UE Positioning State Information Security With Partial Encryption
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems lack effective methods to secure positioning state information (PSI) of user equipment (UE) when reporting it to other devices, especially when security keys expire or are insufficient, leading to incomplete or unencrypted transmission of sensitive PSI.
Innovation Solution
A UE prioritizes and encrypts PSI based on security priorities, generating reports that include encrypted high-priority PSI and optionally unencrypted low-priority PSI, ensuring partial securitization even with limited encryption resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE encrypts all PSI using existing security keys, then the security level is improved, but the completeness of PSI reporting deteriorates when keys expire or are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments PSI into different priority levels (high priority and low priority). When encryption resources are limited or keys expire, the UE encrypts only high-priority PSI and transmits it separately, while low-priority PSI may be transmitted unencrypted or omitted. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by ensuring critical security requirements are met for important data while accepting partial information loss for less critical data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial encryption action by encrypting only a portion of PSI (high-priority portions) rather than attempting to encrypt all PSI when resources are constrained. The UE identifies which PSI elements require encryption based on priority classification and applies encryption selectively, accepting that not all PSI will be encrypted when security keys are insufficient or expired.
2Reliability
If the UE prioritizes encryption of high-priority PSI, then the security of critical information is improved, but the amount of unencrypted or dropped PSI increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different quality treatments to different parts of PSI based on their priority classification. High-priority PSI receives full encryption treatment to ensure security, while low-priority PSI receives reduced or no encryption treatment. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction by concentrating security resources where they are most needed while accepting information loss in less critical areas.
3Loss of information
If the UE transmits all PSI without encryption to ensure completeness, then the information completeness is improved, but the security protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments PSI transmission into encrypted and unencrypted portions based on priority. High-priority PSI is transmitted with encryption to protect against security threats, while low-priority PSI may be transmitted unencrypted to maintain information completeness. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by applying security protection selectively rather than universally.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Full encryption and reporting of positioning state information (PSI) of a user equipment (UE) in wireless communications may be unable to be performed to a desired level using current security keys at the UE. As such, a UE may selectively perform partial securitization of PSI. A UE obtains one or more PSI to be reported in one or more PSI reports, identifies a security priority associated with each PSI, and generates the one or more PSI reports from the one or more PSI based on a reporting configuration. Generating the one or more PSI reports includes, for each PSI of the one or more PSI, identifying whether the UE is to encrypt the PSI using one or more security keys at the UE based on the reporting configuration. The UE also reports the one or more PSI reports to a second device, such as a base station or another UE.