eSIM Management Entity for Interoperable Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing MNO-centric provisioning techniques for managing eSIMs on embedded UICCs in mobile devices face interoperability issues due to the use of proprietary protocols and varying formats across different MNOs, servers, and UICC manufacturers, which impedes seamless management and installation of eSIMs across multiple devices and networks.
Innovation Solution
An eSIM management entity on the eUICC decrypts and parses encrypted eSIM packages formatted in standardized protocols like ASN.1 DER, transforming them into individual components compatible with specific hardware, software, and OS requirements of the mobile device and UICC, enabling local personalization and installation, thus acting as a local TSM server for standardized eSIM management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If proprietary protocols and varying formats are used across different MNOs, servers, and UICC manufacturers, then each entity can optimize its own system, but interoperability of eSIMs across different eUICCs and mobile devices deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a standardized eSIM package format as an intermediary that mediates between proprietary MNO/server formats and the eUICC's internal requirements. The eSIM management entity acts as a mediator that receives standardized packages, transforms them into device-specific formats, and installs them on the eUICC. This intermediary layer enables interoperability while allowing each entity to maintain its own optimizations.
Solution Approach 2:
The eSIM package is segmented into distinct components: a standardized outer format that ensures interoperability, and internal components that can be customized for specific devices. The eSIM management entity segments the transformation process into receiving standardized packages, parsing them, transforming to device-specific formats, and installing on the eUICC. This segmentation allows simultaneous support for standardization and customization.
2Reliability
If a standardized eSIM package format is implemented, then interoperability across different eUICCs and mobile devices is improved, but the complexity of transforming and personalizing eSIM contents increases
Solution Approach 1:
The eSIM management entity on the eUICC performs self-service by autonomously receiving standardized eSIM packages, parsing them, transforming the contents to device-specific formats, and installing them without requiring external intervention for each transformation step. This self-service capability reduces the need for complex external transformation infrastructure while maintaining interoperability.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized eSIM package format is prepared in advance with a predictable structure that includes all necessary components for transformation. The package contains pre-organized eSIM contents that can be systematically transformed. This preliminary structuring reduces the complexity of the transformation process by providing a consistent input format that the eSIM management entity can reliably parse and transform.
3Reliability
If eSIM packages are encrypted and require decryption, then security is improved, but the processing time and computational resources required increase
Solution Approach 1:
Encryption is applied in advance to the eSIM package contents before transmission to the mobile device. The decryption process is initiated immediately upon receipt, and the eSIM management entity is pre-configured with the necessary decryption capabilities. This preliminary encryption and immediate decryption approach minimizes security gaps and optimizes processing time by avoiding delays between receipt and decryption.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for managing processing of electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIM) data at a mobile device are disclosed. An eSIM management entity of an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) in the mobile device obtains an encrypted eSIM package, decrypts the eSIM package to obtain eSIM contents formatted generically and not specifically tailored to requirements of the eUICC. In some embodiments, the eSIM contents are formatted based on an abstract syntax notation (ASN) distinguished encoding rules (DER) format. The eSIM management entity parses the formatted eSIM contents to retrieve individual eSIM components and installs each eSIM component for the eSIM in an eSIM security domain on the eUICC. In some embodiments, the eSIM management entity acts as a local, personalization server to provide local Trusted Service Manager (TSM) server functionality for eSIM installation that transforms “generically formatted” eSIM contents into eSIM components that match specific requirements of the eUICC.