KR20230106348A - A user equipment comprising a software architecture to replace a physical sim - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, disclosed is a terminal for performing wireless communication. In particular, the terminal comprises: a storage unit that stores a program operated by a plurality of layers; and a control unit that performs an operation according to the program stored in a memory. Among the plurality of layers, at least one layer includes at least one SIM architecture function for performing a function of a subscriber identity module (SIM).

Description

A terminal including a software architecture to replace a physical SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) {A USER EQUIPMENT COMPRISING A SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE TO REPLACE A PHYSICAL SIM}

The present invention relates to a terminal including a software architecture for replacing a physical SIM (Subscriber Identity Module), and more particularly, to a SW and HW platform of an existing terminal using APP, OS, AP, and HW used in a physical SIM. It is about a technology that uses and replaces.

SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module and means a subscriber authentication module.

In countries other than Korea, it is common to call it a SIM card. In Korea, it is mainly referred to as a USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module) chip.

Such a SIM card is a kind of smart card/IC card used by inserting into a mobile phone. In Korea, it is common to use 3G WCDMA/4G LTE/5G NR mobile phones or to insert one by one into a device for data sharing.

In Korea, the use of SIM cards began with the launch of WCDMA service. If the SIM card of the terminal being used is moved and installed in another terminal, the phone number and data plan used in the existing terminal can be used as they are.

USIM is just a subscriber identification tool. Inside the SIM, there is an additional function that can store call records, contacts, text messages, etc., but it is not automatically saved every time a record is created, and it is rarely used because the user must press the Move button each time to execute it. Also, the read/write speed is very slow. However, in many cases, personal data for mobile phone authentication is stored in the SIM.

In some cases, the USIM card itself is broken or the USIM card is normal, but the slot where the USIM card is installed is broken. It happens.

Therefore, by creating and using a virtual SIM using the SW and HW of the existing device without using the existing physical SIM, physical miniaturization and cost reduction for the terminal device and IoT device, and physical failure of the SIM card Therefore, there is a need for a method to prevent the use of telecommunication service providers from being impossible.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2012-0027495 (Title: Method and system for performing multi-level virtual SIM provisioning and setting on a mobile device, Mar. 21, 2012)

The present invention is intended to provide a terminal including a software architecture for replacing a physical Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).

The technical problems to be achieved in the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. You will be able to.

In a terminal performing wireless communication according to the present invention, a storage unit for storing a program operated by a plurality of layers (Layer); and a control unit that performs an operation according to a program stored in the memory; wherein, among the plurality of layers, at least one layer includes at least one SIM architecture function for performing the function of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM). can include

In addition, the at least one layer may include a first application layer for the terminal, and the first application layer may include a function of a second application layer for the SIM.

Also, the function of the second application layer may include an applet for the SIM.

Also, the applet for the SIM may include at least one of a financial applet and a communication applet.

In addition, the at least one layer may include a first operating system (OS) layer for the terminal, and the first OS layer may include functions of a second OS layer for the SIM.

In addition, the first OS layer may include Application Manager & Application Programming Interface (API), API Frame Work, and Kernel layer.

In addition, the Application Manager & API may include a function of USAT (USIM Service Application Toolkit) of the SIM.

In addition, a function of a near field communication (NFC) applet of the SIM may be performed through an NFC module of the terminal.

In addition, the API Frame Work may include at least one function of the SIM's Frame Work, API, and Virtual Machine (VM).

In addition, the kernel layer may include at least one function of security, memory, and command process of the SIM.

In addition, the terminal may be characterized in that a slot for inserting a chip for the SIM is not provided.

In addition, the terminal may not include a physical device for an embedded SIM (eSIM).

According to the present invention, by using a virtual (VIRTUAL) SIM using SW and HW of an existing terminal without using an existing physical SIM, it is possible to obtain the effect of physical miniaturization and cost reduction for devices such as terminals and IOT devices. there is.

In addition, from the user's point of view, it is not necessary to purchase and manage a separate SIM, so convenience can be increased.

The effects obtainable in the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. will be.

1 is a diagram for explaining a communication system in which a terminal operates according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram for explaining a method of including a function of a physical SIM in a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram for explaining a SIM architecture internalized in a terminal layer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 to 5 are diagrams for explaining the OS Layer architecture of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In order to clarify the characteristics and advantages of the problem solving means of the present invention, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to specific embodiments of the present invention shown in the accompanying drawings.

