The disclosed embodiments relate generally to wireless communications, and, more particularly, to efficient FIDs and SFIs under USIM application dedicated file.
A Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) or a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is used mostly in cellular phones that for the Mobile Communications Network. There are many applications in the UICC, such as a universal SIM (USIM) application and a CDMA SIM (CSIM) application. The USIM application brought security improvements like the mutual authentication and longer encryption keys and an improved address book. The USIM application is structured with USIM application dedicated file (ADF), including multiple element files (EFs). The ADF is allowed to own 256 EFs, each of which is identified by a file identifier (FID). A short file ID (SFI) is a special FID. Under USIM ADF, the mobile equipment (ME) can use SFI to reduce the times of hardware access and improve the efficiency of the USIM operation. Each DF is allowed to own 30 SFIs. And the current USIM ADF has run out of 30 SFIs.
For backward compatibility, the existing files keep their existing structure. The next generation fifth-generation system (5GS) will have new files stored in the USIM ADF; however, the current USIM ADF has run out of thirty short file identifiers (SFIs). Therefore, none of the 5GS files can have SFI assigned. The access of the 5GS files will be less efficient. Further, future generation SIM files face the same problem as for the 5GS.
Improvements are needed for efficient FIDs and SFIs for the 5GS and future generation mobile devices.
Methods and apparatus are provided for efficiently operating of USIM FIDs and SFIs under USIM ADF. In one novel aspect, the UICC of the mobile equipment comprises one or more generation dedicated files (DFs), and one or more generation-dedicated elementary files (EFs) are stored in each corresponding generation DF. In one embodiment, the mobile equipment generates a UICC command, wherein a UICC of the mobile equipment comprises one or more generation DFs, and wherein one or more generation-dedicated EFs are stored in each corresponding generation DF, and performs the UICC command on a target EF, wherein the target EF is a generation-dedicated EF. In another embodiment, the UICC command is one selecting from the SELECT command, the READ command, and the UPDATE command. In yet another embodiment, the generation DFs includes a 5GSDF, where one or more 5GS EFs are stored in the 5GS DF. In other embodiment, at least one of the 5GS EFs is associated with an element in a 5GS group comprising: 5GS 3GPP location information, 5GS non-3GPP location information, 5GS 3GPP Access NAS Security Context, non-5GS 3GPP Access NAS Security Context, and 5G authentication keys. In one embodiment, at least one of the generation-dedicated EFs is assigned an SFI. In another embodiment, wherein each generation-dedicated EFs is assigned an SFI. In yet another embodiment, all generation-dedicated EFs for one generation are stored in corresponding generation DF.
In one embodiment, one or more new dedicated file (DF) are created under the USIM ADF for new EFs after 5GS. In one embodiment, one or more new DFs are created for the future generation beyond 5GS, such as 6G, EFs. In another embodiment, the mobile equipment (ME)/user equipment (UE) accesses the new EFs under the new DF for new generations with SFI assigned. In one embodiment, the UE enables fifth-generation system (5GS) operations for a UICC, wherein the UICC includes backwards compatible operation files stored in a USIM ADF, assigns 5GS address spaces on the UICC, wherein the 5GS address spaces comprise a 5GS file area for a plurality of 5GS elementary files (EFs) that are only used for 5GS operations, and creates a 5GS dedicated file (DF) in the 5GS file area, wherein the 5GS EFs are assigned in the 5GS DF. In one embodiment, the 5GS DF is a child directory of the USIM ADF. In another embodiment, the UE further assigns short file identifiers (SFIs) to each 5GS EFs in the 5GS DF. In one embodiment, the non-dedicated 5GS EFs are stored under the USIM ADF. In another embodiment, the non-dedicated 5GS EFs are stored under the 5GS DF without SFI. In one embodiment, short file identifiers (SFIs) to dedicated 5GS EFs in the 5GS DF, wherein all 5GS EFs are assigned in the 5GS DF. In yet another embodiment, the UE creates a new DF for each future generation of wireless standard, such as 6G, wherein each DF contains EFs dedicated to their corresponding generation of wireless standard. In one embodiment, one or more EFs that are shared in 5GS and future generation of wireless standard, such as 6G, EFs are stored in the USIM ADF.
In one embodiment, the UE executes a UICC command, selects a 5GS DF when the target elementary file (EF) is a 5GS dedicated file, wherein the 5GS DF is a child directory of a USIM ADF, and performs the UICC command using a corresponding short file identifier (SFI), wherein each dedicated 5GS file in the 5GS DF is assigned a corresponding SFI. In one embodiment, 5GS DF includes only 5GS EFs, wherein non-dedicated 5GS EFs are assigned in the USIM ADF. In another embodiment, all 5GS EFs are included in the 5GS DF.
