eUICC Profile Provisioning With Delay-Aware BPP Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for provisioning profiles to embedded universal integrated circuit cards (eUICCs) in terminals are inefficient, particularly when dealing with a large number of profiles, and do not account for potential delays in processing, leading to inconveniences for users and operators.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that allow a profile server to generate and transmit bound profile packages (BPPs) to a terminal manufacturer server, while managing delays by providing processing time limits and partial or complete BPP generation, and enabling profile installation in a factory environment without real-time network connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a large number of profiles are provisioned to eUICCs in a factory environment, then user convenience is improved by allowing immediate network access upon terminal purchase, but processing delays occur and real-time network connections are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by generating and storing bound profile packages (BPPs) in advance in a factory environment before the terminal is shipped. The profile server generates BPPs for multiple eUICCs during manufacturing, so that when the terminal is purchased and activated, the profiles are already prepared and can be downloaded immediately without requiring real-time network connections for profile generation, thus improving user convenience while managing processing delays
2Manufacturing precision
If profile generation is performed in real-time, then processing accuracy is maintained, but processing speed decreases when handling large numbers of profiles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the profile provisioning process into distinct phases: (1) factory-stage BPP generation and storage, and (2) terminal-activation stage BPP download and installation. This segmentation allows bulk profile preparation to occur during manufacturing with adequate processing time, while terminal activation becomes a rapid download operation, thus improving overall processing speed without sacrificing profile generation accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The profile server generates and stores bound profile packages (BPPs) in advance during the factory manufacturing stage, before the terminal is shipped to the user. This preliminary action allows the system to process multiple profiles in batch mode with sufficient time resources, ensuring accurate profile generation while improving subsequent download speed at terminal activation, as the profiles are already prepared and stored ready for immediate transfer
3Reliability
If real-time network connections are required for profile downloads, then profile provisioning reliability is ensured, but user convenience deteriorates due to processing delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by generating and storing bound profile packages (BPPs) in advance in a factory environment. The profile server creates BPPs during manufacturing and stores them locally or in a accessible repository, so that when the terminal is purchased and activated, the profiles are already prepared and can be downloaded immediately without requiring real-time network connections for profile generation, thus improving user convenience while maintaining provisioning reliability through pre-validated profiles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism by using bound profile packages (BPPs) as intermediate artifacts that are generated during factory manufacturing and stored for later download. These BPPs serve as pre-prepared profile containers that can be transferred to the terminal without requiring real-time network connection to the profile server during the actual terminal activation, thus decoupling the reliability-critical profile generation phase from the convenience-critical terminal activation phase
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a 5G or 6G communication system for supporting higher data transmission rates. According to the present disclosure, a method performed by a profile server for providing a profile to be provisioned to an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) may comprise the steps of: receiving, from a terminal manufacturer server, a request for providing a plurality of bound profile packages (BPPs); determining whether delay processing occurs when the BPPs are generated according to the request for providing the plurality of BPPs; generating the requested BPPs and transmitting same to the terminal manufacturer server when delay processing does not occur when the BPPs are generated according to the request for providing the plurality of BPPs; and transmitting processing comeback time information of the processing of the request for providing the plurality of BPPs to the terminal manufacturer server when it is determined that delay processing will occur when the BPPs are generated according to the request for providing the plurality of BPPs.