However, detailed descriptions of well-known functions or configurations that may obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted in the following description and accompanying drawings. In addition, it should be noted that the same components are indicated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings as much as possible.

The terms or words used in the following description and drawings should not be construed as being limited to a common or dictionary meaning, and the inventor may appropriately define the concept of terms for explaining his/her invention in the best way. It should be interpreted as a meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that there is. Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only one of the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, and do not represent all of the technical spirit of the present invention, so various alternatives can be made at the time of this application. It should be understood that there may be equivalents and variations.

In addition, terms including ordinal numbers, such as first and second, are used to describe various components, and are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components, and to limit the components. Not used. For example, a second element may be termed a first element, and similarly, a first element may be termed a second element, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In addition, terms used in this specification are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, terms such as "include" or "having" described in this specification are intended to designate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but one or the It should be understood that the above does not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In addition, terms such as “unit”, “unit”, and “module” described in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and may be implemented as hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software. Also, "a or an", "one", "the" and similar related words in the context of describing the invention (particularly in the context of the claims below) Unless indicated or otherwise clearly contradicted by context, both the singular and the plural can be used.

In addition to the above-mentioned terms, specific terms used in the following description are provided to aid understanding of the present invention, and the use of these specific terms may be changed in other forms without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.

In addition, embodiments within the scope of the present invention include computer-readable media having or conveying computer-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer system. By way of example, such computer readable media may be in the form of RAM, ROM, EPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage, or computer executable instructions, computer readable instructions or data structures. physical storage media such as, but not limited to, any other medium that can be used to store or convey any program code means in a computer system and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer system. .

In addition, the present invention relates to personal computers, laptop computers, handheld devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, mobile phones, PDAs, pagers It can be implemented in a network computing environment having various types of computer system configurations including (pager) and the like. The invention may also be practiced in distributed system environments where tasks are performed by both local and remote computer systems linked by wired data links, wireless data links, or a combination of wired and wireless data links through a network. In a distributed system environment, program modules may be located in local and remote memory storage devices.

Further, it will be appreciated that each block of the process flow diagrams and combinations of the flow diagrams may be performed by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be embodied in a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment are described in the flowchart block(s). It creates means to perform functions. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer usable or computer readable memory that can be directed to a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement functionality in a particular way, such that the computer usable or computer readable memory The instructions stored in are also capable of producing an article of manufacture containing instruction means that perform the functions described in the flowchart block(s). The computer program instructions can also be loaded on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, so that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a computer-executed process to generate computer or other programmable data processing equipment. Instructions for performing processing equipment may also provide steps for performing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for executing specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations it is possible for the functions mentioned in the blocks to occur out of order. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order depending on their function.

In describing the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, an example of a specific system will be the main target, but the main subject matter to be claimed in this specification extends the scope disclosed herein to other communication systems and services having a similar technical background. It can be applied within a range that does not deviate greatly, and this will be possible with the judgment of those skilled in the art.

Prior to a detailed description of the present invention, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) will be described.

As described above, SIM is an abbreviation of Subscriber Identity Module, and means a subscriber authentication module.

In countries other than Korea, it is common to call it a SIM card. In Korea, it is mainly referred to as a USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module) chip.

Such a SIM card is a kind of smart card/IC card used by inserting into a mobile phone. In Korea, it is common to use 3G WCDMA/4G LTE/5G NR mobile phones or to insert one by one into a device for data sharing.

In Korea, the use of SIM cards began with the launch of WCDMA service. If the SIM card of the terminal being used is moved and installed in another terminal, the phone number and data plan used in the existing terminal can be used as they are.

USIM is just a subscriber identification tool. Inside the SIM, there is an additional function that can store call records, contacts, text messages, etc., but it is not automatically saved every time a record is created, and it is rarely used because the user must press the Move button each time to execute it. Also, the read/write speed is very slow. However, in many cases, personal data for mobile phone authentication is stored in the SIM.

In some cases, the USIM card itself is broken or the USIM card is normal, but the slot where the USIM card is installed is broken. It happens.

1. SIM Subscriber Authentication Procedure

True to its name, the SIM card authenticates the subscriber and can play a role in determining whether the subscriber is a normal user by authenticating the subscriber.

Subscriber authentication of the SIM card is in the form of sharing a secret key with the network (eg, HLR and/or AuC), and subscriber authentication is performed as follows.