In another novel aspect, one or more generation DFs are created for a UICC, and one or more generation-dedicated EFs are created, wherein the one or more generation-dedicated EFs are stored in each corresponding generation DF.
Other embodiments and advantages are described in the detailed description below. This summary does not purport to define the invention. The invention is defined by the claims.
Reference will now be made in detail to some embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Generally, serving base stations 101 and 102 transmit downlink communication signals 111 and 113 to UEs or mobile stations in the time and/or frequency domain. UEs or mobile stations 103 and 104 communicate with one or more base stations 101 and 102 via uplink communication signals 112, 114, and 116. UE or the mobile station may also be referred to as a mobile phone, laptop, and mobile workstation and so on. In
In one novel aspect, a new generation DF is created under the USIM ADF. The new DF, namely the DF5GS, is used to store 5GS EFs. In one embodiment, all the new 5GS EFs, including dedicated and non-dedicated 5GS files are stored under the newly created DF5GS. Further, other non-5GS dedicated EFs. Under the standard, there are thirty EFs are assigned with SFIs. Currently, all thirty SFIs are used under ADFUSIM 401. The current SFI values at the USIM ADF level are shown in Table 1.
In one novel aspect, new DF, DF5GS 510 is created under ADFUSIM 501. New EF5GSxxx 500 are needed under the ADFUSIM 501. In one embodiment 521, the New EF5GSxxx 500 is below DF5GS 510. For example, EF5GSxxx added under DF5GS 510 are assigned FIDs with ‘4Fxx’. The EFs under DF5GS 510 can be assigned with SFI available. In one embodiment, all the files under DF5GS 510 are dedicated files with SFIs. In another embodiment, only the dedicated EFs under DF5GS 510 are assigned with SFI. Other non-dedicated EFs, such as EFEARFCNList or EFSUCI_Calc_Info are stored under DF5GS 510 without SFI.
In another embodiment, the New EF5Gsxxx 500 is at above the level of DF5GS 510. For example, EF5Gsxxx is added above DF5GS 510 and directly under ADFUSIM 501. These EFs are assigned FIDs still available, such as ‘6FFF’. Since there is no more SFI available under ADFUSIM 501, these files are not assigned with SFIs. It is desirable to only put the non-dedicated EFs files under ADFUSIM 501 above DF5GS 510.
As seen, there are different alternatives to assign the new EFs once the new DF5GS 510 is created. Further, for the future generation system, new EFs are to be added. In one embodiment, these future files can be put under DF5GS 510. In another embodiment, a new DF, such as DF6G will be created. In one embodiment, each generation of the wireless system would have its own dedicated DF.
In another alternative, at 582, the non-dedicated new EF is stored under ADFUSIM. In one embodiment, a new DF dedicated to the new EFs for each new generation is created, instead of keeping adding EFs at USIM ADF level. Each DF only stores the EFs used by its corresponding network system. It solves the insufficiency of FIDs and SFIs faced by 5G files currently as well as the newer generations in the long-term future. This embodiment applies to 5GS and beyond. In one embodiment, the determination of the new EF being dedicated or non-dedicated is based on the usage of the EF.
In another novel aspect, once the DF for the new generation, such as DF5 GS and the one or more EFs under it are created, the ME is allowed to access these EFs via UICC command taking advantage of SFI for the EFs with SFI value assigned. For example, 5GS 3GPP location information, 5GS non-3GPP location information, 5GS 3GPP access NAS security context, 5GS non-3GPP access NAS security context, and 5G authentication keys are each assigned a corresponding SFI.
This specification uses 5GS and/or 6G as examples for the generation DF and generation-dedicated EF. It is understood by one of ordinary skills in the art that other generation wireless standards, which are 5GS and beyond are equally applicable. The generation-dedicated EF does not include before-5GS wireless standards files, such as 2G, 3G and LTE EFs. Further, methods, steps and structures apply to UICC when applicable.
Although the present invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments for instructional purposes, the present invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations, and combinations of various features of the described embodiments can be practiced without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/694,153, entitled “Solve Insufficiency of FIDs and SFIs under USIM ADF,” filed on Jul. 5, 2018, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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3GPP TS 31.102 V15.1.0 (Jun. 2018), 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Core Network and Terminals; Characteristics of the Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) application (Release 15) *p. 121 paragraphs 6 to p. 126 paragraphs 1, p. 211 paragraphs 1 to p. 216 paragraphs 6. |
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20200396590 A1 | Dec 2020 | US |
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62694153 | Jul 2018 | US |