Token-Based Network Slice Authorization for Privacy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless networks face challenges in providing differentiated Quality of Service (QoS) to various applications without compromising user privacy, as they often require application identifiers to implement routing rules and Service Level Agreements (SLAs), which can infringe on user anonymity.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a Slicing Authorization System (SAS) that uses tokens to authorize applications to access specific network slices, allowing applications to request communication sessions without revealing their identity, thereby maintaining user privacy while ensuring appropriate QoS treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If application identifiers are provided to the network to implement routing rules and QoS, then differentiated service levels can be ensured, but user privacy and anonymity are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a proxy client as an intermediary between the application and the network. The proxy client receives traffic from the application, attaches a token identifier instead of application identity to the traffic, and forwards it to the network. The network uses the token to route traffic and provide QoS without learning the actual application identity, thus maintaining user privacy while ensuring differentiated service levels.
2Reliability
If network slices are created to provide differentiated services, then QoS requirements can be met, but network complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into multiple network slices, each dedicated to specific applications or service types. Each slice is identified by a unique token and can be independently configured with specific QoS parameters. This segmentation allows the network to provide differentiated services to different applications simultaneously while managing complexity through modular slice design.
3Ease of operation
If application identity is revealed to the network for proper traffic handling, then routing rules can be applied, but user anonymity is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses token identifiers as copies or representations of application identity. Instead of transmitting the actual application identity to the network, the system transmits a token that copies the necessary identification functionality. The token serves as a placeholder that allows the network to perform routing and QoS operations without revealing the true application identity, thus maintaining anonymity while enabling proper traffic handling.
Data Source
AI summary
A system described herein may maintain information associating one or more tokens to one or more network slices associated with a network. The system may receive a request, from an application executing at a User Equipment (“UE”), for communication session information, where the request includes a particular token. The system may identify a particular network slice associated with the particular token based on the information associating the one or more tokens to the one or more network slices. The system may receive communication session information, associated with the particular network slice, from the network, and may provide the communication session information to the application. The application may use the communication session information to communicate with the network via the particular network slice. The application may use such communication session information without providing an application identifier to the network.