1) The terminal loads the user's SIM number (ICCID) and IMSI and transmits them to the network (eg, HLR and/or AuC).

2) Based on the information received from the terminal, the network (eg, HLR and/or AuC) transmits an authentication vector (AV) to the SIM using a secret key shared with the SIM.

3) Upon receiving the authentication vector (AV), the SIM verifies the authentication vector (AV) using the secret key, calculates the result value (RES), and transmits the result value to the network.

4) The network (eg, HLR and/or AuC) receiving the result value from the SIM cross-verifies the received result value (RES) and the result value (XRES) calculated by the corresponding network.

5) If the two values (RES, XRES) match, the network (eg HLR and/or) authenticates the subscriber.

6) Obtain encryption keys and integrity guarantee keys (CK, IK) through this authentication procedure.

7) After LTE, the process of calculating additional keys in CK and IK is added.

In the above-described authentication procedure, only a subscriber sharing the same secret key as the SIM and the network can be authenticated, so confidentiality, one of the three elements of security, can be secured. Also, integrity can be secured in the process of acquiring the session key.

Utilizing the above-described authentication procedure, it is possible to prevent unauthorized copying and use of the other party's mobile phone.

2. eSIM (Embedded SIM)

An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a SIM in which the chip in the USIM is embedded in the device or attached to the motherboard. By removing the SIM tray, there is an advantage that the device can be further reduced in weight. In addition, since SIM downloads are possible through mobile apps, apps that sell data eSIMs to overseas travelers have also appeared. It is used in places where SIM cannot be physically installed, such as wearable devices, and it is also possible to introduce it to general devices by expanding it.

The advantage of eSIM is that even for the majority of ordinary people who do not change devices often, once the eSIM is installed, they can freely change and use different service providers' rate plans. In addition, in the case of a device supporting dual SIM of a physical SIM and an eSIM, the physical SIM is mainly used for the purpose of the carrier, and the eSIM can be used as an auxiliary means. For example, if an eSIM is used to use an overseas network while traveling, it is possible to use communication abroad at a lower cost than roaming without the trouble of changing a SIM card.

If eSIM is supported in Korea, you can use a major telecommunications company's plan and a budget phone plan together. In addition, in the case of eSIM profiles, it is possible to store multiple profiles once installed. Therefore, it is possible to continuously use the installed eSIM profiles while changing them in the settings.

In addition, it is possible to install eSIM by downloading an app without visiting a carrier (although there may be restrictions on the rate plan), which can be convenient.

However, as a downside, if you want to replace the terminal, unlike the previous SIM that simply moved the chip, there is a point that you may need to visit a telecommunications company and move the eSIM. This may be a throwback to the days of the cdmaOne/CDMA2000, which were virtually SIM-less.

In addition, due to the monopoly system in which only certain companies produce eSIM, there is a high possibility that a fee will be charged for activating eSIM, in addition to increasing the module price.

Also, eSIM has no concept of transfer and must always be reissued. Therefore, there is a fee whenever you transfer your SIM to another phone. There are two cases in which this cost is borne by the telecommunications company or by the consumer, depending on the eSIM provider-carrier contract.

Now, a method for alternative operation of a physical SIM according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in earnest.

1 is a diagram for explaining the structure of a system for alternative operation of a physical SIM according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a system for alternative operation of a physical SIM according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a communication network 1 and a terminal 100 .

Here, the terminal 100 may interwork with a base station (not shown) through the communication network 1.

At this time, the communication network 1 may be a wireless communication network or a wired communication network. For example, the communication network 1 may be a wireless communication network using Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5 Generation (5G), and WiFi.

Specifically, the communication network 1 serves to transmit data for data transmission and reception between the terminal 400 and the video management device 300, and depending on the system implementation method, Ethernet, xDSL (ADSL, VDSL), HFC (Hybrid Fiber Coaxial Cable), FTTC (Fiber to The Curb), FTTH (Fiber To The Home), etc. Wireless communication schemes such as Wimax, High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), and 5-Generation (5G) may be used.

On the other hand, looking at 5G, which is a communication field to which the present invention can be applied, the three main requirement areas of 5G are (1) an enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) area, (2) a large number of machine types It includes a massive machine type communication (mMTC) area and (3) an ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC) area.

