Embedded subscriber identity module eSIM card identification method and terminal device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12401987-B2
Application number	US-202117759981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2021
Priority date	Mar 20, 2020
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

This application is applicable to the field of communications technologies, and provides an embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM) card identification method and a terminal device method. The method includes: after completing an initialization process, driving an eSIM card to be powered on; querying whether an activated profile exists in the eSIM card; and when a query result is that no activated profile exists in the eSIM card, powering off the eSIM card. When the eSIM card is not activated or no activated profile exists in the eSIM card, it indicates that a user does not need to use a related function or service of the eSIM card. In this case, the eSIM card is powered off. When the eSIM card is not activated, it means that no profile exists in the eSIM card.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A terminal device, comprising:
an embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM) card, configured to download or store a profile;
at least one processor, configured to receive a startup command, and perform an initialization process in response to the startup command; and
a modem, configured to:
after the initialization process is completed, drive an eSIM card to be powered on;
send a first indication to the eSIM card, wherein the first indication queries whether an activated profile exists in the eSIM card, and the first indication is issuer security domain root (ISD-R) selection request information;
obtain first feedback information sent by the eSIM card, wherein the first feedback information is ISD-R response information, the ISD-R response information comprises a field enabledProfile (2), wherein the enabledProfile (2) indicates whether an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) comprises an activated profile; and
power off the eSIM card when the first feedback information indicates that no activated profile exists in the eSIM card.

2. An embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM) card identification method applicable to a terminal device, comprising:
after the terminal device completes an initialization process, driving an eSIM card to be powered on;
sending a first indication to the eSIM card, wherein the first indication queries whether an activated profile exists in the eSIM card, and the first indication is issuer security domain root (ISD-R) selection request information;
obtaining first feedback information sent by the eSIM card, wherein the first feedback information is ISD-R response information, the ISD-R response information comprises a field enabledProfile (2), and wherein the enabledProfile (2) indicates whether an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) comprises an activated profile; and
powering off the eSIM card when the first feedback information indicates that no activated profile exists in the eSIM card.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the initialization process comprises an initialization process of a modem and an initialization process of a processor.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein after obtaining first feedback information sent by the eSIM card, the method further comprises:
maintaining the eSIM card in a power-on state when the first feedback information indicates that an activated profile exists in the eSIM card.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein before driving the eSIM card to be powered on or sending the first indication to the eSIM card, the method further comprises:
obtaining a local profile assistant (LPA) activation flag bit, wherein the LPA activation flag bit indicates whether an LPA is activated; and
when the LPA activation flag bit indicates that the LPA is activated, maintaining the eSIM card in the power-on state.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein after obtaining the LPA activation flag bit, the method further comprises:
when the LPA activation flag bit indicates that the LPA is not activated, sending the first indication to the eSIM card.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein before obtaining the LPA activation flag bit, the method further comprises:
obtaining a first setting request, wherein the first setting request is triggered when a user enables the LPA, and the first setting request indicates the modem to set the LPA activation flag bit to activated; and
setting the LPA activation flag bit to activated in response to the first setting request.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein after setting the LPA activation flag bit to activated, the method further comprises:
obtaining a second setting request, wherein the second setting request is triggered by disabling the LPA by the user when the eSIM card is in the power-on state, and the second setting request indicates the modem to set the LPA activation flag bit to inactivated; and
setting the LPA activation flag bit to inactivated in response to the second setting request.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein after setting the LPA activation flag bit to activated, and before obtaining the LPA activation flag bit, the method further comprises:
obtaining a power-on request, wherein the power-on request is triggered by the LPA when the eSIM card is not powered on; and
in response to the power-on request, driving the eSIM card to be powered on.

10. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the ISD-R response information further comprises the following fields: IpaeUsingCatSupported (0) and IpaeUsingScwsSupported (1);
IpaeUsingCatSupported (0) indicates whether the eUICC supports a card application toolkit;
IpaeUsingScwsSupported (1) indicates whether the eUICC supports a smart card web server.

11. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
obtaining an LPA activation flag bit;
powering off the eSIM card when the LPA activation flag bit indicates that an LPA is not activated, and the first feedback information indicates that the eSIM card is not activated or no activated profile exists in the eSIM card; and
maintaining the eSIM card in a power-on state when the LPA activation flag bit indicates that the LPA is activated, or the first feedback information indicates that an activated profile exists in the eSIM card.

12. A chip, comprising:
at least one processor;
a modem; and
one or more computer programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the modem, the one or more computer programs comprise instructions, and when the instructions are executed by the chip, the chip is enabled to perform the following steps:
after an initialization process is completed, driving an eSIM card to be powered on;
sending a first indication to the eSIM card, wherein the first indication queries whether an activated profile exists in the eSIM card, and the first indication is issuer security domain root (ISD-R) selection request information;
obtaining first feedback information sent by the eSIM card, wherein the first feedback information is ISD-R response information, the ISD-R response information comprises a field enabledProfile (2), and wherein the enabledProfile (2) indicates whether an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) comprises an activated profile; and
powering off the eSIM card when the first feedback information indicates that no activated profile exists in the eSIM card.

13. The chip according to claim 12 , wherein the chip is further enabled to perform the following step:
after obtaining the first feedback information sent by the eSIM card, maintaining the eSIM card in a power-on state when the first feedback information indicates that an activated profile exists in the eSIM card.

14. The chip according to claim 12 , wherein the chip is further enabled to perform the following steps:
before driving the eSIM card to be powered on or before sending the first indication to the eSIM card, obtaining a local profile assistant (LPA) activation flag bit, wherein the LPA activation flag bit indicates whether an LPA is activated; and
when the LPA activation flag bit indicates that the LPA is activated, maintaining the eSIM card in the power-on state.

15. The chip according to claim 14 , wherein the chip is further enabled to perform the following step:
after obtaining the LPA activation flag bit, when the LPA activation flag bit indicates that the LPA is not activated, sending the first indication to the eSIM card.

16. The chip according to claim 14 , wherein the chip is further enabled to perform the following steps:

Assignees

• Honor Device Co Ltd

Inventors

• Pang Yang
• Tan Zhengbin
• Du Min

Classifications

• H04W52/028

  switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks · CPC title

• H04W52/0229

  where the received signal is a wanted signal · CPC title

• H04W8/183

  Processing at user equipment or user record carrier · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04W8/205 Primary

  Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier · CPC title