Cellular Wireless Service Preferences Transfer Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face challenges in transferring cellular wireless service preferences associated with SIMs and eSIMs between devices, as existing technologies lack mechanisms to automatically or efficiently move these preferences, leading to difficulties in reconfiguring services on new devices.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves mechanisms to transfer user preferences associated with cellular wireless service credentials between devices, allowing for the reapplication of settings such as data roaming, VoLTE, and contact-specific SIM/eSIM associations, using methods like local connections, cloud services, or backup/restore procedures, with optional user interfaces for configuration adjustments based on device compatibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If cellular wireless service credentials (SIMs/eSIMs) are transferred between devices, then service access is maintained, but user preferences (settings, configurations) do not transfer automatically

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice access continuityVSAvoiduser preferences loss
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the transfer of cellular wireless service credentials with the transfer of associated user preferences by treating them as a unified data package. The preferences are bundled with the SIM/eSIM credentials and transferred together as a single unit, ensuring that both the service access rights and the customized settings move simultaneously between devices, thereby resolving the issue of preferences loss during credential transfer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary identification and validation of transferable preferences before the actual transfer occurs. By pre-determining which preferences can be transferred and preparing the transfer package in advance, the system ensures seamless migration of both credentials and settings without interruption to service access, addressing the reliability-preference retention contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If user preferences are manually reconfigured on each device, then service settings are restored, but user time and effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice configuration accuracyVSAvoidconfiguration time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service by enabling automatic detection, validation, and transfer of user preferences without requiring manual user intervention. The system autonomously identifies compatible preferences, validates their transferability, and executes the transfer process automatically, thereby eliminating the time-consuming manual reconfiguration process while maintaining configuration accuracy through automated validation mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor the transfer process, validate the transferred preferences against device capabilities, and provide real-time status information. This feedback loop ensures that only compatible and valid preferences are transferred, maintaining configuration accuracy while accelerating the process through automated validation and progress tracking, thus reducing user time investment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If preferences are transferred automatically, then configuration speed increases, but device compatibility issues may arise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransfer speedVSAvoiddevice compatibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the transfer process adaptive and flexible rather than rigid. The system dynamically assesses device compatibility, selectively transfers only the preferences that are compatible with the target device, and adjusts the transfer scope based on real-time compatibility evaluation. This dynamic approach enables fast automatic transfer for compatible devices while gracefully handling compatibility issues, thus maintaining both high productivity and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies local quality by customizing the transfer process to match the specific characteristics and capabilities of each device. Instead of a uniform transfer approach, the system identifies and transfers only the locally relevant and compatible preferences for each target device, optimizing the transfer for each specific device's capabilities. This selective, localized transfer strategy maintains high transfer speed for compatible items while ensuring compatibility by excluding incompatible preferences.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Reliability

If comprehensive preferences are transferred, then service configuration completeness improves, but data transfer size increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconfiguration completenessVSAvoiddata transfer size
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and separates the transferable preference data from the complete device configuration, identifying only the essential preferences that can be meaningfully transferred between devices. By extracting only the relevant, transferable preferences rather than attempting to transfer the entire configuration, the system maintains configuration completeness for the transferable items while significantly reducing the overall data transfer size, thus resolving the contradiction between completeness and data volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial action by transferring only the necessary and compatible preferences rather than attempting to transfer everything. This selective transfer approach ensures that the transferred data is both complete enough to maintain service configuration reliability and small enough to minimize transfer size. The system identifies and transfers only the essential preference items that add value, avoiding unnecessary data transfer while maintaining adequate configuration completeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS12022567B2Cellular wireless service preferences transfer
Publication Date: 2024.06.25 APPLE INC
  • US12022567B2 patent drawing
  • US12022567B2 patent drawing
  • US12022567B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Apparatus and methods to transfer user preferences for cellular wireless service associated credentials transferred from a source device to a target device. Transfer of credentials can include physically moving a physical subscriber identity module (SIM) card between devices, transfer of cellular wireless service from a first SIM card at the source device to a second SIM card at the target device, and/or transfer of cellular wireless services for one or more electronic SIMs (eSIMs) from the source device to the target device. Preferences associated with some or all of the transferred SIMs/eSIMs can be applied at the target device when certain matching criteria are satisfied. Exemplary matching criteria include matching identifiers, such as integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) values, mobile station international subscriber directory number (MSISDN) values, and/or mappings thereof. Transfer of preferences can occur via a local peer-to-peer connection, a secure cloud-based service, and/or a backup and restore process.