Secure Ad Hoc Group in Information-Centric Network

The patent introduces a Service Publishing and Discovery Protocol (SPDP) layer as an intermediary between the ICN stack and application services. This mediator handles the complexity of encryption key management, service name encryption, and device verification, shielding end devices from direct implementation complexity while maintaining security. The SPDP acts as a security gateway that manages cryptographic operations without requiring every device to implement full encryption suites.

The patent implements preliminary key establishment and service publishing before actual service discovery occurs. Devices perform key pair generation, service name encryption, and verification setup in advance through the SPDP protocol. This preliminary action ensures that when service discovery is needed, the security infrastructure is already in place, reducing operational complexity during actual service access while maintaining strong security guarantees.

The patent applies encryption selectively to specific parts of the service discovery process rather than encrypting all data uniformly. Service names are encrypted using device-specific keys, while other discovery metadata remains in plaintext. This local quality approach ensures that only the critical identification elements are protected, preventing unauthorized access while minimizing the complexity burden on the discovery process.

The patent transforms service names from plaintext to encrypted form using cryptographic parameters (encryption keys, algorithms). The SPDP protocol manages these parameter changes dynamically, selecting appropriate encryption methods based on device capabilities and security requirements. This parameter-based approach allows flexible security implementation without hardcoding complex discovery procedures.

The patent implements preliminary device verification through the SPDP protocol before actual service discovery and communication. Devices exchange verification credentials and establish trust relationships in advance. This preliminary verification ensures that when services are discovered, the devices are already authenticated, preventing later security checks that would cause delays. The verification happens once during initial connection setup rather than with every service request.

The SPDP protocol incorporates feedback mechanisms where devices receive verification status information during the discovery process. If verification succeeds, the device is added to an authorized list for faster subsequent communications. This feedback loop optimizes future interactions by reducing verification overhead for already-authenticated devices, balancing security requirements with communication efficiency.