generation mobile communication systems (5G, also known as New Radio (NR) or Next Generation (NG)), and is also developing specifications for the next generation of mobile communications, known as Beyond 5G, 5G Evolution, or 6G.

[0003] In recent years, with the spread of M2M (Machine-to-Machine) and IoT (Internet of Things) communication devices, subscriber identity modules (SIMs), which allow subscriber information such as phone numbers and International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) to be rewritten using software, have become widely used in such mobile communications.

[0004] Generally, the software portion that can be rewritten is called eSIM, and the hardware portion is called eUICC (embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card). With eSIM, users can use multiple different profiles on the same device by switching profiles (subscriber information) without having to physically replace them like with SIMs.

[0005] In SIMs including eSIMs, a 19-digit individual ID called an ICCID (IC Card Identifier) ​​is assigned to each profile (software) (Non-Patent Document 1). The GSM Association (GSMA) specifies a method for deleting old eSIMs (profiles) when changing terminal (User Equipment, UE) models, in order to prevent cloned SIMs and reuse profiles including ICCIDs (Non-Patent Document 2).

[0006] In recent years, not only IoT communication devices but also general terminals such as smartphones have begun to appear that are equipped with only eUICC, and the use of eSIMs is becoming widespread.

[0007] The international telecommunication charge card, ITU-T Recommendation E.118, ITU-T, May 2006 SGP.21 V3.1 RSP Architecture, SGM Association, December 2023

[0008] However, the above-mentioned eSIM (profile) distribution and deletion method has the following problems: Specifically, this method requires coordination between the old terminal before the change and the new terminal after the change via a subscription management device (SM-DP+: Subscription Manager Data Preparation +), and therefore cannot be used if the old terminal is broken or lost.

[0009] Therefore, the following disclosure has been made in consideration of this situation, and aims to provide a subscription management device and a profile control method that enable the reuse of profiles including ICCIDs while preventing clone SIMs, without requiring the old terminal before the change.

[0010] One aspect of the present disclosure is a subscription management device (SM-DP+100) that includes a receiving unit (message transmitting / receiving unit 110) that receives an update request regarding a profile stored in an integrated line card (eUICC210) of a terminal (terminal 200), and a control unit (profile control unit 130) that updates at least one of the information contained in the profile and the status of the profile based on the update request.

[0011] One aspect of the present disclosure is a profile control method by a subscription management device, including steps of receiving an update request for a profile held in an integrated line card of a terminal, and updating at least one of information contained in the profile and a status of the profile based on the update request.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a wireless communication system 10. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an eSIM. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a terminal 200. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of an SM-DP+100. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an ICCID. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional procedure (conventional) for updating a profile when a terminal model is changed. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a procedure for updating a profile when a terminal model is changed according to an operation example. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example sequence for updating a profile when a model is changed, etc. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the SM-DP+100 and the terminal 200. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a vehicle 2001.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or similar reference numerals are used to designate the same functions or configurations, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0014] (1) Overall Schematic Configuration of Wireless Communication System Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall schematic configuration of a wireless communication system 10 according to this embodiment. The wireless communication system 10 constitutes a system that complies with specifications established by the GSMA (GSM Association).

[0015] For example, the wireless communication system 10 can provide functions conforming to the RSP (Remote SIM Provisioning) Architecture defined by SGP.21 and the eSIM IoT (embedded Subscriber Identity Module Internet of Things) Architecture defined by SGP.31 / SGP.32.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, the wireless communication system 10 includes an SM-DP+ 100 and a terminal 200. The SM-DP+ 100 (subscription management device) is an abbreviation for Subscription Manager - Data Preparation +, and can operate in cooperation with an SM-DS (Subscription Manager - Discovery Service). RSP is a technology that remotely rewrites profiles (which may also be called communication profiles, subscriber profiles, subscriber information, etc.) over the air (OTA).

[0017] The RSP does not replace the physical SIM embedded in the terminal (User Equipment, UE), but can change a profile, which is information about the MNO (Mobile Network Operator) written in the eUICC (embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card) of the terminal 200. The MNO typically refers to a mobile communication entity, and may also be simply called an operator, carrier, or communication entity.

[0018] The terminal 200 may be interpreted as a UE defined in 3GPP. The terminal 200 may be a general terminal such as a smartphone, but may also include a communication device for IoT (IoT communication device).