Some use cases may require multiple areas for optimization, while other use cases may focus on just one key performance indicator (KPI). 5G supports these diverse use cases in a flexible and reliable way.

eMBB goes far beyond basic mobile internet access, and covers rich interactive work, media and entertainment applications in the cloud or augmented reality. Data is one of the key drivers of 5G, and we may not see dedicated voice services for the first time in the 5G era. In 5G, voice is expected to be handled as an application simply using the data connection provided by the communication system. The main causes for the increased traffic volume are the increase in content size and the increase in the number of applications requiring high data rates. Streaming services (audio and video), interactive video and mobile internet connections will become more widely used as more devices connect to the internet. Many of these applications require always-on connectivity to push real-time information and notifications to users. Cloud storage and applications are rapidly growing in mobile communication platforms, which can be applied to both work and entertainment. And, cloud storage is a special use case that drives the growth of uplink data transmission rate. 5G is also used for remote work in the cloud, requiring much lower end-to-end latency to maintain a good user experience when tactile interfaces are used. Entertainment Cloud gaming and video streaming, for example, are another key factor driving the demand for mobile broadband capabilities. Entertainment is essential on smartphones and tablets anywhere including in highly mobile environments such as trains, cars and airplanes. Another use case is augmented reality for entertainment and information retrieval. Here, augmented reality requires very low latency and instantaneous amount of data.

In addition, one of the most expected 5G use cases is the ability to seamlessly connect embedded sensors in all fields, i.e. mMTC. By 2020, potential IoT devices are predicted to reach 20.4 billion. Industrial IoT is one area where 5G is playing a key role enabling smart cities, asset tracking, smart utilities, agriculture and security infrastructure.

URLLC includes new services that will change the industry through ultra-reliable/available low-latency links such as remote control of critical infrastructure and self-driving vehicles. This level of reliability and latency is essential for smart grid control, industrial automation, robotics, and drone control and coordination.

5G can complement fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and cable-based broadband (or DOCSIS) as a means of delivering streams rated at hundreds of megabits per second to gigabits per second. These high speeds are required to deliver TV with resolutions above 4K (6K, 8K and beyond) as well as virtual and augmented reality. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) applications include mostly immersive sports competitions. Certain applications may require special network settings. For example, in the case of VR games, game companies may need to integrate their core servers with the network operator's edge network servers to minimize latency.

Automotive is expected to be an important new driver for 5G, with many use cases for mobile communications on vehicles. For example, entertainment for passengers requires simultaneous high-capacity and high-mobility mobile broadband. The reason is that future users will continue to expect high-quality connections regardless of their location and speed. Another use case in the automotive sector is augmented reality dashboards. It identifies objects in the dark over what the driver sees through the front window, and overlays information that tells the driver about the object's distance and movement. In the future, wireless modules will enable communication between vehicles, exchange of information between vehicles and supporting infrastructure, and exchange of information between vehicles and other connected devices (eg devices carried by pedestrians). A safety system can help reduce the risk of an accident by guiding the driver through alternate courses of action to make driving safer. The next step will be remotely controlled or self-driven vehicles. This requires very reliable and very fast communication between different self-driving vehicles and between the vehicle and the infrastructure. In the future, self-driving vehicles will perform all driving activities, leaving drivers to focus only on traffic anomalies that the vehicle itself cannot identify. The technical requirements of self-driving vehicles require ultra-low latency and ultra-high reliability to increase traffic safety to levels that are unattainable by humans.

Smart cities and smart homes, referred to as smart society, will be embedded with high-density wireless sensor networks. A distributed network of intelligent sensors will identify conditions for cost and energy-efficient maintenance of a city or home. A similar setup can be done for each household. Temperature sensors, window and heating controllers, burglar alarms and appliances are all connected wirelessly. Many of these sensors are typically low data rates, low power and low cost. However, real-time HD video, for example, may be required in certain types of devices for surveillance.

The consumption and distribution of energy, including heat or gas, is highly decentralized, requiring automated control of distributed sensor networks. A smart grid interconnects these sensors using digital information and communication technologies to gather information and act on it. This information can include supplier and consumer behavior, allowing the smart grid to improve efficiency, reliability, affordability, sustainability of production and distribution of fuels such as electricity in an automated manner. The smart grid can also be viewed as another low-latency sensor network.

Mission critical applications (e.g. e-health) are among the 5G usage scenarios. The health sector has many applications that can benefit from mobile communications. The communication system may support telemedicine, which provides clinical care at a remote location. This can help reduce barriers to distance and improve access to health services that are not consistently available in remote rural areas. It is also used to save lives in critical care and emergencies. A mobile communication based wireless sensor network can provide remote monitoring and sensors for parameters such as heart rate and blood pressure.

