UICC Terminal Timer Control for OTA Inactivity Timeout

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication systems between servers and UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) lack efficient methods for managing inactivity timeouts, leading to inefficient and unreliable data transfers, especially in Over-The-Air Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (OTA-HTTPS) updates.

Innovation Solution

A communication system and method that utilizes a terminal timer to manage inactivity timeouts by initiating a timer command upon data packet transfer, enabling a server unresponsive flag based on server status, and terminating or reinitiating the channel accordingly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the BIP channel remains open to maintain communication capability, then the channel availability is improved, but the system blocks new sessions and consumes resources unnecessarily during inactivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechannel availabilityVSAvoidresource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The BIP channel state is made dynamic by introducing terminal-side inactivity detection and automated state transitions. The terminal monitors server responsiveness and automatically transitions the channel from active to closed state when inactivity is detected, allowing the system to adapt between maintaining availability and releasing resources based on actual usage patterns

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

A feedback mechanism is implemented where the terminal actively monitors server responses and uses this information to control channel state. The terminal sends monitoring requests and adjusts channel availability based on server responsiveness feedback, enabling intelligent resource management without requiring server-side changes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Device complexity

If the server terminates the session to free resources, then resource consumption is reduced, but the server has no option to terminate except user SIM reset

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource consumptionVSAvoidsession termination capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The control logic for session termination is inverted from server-side to terminal-side. Instead of the server actively managing session termination, the terminal takes control by monitoring server responsiveness and initiating channel closure when inactivity is detected, giving the terminal the termination capability rather than the server

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Measurement precision

If the terminal continuously monitors server status to detect inactivity, then timeout detection accuracy is improved, but battery consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetimeout detection accuracyVSAvoidbattery consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuous monitoring, the terminal implements periodic monitoring by sending BIP data download events at intervals during OTA updates. This periodic action maintains sufficient timeout detection accuracy while significantly reducing battery consumption compared to continuous monitoring, as the terminal only activates monitoring when data transfer is expected

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The terminal performs monitoring only partially - specifically during OTA update operations when data transfer is expected - rather than continuously. This partial monitoring approach provides sufficient timeout detection for critical operations while minimizing unnecessary battery consumption during other device operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

4Speed

If the channel is kept open for potential data transfer, then data transfer speed is improved, but errors occur when server is unresponsive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transfer speedVSAvoidcommunication reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal performs preliminary inactivity detection and server responsiveness checks before initiating or continuing data transfer operations. By proactively monitoring server status and detecting inactivity early, the system prevents erroneous data transfer attempts, ensuring communication reliability while maintaining readiness for rapid transfer when the server is responsive

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4468762B1A communication system and method for enabling inactivity timeout based on terminal timer

Publication Date: 2026.04.15 GIESECKE DEVRIENT MOBILE SECURITY GERMANY GMBH

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AI summary

The present invention relates to a system and method enabling inactivity timeout based on a terminal timer. The method (400) includes steps of receiving (402), a UICC (106) communicatively coupled with a terminal (104), data packets having protocols from at least one server (108) to establish communication between the server (108) and the terminal (104), initiating (404), by the UICC (106), a timer command and enabling (406), by the UICC (106), the status of a server unresponsive flag to be at least one of a true and a false, based on the operating status of the at least one server (108), where the operating status of the at least one server (108) is determined based on the established communication, and further terminating (406), by the UICC (106), the timer command based on the status of the server unresponsive flag to enable the inactivity timeout timer at the terminal (104).