Future iPhone may have virtual SIM card

An Apple patent (number 20110269463) for methods and an apparatus for preserving battery resources in a mobile communication device has appeared at the US Patent & Trademark Office. It hints that Apple is working on a future iPhone with “virtual” SIM card.

The patent involves preserving battery resources in a wireless device in communication with a wireless network by dynamically aligning a RRC connection status of a mobile wireless communication device in communication with a wireless network with a data traffic profile. The data traffic profile indicating a pattern of data transfer between the mobile wireless communication device and the wireless network. The inventors are Shiehlie Wang and Ben-Heng Juang.

Here’s Apple’s summary of the invention: “A method of conserving battery power in a wireless device in communication with a wireless network is carried out by performing at least the following operations. An operating state and an associated data traffic pattern of the wireless device are determined. The data traffic pattern is based upon a plurality of data uploads and downloads between the wireless device and the wireless network.

“A plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers are generated based upon the operating state and data traffic pattern where each of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers indicates an amount of time of data inactivity at the wireless device required to elapse before a connection state of the wireless device is changed. A wireless device connection state change request that includes at least one of the pluralities of wireless device connection state transition timers as a requested wireless device connection state transition timer is then sent to the network.

“When the network recognizes the wireless device connection state change request, the network issues an instruction to the wireless device to change the wireless device’s connection state according to the requested wireless device connection state transition timer. Otherwise, the network issues instructions to the wireless device to change the wireless device connection state according to a network default connection state transition timer.

“A method of conserving battery power in a wireless device in communication with a wireless network is described. The method is carried out by: determining an operating state of the wireless device, determining a data traffic pattern of a plurality of data uploads and downloads between the wireless device and the wireless network associated with the current operating state, determining a preferred wireless device connection state for the wireless device based upon the operating state and the data traffic pattern, and sending a wireless device connection state change request instruction (SCRI) to the network, the SCRI indicating the preferred wireless device connection state. The wireless network responds by sending a state change command that causes the wireless device to transition from a current wireless connection state to the preferred wireless connection state.

“A mobile wireless device in communication with a wireless network, includes at least a processor, a battery, and a wireless transceiver arranged to facilitate the communication with the wireless network. In the described embodiment, the processor acts to conserve battery power by: determining an operating state of the wireless device, determining a data traffic pattern associated with the current operating state, the data traffic pattern comprising a plurality of data uploads and downloads between the wireless device and the wireless network, generating a plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers in accordance with preserving battery power based upon the operating state and data traffic pattern, wherein each of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers indicates an amount of elapsed time of data inactivity at the wireless device required before a connection state of the wireless device is changed, and sending a wireless device connection state change request to the network where the wireless device connection state change request includes at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.

“When the network recognizes the wireless device connection state change request, the network issues an instruction to change the wireless device’s connection state according to a requested wireless device connection state transition timer, otherwise, the network issues instructions to the wireless device to change the wireless device connection state according to a network default connection state transition timers.

“A mobile wireless device in communication with a wireless network is described that includes at least a processor, a battery, and a wireless transceiver arranged to facilitate the communication with the wireless network. The processor acts to conserve battery power by: determining an operating state of the wireless device, determining a data traffic pattern associated with the current operating state, the data traffic pattern comprising a plurality of data uploads and downloads between the wireless device and the wireless network, determining a preferred wireless device connection state for the wireless device based upon the operating state and the data traffic pattern, and sending a wireless device connection state change request instruction (SCRI) to the network, the SCRI indicating the preferred wireless device connection state. The wireless network responds by sending a state change command that causes the wireless device to transition from a current wireless connection state to the preferred wireless connection state.

“Non-transistory computer readable medium for storing computer executable instructions for conserving battery resources in a wireless mobile communication device is described. The computer readable medium includes at least computer code for determining an operating state of the wireless device, computer code for determining a data traffic pattern associated with the current operating state, the data traffic pattern comprising a plurality of data uploads and downloads between the wireless device and the wireless network, computer code for generating a plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers in accordance with preserving battery power based upon the operating state and data traffic pattern, wherein each of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers indicates an amount of elapsed time of data inactivity at the wireless device required before a connection state of the wireless device is changed, and computer code for sending a wireless device connection state change request to the network, the wireless device connection state change request including at least one of the plurality of wireless device connection state transition timers.

“When the network recognizes the wireless device connection state change request, the network issues an instruction to update a wireless device connection state transition timer to a requested wireless device connection state transition timer, otherwise, the network issues instructions to the wireless device to update the wireless device connection state transition timer to a network default connection state transition timers.”

— Dennis Sellers