[0019] The IoT communication device is a communication device that can be mounted on automobiles, construction machinery, industrial equipment, etc., and may be called an IoT device, IoT UE, M2M (Machine to Machine) device, etc. The terminal 200 may include a Local Profile Assistant (LPA) and an eUICC.

[0020] Unlike smartphones and other devices, IoT communication devices are premised on being connected to specific devices (things), and so are limited in that they do not at least have a user interface (UI).As a result, there is no user experience (UX), which is the content that users experience when using, consuming, or owning a product or service.

[0021] Note that IoT communication devices may be limited not only by UI but also by communication capabilities (number of antennas, transmission power, communication means, etc.) For example, IoT communication devices may not have multiple communication means with networks such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) like smartphones.

[0022] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the outline of an eSIM. An eSIM is a subscriber identity module (SIM) that allows subscriber information such as a telephone number and an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) to be rewritten by software.

[0023] The software part, whose contents can be rewritten, is called eSIM, and the hardware part is called eUICC. With eSIM, users can use different profiles on their devices without having to physically replace them like with SIMs. In other words, eSIMs can hold multiple profiles.

[0024] To actually use a profile, a specific profile within the eSIM must be "activated." From the perspective of the terminal and network, the eSIM is recognized as a SIM with only the activated profile written in it. If there is no activated subscriber information within the eSIM, the eSIM is recognized as a SIM with no subscriber information stored. Note that eSIMs are sometimes referred to as profiles.

[0025] The terminal downloads a profile (eSIM) from an SM server (which may mean at least one of SM-DP+ and SM-DS) and writes the downloaded profile (eSIM) to the eUICC. The SM server is a server that can remotely rewrite profiles held in the eUICC (which may include updating part of the profile content).

[0026] The terminal can use the number (telephone number, IMSI, etc.) of the activated profile (subscriber information). Note that the terminal cannot use multiple numbers at the same time.

[0027] Furthermore, there may be two types of eSIMs: consumer eSIMs and IoT / M2M eSIMs. Consumer eSIMs may be used to enable users to activate their own lines with simple terminal operations during initial terminal setup when first starting up a terminal acquired through purchase or other means. IoT / M2M eSIMs may be used to initiate MNO switching from the network side.

[0028] In addition, the network may simply mean an SM server, or may be interpreted as including at least one of a core network (which may follow the definition of 3GPP or GSMA) and a telecommunications carrier's server (MNO (carrier) system), etc.

[0029] (2) Functional Block Configuration of Wireless Communication System Next, the functional block configuration of the wireless communication system 10 will be described. Here, the functional block configuration of the SM-DP+100 and the terminal 200 will be described. Fig. 3 is a functional block configuration diagram of the terminal 200. Fig. 4 is a functional block configuration diagram of the SM-DP+100.

[0030] (2.1) Terminal 200 As shown in Fig. 3, the terminal 200 may include an eUICC 210, an LPA 220, and a wireless transceiver unit 230. The terminal 200 is an IoT device, and compared to a smartphone or the like, the terminal 200 has limitations at least in terms of a user interface (UI).

[0031] The eUICC 210 can hold multiple profiles (subscriber information). The eUICC 210 may be called an integrated line card or the like. The eUICC may refer to an embedded UICC or a UICC capable of remote provisioning. The eUICC may be interpreted as an IC card on which a unique identification number (ID) for identifying a subscriber is recorded, or may be interpreted as synonymous with a SIM card.

[0032] In this embodiment, the eUICC 210 can hold information indicating whether or not it can be used as a profile to which a network (MNO) is switched. Whether or not it can be used as a profile to which a network (MNO) is switched may be set based on a contract with the MNO, whether or not there is a planned shutdown, etc. The information may be set via an SM server (or an MNO (carrier) system).

[0033] The Local Profile Assistant (LPA) 220 (hereinafter referred to as LPA 220) can provide LPA services in accordance with the provisions of SGP.21 etc. The LPA service can provide access to the services and data required for the following LPA functions:

[0034] - Root SM-DS address - Optionally stored default SM-DP+ address - Facilitates receiving bound profile packages in transit from the LPA - Provides information about installed profiles and their profile metadata - Provides local profile management - Supports remote profile management operations - Provides functionality for the LPA to authenticate and interact with the SM-DS - Ensures that access to the EID (Embedded UICC Identifier) ​​is restricted to the LPA The LPA 220 can perform operations such as updating (switching) profiles held by the eUICC 210. For example, the LPA 220 can activate or deactivate profiles held in the eUICC 210.