Wireless and mobile communications are becoming increasingly important in industrial applications. Wiring is expensive to install and maintain. Thus, the possibility of replacing cables with reconfigurable wireless links is an attractive opportunity in many industries. However, achieving this requires that wireless connections operate with cable-like latency, reliability and capacity, and that their management be simplified. Low latency and very low error probability are the new requirements that need to be connected with 5G.

Logistics and freight tracking are important use cases for mobile communications that use location-based information systems to enable tracking of inventory and packages from anywhere. Logistics and freight tracking use cases typically require low data rates, but wide range and reliable location information.

In addition, such a communication network 1 includes, for example, a plurality of access networks (not shown) and a core network (not shown), and may include an external network, for example, an Internet network (not shown). Here, the access network (not shown) may be an access network that performs wired/wireless communication with the terminal 400 and the video management device 300 . For example, it can be implemented with a plurality of base stations such as BS (Base Station), BTS (Base Transceiver Station), NodeB, eNodeB, gNodeB, etc., and base station controllers such as BSC (Base Station Controller) and RNC (Radio Network Controller). there is.

In addition, as described above, the digital signal processing unit and the radio signal processing unit integrally implemented in the base station are divided into a digital unit (hereinafter referred to as a DU) and a radio unit (hereinafter referred to as a RU), , It may be configured by installing a plurality of RUs (not shown) in each of a plurality of areas and connecting the plurality of RUs (not shown) to a centralized DU (not shown).

In addition, a core network (not shown) constituting a mobile network together with an access network (not shown) serves to connect an access network (not shown) and an external network, for example, an Internet network (not shown).

As described above, the core network (not shown) is a network system that performs major functions for mobile communication services such as mobility control and switching between access networks (not shown), and is a network system that performs circuit switching or packet switching. switching) and manages and controls the packet flow within the mobile network. In addition, the core network (not shown) manages inter-frequency mobility and plays a role for interworking with traffic in an access network (not shown) and a core network (not shown) and other networks, for example, an Internet network (not shown). may be This core network (not shown) further includes Serving GateWay (SGW), PDN GateWay (PGW), Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Home Location Register (HLR), Mobile Mobility Entity (MME), and Home Subscriber Server (HSS). It may be configured to include.

In addition, the Internet network (not shown) refers to a common open communication network in which information is exchanged according to the TCP / IP protocol, that is, a public network, and is connected to the terminal 400 and the video management device 300, and the terminal ( 400) may be provided to the video management device 300 via a core network (not shown) and an access network (not shown), and conversely, information provided to the video management device 300 may be provided to the core network (not shown) ) and an access network (not shown) may be provided to the terminal 400. However, it is not limited thereto, and the video management device 300 may be integrally implemented with a core network (not shown).

In addition, in addition to the above-described communication methods, all types of communication methods that are widely known or will be developed in the future may be included. In addition, the communication network 1 may be configured in the form of a combination of two or more communication networks among the wired and wireless communication networks described above. For example, the communication network 1 may be implemented as a combination of a wired communication network and a wireless communication network, or a combination of two or more wireless communication networks.

The terminal 100 according to FIG. 1 may refer to a user's device capable of transmitting and receiving various data via the communication network 1 according to a user's manipulation.

This terminal 100 can perform voice or data communication through the communication network 1, and can transmit and receive information with a base station (not shown) through the communication network 1. For this purpose, the terminal 100 of the present invention may include a memory for storing programs and protocols for transmitting and receiving data through the communication network 1, and a microprocessor for calculating and controlling various programs by executing them.

Such a terminal 100 preferentially accesses an application (hereinafter referred to as 'app') providing device (not shown) connected to the communication network 1, for example, an app store, etc., and an app for providing insurance coverage details service from the corresponding app store. can be received and installed.

In addition, the terminal 100 may be implemented in various forms. For example, the terminal 100 described herein includes a smart phone, a tablet PC, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), an MP3 player, and a wearable device. A mobile terminal such as a mobile terminal, as well as a fixed terminal such as a smart TV (Smart TV), a desktop computer, and the like may be used.

