Network Coordinator for Mixed Security Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mixed communication networks sharing a common transmission medium, existing technologies face challenges in securely coexisting and interoperating between networks with different security profiles, leading to potential security compromises and signal leakage due to varying encryption levels and password strengths.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system that coordinates different security profiles within a network environment, using a network coordinator to manage and differentiate data traffic based on unique passwords and encryption schemes, ensuring that higher security devices are not compromised by lower security devices, and allowing secure communication between devices with varying security levels through data traffic differentiation and privacy mode management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple networks with different security profiles share a common transmission medium, then network interoperability and coexistence are improved, but security compromise and signal leakage occur due to varying encryption levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the common transmission medium into multiple virtual channels, each dedicated to a specific network with its own security profile. The MoCA network and power-line network are separated into distinct virtual channels, allowing each to maintain its encryption and security settings independently while sharing the physical infrastructure. This resolves the contradiction by enabling interoperability through virtual channel multiplexing while preserving security through isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a network management entity that acts as an intermediary between networks with different security profiles. This entity coordinates traffic differentiation, manages virtual channel allocation, and ensures that security boundaries are maintained. The intermediary enables secure coexistence by mediating resource allocation and preventing security compromise between networks with varying encryption levels.
2Productivity
If networks with different security profiles are allowed to coexist on shared infrastructure, then resource utilization is improved, but devices with lower security profiles can compromise higher security devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a virtual channel dimension to the shared physical infrastructure. Instead of allowing networks to interact directly on the same medium plane, traffic is differentiated and routed through separate virtual channels. This dimensional separation allows high-security and low-security networks to coexist on the same physical infrastructure without security demotion risk, while maintaining high resource utilization through efficient spectrum sharing.
3Stability of the object's composition
If encryption levels are standardized across all networks sharing a medium, then security consistency is improved, but networks with higher security requirements cannot maintain their security standards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing each virtual channel to have its own security characteristics and encryption level. The MoCA network can use one encryption scheme while the power-line network uses another, with each maintaining its security standards locally within its designated virtual channel. This resolves the contradiction by enabling security consistency within each network while allowing diversity across networks through localized security policies.
Data Source
AI summary
A device may include a processor circuit configured to transmit, over a network medium, a request for transmission of a data communication to a first device of a network, and receive, over the network medium, a grant of the request. When the first device is associated with a first security profile, the processor circuit may be configured to encrypt the data communication based at least on a first password associated with the first security profile. When the first device is associated with a second security profile, the processor circuit may be configured to encrypt the data communication based at least on a second password associated with the second security profile. The second password may be associated with a higher password strength than the first password. The processor circuit may be configured to transmit, over the network medium, the encrypted data communication to the first device in response to the grant.