[0035] The LPA 220 can also download profiles from the network and delete profiles stored in the eUICC 210.

[0036] The radio transceiver unit 230 (Radio TX / RX Unit) performs wireless communication with a radio base station to realize communication with an SM server, a core network, a telecommunications carrier's server (MNO (carrier) system), etc. Specifically, the radio transceiver unit 230 transmits and receives wireless signals in accordance with a wireless communication method (e.g., 5G) specified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP: registered trademark). Note that the wireless communication method is not necessarily limited to the method specified by 3GPP, and other methods may be used.

[0037] The wireless transceiver 230 may receive profile data downloaded from a network. The profile is stored in the eUICC 210 under the control of the LPA 220.

[0038] (2.2) SM-DP+ 100 As shown in FIG. 4, the SM-DP+ 100 may include a message transmitting / receiving unit 110, a profile holding unit 120, and a profile control unit .

[0039] The message transmitting / receiving unit 110 (Message TX / RX unit) transmits and receives messages with the terminal 200, the eUICC 210, the core network, and the server of a telecommunications carrier (MNO (carrier) system). In particular, in this embodiment, the message transmitting / receiving unit 110 receives an update request for a profile held in the eUICC of the terminal (terminal 200). In this embodiment, the message transmitting / receiving unit 110 may constitute a receiving unit.

[0040] Specifically, the message transmitting / receiving unit 110 may receive a request to update information for a specific profile from a communication service provider's server (MNO (carrier) system). The update request may be sent not only to the SM-DP+100 but also to the core network at the same time. The update request may request updating of at least one of the IMSI and / or private key included in the profile.

[0041] Specifically, the message transceiver 110 can receive an update request for a specific profile that is sent from an operator's back-end system, such as an MNO (carrier) system, to the core network and the SM-DP+ 100. The core network may refer to, for example, network nodes that constitute a core network defined in 3GPP.

[0042] The profile storing unit 120 can store multiple profiles for the eUICC. Specifically, the profile storing unit 120 may store profiles that can be provided to the terminal 200 (eUICC210) and profiles that are being provided to the terminal 200 (eUICC210), that is, profiles that are being used by the eUICC210. ​​Note that the profile storing unit 120 may store all of the profile contents, or may store only a portion of the content necessary for managing the profiles.

[0043] The profile control unit 130 controls the profiles held by the profile holding unit 120. Specifically, based on a received update request for a profile, the profile control unit 130 may update at least one of the information included in the profile and the status of the profile. The update request may target, for example, a profile currently in use on the eUICC or a profile related to a change in terminal model, and may be a request to update the entire profile (which may be interpreted as switching to a different profile), or may be a request to update part of the content of the profile or the status of the profile.

[0044] The profile control unit 130 can reuse the updated profile, assuming that the content of the profile held by the core network matches the content of the profile held by the SM-DP+100. As described above, the profile update request received by the message transmitting / receiving unit 110 may be transmitted from the operator's back-end system to the core network and the SM-DP+100 at the same time. Therefore, when the profile control unit 130 receives the update request, it can assume that the content (or state) of the profile after updating based on the update request matches that of the core network and the SM-DP+100.

[0045] This prevents the creation of cloned SIMs, as will be described later, while enabling secure reuse of the profile. The target of reuse may be a unique identification number such as an ICCID, or part or the entire profile.

[0046] (3) Operation of the Wireless Communication System Next, a description will be given of the operation of the wireless communication system 10. Specifically, a description will be given of the operation relating to profile updating by the core network and the SM-DP+100.

[0047] (3.1) Background and Issues In SIMs, including eSIMs, a unique 19-digit ID called an ICCID is assigned to each SIM software. The ICCID is strictly managed by operators to prevent misuse. The ICCID may be recognized as a unique identification number for a SIM.

[0048] Figure 5 shows the structure of an ICCID. As shown in Figure 5, an ICCID contains a fixed six or seven digit value, with the first two digits being "89" representing the telecommunications industry, the next two or three digits being the country code (Japan is "81"), and the next four digits being the carrier code for that country. After that, 11 digits are reserved for free values, and the last digit is a fixed value.

[0049] Consumer eSIMs are used by downloading the eSIM to an eUICC, but unlike physical SIMs, the download is done remotely, so when a device is upgraded, a new eSIM is distributed to the new device. For this reason, eSIMs consume more unique numbers such as ICCIDs than physical SIMs. In particular, the number of eSIM-equipped devices (devices) has exploded in recent years, and it is predicted that the use of eSIMs will continue to expand in the market.

