Smart Card Suspension Control for IoT Power Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

IoT terminals face high power consumption issues due to always-on UICC states, leading to short battery life in applications where devices are often inactive, such as remote monitoring and tracking, which is not efficiently addressed by existing communication protocols.

Innovation Solution

A smart card control method that transmits a suspension command to the smart card, allowing it to enter a suspended state and reducing power consumption by turning off the power supply, thereby prolonging battery life without altering hardware on the network side.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the smart card remains in an always-on state to maintain communication readiness, then communication reliability is improved, but power consumption increases and battery service time decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The smart card dynamically transitions between operational states (active, suspended, and stopped) based on communication needs. The card can be suspended during idle periods and quickly recovered when communication is required, optimizing the balance between reliability and power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The smart card implements periodic suspension and recovery cycles. During non-communication periods, the card enters a suspended state with reduced power consumption, and is periodically recovered when communication events occur, creating a rhythm of high and low power states that extends battery life while maintaining communication capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Use of energy by moving object

If the smart card is suspended to reduce power consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but communication response time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoidcommunication response time
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The smart card performs preliminary actions by maintaining a suspended state with preserved context information rather than fully stopping. This allows the card to be quickly recovered and resume communication operations faster than from a complete stop, reducing the time penalty while still achieving significant power savings during suspension.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Duration of action of stationary object

If the smart card power supply is turned off to extend battery life, then battery service time is improved, but the smart card cannot respond to communication requests

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery service timeVSAvoidcommunication availability
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the power management into distinct operational modes: full power (operational), reduced power (suspended), and minimal power (stopped). By segmenting the power states and using appropriate suspension commands (STOP, SUSPEND, RESET), the system can extend battery life through prolonged suspension periods while maintaining the ability to quickly reactivate when communication is needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3468261B1Control method and apparatus for smart card, terminal device, and smart card
Publication Date: 2021.04.21 ZTE CORP
  • EP3468261B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3468261B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3468261B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A method and device for controlling a smart card are provided. The control method includes that: a suspension command is transmitted to the smart card (101); and a recovery information keyword returned by the smart card according to the suspension card and configured to recover the smart card from a suspended state is received (102). By the present invention, the suspension command is transmitted to the smart card and a power supply of the smart card may be removed, so that power consumption of the smart card is reduced, energy consumption of the terminal device is reduced and service time of a battery of the terminal device is prolonged.