5G Location Privacy Data Transmission with End-to-End MAC Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing 5G location privacy setting data transmission system lacks effective end-to-end integrity protection, as the location privacy setting data reported by the user equipment (UE) can be maliciously modified during transmission through the gateway mobile location center (GMLC), leading to incorrect data storage in the unified data management (UDM) network element.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a data transmission method where the user terminal calculates a message authentication code for location privacy setting data and reports it alongside the data, allowing the UDM to verify the integrity of the data through digital signing and message authentication codes, ensuring that only authorized changes are made.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If location privacy setting data is transmitted through the GMLC network element, then the data can be routed through existing network infrastructure, but the data may be maliciously modified by the GMLC, compromising integrity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission through existing network infrastructureVSAvoidintegrity of location privacy setting data
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The UE calculates a message authentication code (MAC) of the location privacy setting data in advance before transmission, and sends both the data and MAC to the UDM. This preliminary computation of the integrity verification code enables the UDM to later verify whether the data was tampered with during transmission through the GMLC, thus maintaining reliability while using existing network infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the UDM stores location privacy setting data without verification, then data storage is simple and fast, but the stored data may be incorrect due to undetected modifications

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata storage speedVSAvoidaccuracy of stored location privacy setting data
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The UDM verifies the integrity of received location privacy setting data by comparing the received MAC with a newly calculated MAC using the same algorithm and key. This feedback mechanism ensures that only accurate, unmodified data is stored, while the verification process is transparent and does not significantly impact storage speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If end-to-end integrity protection is implemented for location privacy setting data, then data tampering is prevented, but the system complexity increases due to additional verification mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveintegrity protection of location privacy setting dataVSAvoidcomplexity of verification system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements integrity protection by introducing a message authentication code parameter and a verification algorithm. The UE changes the data state by computing a MAC parameter, and the UDM verifies by comparing parameters. This parameter-based approach provides reliable end-to-end integrity protection while keeping the implementation relatively simple, as it only requires adding MAC computation and comparison operations to the existing data flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3905728B1Data transmission system, method, and device
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3905728B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3905728B1 patent drawingFigure 3A
  • EP3905728B1 patent drawingFigure 3B

AI summary

Embodiments of this application provide a data transmission system and method, and an apparatus thereof. The system includes a user terminal and a data management network element. The user terminal is configured to: calculate a first message authentication code of first location privacy setting data, and send the first message authentication code and the first location privacy setting data to the data management network element. A data management network element is configured to: receive the first message authentication code and the first location privacy setting data from the user terminal; obtain a second message authentication code of the first location privacy setting data; and if the second message authentication code is the same as the first message authentication code, determine that the first location privacy setting data is not tampered with, and store the first location privacy setting data. According to the embodiments of this application, the location privacy setting data can be effectively prevented from being tampered with, thereby ensuring end-to-end integrity protection of the location privacy setting data between the user terminal and the data management network element.