Ranging Link Security for Sidelink Location Privacy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication technologies in 5G systems do not adequately protect the privacy of user equipment (UE) during the transmission of ranging or sidelink positioning service results, leaving UE location information vulnerable to exposure.

Innovation Solution

A ranging method and apparatus that enable security protection of the transmission link for a terminal participating in a ranging or sidelink positioning service, triggered by a sidelink client terminal, by sending first indication information based on service authorization information to instruct the terminal to activate security protection mechanisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If security protection is enabled for the transmission link, then privacy security of the terminal is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprivacy securityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The network device sends first indication information to the terminal in advance, instructing the terminal to enable security protection before the ranging service begins. This preliminary configuration allows the terminal to prepare security parameters and mechanisms ahead of time, reducing the complexity burden during actual service execution while ensuring privacy protection is in place before data transmission starts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The network device acts as an intermediary that manages and coordinates security protection between the terminal and the network. By centralizing security management functions in the network device, the complexity of implementing end-to-end security is distributed, with the network device handling authentication, key management, and security parameter negotiation, thereby simplifying the terminal's security implementation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If security protection mechanisms are activated, then privacy security is improved, but use of energy increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprivacy securityVSAvoiduse of energy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Security parameters and protection mechanisms are configured in advance by the network device before the ranging service starts. This preliminary setup allows the terminal to use pre-established security frameworks and cached authentication data during actual service execution, reducing the need for real-time computational security operations and thereby lowering energy consumption while maintaining privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements security protection selectively based on service authorization information. Instead of continuously applying full security mechanisms, the terminal enables security protection only when and where required by the ranging service, using partial security measures for low-risk scenarios and full security measures only when necessary, thus balancing privacy protection with energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4615013A1Ranging method and apparatus
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO LTD
  • EP4615013A1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4615013A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP4615013A1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

A ranging method and apparatus, applicable to the technical field of communications. The ranging method comprises: a network device (101) sends first indication information to a terminal device (102) according to service authorization information of the terminal device (102), the first indication information being used for instructing the terminal device (102) to enable transmission link security protection of the terminal device (102) participating in a ranging or sidelink positioning service, and the ranging or sidelink positioning service being triggered by the terminal device (102) at a sidelink client (S201), such that the privacy security of the terminal device (102) can be protected in the process of transmitting a result of the ranging or sidelink positioning service by means of a transmission link, thereby improving the security of the ranging or sidelink positioning service.