On-boarding Management Entity for eUICC Subscription Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Managing interconnectivity among multiple enterprise entities and subscription managers for embedded UICC (eUICC) is complex and difficult due to the need for fully meshed connectivity, which is impractical and hard to manage, especially when adding, replacing, or disabling subscription managers.

Innovation Solution

An on-boarding management entity with an API that maps enterprise entities to specific subscription managers using identifiers like EID, ICCID, and SMSR-ID, and implements business logic to route and select the appropriate subscription managers based on availability and business rules, reducing the need for direct connections between entities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If fully meshed connectivity is implemented among multiple enterprise entities and subscription managers, then direct access and management capability is improved, but system complexity and difficulty of management worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedirect access capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an on-boarding management entity as an intermediary component that mediates between enterprise entities and subscription managers. This entity maintains mapping information and routing logic, allowing indirect access while avoiding the complexity of full mesh connectivity. The intermediary handles the routing and mapping operations, simplifying the overall system architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple subscription managers are added or replaced, then service availability and flexibility are improved, but management difficulty and reconfiguration complexity worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice flexibilityVSAvoidreconfiguration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The on-boarding management entity pre-establishes mapping information between enterprise entities and subscription managers before actual connections are needed. When subscription managers are added or replaced, the entity can update its internal mappings without requiring complex reconfiguration of the entire network. This preliminary setup of routing information simplifies dynamic changes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If direct connections between enterprise entities and subscription managers are established, then connectivity reliability is improved, but ease of maintenance and updates worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnectivity reliabilityVSAvoidmaintenance ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The on-boarding management entity serves as a centralized intermediary that maintains all mapping and routing information. This centralization allows for easier maintenance and updates because changes can be made in one location rather than across multiple direct connections. The entity ensures reliable connectivity by managing the mappings centrally while simplifying maintenance operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3695633B1On-boarding entity for remote embedded universal integrated circuit card management
Publication Date: 2024.06.26 T MOBILE US INC
  • EP3695633B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3695633B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3695633B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An on-boarding management entity may be implemented to manage interconnectivity among various enterprise entities and various subscription managers. A subscription manager identifier associated with each of the subscription managers may be used to map different enterprise entities to specific or range of subscription managers. In the event of additions or replacements of subscription managers, a business logic may be employed via a rules engine in order to internally map a subscription manager identifier of the desired subscription manager to the respective subscription manager. The business logic can also be employed to map and relay callbacks and notifications received from the subscription managers to respective enterprise entities.