In addition, the terminal 100 of the present invention has very diverse variations of portable devices according to the convergence trend of digital devices, so it is impossible to enumerate all of them, but a unit equivalent to the above-mentioned units according to the present invention Any device can be used as the terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as long as it can be used as the terminal 100 and can download and install apps related to multi-view video according to the present invention.

Meanwhile, the terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may operate by organically connecting a plurality of layers and performing operations and functions of each of the layers. In this case, a plurality of layers may be implemented in a storage unit and/or a control unit of the terminal 100 .

For example, the plurality of layers may include an Application (APP) layer, an Operating System (OS) layer, an Application Protocol (AP) layer, and a Hardware (HW) layer.

Meanwhile, the terminal 100 according to the present invention can implement the SIM function without a separate SIM by adding a SIM SW architectural element to the above-described plurality of layers (ie, the Software (SW) architecture of the terminal 100). there is. That is, even if the terminal 100 does not have a slot for inserting the SIM chip, the function of the SIM can be implemented. In addition, even if a physical device for the eSIM is not implemented in the terminal 100, the function of the SIM can be implemented.

Referring to FIG. 2, the architecture of the terminal 100 includes APP, OS, AP, and HW layers in the same way as the SIM architecture, so that when implementing a virtual software SIM, the architecture of the terminal 100 is not added. The SIM function can be implemented by adding SIM architectural elements corresponding to each of the APP, OS, AP, and HW layers included in.

For example, the APP layer of the terminal 100 may be added to implement the APP function of the SIM, and the OS function of the SIM may be added to the OS layer of the terminal 100 to implement the function. In addition, contents of the AP layer included in the SIM may be implemented through the AP layer of the terminal 100 .

Let's take a look at the difference between the present invention and eSIM.

As described above, the eSIM is a physical SIM embedded in the terminal 100, and although there may be differences in some applet, it basically has the same structure as the separately installed USIM.

On the other hand, the present invention is to add and use a SIM function by using SW, HW, and a hierarchical structure to the existing terminal 100 that does not use a physical SIM such as eSIM and/or USIM.

Now, with respect to a specific embodiment of the present invention, based on Figures 3 to 5 will be reviewed.

First, with reference to FIG. 3, the architecture of an existing SIM will be reviewed.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the SIM architecture has the same APP, OS, AP, and HW layers as the terminal 100. Therefore, since the architectural structure of the terminal 100 and the architectural structure of the SIM are the same, the layer of the terminal 100 overlapping the layer of the SIM is implemented as a virtual SW without a separate SIM, and the SIM function is implemented in the virtual SW. can be internalized and utilized.

In FIG. 3, USAT (USIM Service Application Toolkit) may be in charge of a function enabling a terminal and a UICC to mutually operate and manage at an application level.

In addition, an APDU (Application Protocol Data Unit) may include a unit of data transmitted and received between equal application entities in an application layer, application protocol control information, and application layer user data.

In addition, OTA (Over The Air) can request various services through Short Message Service (SMS), which is a standard for transmitting and receiving system registration information in a wireless communication system.

Now, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 , the operation of the OS layer of the terminal 100 including contents of the SIM layer will be described.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 , an applet (eg, a communication applet and/or a financial applet) related to a SIM may be arranged and operated in the application layer of the terminal 100 .

In addition, some functions of SIM can be implemented by using application manager & API (Application Programming Interface). For example, SIM's USAT can be alternatively deployed and operated in Application manager or API.

In addition, the SIM's NFC Applet or API can be alternatively deployed and operated by utilizing Near Field Communication (NFC) of the terminal 100.

In addition, the JAVA API framework of the terminal 100 may include SIM-related frameworks, APIs, and/or functions and/or contents of a virtual machine (VM).

In addition, the kernel layer of the terminal 100 may include functions and/or contents of security, memory, and/or command processes of the SIM.

6 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the terminal 100 according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the terminal 100 according to the present invention may include a control unit 110, a communication unit 120, a storage unit 130, an input unit 140, and an output unit 150.

The input unit 140 receives various information such as numbers and text information, and transfers input signals related to setting various functions and controlling functions of the terminal 100 to the control unit 110 . Also, the input unit 140 may include at least one of a keypad and a touchpad that generate an input signal according to a user's touch or manipulation. At this time, the input unit 140 is configured in the form of a single touch panel (or touch screen) together with the output unit 150 to simultaneously perform input and display functions. Also, the input unit 140 may use any type of input means that may be developed in the future, in addition to input devices such as a keyboard, keypad, mouse, joystick, and the like.

