User Tag Authentication Through Secure Terminal Emulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing user terminals face challenges in integrating advanced communication features within a portable form factor while managing costs and power consumption, and users desire flexible communication services without the need for all-inclusive feature-rich devices.

Innovation Solution

A centralized user terminal emulation server that utilizes proximately located I/O user devices to provide communication services, leveraging their UI capabilities through a secure channel connection and authentication, enabling dynamic allocation and combination of device resources to emulate a user terminal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If advanced communication features are integrated into portable user terminals, then communication capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication capabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the user terminal functionality into two parts: a simplified portable device that carries user identification and a centralized emulation server that provides advanced communication features. The portable device no longer needs to integrate all communication functionalities, reducing its complexity while maintaining adaptability through cloud-based services.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A centralized user terminal emulation server acts as an intermediary between the portable device and the communication network. This server handles complex processing, authentication, and communication service delivery, allowing the portable device to remain simple while accessing advanced features through the intermediary server.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If all-inclusive feature-rich devices are provided, then communication service coverage is improved, but cost and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication service coverageVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service by allowing any I/O user device with basic capabilities to provide communication services through the emulation server. Instead of requiring users to possess expensive all-inclusive devices, the system leverages existing devices' inherent capabilities combined with cloud-based emulation to deliver comprehensive communication services.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The emulation server provides universal access to communication services by accepting various types of I/O user devices as input. The system combines capabilities from multiple different devices to emulate a complete user terminal, making communication services universally accessible without requiring any single device to be feature-rich.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If centralized server-based approach is used, then adaptability and resource efficiency are improved, but security requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoidsecurity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authentication and key establishment before communication services begin. The EAP authentication protocol and master key generation occur in advance, creating secure credentials that are stored and used for subsequent secure channels. This preliminary security setup enables the centralized system to maintain high adaptability while ensuring robust security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4515897B1Authentication of user tags obtaining communication services via I/O user devices performing user terminal emulation as a cloud computing service
Publication Date: 2025.10.22 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP4515897B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4515897B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4515897B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A user terminal emulation server establishes a secure channel connection with a first I/O user device using a session identifier and an identifier associated with the first I/O user device to determine a first I/O user device specific key generated from a master key, the first I/O user device specific key and the session identifier being used for secure communication of messages with the first I/O user device. An indication of an I/O user interface capability of the first I/O user device is received through the secure channel connection with the first I/O user device. The user terminal emulation server communicates with the first I/O user device to use the I/O user interface capability to provide at least part of the communication service for a user.