Prefix-verifiable Message Authentication Code for Location Data Integrity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional location integrity authentication schemes for smartphones and location-based services expose user locations completely, compromising privacy and requiring a method for ensuring location data integrity with minimal disclosure.

Innovation Solution

The use of Prefix-verifiable Message Authentication Codes (PMAC) to authenticate location data integrity between authenticators and verifiers, employing symmetric keys and optimization techniques like PMAC indexes and density-based spatial recoding to reduce computation and communication costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional digital signature or MAC schemes are used to authenticate location data integrity, then location data integrity is ensured, but complete user location is disclosed to the verifier

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocation data integrityVSAvoiduser location privacy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The location data is segmented into two parts: a prefix that is disclosed to the verifier and a suffix that remains private. The PMAC is computed over the entire location data but only the prefix is revealed during verification, while the suffix is protected through cryptographic techniques. This segmentation allows integrity verification without complete location disclosure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A trusted authenticator acts as an intermediary between the location source and the verifier. The authenticator generates PMAC values for location data and provides them to the verifier without exposing the complete location information. This intermediary mechanism enables integrity verification while maintaining location privacy through controlled information disclosure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If PMAC is used to authenticate location data with minimum disclosure, then user location privacy is protected, but computation and communication costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser location privacyVSAvoidauthentication efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

PMAC values are pre-computed and stored in an index structure during an offline phase, before verification is needed. This preliminary action allows the verification phase to proceed efficiently by simply looking up pre-computed values and comparing them, rather than performing complex cryptographic computations in real-time. The index structure organizes PMAC values for quick retrieval based on location prefixes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of transmitting complete location data for verification, only necessary prefix information and corresponding PMAC values are transmitted. The verifier compares received PMAC values with locally stored or pre-computed values. This copying approach minimizes communication overhead while maintaining verification integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS9973514B2Method and apparatus for assuring location data integrity with minimum location disclosure

Publication Date: 2018.05.15 HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIV

AI summary

An invention relates to method and apparatus of a location assurance system and particularly, although not exclusively, the present invention also relates to method and apparatus for assuring location data integrity with minimum location disclosure. The present invention also relates to method and apparatus for assuring location data integrity with minimum location disclosure with protocols to authenticate both spatial and spatio-temporal predicates.