OTA Platform Request Prioritization for Security Element Updates

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for remote administration of security elements in telecommunications, such as UICC cards, face inefficiencies due to regular polling that results in unnecessary wireless traffic and overload on OTA platforms, as well as a lack of distinction between urgent and non-urgent requests, leading to potential rejection of critical updates.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method where PSK-IDs transmitted by security elements define an order of priority, with a proxy server or filtering means within the OTA platform filtering and prioritizing requests, allowing only high-priority requests to proceed, thereby reducing unnecessary traffic and ensuring timely processing of urgent updates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If regular polling is used to check for updates, then security elements can receive updates, but unnecessary wireless traffic is generated and OTA platforms become overloaded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveupdate deliveryVSAvoidwireless traffic
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by having the OTA platform proactively push update information to security elements before they need to be installed. This eliminates the need for repeated polling queries, as the update notification is delivered in advance when the security element first connects, significantly reducing unnecessary wireless traffic while ensuring updates are reliably delivered.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If regular polling is used to check for updates, then security elements can receive updates, but OTA platforms experience overload

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveupdate deliveryVSAvoidplatform processing capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The OTA platform performs preliminary actions by delivering update information during the initial connection phase. This proactive approach ensures updates are communicated before the security element enters idle mode, eliminating the need for multiple polling cycles and reducing the platform's processing load while maintaining reliable update delivery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system transforms continuous periodic polling into a single periodic push action at the beginning of the connection cycle. Instead of multiple periodic queries during idle mode, the update information is delivered once during the active connection phase, reducing platform overload while maintaining update reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Ease of operation

If all requests are treated equally, then simple updates can be processed, but urgent updates may be rejected due to platform overload

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverequest processingVSAvoidurgent update delivery
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by assigning different priority levels to different types of update requests. Critical security updates are marked with high priority flags, while routine maintenance updates have lower priority. This allows the OTA platform to differentiate and process urgent requests first, ensuring reliable delivery of critical updates even when the platform is under load, while maintaining simple processing for non-critical updates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3476145B1Method for updating security elements, corresponding ota platform and security element
Publication Date: 2020.12.02 THALES DIS FRANCE SA
  • EP3476145B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3476145B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3476145B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates in particular to a method for updating security elements (30) cooperating with telecommunications terminals, the updates being performed by an OTA platform (31) on the basis of queries formulated by the security elements (30), the security elements (30) transmitting PSK-IDs to the OTA platform (31), the method comprising transmitting, from the security elements (30) to the OTA platform (31), identities IDs defining an order of priority of requests for handling the queries of same by the OTA platform (31).