Homomorphic Encryption for Private Local Computation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Clients are hesitant to transmit private data over networks for remote computation services due to concerns about data visibility and security, leading to a need for a solution that enables local computation while maintaining data privacy from the remote service provider.

Innovation Solution

Employing homomorphic encryption to encrypt input data and generate signatures, allowing a remote service provider to authorize computation services locally without accessing the private data, using a homomorphic encryption public key and private key pair, and a defined function to verify authorization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If clients transmit private data to remote service providers for computation services, then computation services can be provided remotely, but data privacy and security are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremote computation service accessVSAvoiddata visibility and security risks

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Homomorphic encryption acts as an intermediary mechanism that allows the remote service provider to process encrypted data without being able to view or access the plaintext. The encryption scheme enables computations on ciphertext while preserving data privacy, effectively mediating between the need for remote computation and data security requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms the data from plaintext to ciphertext form through homomorphic encryption, changing the state parameter of the data. This transformation allows the data to maintain its computational utility while becoming invisible to the remote service provider, thus resolving the contradiction between remote access and data privacy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If clients encrypt data before transmission to maintain privacy, then data security is improved, but computation service authorization and verification become more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata privacy protectionVSAvoidauthorization and verification process

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The remote service provider performs preliminary actions by generating homomorphic signatures and authorization tokens before the client executes computations. These pre-computed cryptographic artifacts enable automated verification of computation authorization without requiring complex real-time interaction or decryption, thus reducing the complexity burden on the client side

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical authorization verification mechanisms (which would require decrypting and checking data) with cryptographic substitution. Homomorphic signatures and zero-knowledge proofs enable verification of computation authorization purely through cryptographic operations on encrypted data, eliminating the need for complex decryption and inspection processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If homomorphic encryption is used to encrypt input data, then data privacy is maintained, but processing efficiency may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata privacy from remote providerVSAvoidcomputation processing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The computation process is segmented into distinct phases: local preprocessing of data, remote execution of homomorphic operations on encrypted data, and local post-processing of results. This segmentation allows efficiency-optimized operations to be performed locally while only the necessary encrypted computations are performed remotely, thereby mitigating the overall efficiency impact

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial homomorphic encryption, where only specific portions of the data or specific computation operations are performed in encrypted form, rather than encrypting all data and all operations. This selective approach minimizes the performance overhead while still providing adequate privacy protection for the critical portions of the computation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS10333715B2Providing computation services with privacy

Publication Date: 2019.06.25 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Techniques are provided for providing a local computation service on client device authorized by a remote service provider while keeping local data private from the remote service provider. In one example, a computer-implemented method comprises transmitting, by a device operatively coupled to a processor, a homomorphic encryption public key and homomorphically encrypted input data to a service provider. The computer-implemented method also comprises receiving, by the device from the service provider, a homomorphically encrypted signature generated based on the homomorphic encryption public key, the homomorphically encrypted input data, and a homomorphic encryption equivalent defined function. The computer-implemented method also comprises in response to a determination, based on a defined function corresponding to the homomorphic encryption equivalent defined function, that the homomorphically encrypted signature and input data corresponding to the homomorphically encrypted input data are valid for a computation service, performing, by the device, the computation service on the input data.