Subscription Concealed Identifier for Secure Data Transmission
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Communication networks face challenges in securely and flexibly conveying varied and changing data types to subscribers, especially in dynamic and diverse use cases, such as 5G networks that need to accommodate multiple services like IoT, URLLC, and XR, where existing methods lack adaptability and security.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) that conveys data in a data-type agnostic manner, using a set of flexible data fields including value and type fields, allowing for secure and transparent transmission of data, enabling dynamic network slicing and resource allocation based on evolving communication needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If data is conveyed in a specific and dedicated manner for a particular data type, then the transmission is simple and efficient, but the system lacks adaptability to varied and changing communication requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The SUCI structure is designed as a universal container that can convey multiple types of data (subscription identifier, communication data, service data, network resource data) through a single standardized format. The data-type agnostic field allows the same SUCI structure to adapt to different data types without requiring separate transmission mechanisms, thereby achieving versatility without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The SUCI implementation allows dynamic adaptation to changing communication requirements. The data-type agnostic field can be flexibly populated with different data types based on current network needs and service requirements, enabling the system to evolve and accommodate new use cases without fundamental changes to the transmission framework.
2Reliability
If data is transmitted in plaintext or with minimal concealment, then the transmission is fast and efficient, but security against eavesdropping is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The SUCI structure embeds multiple layers of concealed information within a single transmitted entity. The subscription identifier is concealed within the SUCI, and additional data types are nested within the data-type agnostic field of the same SUCI structure. This nested approach allows comprehensive security without requiring separate encrypted transmissions for each data type, maintaining efficiency while enhancing reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the network uses pre-configured static resource allocation, then the network management is simple, but it cannot meet dynamic service requirements of different use cases
Solution Approach 1:
The SUCI conveys subscription data and service requirements in advance during the initial connection establishment. This preliminary information exchange enables the network to pre-configure appropriate resources and network slices based on the subscriber's specific needs before actual data transmission begins, facilitating dynamic resource allocation while keeping ongoing management relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication device is configured for use in a communication network (10). The communication device generates a subscription concealed identifier (20) that conceals a subscription identifier part (16A) of a subscription permanent identifier (16) and conceals a set (22) of one or more data fields which is agnostic as to a type of data that the set (22) conveys. The communication device transmits the subscription concealed identifier (20). Based on the conveyed data, a network node may configure the communication network (10) for use by the subscription.