FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to a method for downloading an updated profile.

Furthermore, the invention also pertains to a second server and a third server for downloading an updated profile.

Finally, the invention relates to a system for downloading an updated profile as well.

The present invention is notably applicable to a mobile (radio-communication) field wherein a mobile (tele)phone, as a device, or a chip may be a target of an updated profile to be downloaded. The chip may be either embedded, such as an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (or eUICC) within a device, or removable, such as a chip included within a smart card termed Subscriber Identity Module (or SIM) type card or the like, as a Secure Element (or SE), from a chip host device, like e.g. a mobile phone.

Within the present description, an SE is a smart object that includes a chip that protects access to stored data and is intended to communicate data with an SE host device, like e.g. a mobile phone, a Machine to Machine (or M2M) or an Internet of Things (or IoT) device.

STATE OF THE ART

As known per se, when a mobile operator desires to update a profile with e.g. diversified information, such as a new application and/or subscriber information, an SE downloads firstly the profile from a Subscription Management and Data Preparation (or SM-DP) server, gets from an Over-The-Air (or OTA) server firstly its activation and secondly its update from the OTA server.

However, such a download of a profile update takes more time than the profile download itself and, in a worst case, it may block the subscriber at a Point Of Sale (or POS). There is a huge negative impact on a user experience since the subscriber, as a consumer, has to wait until the profile update is completely downloaded.

Thus, there is a need to provide a solution that allows reducing a time needed to download an updated profile and improving the user experience.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention proposes a solution for downloading an updated profile.

According to the invention, the method comprises the following steps. a) receiving by a first server a message including an enrolment request accompanied with an identifier relating to a subscriber, as a subscriber identifier. b) receiving by a second server data for provisioning the second server for the subscriber. c) receiving by a third server a command for downloading an updated profile accompanied with the subscriber identifier and, as a profile identifier, either an identifier relating to a dedicated profile or an identifier relating to a profile type. d) sending from the third server to the second server a request for getting at least one data update accompanied with the subscriber identifier. e) sending from the second server to the third server the at least one data update. f) associating by the third server the at least one data update and a profile and getting thus an associated updated profile. g) sending from the third server to the device or a chip, as a target, the associated updated profile, the chip being incorporated within or coupled to the device. i) enabling or activating by the device the associated updated profile. And j) sending from the device or the chip, as the target, to the second server a message for informing that the associated updated profile is activated.

The principle of the invention consists in that a subscriber registers directly, i.e. online from a terminal, or indirectly, i.e. through a POS terminal or a device, before a first server by using a subscriber identifier. Then, a second server, like e.g. an OTA type server, gets data for provisioning the second server for the concerned subscriber. A third server, like e.g. an SM-DP type server, gets a command for downloading an updated profile along with the subscriber identifier and a profile identifier. The third server gets, upon its request by using the subscriber identifier, from the second server, a data update(s). The third server associates a profile and the data update(s) and obtains an associated updated profile. The third server transmits to a device or a cooperating chip, as a target, the associated updated profile. The device makes the associated updated profile available for the target. The target transmits to the second server a message for indicating that the associated updated profile is activated.

Within the present description, a profile is a combination of a file structure, data, an application(s) or a subscription(s) to one or several mobile communication services.

It is to be noted that an (associated) updated profile is downloaded and directly activated (or enabled) at a client side, i.e. there is no additional exchange with a server(s), so as to activate a downloaded updated profile.

Contrary to the afore mentioned prior art solution, instead of three operations that imply messages between the client and the server side, namely a download of a profile, a profile activation and a download of a corresponding data update, a download of an updated profile uses a single operation by downloading to a target directly an associated updated profile that is activated locally during a target configuration.

The invention solution needs less messages to be exchanged between a target and the involved server(s) with respect to the afore mentioned prior art solution.

Thus, the invention solution reduces a cost and a time needed to download an updated profile with respect to a cost and a time needed with the afore specified prior art solution.

Such a reduced time needed to download an updated profile mitigates a risk of having an end user who is blocked at a POS.

The invention method is automatically implemented apart for a possible triggering of the invention method by the subscriber, when applicable.

Accordingly, the invention solution allows downloading, in a quick, cheap and efficient manner, an updated profile and enhancing an experience of a user who benefits then from an access to a service(s) rendered available thanks to a thus downloaded updated profile.

According to a further aspect, the invention is a second server for downloading an updated profile.

According to the invention, the second server is configured to receive data for provisioning the second server for a subscriber, receive from a third server a request for getting at least one data update accompanied with an identifier relating to a subscriber, as a subscriber identifier, send to the third server the at least one data update, and receive from a device or a chip, as a target, a message for informing that an associated updated profile is activated, the chip being incorporated within or coupled to the device.

According to still a further aspect, the invention is a third server for downloading an updated profile.

According to the invention, the third server is configured to receive a command for downloading an updated profile accompanied with an identifier relating to a subscriber, as a subscriber identifier, and, as a profile identifier, either an identifier relating to a profile or an identifier relating to a profile type, send to a second server a request for getting at least one data update accompanied with the subscriber identifier, receive from the second server the at least one data update, associate the at least one data update and a profile and get thus an associated updated profile, and send to the device or a chip, as a target, the associated updated profile, the chip being incorporated within or coupled to the device.

According to still a further aspect, the invention is a system for downloading an updated profile.

According to the invention, the system comprises a first server, a second server, a third server and a device. The first server is configured to receive a message including an enrolment request accompanied with an identifier relating to a subscriber, as a subscriber identifier. The second server is configured to receive data for provisioning the second server for the subscriber. The third server is configured to receive a command for downloading or reserving a profile accompanied with the subscriber identifier and, as a profile identifier, either an identifier relating to a profile or an identifier relating to a profile type, send to the second server a request for getting at least one data update accompanied with the subscriber identifier, receive from the second server the at least one data update, associate the at least one data update and a profile and get thus an associated updated profile, and send to the device or a chip, as a target, the associated updated profile, the chip being incorporated within or coupled to the device; and the device is configured to enable or activate the associated updated profile and the device or the chip, as the target, is configured to send to the second server a message for informing that the associated updated profile is activated.

The chip, as a target, may be fixed to, removable from, or mechanically independent from the device.

The chip is preferably included within an SE.

The invention does not impose any constraint as to a kind of the SE type.

As a removable SE, it may be a Subscriber Identity Module (or SIM) type card, a Machine Identification Module (or MIM), a Secure Removable Module (or SRM), a smart dongle of the USB (acronym for “Universal Serial Bus”) type, a (micro-) Secure Digital (or SD) type card or a Multi-Media type Card (or MMC) or any format card (or another medium) to be coupled or connected to a chip host device.

As a chip mechanically independent from the device, it may be a wearable device, like e.g. a smart watch or a smart jewel, that exchanges, in a ContacT-Less (or CTL) manner, with the device.

As to the chip host device, it may be constituted by any electronic device, like e.g. a user terminal, a terminal, an M2M device or an IoT device, comprising data processing means, data storing means and one or several Input/Output (or I/O) communication interfaces.

