Subscriber Identity Concealment via Encrypted Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless network technologies lack effective mechanisms to conceal subscriber identities from access network providers, allowing for potential tracking and correlation of user sessions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a method where first identity data associated with a client device is encrypted using second identity data, creating an encrypted version that is provided to an access network, thereby concealing identifiers over signaling links.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If subscriber identity data is transmitted in clear text over signaling links, then network authentication and authorization can be performed, but user privacy is compromised and sessions can be correlated and tracked by access providers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an identity encryption mechanism that acts as an intermediary between the clear text identity data and the access network. The subscriber's identity is encrypted using a public key or hash function before transmission, creating a pseudonymous identifier that preserves authentication functionality while preventing direct correlation and tracking by access providers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the identity data from its original clear text form into an encrypted form using cryptographic parameters. This parameter change maintains the uniqueness and authenticity verification capabilities of the original identity while rendering it unreadable and uncorrelatable by unauthorized parties
2Loss of information
If encrypted identity data is used to conceal subscriber identities, then user privacy is protected, but network providers lose the ability to directly identify and correlate user sessions
Solution Approach 1:
The encrypted identity acts as a mediator that preserves session uniqueness and authenticity verification while preventing direct correlation. The encryption mechanism maintains the ability to distinguish between different subscribers through cryptographic verification without enabling direct identification or tracking by access network providers
3Ease of operation
If clear text identity data is transmitted, then network access control can be implemented, but intermediate proxies can track and correlate user sessions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces encrypted identity data as an intermediary that maintains network access control functionality while eliminating session tracking capabilities. The encryption mechanism allows proxies and access points to verify and control access without being able to read or correlate the actual subscriber identities
Solution Approach 2:
The transformation of identity data from clear text to encrypted form changes the parameter of readability from accessible to inaccessible. This maintains the functional parameter of access control verification while eliminating the harmful capability of session tracking and correlation by intermediate proxies
Data Source
AI summary
Subscriber identity concealment from an access network provider may be provided. A computing device may receive first identity data associated with a client device. Then the first identity data associated with the client device may be encrypted using second identity data to create an encrypted version of the first identity data associated with the client device. The encrypted version of the first identity data associated with the client device may be provided to an access network.