Remote UE Identity Mapping via Cryptographic String in Cellular Relay

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current techniques lack a method for the Mobile Management Entity (MME) to map a 128-bit string to the actual identity of a remote User Equipment (UE) in a cellular network, compromising user privacy and lacking efficient connection mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a first node that acquires the UE's identity, applies a cryptographic function to generate a string identity, and stores it with the real identity for secure connection through a relay UE, ensuring privacy by protecting the actual identity from the relay UE.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the relay UE forwards the remote UE's actual identity (IMSI/MSISDN) to the network, then the connection establishment is simplified, but the remote UE's privacy and identity confidentiality are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection establishmentVSAvoididentity exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a cryptographic function as an intermediary mechanism between the remote UE and the relay UE. Instead of directly transmitting the actual identity, the system applies a cryptographic function to generate a string identity that serves as a privacy-protecting intermediary representation, allowing connection establishment while preventing identity exposure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a cryptographic copy (string identity) of the remote UE's actual identity. This copy contains sufficient information for network recognition and connection establishment but is designed to be non-reversible, thus protecting the original identity while enabling functional equivalence

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a cryptographic function is applied to protect the remote UE's identity, then privacy is enhanced, but the MME cannot directly map the string identity to the actual identity for connection establishment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveidentity protectionVSAvoididentity mapping mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by pre-configuring the MME with the mapping relationship between string identities and actual identities before the connection establishment process. This allows the MME to efficiently resolve identities during connection setup without requiring complex real-time cryptographic operations or additional signaling overhead

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20230011576A1Connecting a Remote User Equipment to a Cellular Network

Publication Date: 2023.01.12 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

There is provided a performed by a first node for use in connecting a remote user equipment (UE) to a cellular network. An identity of the remote UE is acquired (102). A cryptographic function is applied (104) to the identity of the remote UE to generate a string identity for the remote UE. The string identity for the remote UE is stored (106) in a memory with the identity of the remote UE for use in connecting the remote UE to the cellular network via a relay UE connected to the cellular network.