[0050] In this situation, the finite, unique identification numbers stored in eSIMs, such as ICCIDs, are consumed every time a user changes their phone model, raising concerns about the depletion of identification numbers. Simply reusing an eSIM results in it becoming a cloned SIM, so existing specifications require that old eSIMs be deleted.

[0051] However, there are cases where it is not possible to delete such an eSIM. For example, when changing models, if the old device is broken or lost, it is not possible to delete the old eSIM, and it is not possible to send a notification to delete the eSIM from the old device.

[0052] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional profile update procedure (conventional) when changing the model of a terminal. As shown in FIG. 6, when changing the model from an old terminal to a new terminal, once the model change is completed and a new Profile B is set on the new terminal, the SM-DP+ is notified that Profile A has been deleted from the old terminal. If the SM-DP+ cannot receive this deletion notification, it cannot ensure security as a network, such as preventing cloned SIMs. This makes it difficult to reuse the profile (ICCID, etc.).

[0053] (3.2) Operational Example An operational example that can solve the above-mentioned problem will be described below. In this operational example, the core network and the SM-DP+ achieve mutual authentication by matching profile information (i.e., by holding the same profile information), and provide network services after the mutual authentication.

[0054] 7 is an explanatory diagram of a profile update procedure accompanying a change in the model of a terminal according to an operation example. As described above, in cases where the old terminal is broken or lost, if the same profile (Profile A) as that used in the old terminal is reused, there is a risk of a clone SIM due to the profile remaining in the old terminal.

[0055] Therefore, in this operation example, the carrier system sends an update request for the profile (Profile A) to the core network and SM-DP+, and the IMSI and private key can be updated. This eliminates the above-mentioned risks and allows the profile to be reused.

[0056] Fig. 8 shows an example of a sequence for updating a profile when a user changes their model, etc. As shown in Fig. 8, the carrier system transmits a request to update Profile A to the core network and SM-DP+ in response to a request from a user (subscriber).

[0057] Based on the update request, the core network and SM-DP+ update the status and / or information of Profile A. As described above, the update targets may include the IMSI and / or the private key.

[0058] When the update of Profile A is complete, the core network and SM-DP+ return a completion notification to the carrier system. This completes mutual authentication between the carrier system and the core network and SM-DP+. The new updated Profile A may then be downloaded to the new terminal.

[0059] According to this operation example, the core network and SM-DP+ achieve mutual authentication by matching profile information (i.e., by maintaining the same profile information), and after this mutual authentication, network services can be provided, thereby preventing cloned SIMs without requiring the old terminal and enabling the reuse of profiles including ICCIDs.

[0060] Furthermore, the core network and SM-DP+ can update the status and / or information of Profile A based on the update request, and the update may include the IMSI and / or private key, etc. This can more reliably prevent the risk of cloned SIMs.

[0061] (4) Other Embodiments Although the embodiments have been described above, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the description of the embodiments, and that various modifications and improvements are possible.

[0062] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the term eUICC is mainly used, but the eUICC may be simply called a UICC, or, as described above, may be broadly called a SIM card.

[0063] As mentioned above, a profile may also be called a communication profile, subscriber profile, subscriber information, etc., but a profile may also be interpreted as a collection of information elements required to connect to a specific MNO.

[0064] Also, in the above description, configure, activate, update, indicate, enable, specify, and select may be interchangeable. Similarly, link, associate, correspond, and map may be interchangeable, and allocate, assign, monitor, and map may be interchangeable.

[0065] Furthermore, specific, dedicated, UE-specific, and UE-dedicated may be interchangeable. Similarly, common, shared, group-common, UE-common, and UE-shared may be interchangeable.

[0066] In this disclosure, terms such as "precoding," "precoder," "weight (precoding weight)," "Quasi-Co-Location (QCL)," "Transmission Configuration Indication state (TCI state)," "spatial relation," "spatial domain filter," "transmit power," "phase rotation," "antenna port," "antenna port group," "layer," "number of layers," "rank," "resource," "resource set," "resource group," "beam," "beam width," "beam angle," "antenna," "antenna element," "panel," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0067] Furthermore, the block diagrams (FIGS. 3 and 4) used in the description of the above-described embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of hardware and / or software. Furthermore, the method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (e.g., wired, wireless, etc.) and these multiple devices. The functional block may also be realized by combining software with the single device or multiple devices.

