Mobile Terminal Control Through Virtual SIM After SIM Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

When a mobile phone is lost or stolen, the removal of the SIM card disconnects it from the cellular network, making it impossible to trace and retrieve.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a virtual SIM card stored in the terminal's bottom layer, which remains active even if the physical SIM card is removed, allowing the owner to send control instructions for operations like positioning, locking, data clearing, and shooting to retrieve the device.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a physical SIM card is used in the terminal, then the terminal can communicate with the cellular network, but the terminal cannot be controlled or located when the SIM card is removed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol capabilityVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a virtual SIM card that copies the essential functionality of the physical SIM card. The virtual SIM card includes identical identification information (IMSI, Ki) and can perform the same network authentication and communication functions, but it exists as software in the terminal's memory rather than as a physical card that can be removed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical/physical SIM card system with a virtual/software-based SIM card system. Instead of relying on a physical card inserted into a SIM slot, the terminal uses a virtual SIM card stored in memory that can be activated through software control, eliminating the mechanical dependency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the physical SIM card is removed to prevent tracking, then the terminal cannot be located, but the owner loses the ability to retrieve or control the terminal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking preventionVSAvoidretrieval capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual SIM card creates a copy of the authentication credentials that remains in the terminal's memory. This copy can be activated independently of the physical card, allowing the terminal to maintain network connectivity and receive control instructions even when the physical SIM is removed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-configuring the virtual SIM card with the same identification information as the physical SIM card before the terminal is lost or stolen. This ensures that when the physical card is removed, the virtual card is already in place and can be immediately activated to maintain control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4131049B1Method for controlling terminal, and electronic device

Publication Date: 2025.07.16 BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO LTD

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AI summary

A method for controlling a terminal, an electronic device and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium are disclosed, which relates to a field of terminal technologies. The method includes activating (S101) a virtual subscriber identity module (SIM) card in a terminal such as a mobile phone in response to determining that the terminal is in a lost state; receiving (S102) a control instruction through the virtual SIM card; and controlling (S 103) the terminal based on the control instruction. In this way, even if the physical SIM card is removed, the terminal still may receive a control instruction by the activated virtual SIM card in the terminal, so that the owner may send the control instruction to execute the corresponding operation and thus retrieve the lost terminal.