Method for anonymous communication, method for registration, method and system for transmitting and receiving information

• US 9,143,483 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Qiang, Huang, Bing, Yao, Chunbo
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, HIEN VAN
• Application Number:
  US13/501,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2596 Translation of addresses of the same type other than IP, e.g. translation from MAC to MAC addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/75 Temporary identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/76 Group identity

Abstract

A method and a system for anonymous communication are disclosed in the present invention, which are applied in an architecture network with Identification (ID) identifier and locator separation. The method includes: after receiving an anonymous communication request initiated by a terminal, the network allocating an anonymous ID identifier to the terminal, and recording a state of the terminal as an anonymous communication state; when the terminal is in the anonymous communication state, an access gateway device where the terminal is located replacing a source access identifier in data message transmitted by the terminal with the anonymous ID identifier while receiving the data message; and replacing an anonymous ID identifier in data message transmitted to the terminal with the access identifier of the terminal while receiving the data message transmitted to the terminal.

Claims

1. A method for anonymous communication, comprising:

after receiving an anonymous communication request initiated by a terminal, a network allocating an anonymous identification identifier to the terminal, and recording a state of the terminal as an anonymous communication state;

when the terminal is in the anonymous communication state, an access gateway device where the terminal is located replacing a source access identifier in a first data message with the anonymous identification identifier responsive to receiving the first data message that has been transmitted from the terminal, and replacing the anonymous identification identifier in a second data message with the source access identifier of the terminal responsive to receiving the second data message that is being transmitted to the terminal;

wherein the method is applied in an identification identifier and locator separation network, the identification identifier and locator separation network is divided into an access network and a backbone network, the access network is located at edge of the backbone network and is responsible for accessing of the terminal, the backbone network is responsible for routing of the terminal, the access gateway device is located at a boundary point of the backbone network and the access network and interfaces with the access network and the backbone network; and

the source access identifier is used in the access network and always remains the same when the terminal moves, and the anonymous identification identifier is a new access identifier which is used in the backbone network;

wherein before the step of recording a state of the terminal as an anonymous communication state, the method further comprises;

when receiving the anonymous communication request, the access gateway device where the terminal is located initiating an authentication process to an authentication center, and recording the state of the terminal as the anonymous communication state after acknowledging that the terminal has access to an anonymous communication service; and

the method further comprising;

after receiving a request for canceling the anonymous communication from the terminal, the access gateway device where the terminal is located changing the state of the terminal from the anonymous communication state to a normal communication state.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

in the step of allocating an anonymous identification identifier to the terminal, a mapping server in the network or the access gateway device where the terminal is located allocating the anonymous identification identifier to the terminal.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of the access gateway device where the terminal is located allocating the anonymous identification identifier to the terminal further comprises:

registering the allocated anonymous identification identifier with the mapping server.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

after changing the state of the terminal from the anonymous communication state to a normal communication state, the access gateway device where the terminal is located canceling the replacement of the anonymous identification identifier when receiving/transmitting the first or second data message from/to the terminal.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the anonymous communication request initiated by the terminal carries time period information;

and

the step of the access gateway device where the terminal is located recording the state of the terminal as an anonymous communication state when receiving the anonymous communication request further comprises;

setting an anonymous communication timer according to the time period information in the anonymous communication request; and

changing the state of the terminal from the anonymous communication state to the normal communication state after a timing period of the anonymous communication timer is expired.

6. A method for forwarding one or more data messages, comprising:

a source node device transmitting a data message to a destination node device, wherein the data message comprises a destination address and an access identifier of the source node device;

when the source node device is in the anonymous communication state, a source access node device receiving the data message and replacing the access identifier of the source node device contained in the data message with an anonymous identification identifier allocated to the source node device, and forwarding the data message to a destination access node device according to the destination address; and

after receiving the data message, the destination access node device forwarding the data message to the destination node device;

wherein the method is applied in an identification identifier and locator separation network, the identification identifier and locator separation network is divided into an access network and a backbone network, the access network is located at the edge of the backbone network and is responsible for the access of the source node device, the backbone network is responsible for the routing of the source node device, the source access node device and the destination access node device are located at a boundary point of the backbone network and the access network and interface with the access network and the backbone network; and

the access identifier is used in the access network and always remains the same when the source node device moves, and the anonymous identification identifier is a new access identifier which is used in the backbone network;

wherein before recording a state of the terminal as an anonymous communication state, when receiving the anonymous communication request, the source access node device where the terminal is located initiating an authentication process to an authentication center, and recording the state of the terminal as the anonymous communication state after acknowledging that the terminal has access to an anonymous communication service; and

after receiving a request for canceling the anonymous communication from the terminal, the source access node device where the terminal is located changing the state of the terminal from the anonymous communication state to a normal communication state.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising,

after receiving the data message, the destination node device responding with a response data message to the source node device with the anonymous identification identifier being a destination address;

the destination access node device forwarding the response data message to the source access node device according to the anonymous identification identifier; and

after receiving the response data message, the source node device replacing the anonymous identification identifier contained in the response data message with the corresponding access identifier to forward to the source node device.

8. A registration method for anonymous communication, comprising:

a first node device, which is allocated with a source access identifier, transmitting an anonymous communication request to an authentication center via a first access node device;

the authentication center receiving the anonymous communication request and determining whether the first node device has access to anonymous communication; and

if it is determined that the first node device has access to anonymous communication, the first access node device transmitting an anonymous communication request to a node device, and the node device allocating an anonymous identification identifier to the first node device and storing (a) a corresponding relationship between the anonymous identification identifier of the first node device and the source access identifier of the first node device, or (b) a corresponding relationship between the anonymous identification identifier of the first node device and the source access identifier and a location identifier of the first node device;

wherein the method is applied in an identification identifier and locator separation network, the identification identifier and locator separation network is divided into an access network and a backbone network, the access network is located at the edge of the backbone network and is responsible for the access of the first node device, the backbone network is responsible for the routing of the first node device, the first access node device is located at a boundary point of the backbone network and the access network and interfaces with the access network and the backbone network; and

the source access identifier is used in the access network and always remains the same when the first node device moves, and the anonymous identification identifier is a new access identifier which is used in the backbone network;

wherein before recording a state of the terminal as an anonymous communication state, when receiving the anonymous communication request, the source access node device where the terminal is located initiating an authentication process to an authentication center, and recording the state of the terminal as the anonymous communication state after acknowledging that the terminal has access to an anonymous communication service; and

after receiving a request for canceling the anonymous communication from the terminal, the source access node device where the terminal is located changing the state of the terminal from the anonymous communication state to a normal communication state.

9. The registration method according to claim 8, further comprising:

the node device used to allocate the anonymous identification identifier recording that the first node device is in an anonymous communication state, and transmitting the anonymous identification identifier to the first access node device.

10. The registration method according to claim 9, wherein the anonymous communication request comprises time period information, and wherein the registration method further comprises:

when receiving the anonymous communication request, the first access node device setting an anonymous communication timer according to the time period information; and

changing the state of the first node device from the anonymous communication state to a normal communication state after a timing period of the anonymous communication timer has expired.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the anonymous identification identifier is selected from a predetermined group of identifiers for the anonymous identification identifier, or is selected from a predetermined group.