Wireless User Consent Mediation for Secure UE ID Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems lack effective methods for managing and ensuring user consent for sharing user-related information with external application servers, and there is a need to prevent unauthorized access when consent is withdrawn.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for dynamically managing user consent by integrating network entities such as NEF, UDM, and AF, which include transceivers and processors to handle user consent-related information requests and withdrawals, ensuring secure and controlled sharing of user data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user consent is dynamically managed through network entities (NEF, UDM, AF), then user privacy security is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The consent management system is segmented into distinct functional entities: NEF (Network Exposure Function) for receiving and managing consent information, UDM (Unified Data Management) for storing and processing consent data, and AF (Application Function) for requesting and receiving user data. Each entity performs a specific role in the consent management workflow, distributing complexity across multiple specialized components rather than concentrating it in a single system.
Solution Approach 2:
The NEF acts as an intermediary between the AF and the UDM, mediating the consent management process. It receives consent information from external sources, validates it, stores it in the UDM, and manages the consent status. This intermediary role simplifies the interaction between the AF and UDM while maintaining security and control over the consent management process.
2Reliability
If user consent information is stored and managed in the network, then user consent validity is improved, but information security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by receiving, validating, and storing user consent information in the UDM before any data sharing occurs. The NEF validates the consent information format and content beforehand, ensuring that only properly formatted and authorized consent data is stored. This preliminary validation and storage approach ensures consent validity is established prior to data access, reducing security risks during actual data operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the NEF continuously monitors consent status and notifies relevant parties of consent changes. When consent is withdrawn or expires, the system provides feedback to the AF to prevent further data access. This continuous feedback loop ensures that stored consent information remains valid and up-to-date, mitigating security risks from stale or revoked consent permissions.
3Ease of operation
If consent management processes are automated through network entities, then user convenience is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-storing user consent information in the UDM and maintaining it in a readily accessible format. When the AF needs to access user data, the NEF can quickly retrieve and validate the pre-stored consent information without requiring real-time user interaction or complex verification processes. This preliminary storage and structuring of consent data significantly reduces processing time while maintaining automated convenience for users.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a 5G or 6G communication system for supporting a higher data transmission rate. A method performed by a first network entity in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes receiving, from a network exposure function (NEF), a user equipment (UE) identifier (ID) request related to a first application function (AF), identifying user consent for the UE ID request, and transmitting, to the first AF through the NEF, a UE ID based on the user consent.