# US 2019/0246267 A1 · Managing identifier privacy

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- Number: US 2019/0246267 A1
- Document ID: US20190246267A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/374,425
- Filed: 2019-04-03
- Published: 2019-08-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-12
- Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
- Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
- Inventors: Prajwol Kumar NAKARMI; Pasi SAARINEN; Monica WIFVESSON
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190246267A1

## CPC

- H04W 12/033: of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
- H04L 9/3273: {for mutual authentication (network architectures or network communication protocols for achieving mutual authentication in a packet data network H04L63/0869)}
- H04W 8/183: {Processing at user equipment or user record carrier}
- H04W 12/041: Key generation or derivation
- H04W 12/0433: Key management protocols
- H04W 12/40: Security arrangements using identity modules
- H04W 12/72: Subscriber identity
- H04W 76/11: Allocation or use of connection identifiers
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

In order to ensure that a Subscription Concealed Identifier, SUCI, is calculated in the Universal Subscriber Identity Module, USIM, part of a User Equipment, UE, when intended, when a SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM, a network node sets proprietary information, which is not known to a Mobile Equipment, ME, part of the UE, as required for calculation of the SUCI. The USIM facilitates calculation of the SUCI in the ME part of the UE only when the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the ME. When the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM, the ME part deletes any locally stored information required for calculation of the SUCI.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of operation of a network node to ensure that a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) is calculated in the Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) part of a User Equipment (UE) when intended, the method comprising:
when a SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM, setting proprietary information, which is not known to a Mobile Equipment (ME) part of the UE, as required for calculation of the SUCI.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said proprietary information comprises a relationship between a proprietary encryption scheme identifier and a SUCI calculation encryption scheme.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein said SUCI calculation encryption scheme is standardized.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said proprietary information comprises a proprietary encryption scheme.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is changed to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM from a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the ME, changing a pre-existing public key of the Home Network (HN).

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising, when the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is changed to the value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM from the value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the ME, changing an identifier of the public key of the HN.

### Claim 7

A method of operation of a network node to ensure that a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) is calculated in the Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) part of a User Equipment (UE) when intended, the method comprising:
when the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is changed to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM from a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in a Mobile Equipment (ME) part of the UE, changing a pre-existing public key of the Home Network (HN).

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising, when the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is changed to the value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM from the value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the ME, changing an identifier of the public key of the HN.

### Claim 9

A method of operation of a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) part of a User Equipment (UE) to ensure that a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) is calculated in the USIM when intended, the method comprising:
facilitating calculation of the SUCI in a Mobile Equipment (ME) part of the UE only when a SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the ME.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising providing to the ME information required for calculation of the SUCI only when the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the ME.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
when a SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the ME, in response to a request from the ME for information required for calculation of the SUCI, providing said information to the ME.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
in response to said request from the ME, returning said value of the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator to the ME.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, comprising:
when a SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the ME, in response to a request from the ME for the SUCI, rejecting said request.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
in response to said request from the ME for the SUCI, returning the information required for calculation of the SUCI to the ME.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
in response to said request from the ME for the SUCI, returning said value of the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator to the ME.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the information required for calculation of the SUCI comprises a public key of the Home Network (HN).

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the information required for calculation of the SUCI comprises information identifying an encryption scheme that is to be used in the calculation of the SUCI.

### Claim 18 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
when a SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM, in response to a request from the ME for information required for calculation of the SUCI, rejecting the request from the ME for information required for calculation of the SUCI.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising:
when the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM, in response to said request from the ME for information required for calculation of the SUCI, providing the value of the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator to the ME.

### Claim 20 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
when a SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM, in response to a request from the ME for the SUCI, calculating the SUCI and providing the SUCI to the ME.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, further comprising:
in response to said request from the ME, returning said value of the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator to the ME.

### Claim 22 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
notifying the ME when a value of the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator changes.

### Claim 23

A method of operation of a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) part of a User Equipment (UE) to ensure that a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) is calculated in the USIM when intended, the method comprising:
when a SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM, receiving from a network node proprietary information, which is not known to a Mobile Equipment (ME) part of the UE, and which is required for calculation of the SUCI.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the proprietary information comprises a relationship between a proprietary encryption scheme identifier and a SUCI calculation encryption scheme.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the SUCI calculation encryption scheme is standardized.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the proprietary information comprises a proprietary encryption scheme.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, further comprising, when the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is changed to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM from a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the ME, receiving notification from a Home Network (HN) of a changed public key of the HN.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, further comprising, when the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is changed to the value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM from the value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the ME, receiving notification from the HN of a changed identifier of the public key of the HN.

### Claim 29 (depends on 1)

A network node, comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform the steps of claim 1; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the wireless device.

### Claim 30 (depends on 9)

A Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) for use in a User Equipment (UE) the USIM comprising processing circuitry configured to perform the steps of claim 9; and circuitry configured to connect the USIM to a Mobile Equipment, ME, part of the UE.