Concealed Database Encrypted Search Query Generation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Concealed database systems face challenges in executing database operation commands, such as combining records from different tables, partial matching, range searching, and sorting, due to probabilistic encryption methods that conceal equivalence and order relations, making it difficult for database servers to process these operations without decrypting data.

Innovation Solution

A concealed database system that employs a probabilistic encryption method to encrypt data, allowing users to perform combined information acquisition, partial match search, and range search/sort operations by generating and managing encrypted search queries and partial information, enabling these operations to be executed on encrypted data without decrypting it.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If probabilistic encryption method is used to conceal data, then data confidentiality is improved, but database operation processing capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata confidentialityVSAvoiddatabase operation processing capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an encrypted search query generation unit that acts as an intermediary between the user terminal and database server. This unit generates encrypted search queries that preserve the ability to perform database operations (combining records, partial matching, range searching, sorting) without requiring decryption of the actual data stored in the database, thus maintaining both confidentiality and operational capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of data representation from plaintext to encrypted form while maintaining the structural relationships needed for database operations. By using encryption that preserves order relations and equivalence relations in the encrypted domain, the system enables database operations on encrypted data without compromising confidentiality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If data is encrypted without key management by system administrator, then security against data restoration is improved, but search and processing functionality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity against data restorationVSAvoidsearch and processing functionality
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-processing data into encrypted form with preserved structural relationships before storage. The encrypted search query generation unit is also prepared in advance to generate appropriate encrypted queries for various database operations, enabling versatile search and processing functionality without requiring decryption

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The encrypted search query generation unit serves as an intermediary that translates user search intentions into encrypted queries compatible with the encrypted database structure, enabling diverse search and processing operations while maintaining security against data restoration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3438846B1Database system and data retrieval system
Publication Date: 2022.07.20 HITACHI LTD
  • EP3438846B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3438846B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3438846B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A database system including: a database server for storing registration information including encrypted data encrypted using a probabilistic encryption method; and a terminal. The terminal includes: an encryption unit; a decryption unit; an encrypted search query generating unit for generating an encrypted search query obtained by encrypting a search query used for retrieving the encrypted data; and an additional processing unit for encrypting a search condition of a plaintext and transmitting a data acquisition request including the encrypted search condition. The database server holds database operation command definition information and search additional information. The database server includes: a database operation command generating unit for generating a database operation command by converting the data acquisition request on the basis of the database operation command definition information; and a database control unit for acquiring encrypted data satisfying the search condition by using the database operation command and the search additional information.