The output unit 150 displays information about a series of operation states and operation results generated while the terminal 100 performs functions. Also, the output unit 150 may display the menu of the terminal 100 and user data input by the user. Here, the output unit 150 is a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor LCD (TFT-LCD), a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED, OrganicLED), active matrix OLED (AMOLED), Retina Display, flexible display, and 3D display. At this time, when the output unit 150 is configured in the form of a touch screen, the output unit 150 may perform some or all of the functions of the input unit 140 .

The storage unit 130 is a device for storing data, includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device, and stores application programs necessary for the functional operation of the terminal 100 . The storage unit 130 may largely include a program area and a data area. Here, when the terminal 100 activates each function in response to a user's request, the corresponding application programs are executed under the control of the control unit 110 to provide each function.

In particular, the storage unit 130 according to the present invention may store/include a plurality of layers of the terminal 100 or a program operated by a plurality of layers for implementing the SIM function.

The communication unit 120 may transmit and receive data with a base station (not shown) through the communication network 1 . In addition, the communication unit 120 includes an RF transmitting unit for up-converting and amplifying the frequency of a transmitted signal, an RF receiving unit for low-noise amplifying a received signal and down-converting the frequency, and data for processing a communication protocol according to a specific communication method. processing means; and the like. The communication unit 120 may include at least one of a wireless communication module (not shown) and a wired communication module (not shown). And, the wireless communication module is a component for transmitting and receiving data according to a wireless communication method, and when the terminal 100 uses wireless communication, using any one of a wireless network communication module, a wireless LAN communication module, and a wireless fan communication module Data may be transmitted and received with a base station (not shown). Here, the communication unit 120 may include a plurality of communication modules. When a plurality of communication modules are included in the communication unit 120, one communication module may perform communication of a personal area network (PAN) method including Bluetooth.

In addition, other communication modules may use wireless communication methods such as wireless LAN (WLAN), Wi-Fi, Wibro, Wimax, and High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA).

The control unit 110 may be a process device that drives an operating system (OS) and each component.

That is, the controller 110 may control the overall operation process of the terminal 100 . Also, the control unit 110 according to the present invention may control operations of a plurality of layers according to programs stored in the storage unit 130 .

For example, the plurality of layers may include an Application (APP) layer, an Operating System (OS) layer, an Application Protocol (AP) layer, and a Hardware (HW) layer.

Meanwhile, a SIM function may be implemented without a separate SIM by adding a SIM SW architecture element to a plurality of layers (ie, a software (SW) architecture operated by the control unit 110) according to the present invention. That is, even if the terminal 100 does not have a slot for inserting the SIM chip, the function of the SIM can be implemented. In addition, even if a physical device for the eSIM is not implemented in the terminal 100, the function of the SIM can be implemented.

The architecture operated by the control unit 110 includes APP, OS, AP, and HW layers in the same way as the SIM architecture, so when implementing a virtual software SIM, the architecture operated by the control unit 110 without adding a separate layer. The SIM function can be implemented by adding SIM architectural elements corresponding to each of the APP, OS, AP, and HW layers included in.

For example, the APP layer of the terminal 100 may be added to implement the APP function of the SIM, and the OS function of the SIM may be added to the OS layer of the terminal 100 to implement the function. In addition, contents of the AP layer included in the SIM may be implemented through the AP layer of the terminal 100 .

Let's take a look at the architecture of existing SIMs.

The SIM architecture has the same APP, OS, AP, and HW layers as the terminal 100. Therefore, since the architectural structure of the terminal 100 and the architectural structure of the SIM are the same, the layer of the terminal 100 overlapping the layer of the SIM is implemented as a virtual SW without a separate SIM, and the SIM function is implemented in the virtual SW. can be internalized and utilized.

The SIM architecture may include USIM Service Application Toolkit (USAT), Application Protocol Data Unit (APDU), and Over The Air (OTA).

USAT may be in charge of a function enabling the terminal and the UICC to operate and manage each other at the application level.

In addition, the APDU may include a unit of data transmitted and received between equal application entities in the application layer, application protocol control information, and application layer user data.

In addition, OTA can request various services through SMS (Short Message Service), which is a standard for transmitting and receiving system registration information in a wireless communication system.

Now, the operation of the OS layer of the terminal 100 by the control unit 110 including contents of the SIM layer will be described.

