NFC Emulated Cards for Powered-Off eSIM Provisioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual eSIM provisioning for hundreds or thousands of devices is cumbersome and time-consuming, particularly for customers deploying embedded subscriber identity modules (eSIMs).
Innovation Solution
Utilizing near-field communication (NFC) capabilities to create an NFC emulated card on devices that lack one, containing unique identifiers and an empty activation code field, allowing external devices to write the activation code even when powered off, thus enabling efficient eSIM provisioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual eSIM provisioning is performed for hundreds or thousands of devices, then each device can be provisioned individually, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates an NFC emulated card in advance during device manufacturing, containing the device's unique identifiers (IMEI and EID). This preliminary setup eliminates the need for manual configuration during provisioning, enabling rapid bulk deployment. The card is pre-configured with an empty activation code field that can be filled later through automated NFC communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a virtual NFC emulated card that replicates the functionality of a physical SIM card. This digital copy contains all necessary device identifiers and can be rapidly copied or provisioned across multiple devices through NFC communication, eliminating manual intervention and enabling scalable deployment.
2Ease of operation
If traditional eSIM provisioning methods are used, then security can be maintained through encryption keys, but the process requires device power and manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The NFC emulated card is configured to remain active when the device is powered off, enabling the card to autonomously respond to NFC read commands from external devices. This self-service capability allows provisioning operations to be performed without requiring device power or user intervention, significantly simplifying bulk provisioning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The NFC emulated card acts as an intermediary between the device and external provisioning systems. It contains the device's unique identifiers and can be read by external devices with verified encryption keys, enabling secure automated provisioning without requiring the main device system to be active or complex manual procedures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates faster and more efficient eSIM provisioning by allowing activation code writing when devices are off, reducing manual intervention and enhancing scalability for large deployments.
Implementation Method 1
Upon the device powering up, the at least one processing element determines if an ESIM-PROVISION near-field communication (NFC) emulated card exists on the device
Data Source
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AI summary
In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, a device for embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM) provisioning is provided. In some embodiments, the device comprises at least one processing element. Upon the device powering up, the at least one processing element determines if an ESIM-PROVISION near-field communication (NFC) emulated card exists on the device. If the at least one processing element determines that the ESIM-PROVISION NFC emulated card does not exist on the device, the at least one processing element (i) determines a first unique identifier corresponding to the device and a second unique identifier corresponding to an eSIM of the device and (ii) creates and stores the ESIM-PROVISION NFC emulated card containing the first unique identifier, the second unique identifier, and an empty eSIM activation code field.