[0068] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, judgment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, consideration, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, and assignment. For example, a functional block (component) that performs transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, there are no particular limitations on how each is implemented.

[0069] Furthermore, the above-described SM-DP+ 100 and terminal 200 (the device) may function as a computer that performs processing of the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the device. As shown in Fig. 9, the device may be configured as a computer including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0070] In the following description, the term "apparatus" can be interpreted as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the apparatus may be configured to include one or more of the apparatuses shown in the drawings, or may be configured to exclude some of the apparatuses.

[0071] Each functional block of the device (see FIGS. 3 and 4) is realized by any hardware element of the computer device or a combination of the hardware elements.

[0072] In addition, each function of the device is realized by loading specified software (programs) onto hardware such as processor 1001 and memory 1002, causing processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication via communication device 1004, and control at least one of reading and writing data in memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0073] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system, and may be configured as a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control unit, an arithmetic unit, and registers.

[0074] The processor 1001 also reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executes various processes in accordance with these. The programs used are those that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, the various processes described above may be executed by a single processor 1001, or may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The programs may be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0075] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured by at least one of, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The memory 1002 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The memory 1002 may store a program (program code), a software module, etc., capable of executing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be, for example, at least one of an optical disk such as a Compact Disc ROM (CD-ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray disc), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy disk, a magnetic strip, etc. Storage 1003 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned recording medium may be, for example, a database, a server, or other suitable medium including at least one of memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0077] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also called, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module.

[0078] The communication device 1004 may be configured to include a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. to realize, for example, at least one of Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD).

[0079] The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. Note that the input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one device (e.g., a touch panel).

[0080] Furthermore, each device such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002 is connected to a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between each device.

[0081] Furthermore, the device may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0082] Furthermore, the notification of information is not limited to the aspects / embodiments described in the present disclosure, and may be performed using other methods. For example, the notification of information may be performed by physical layer signaling (e.g., Downlink Control Information (DCI), Uplink Control Information (UCI)), higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling, broadcast information (Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB))), other signals, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the RRC signaling may be referred to as an RRC message, and may be, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, or the like.

[0083] Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be applied to at least one of a system using Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, a 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), a 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), a 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), an xth generation mobile communication system (xG) (where x is, for example, an integer or a decimal), Future Radio Access (FRA), New Radio (NR), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other suitable system, and a next-generation system extended based on these. Furthermore, a combination of multiple systems (e.g., a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G) may also be applied.

[0084] The order of the procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be changed unless it is consistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0085] In the present disclosure, a specific operation described as being performed by a base station may also be performed by its upper node in some cases. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with a terminal may be performed by at least one of the base station and another network node other than the base station (e.g., MME or S-GW, etc., but are not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates a case where there is one other network node other than the base station, a combination of multiple other network nodes (e.g., MME and S-GW) may also be used.

[0086] Information, signals (information, etc.) may be output from a higher layer (or a lower layer) to a lower layer (or a higher layer), or may be input and output via multiple network nodes.

[0087] The input and output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, a memory) or may be managed using a management table. The input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or added to. The output information may be deleted. The input information may be transmitted to another device.

[0088] The determination may be made based on a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), a Boolean value (true or false), or a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0089] The aspects / embodiments described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to explicit notification, but may be implicit (e.g., not notifying the predetermined information).

[0090] Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0091] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0092] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0093] Note that terms described in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of a channel and a symbol may be a signal (signaling). Furthermore, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, a cell, a frequency carrier, etc.

[0094] As used in this disclosure, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0095] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc. described in the present disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or other corresponding information. For example, a radio resource may be indicated by an index.

[0096] The names used for the above-described parameters are not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, the mathematical expressions using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure. The various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements may be identified by any suitable names, and therefore the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0097] In this disclosure, terms such as "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "NodeB," "eNodeB (eNB)," "gNodeB (gNB)," "access point," "transmission point," "reception point," "transmission / reception point," "cell," "sector," "cell group," "carrier," and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably. Base stations may also be referred to by terms such as macrocell, small cell, femtocell, and picocell.

[0098] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells (also called sectors). When a base station accommodates multiple cells, the overall coverage area of ​​the base station can be divided into multiple smaller areas, and each smaller area can be provided with communication services by a base station subsystem (e.g., a small indoor base station (Remote Radio Head: RRH)).