The controller 110 may arrange and operate SIM-related applet (eg, communication applet and/or financial applet) in the application layer of the terminal 100 .

In addition, the controller 110 may implement some functions of the SIM by using an application manager & application programming interface (API). For example, the control unit 110 may alternatively arrange and operate SIM USAT in an application manager or API.

In addition, the control unit 110 may alternatively arrange and operate an NFC applet or API of the SIM by utilizing Near Field Communication (NFC) of the terminal 100 .

In addition, the controller 110 may include and operate SIM-related frameworks, APIs, and/or functions and/or contents of a virtual machine (VM) in the JAVA API framework of the terminal 100 .

In addition, the control unit 110 may include and/or operate functions and/or contents of security, memory, and/or command processes of the SIM in the Kernel layer of the terminal 100.

As set forth above, while this specification contains many specific implementation details, they should not be construed as limiting as to the scope of any invention or claimables, but rather as may be specific to a particular embodiment of a particular invention. It should be understood as a description of the features. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable subcombination. Further, while features may operate in particular combinations and are initially depicted as such claimed, one or more features from a claimed combination may in some cases be excluded from that combination, and the claimed combination is a subcombination. or sub-combination variations.

Similarly, while actions are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, it should not be construed as requiring that those actions be performed in the specific order shown or in the sequential order, or that all depicted actions must be performed to obtain desired results. In certain cases, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. Further, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and the program components and systems described may generally be integrated together into a single software product or packaged into multiple software products. You have to understand that you can.

Specific embodiments of the subject matter described herein have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. As an example, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific depicted order or sequential order in order to obtain desirable results. In certain implementations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

The present description presents the best mode of the invention and provides examples to illustrate the invention and to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The specification thus prepared does not limit the invention to the specific terms presented. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above-described examples, a person skilled in the art may make alterations, changes, and modifications to the present examples without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be determined by the described embodiments, but by the claims.

The present invention relates to a terminal including a software architecture for replacing a physical SIM (Subscriber Identity Module), and more particularly, to a SW and HW platform of an existing terminal using APP, OS, AP, and HW used in a physical SIM. It is about a technology that uses and replaces.

According to the present invention, by using a virtual (VIRTUAL) SIM using SW and HW of an existing terminal without using an existing physical SIM, it is possible to obtain the effect of physical miniaturization and cost reduction for devices such as terminals and IOT devices. there is.

In addition, from the user's point of view, it is not necessary to purchase and manage a separate SIM, so convenience can be increased.

Therefore, the present invention can contribute to the overall development of the telecommunications industry through a terminal that includes a software architecture to replace a physical SIM (Subscriber Identity Module), has sufficient potential for marketing or business, and can be clearly implemented in reality. Because of its degree, it has industrial applicability.

1: Network 100: terminal

Claims (12)

In a terminal performing wireless communication,
a storage unit for storing programs operated by a plurality of layers; and
A control unit for performing an operation according to a program stored in the memory;
Among the plurality of layers, at least one layer includes at least one SIM architecture function for performing the function of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).
Terminal. According to claim 1,
The at least one layer,
Including a first Application layer for the terminal,
The first Application layer includes the functions of the second Application layer for the SIM,
Terminal. According to claim 2,
The function of the second application layer includes an Applet for the SIM,
Terminal. According to claim 3,
The applet for the SIM includes at least one of a financial applet and a communication applet.
Terminal. According to claim 1,
The at least one layer,
Including a first operating system (OS) layer for the terminal,
The first OS layer includes the functions of the second OS layer for the SIM,
Terminal. According to claim 5,
The first OS layer,
Including Application Manager & API (Application Programming Interface), API Frame Work and Kernel layer,
Terminal. According to claim 6,
The Application Manager & API,
Including the function of USAT (USIM Service Application Toolkit) of the SIM,
Terminal. According to claim 1,
The function of the NFC (Near Field Communication) Applet of the SIM is performed through the NFC module of the terminal,
Terminal. According to claim 6,
The API Framework Work,
Including at least one function of the SIM's Frame Work, API, and VM (Virtual Machine),
Terminal. According to claim 6,
The Kernel layer,
Including at least one function of the SIM security (Security), storage (Memory) and command process (Command Process),
Terminal. According to claim 1,
The terminal,
Characterized in that a slot for inserting a chip for the SIM is not provided,
Terminal. According to claim 1,
The terminal,
Does not include a physical device for an eSIM (embedded SIM),
Terminal.

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