Private Data Comparison via Pre-calculated Lookup Tables

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for comparing private values, such as in Yao's Millionaires Problem, require significant computational efforts and are inefficient, while maintaining the security and confidentiality of the values.

Innovation Solution

A method involving encoding private values, generating intermediate values using pre-calculated random values, and calculating comparison values to determine if one value is greater than or less than another without revealing the actual values, significantly reducing computational requirements and maintaining confidentiality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional solutions for comparing private values are used, then security and confidentiality of values are maintained, but computational efforts and time consumption are significant

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity and confidentialityVSAvoidcomputational efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing random values in lookup tables before the actual comparison process. During comparison, these pre-prepared random values are directly retrieved and used, eliminating the need for real-time random value generation. This significantly reduces computational effort while maintaining the security properties required for private value comparison.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses copying by creating intermediate values that represent the private values without revealing the actual values. Instead of directly comparing private values, the system compares intermediate values derived from the private values through mathematical transformations. This allows the comparison function to be achieved while preserving confidentiality, as the intermediate values do not expose the original private data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Loss of information

If traditional cryptographic protocols are used for private value comparison, then confidentiality is preserved, but computing time increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconfidentiality preservationVSAvoidcomputing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent dramatically reduces computing time by performing random value generation and storage in advance. The lookup tables containing pre-computed random values are prepared once and reused across multiple comparisons. This eliminates repeated computational overhead during actual comparisons, reducing computing time by thousands of times compared to traditional approaches that generate random values on-demand for each comparison operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex cryptographic computation mechanisms with simpler mathematical operations and table lookup operations. Instead of using heavy cryptographic protocols for each comparison step, the system substitutes these with pre-computed value retrievals and basic arithmetic operations, achieving the same confidentiality preservation goal with dramatically reduced computational time and resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP2385491B1System and method for comparing private data
Publication Date: 2014.04.09 SAP SE
  • EP2385491B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2385491B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2385491B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods including accessing a first private value, generating a first intermediate value based on the first private value, receiving a second intermediate value that is based on a second private value, generating a first comparison value based on the second intermediate value, receiving over the network a second comparison value that is based on the first intermediate value, comparing the first comparison value and the second comparison value to generate a result, and displaying the result, the result indicating that the first private is greater than the second private value when the first comparison value is less than the second comparison value, and the result indicating that the first private value is less than or equal to the second private value when the first comparison value is greater than the second comparison value.