[0099] The terms "cell" or "sector" refer to part or all of the coverage area of ​​a base station and / or base station subsystem that provides communication services within that coverage area.

[0100] In the present disclosure, the base station transmitting information to a terminal may be interpreted as the base station instructing the terminal to control or operate based on the information.

[0101] In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," "terminal," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0102] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0103] At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be referred to as a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be a device mounted on a mobile object, the mobile object itself, etc. The mobile object refers to a movable object, and may move at any speed. Naturally, this also includes cases where the mobile object is stationary. Examples of the mobile object include, but are not limited to, vehicles, transport vehicles, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, connected cars, excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, dump trucks, forklifts, trains, buses, handcars, rickshaws, ships and other watercraft, airplanes, rockets, satellites, drones (registered trademark), multicopters, quadcopters, balloons, and objects mounted thereon. The mobile object may also be a mobile object that moves autonomously based on an operational command. It may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), an unmanned mobile object (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (manned or unmanned). At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be a device that does not necessarily move during communication operations. For example, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may be an IoT (Internet of Things) device such as a sensor.

[0104] Furthermore, a base station in the present disclosure may be read as a mobile station (user terminal, the same applies hereinafter). For example, the aspects / embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to a configuration in which communication between a base station and a mobile station is replaced with communication between multiple mobile stations (which may be called, for example, Device-to-Device (D2D) or Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X)). In this case, the mobile station may be configured to have the functions of a base station. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be read as terms corresponding to terminal-to-terminal communication (for example, "side"). For example, terms such as an uplink channel and a downlink channel may be read as a side channel (or sidelink).

[0105] Similarly, a mobile station in the present disclosure may be interpreted as a base station, in which case the base station may have the functions of a mobile station.

[0106] A radio frame may be composed of one or more frames in the time domain. Each of the one or more frames in the time domain may be called a subframe. A subframe may further be composed of one or more slots in the time domain. A subframe may have a fixed time length (e.g., 1 ms) that is independent of numerology.

[0107] Numerology may be communication parameters that apply to the transmission and / or reception of a signal or channel, such as subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, symbol length, cyclic prefix length, transmission time interval (TTI), number of symbols per TTI, radio frame structure, specific filtering operations performed by the transceiver in the frequency domain, and specific windowing operations performed by the transceiver in the time domain.

[0108] A slot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain (such as an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) symbol, etc.) A slot may be a numerology-based time unit.

[0109] A slot may include multiple minislots. Each minislot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain. A minislot may also be called a subslot. A minislot may consist of fewer symbols than a slot. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted in a time unit larger than a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type A. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted using a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type B.

[0110] The radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol all represent time units for transmitting signals, and may be referred to by other names corresponding to the radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol.

[0111] For example, one subframe may be referred to as a transmission time interval (TTI), multiple consecutive subframes may be referred to as a TTI, or one slot or one minislot may be referred to as a TTI. That is, at least one of the subframe and the TTI may be a subframe (1 ms) in existing LTE, a period shorter than 1 ms (e.g., 1-13 symbols), or a period longer than 1 ms. Note that the unit representing the TTI may be called a slot, minislot, etc., instead of a subframe.

[0112] Here, TTI refers to, for example, the smallest time unit for scheduling in wireless communication. For example, in an LTE system, a base station schedules each user terminal to allocate radio resources (such as frequency bandwidth and transmission power that can be used by each user terminal) in TTI units. Note that the definition of TTI is not limited to this.

[0113] The TTI may be a transmission time unit for a channel-encoded data packet (transport block), a code block, a code word, etc., or may be a processing unit for scheduling, link adaptation, etc. When a TTI is given, the time interval (e.g., the number of symbols) to which a transport block, a code block, a code word, etc. is actually mapped may be shorter than the TTI.

[0114] In addition, when one slot or one minislot is called a TTI, one or more TTIs (i.e., one or more slots or one or more minislots) may be the minimum time unit for scheduling, and the number of slots (minislots) constituting the minimum time unit for scheduling may be controlled.

[0115] A TTI having a time length of 1 ms may be referred to as a regular TTI (TTI in LTE Rel. 8-12), normal TTI, long TTI, regular subframe, normal subframe, long subframe, slot, etc. A TTI shorter than a regular TTI may be referred to as a shortened TTI, short TTI, partial or fractional TTI, shortened subframe, short subframe, minislot, subslot, slot, etc.

