Multi-Party RSA Encryption for Secure Location Data Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing location systems face data security concerns as user location data is often transmitted in plaintext, making it vulnerable to interception and unauthorized access, and if compromised, can reveal detailed user location patterns and habits.

Innovation Solution

Implementing multi-party RSA encryption where a mobile device encrypts its location with a public key, and a location server partially decrypts this data using a first private key share, transmitting it to an interaction processing server for full decryption using a second private key share, ensuring secure multi-party computation with efficient communication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If location data is transmitted in plaintext between mobile device, location server, and interaction processing server, then communication simplicity is maintained, but data security is compromised as location information can be intercepted and leaked

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidencryption system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the decryption process into two separate stages performed by different entities: the location server performs partial decryption using a first private key share to obtain a partially decrypted location, while the interaction processing server completes the decryption using a second private key share. This segmentation ensures that no single server possesses the complete private key, thereby preventing unauthorized access even if one server is compromised, while maintaining a manageable encryption system through distributed key management

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different cryptographic operations to different parts of the system: the mobile device uses public key encryption to encrypt location data before transmission, the location server performs partial decryption with its private key share, and the interaction processing server performs final decryption with its private key share. Each entity operates with appropriate cryptographic capabilities local to its function, balancing security requirements with operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the location server stores and processes encrypted location data, then data security is improved, but computational resources and bandwidth are consumed for encryption and decryption operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidcomputational resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The location server performs only partial decryption of the encrypted location data using its first private key share, obtaining a partially decrypted location without completing the full decryption process. This partial action reduces the computational burden on the location server compared to full decryption, while still providing security benefits since the server never obtains the complete plaintext location data

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The decryption computational workload is segmented between two servers: the location server handles the first partial decryption operation, and the interaction processing server handles the second partial decryption and final assembly. This segmentation distributes computational resources and energy consumption across multiple entities, preventing any single server from bearing the full computational burden

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If a single private key is used for decryption at the location server, then decryption efficiency is improved, but security is reduced as compromise of the server reveals all location data

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecryption efficiencyVSAvoiddata security
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the single private key into multiple private key shares distributed to different servers. The location server holds a first private key share and the interaction processing server holds a second private key share. This segmentation allows each server to perform its decryption operation independently and efficiently with its own key share, while the distributed key structure ensures that compromise of one server does not expose the complete private key or all location data

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines multiple private key shares from different servers to achieve complete decryption. The location server's first private key share and the interaction processing server's second private key share work together in a coordinated manner to decrypt the location data, merging their cryptographic capabilities to achieve both security and efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11698982B2System and method for protecting location data
Publication Date: 2023.07.11 VISA INTERNATIONAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION
  • US11698982B2 patent drawing
  • US11698982B2 patent drawing
  • US11698982B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems and methods for securing user location data are described. A method includes receiving, by a location server computer, an encrypted location from a mobile device. The encrypted location is a location of the mobile device encrypted with a public key. The method then includes receiving, by the location server computer, a location request message from an interaction processing server and partially decrypting, by the location server computer, the encrypted location with a first private key share to form a partially decrypted location. The method further includes transmitting, by the location server computer to the interaction processing server, a location response message with the encrypted location and the partially decrypted location. The interaction processing server then uses the partially decrypted location and the second private key share to form a decrypted location.