Privacy Manager Masking Application Identifiers for Network Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network slicing technologies, such as UE Route Selection Policy (URSP), may compromise user privacy by allowing malicious actors or authorities to intercept and monitor communications of specific applications, even if encrypted, due to the exposure of application identifiers (App IDs), which can lead to surveillance and private information revelation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a privacy manager, referred to as a Private Application Function (PAF), within wireless communication devices to mask App IDs, either by removing or replacing them with anonymized values, thereby preventing URSP from matching and intercepting traffic, ensuring that sensitive applications can operate in private mode while others follow standard routing rules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If application identifiers are exposed for network routing purposes, then network routing and service delivery are improved, but user privacy and security deteriorate due to surveillance and information revelation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (privacy manager or PAF) that sits between the application layer and the network routing layer. This intermediary masks the application identifier before it reaches the network routing functions, preventing direct exposure of sensitive information while still enabling network services to operate. The intermediary translates or obfuscates the original App ID into a masked form that preserves routing functionality but removes identifying characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the identifying information from the application identifier while retaining the functional routing capabilities. By separating the identification function from the routing function, the system can perform network routing without exposing the full application identifier. This extraction process removes the harmful identifying elements while preserving the useful routing information.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If application identifiers are masked to protect privacy, then user privacy and security are improved, but network routing precision and service delivery deteriorate due to inability to match applications with appropriate network slices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different levels of masking to different parts of the identifier system. Instead of completely anonymizing the application identifier, the system applies selective masking that preserves certain characteristics needed for routing while hiding identifying information. This local quality approach ensures that the masked identifier retains sufficient information for network slicing and service delivery while protecting user privacy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the application identifier by changing its parameters or format through masking operations. The transformation process modifies the identifier's structure or content in a way that preserves routing functionality but removes identifying characteristics. This parameter change allows the system to maintain routing precision while improving privacy protection.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and processing nodes for managing a wireless communication session perform and/or comprise: receiving a privacy enable request from an application associated with a wireless communication device; masking an application identifier corresponding to the application, thereby to generate a masked application identifier; receiving an application attribute request from a route selection manager, the application attribute request including a request for the application identifier; and in response to the privacy enable request and the application attribute request, returning an application attribute request response to the route selection manager, the application attribute request including the masked application identifier.