[0116] In addition, a long TTI (e.g., a normal TTI, a subframe, etc.) may be interpreted as a TTI having a time length of more than 1 ms, and a short TTI (e.g., a shortened TTI, etc.) may be interpreted as a TTI having a TTI length shorter than the TTI length of a long TTI and equal to or greater than 1 ms.

[0117] A resource block (RB) is a resource allocation unit in the time domain and the frequency domain, and may include one or more consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. The number of subcarriers included in an RB may be the same regardless of numerology, for example, 12. The number of subcarriers included in an RB may be determined based on numerology.

[0118] The time domain of an RB may include one or more symbols and may have a length of one slot, one minislot, one subframe, or one TTI, each of which may consist of one or more resource blocks.

[0119] Note that one or more RBs may also be called a physical resource block (PRB), a sub-carrier group (SCG), a resource element group (REG), a PRB pair, an RB pair, etc.

[0120] Furthermore, a resource block may be composed of one or more resource elements (REs). For example, one RE may be a radio resource region of one subcarrier and one symbol.

[0121] A Bandwidth Part (BWP) (which may also be referred to as a fractional bandwidth) may represent a subset of contiguous common resource blocks (RBs) for a given numerology on a given carrier, where the common RBs may be identified by their index relative to a common reference point of the carrier. PRBs may be defined in a given BWP and numbered within that BWP.

[0122] The BWP may include a BWP for UL (UL BWP) and a BWP for DL ​​(DL BWP). One or more BWPs may be configured for a UE within one carrier.

[0123] At least one of the configured BWPs may be active, and the UE may not expect to transmit or receive a given signal / channel outside the active BWP. Note that the terms "cell," "carrier," etc. in this disclosure may be read as "BWP."

[0124] The above-described structures of the radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol are merely examples. For example, the number of subframes included in a radio frame, the number of slots per subframe or radio frame, the number of minislots included in a slot, the number of symbols and RBs included in a slot or minislot, the number of subcarriers included in an RB, the number of symbols in a TTI, the symbol length, the cyclic prefix (CP) length, and other configurations may be changed in various ways.

[0125] The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0126] The reference signal may also be abbreviated as Reference Signal (RS) and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0127] As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0128] The "means" in the configuration of each of the above devices may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0129] As used in this disclosure, any reference to an element using a designation such as "first," "second," etc. does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed therein or that the first element must precede the second element in some way.

[0130] When the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, when the term "or" is used in this disclosure, it is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0131] In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0132] As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, and the like. "Determining" and "determining" may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like. Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. as having been "judged" or "decided." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding some action as having been "judged" or "decided." Furthermore, "judgment (decision)" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0133] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0134] 10 shows an example of the configuration of a vehicle 2001. As shown in Fig. 10, the vehicle 2001 includes a drive unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, left and right front wheels 2007, left and right rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, an electronic control unit 2010, various sensors 2021 to 2029, an information service unit 2012, and a communication module 2013.

[0135] The drive unit 2002 is composed of, for example, an engine, a motor, or a hybrid of an engine and a motor. The steering unit 2003 includes at least a steering wheel (also called a handle) and is configured to steer at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels based on the operation of the steering wheel operated by the user. The electronic control unit 2010 is composed of a microprocessor 2031, memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and a communication port (IO port) 2033. Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2027 provided in the vehicle are input to the electronic control unit 2010. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0136] The signals from the various sensors 2021 to 2028 include a current signal from a current sensor 2021 that senses the current of the motor, a rotation speed signal of the front and rear wheels obtained by a rotation speed sensor 2022, an air pressure signal of the front and rear wheels obtained by an air pressure sensor 2023, a vehicle speed signal obtained by a vehicle speed sensor 2024, an acceleration signal obtained by an acceleration sensor 2025, an accelerator pedal depression amount signal obtained by an accelerator pedal sensor 2029, a brake pedal depression amount signal obtained by a brake pedal sensor 2026, a shift lever operation signal obtained by a shift lever sensor 2027, and a detection signal for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc. obtained by an object detection sensor 2028.

[0137] The information service unit 2012 is composed of various devices, such as a car navigation system, an audio system, speakers, a television, and a radio, for providing (outputting) various types of information, such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, and one or more ECUs for controlling these devices. The information service unit 2012 uses information acquired from external devices via the communication module 2013, etc., to provide various types of multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 1.

