Granular Identity Privacy Control in Group Communication Sessions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication systems lack the ability to granularly control identity privacy in group communication sessions, where participants' identities are either fully hidden or fully revealed, failing to accommodate scenarios requiring different levels of identity disclosure based on specific triggers during a communication session.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allow for setting individual privacy rules for each participant in a group communication session, enabling the identity to be shared or hidden based on specific identity sharing triggers, such as session initiation, media streams, and control information, allowing for different levels of identity disclosure for various transmissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a participant requests anonymity when initiating or joining a communication session, then the participant's identity is hidden for all instances during the communication session, but this prevents the participant's identity from being shown when it may be desirable under certain circumstances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the identity privacy control into multiple independent privacy rules, each associated with a specific identity sharing trigger (e.g., session initiation, media stream transmission, control information sending). Instead of a single all-or-nothing anonymity setting, the system divides the identity disclosure control into granular segments that can be independently configured for different communication scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic identity privacy control where the participant's identity can be selectively revealed or hidden based on the specific trigger event. The privacy rules are dynamically applied at runtime depending on what the participant is doing (initiating session, sending media, sending control info), allowing the identity disclosure state to change adaptively throughout the communication session rather than remaining static.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the participant's identity is hidden for all instances during the communication session, then security is enhanced, but the ability to reveal identity when needed (e.g., for emergency services or public chats) is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments identity management into multiple independent privacy rules that can be individually configured. Each rule handles a specific aspect of identity disclosure (session initiation, media streams, control information), allowing users to manage identity exposure on a per-trigger basis rather than having to choose between complete anonymity and complete disclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different privacy characteristics to different aspects of communication. Each identity sharing trigger (session initiation, media transmission, control signaling) can have its own privacy setting, allowing the system to apply appropriate levels of identity disclosure locally to each communication function rather than uniformly across all functions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If granular control over identity privacy is implemented with multiple privacy rules for different triggers, then adaptability and security are improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
While segmentation into multiple privacy rules does increase system complexity, it enables the granular control necessary for adaptable identity privacy management. The segmentation allows the system to handle different identity disclosure scenarios independently, which is essential for achieving the desired adaptability and security levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal privacy rule framework that can handle multiple different triggers (session initiation, media streams, control information) through a consistent mechanism. This multi-functional approach allows the same privacy rule structure to be applied across various communication scenarios, reducing the need for separate specialized mechanisms for each trigger type.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and methods for increasing the granularity of privacy control in a group communication session are presented. A privacy rule is established for a participant in the session. The privacy rule specifies for different identity sharing triggers whether the participant identity is to be shared with other participants in the session. The privacy of the participant is able to be different dependent on the particular identity sharing trigger. The privacy rule is set by participant initiating the session, a separate server, or the participant. In the last case, the participant is able to specify privacy for a media or data stream when requesting the floor to transmit the stream. The identity of the participant is automatically modified dependent on session context information.