Wireless Target Tracking with Obfuscated Identifiers and Lawful Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication networks face challenges in safeguarding subscriber privacy against malicious attacks from false base stations while allowing legitimate uses such as lawful intercept by law enforcement agencies.

Innovation Solution

Implementing network equipment that obfuscates identifiers transmitted over-the-air to protect privacy, while providing authorized parties with the means to determine unobfuscated identifiers for tracking targets, using methods like encryption or temporary identifiers, and facilitating mutual authentication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If permanent identifiers are concealed and temporary identifiers are refreshed regularly, then subscriber privacy is protected against malicious attacks, but law enforcement agencies cannot track targets for lawful intercept

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesubscriber privacy protectionVSAvoidlawful intercept capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a deconcealing function as an intermediary component that acts as a mediator between the obfuscated identifier system and law enforcement tracking requirements. This function receives obfuscated identifiers from the network, processes them to retrieve original identifiers, and provides them to authorized law enforcement agencies. The intermediary resolves the contradiction by enabling privacy protection for general users while allowing authorized access for lawful intercept purposes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If false base stations are used for tracking, then law enforcement can track targets, but subscriber privacy is compromised to malicious attacks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking capabilityVSAvoidprivacy vulnerability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of identifiers based on the user context. For regular subscribers, permanent identifiers are concealed and temporary identifiers are refreshed to provide privacy protection. For law enforcement agencies with proper authorization, the system provides a specialized pathway through the deconcealing function to retrieve original identifiers for tracking purposes. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction by applying different identifier management qualities to different user groups.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12425868B2Tracking of a target in a wireless communication network

Publication Date: 2025.09.23 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

Network equipment (10) is configured for use in a wireless communication network (12). The network equipment (10) is configured to receive, over an interface (22) with radio equipment (14), a request (24) for information (26) based on which is determinable an unobfuscated identifier (20) associated with a target (16) being tracked by the radio equipment (14). The unobfuscated identifier (20) may be obfuscated by an obfuscating identifier (18) associated with the target (16). The network equipment (10) is also configured to send, from the network equipment (10) to the radio equipment (14), a response (28) that includes the requested information (26).