[0138] The information service unit 2012 may include input devices (e.g., keyboards, mice, microphones, switches, buttons, sensors, touch panels, etc.) that accept input from the outside, and may also include output devices (e.g., displays, speakers, LED lamps, touch panels, etc.) that output to the outside.

[0139] The driving assistance system unit 2030 is composed of various devices that provide functions for preventing accidents and reducing the driver's driving burden, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning locators (e.g., GNSS, etc.), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps, etc.), gyro systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System), etc.), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. The driving assistance system unit 2030 also transmits and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to realize driving assistance functions or autonomous driving functions.

[0140] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and components of the vehicle 1 via the communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 transmits and receives data via the communication port 2033 to and from a driving unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, left and right front wheels 2007, left and right rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, a microprocessor 2031 and memory (ROM, RAM) 2032 in the electronic control unit 2010, and sensors 2021 to 2028, which are provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0141] The communication module 2013 is a communication device that can be controlled by the microprocessor 2031 of the electronic control unit 2010 and can communicate with an external device. For example, it transmits and receives various information to and from the external device via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 may be located either inside or outside the electronic control unit 2010. The external device may be, for example, a base station, a mobile station, or the like.

[0142] The communication module 2013 may transmit at least one of signals from the above-mentioned various sensors 2021 to 2028 input to the electronic control unit 2010, information obtained based on the signals, and information based on input from the outside (user) obtained via the information service unit 2012 to an external device via wireless communication. The electronic control unit 2010, the various sensors 2021 to 2028, the information service unit 2012, etc. may be referred to as input units that accept input. For example, the PUSCH transmitted by the communication module 2013 may include information based on the above-mentioned input.

[0143] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, traffic signal information, vehicle-to-vehicle information, etc.) transmitted from external devices and displays it on an information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle. The information service unit 2012 may also be called an output unit that outputs information (for example, outputs information to a device such as a display or speaker based on the PDSCH (or data / information decoded from the PDSCH) received by the communication module 2013). The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from external devices in a memory 2032 that can be used by the microprocessor 2031. Based on the information stored in the memory 2032, the microprocessor 2031 may control the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, left and right front wheels 2007, left and right rear wheels 2008, axles 2009, sensors 2021 to 2028, and the like provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0144] (Additional Note) The above disclosure may be expressed as follows: A first feature is a subscription management device including: a receiving unit that receives an update request related to a profile held in an integrated line card of a terminal; and a control unit that updates at least one of information included in the profile and a status of the profile based on the update request.

[0145] In a second feature based on the first feature, the receiving unit receives the update request, which is transmitted from a back-end system of an operator to a core network and the subscription management device, with the profile as the target.

[0146] A third feature is that, in the first or second feature, the control unit assumes that the contents of the profile held by the core network match the contents of the profile held by the subscription management device, and reuses the updated profile.

[0147] 10 Wireless communication system 100 SM-DP+ 110 Message transmission / reception unit 120 Profile storage unit 130 Profile control unit 200 Terminal 210 eUICC 220 LPA 230 Wireless transmission / reception unit 1001 Processor 1002 Memory 1003 Storage 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device 1007 Bus 2001 Vehicle 2002 Drive unit 2003 Steering unit 2004 Accelerator pedal 2005 Brake pedal 2006 Shift lever 2007 Left and right front wheels 2008 Left and right rear wheels 2009 Axle 2010 Electronic control unit 2012 Information service unit 2013 Communication module 2021 Current sensor 2022 RPM sensor 2023 Air pressure sensor 2024 Vehicle speed sensor 2025 Acceleration sensor 2026 Brake pedal sensor 2027 Shift lever sensor 2028 Object detection sensor 2029 Accelerator pedal sensor 2030 Driving assistance system section 2031 Microprocessor 2032 Memory (ROM, RAM) 2033 Communication port

Claims

1. A subscription management device comprising: a receiving unit that receives an update request for a profile held in an integrated line card of a terminal; and a control unit that updates at least one of the information contained in the profile and the status of the profile based on the update request.

2. The subscription management device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit receives the update request, which is transmitted from an operator's back-end system to a core network and the subscription management device, for the profile.

3. The subscription management device of claim 2, wherein the control unit assumes that the contents of the profile held by the core network match the contents of the profile held by the subscription management device, and reuses the updated profile.

4. A profile control method by a subscription management device, comprising the steps of: receiving an update request for a profile held in an integrated line card of a terminal; and updating at least one of the information contained in the profile and the status of the profile based on the update request.

Images