Homomorphic Task Management for Privacy-Preserving Network Computation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication networks face challenges in efficiently utilizing data resources while ensuring high security and privacy, particularly in supporting advanced applications like immersive extended reality and digital twins, where data privacy and security protection are critical.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a homomorphic task management method, key management method, and ciphertext storage management method to manage and secure homomorphic tasks within communication networks, utilizing homomorphic encryption to enable privacy-preserving computations across various network elements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If homomorphic encryption is applied to communication networks to ensure data privacy and security, then data security and privacy protection are improved, but system complexity and computational overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides homomorphic encryption tasks into multiple participant roles (encryption party, computation party, decryption party) and distributes them across different network elements. This segmentation allows complex homomorphic operations to be broken down into manageable segments that can be executed independently by different nodes, reducing the complexity burden on any single device while maintaining overall security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a homomorphic task management unit that acts as an intermediary to coordinate between the encryption party, computation party, and decryption party. This intermediary manages task distribution, monitors computation progress, and handles key management, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture and reducing the complexity that would otherwise be distributed across all participating nodes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If homomorphic computation is performed on encrypted data to enable privacy-preserving processing, then data privacy is improved, but computation efficiency and processing speed deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata privacyVSAvoidcomputation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-distributing encrypted data to multiple computation parties before the actual computation task begins. The homomorphic task management unit prepares computation plans in advance, pre-configures encryption parameters, and distributes data segments to relevant nodes beforehand. This preliminary preparation reduces the computational overhead during actual execution and improves overall processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic task allocation and computation scheduling where the homomorphic task management unit can adaptively assign computation tasks to different parties based on their capabilities, current workload, and data availability. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize computation efficiency in real-time while maintaining data privacy, rather than using a static assignment that would be less efficient.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If multiple homomorphic enabling units are deployed to distribute computation tasks, then system reliability and privacy protection are improved, but network complexity and coordination overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidnetwork complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The homomorphic task management unit is designed with multi-functionality, serving as a universal coordinator that handles task distribution, key management, progress monitoring, and result aggregation across all homomorphic enabling units. This universal coordinator reduces network complexity by providing a single point of control rather than requiring complex peer-to-peer coordination between multiple enabling units.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where homomorphic enabling units report their computation status, capability information, and progress back to the task management unit. This feedback allows the management unit to dynamically adjust task allocation, monitor system reliability, and coordinate between multiple enabling units efficiently, reducing the coordination overhead that would otherwise arise from decentralized communication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4718767A1Homomorphic task management method, key management method, ciphertext storage management method, and device
Publication Date: 2026.04.01 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4718767A1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1C
  • EP4718767A1 patent drawingFigure 1D
  • EP4718767A1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

This application relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to a homomorphic task management method, a key management method, a ciphertext storage management method, and an apparatus, to apply homomorphic encryption to a communication network and support management of a homomorphic task in the communication network. The method includes: receiving a homomorphic task request, where the homomorphic task request includes a homomorphic task output type; and sending one or more pieces of homomorphic task configuration information to N homomorphic enabling units based on the homomorphic task request, where each piece of task configuration information includes one or more homomorphic task participant types of at least one of the N homomorphic enabling units; the homomorphic task participant type includes any one of a homomorphic encryption party, a homomorphic computation party, or a homomorphic decryption party; and the N homomorphic enabling units are configured to implement a homomorphic task of the homomorphic task output type.