Bootstrap Profile Sharing for Communication Device Subscription Migration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Communication devices with expired subscriptions face challenges in renewing or switching subscriptions efficiently, particularly in scenarios where wireless or wired connections are unavailable, leading to limited functionality and service disruptions.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system that detects bootstrap profiles on communication devices and provides limited services to facilitate subscription renewal or migration to new subscriptions, using over-the-air (OTA) communications to adjust operational profiles and manage subscription transitions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If communication devices use traditional subscription management methods, then service continuity is maintained during normal operations, but service disruptions occur when devices have expired subscriptions or need to switch subscriptions, particularly when wireless or wired connections are unavailable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice continuityVSAvoidsubscription renewal efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting bootstrap profiles before subscription expiration or service disruption occurs. The network device proactively identifies devices with bootstrap profiles and prepares limited services in advance, enabling seamless subscription renewal without service interruption. This preliminary detection and preparation resolves the contradiction by maintaining service continuity while improving subscription renewal efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - limited services provided through bootstrap profiles - that acts as a bridge between expired subscriptions and renewed subscriptions. This intermediary allows devices to maintain basic functionality and connectivity even when primary subscriptions have expired, enabling seamless transition to new subscriptions without complete service disruption. This resolves the contradiction by ensuring service continuity while making subscription renewal more efficient.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If communication devices maintain full functionality at all times, then service quality is maximized, but system complexity increases due to need for continuous connection and profile management

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice accessVSAvoidprofile management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments service functionality into two distinct modes: full services requiring operational profiles and limited services using bootstrap profiles. This segmentation allows devices to operate with reduced functionality when connections are unavailable or subscriptions are expired, without requiring complex continuous profile management. The network device determines which service level to provide based on device state, simplifying overall system complexity while maintaining reliable service access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts service levels based on device state and connection availability. Devices can transition between full services and limited services without manual intervention or complex profile management. The network device dynamically determines whether to provide full or limited services based on whether the device has an active operational profile or is using a bootstrap profile, thereby maintaining reliable service access while reducing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If devices share operational profiles for seamless transition, then subscription migration efficiency is improved, but service security and device identification become challenging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesubscription migration efficiencyVSAvoiddevice identification

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses bootstrap profiles as simplified copies or representations of full operational profiles. These bootstrap profiles contain essential identification information needed for device recognition and subscription migration, without including all the complexity of full operational profiles. This allows efficient subscription migration while maintaining the ability to detect and identify devices through their bootstrap profile information, resolving the contradiction between migration efficiency and device identification capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS20250330788A1Methods, systems, and devices for providing subscription services to a communication device that shares an operational profile with another communication device

Publication Date: 2025.10.23 AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P

AI summary

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, detecting a first bootstrap profile on a first communication device, and detecting a second bootstrap profile on a second communication device. Further aspects can include determining the first bootstrap profile and the second bootstrap profile are a same bootstrap profile, and providing limited services to the second communication device according to the first communication device and the second communication device having the same bootstrap profile. Other embodiments are disclosed.