# US 2018/0324585 A1 · Privacy indicators for controlling authentication requests

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- Number: US 2018/0324585 A1
- Document ID: US20180324585A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/794,856
- Filed: 2017-10-26
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-05
- Assignees: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.; Nokia Technologies Oy
- Applicants: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.; Nokia Technologies Oy
- Inventors: Suresh P. Nair; Anja Jerichow; Annett Seefeldt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180324585A1

## CPC

- H04L 63/0442: {wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30)}
- H04L 63/06: {for supporting key management in a packet data network (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08)}
- H04L 63/083: {using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226)}
- H04L 63/0876: {based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint}
- H04W 12/02: Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
- H04W 12/033: of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
- H04W 12/041: Key generation or derivation
- H04W 12/069: using certificates or pre-shared keys
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

Techniques for providing privacy features in communication systems are provided. For example, a message may be provided from user equipment to an element or function in a communication network that comprises one or more privacy indicators, where privacy features for processing the message are determined based on the privacy indicators. The message may comprise an attach request comprising a subscription identifier for a subscriber associated with the user equipment, with the privacy indicators comprising a flag indicating whether the subscription identifier in the attach request is privacy-protected. As another example, the element of function in the communication network may determine privacy features supported by the communication network and generate and send a message to user equipment comprising one or more privacy indicators selected based on the determined privacy features. The privacy indicators may comprise an indication of whether the communication network is configured for handling privacy-protected subscription identifiers.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving, at an element or function in a communication network from user equipment of the communication network, a message comprising one or more privacy indicators; and
determining one or more privacy features for processing the message based on the one or more privacy indicators.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an attach request comprising a subscription identifier for a subscriber of the communication network associated with the user equipment, the one or more privacy indicators comprising a flag indicating whether the subscription identifier in the attach request is privacy-protected.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the privacy-protected subscription identifier comprises at least a portion of a permanent subscription identifier of the subscriber.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein determining the one or more privacy features for processing the message based on the one or more privacy indicators comprises, responsive to the flag indicating that the subscription identifier is privacy-protected, removing privacy protection from the subscription identifier in the attach request.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the element or function in the communication network comprises a Server Location Function (SLF) that utilizes the subscription identifier to map the attach request to a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) or User Data Management (UDM) function.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the privacy-protected identifier that is encrypted utilizing a public key of a home network operator of the subscriber in the communication network.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a 5G system.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

An apparatus comprising a processor operatively coupled to a memory and configured to perform the method of claim 1.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having embodied therein executable program code that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the steps of claim 1.

### Claim 10

A method comprising:
determining, at an element or function in a communication network, one or more privacy features supported by the communication network;
generating, at the element or function in the communication network, a message comprising one or more privacy indicators selected based on the determined one or more privacy features; and
sending, from the element or function in the communication network to user equipment of the communication network, the generated message comprising the one or more privacy indicators.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more privacy features comprise an ability of the element or function in the communication network to handle privacy-protected subscription identifiers.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the generated message comprises a System Information Message having a Master Information Block and one or more System Information Blocks, and wherein the one or more privacy indicators are added to the System Information Message.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

An apparatus comprising a processor operatively coupled to a memory and configured to perform the method of claim 10.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having embodied therein executable program code that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the method of claim 10.

### Claim 15

A method comprising:
determining, at user equipment of a communication network, one or more privacy features for processing a message;
adding one or more privacy indicators to the message based on the determined one or more privacy features; and
sending the message with the one or more privacy indicators from the user equipment to an element or function in the communication network.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the message comprises an attach request comprising a subscription identifier for a subscriber of the communication network associated with the user equipment, the one or more privacy indicators comprising a flag indicating whether the subscription identifier in the attach request is privacy-protected.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

An apparatus comprising a processor operatively coupled to a memory and configured to perform the method of claim 15.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having embodied therein executable program code that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the steps of claim 15.

### Claim 19

A method comprising:
receiving, at user equipment of a communication network from an element or function in the communication network, a message comprising one or more privacy indicators; and
determining one or more privacy features supported by the communication network utilizing the one or more privacy indicators.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more privacy indicators comprise an indication of whether the communication network is configured for handling privacy-protected subscription identifiers.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, further comprising refraining from sending an attach request to the element or function in the communication network responsive to the one or more privacy indicators indicating that the communication network is not configured for handling privacy-protected subscription identifiers.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, further comprising prohibiting the user equipment from responding to a request for a real identity of a subscriber of the communication network associated with the user equipment based on the one or more privacy indicators.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the request for the real identity of the subscriber comprises an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) paging request.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

An apparatus comprising a processor operatively coupled to a memory and configured to perform the method of claim 19.

### Claim 25 (depends on 19)

An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having embodied therein executable program code that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the method of claim 19.