Update limitations paragraph and figure, adding proper caption in markdown

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Thomas Klingbeil 2021-10-26 16:01:57 +02:00
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@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ We assume a close association of a mobile phone and its user and, thus, equate t
## INTRODUCTION
To reduce the spread of [COVID-19](https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid-19-pandemic), it is necessary to inform people about their close proximity to individuals that have tested positive. So far, health departments and affected individuals have identified possibly infected individuals in personal conversations based on each individuals' memory. This has led to a high number of unknown connections, e.g. when using public transport.
To reduce the spread of [COVID-19](https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid-19-pandemic), it is necessary to inform people about their close proximity to individuals that have tested positive. Without the use of digital solutions, health departments and affected individuals can only identify possibly infected individuals in personal conversations based on each individuals' memory or through manually maintained paper lists. This has led to a high number of unknown connections, e.g. when using public transport.
![Figure 1: High-level architecture overview](images/solution_architecture/high_level_architecture.svg "Figure 1: High-level architecture overview")
@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ The Corona-Warn-App (see [scoping document](https://github.com/corona-warn-app/c
Identifiers are ID numbers sent out by the mobile phones. To ensure privacy and to prevent the tracking of movement patterns of the app user, those broadcasted identifiers are only temporary and change constantly. New identifiers are derived from a Temporary Exposure Key (TEK) that is substituted at midnight (UTC) every day through means of cryptography. For a more detailed explanation, see *Figure 10*. Once a TEK is linked to a positive test result, it remains technically the same, but is then called a Diagnosis Key.
The collected identifiers from other users as well as the device's own keys, which can later be used to derive the identifiers, are stored locally on the phone in the secure storage of the framework provided by Apple and Google. The application cannot access this secure storage directly, but only through the interfaces the Exposure Notification Framework provides. To prevent misuse, some of these interfaces are subjected to [rate limiting](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/exposurenotification/enmanager/3586331-detectexposures). If app users are tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, they can update their status in the app by providing a verification of their test and select an option to send their recent keys from up to 14 days back. On the Corona-Warn-App back-end server, all keys of individuals that have tested positive are aggregated and are then made available to all mobile phones that have the app installed. Additionally, the configuration parameters for the framework are available for download, so that adjustments to the risk score calculation can be made, see the *Risk Scores* section.
Once the keys and the exposure detection configuration have been downloaded, the data is handed over to the Exposure Notification Framework, which analyzes whether one of the identifiers collected by the mobile phone matches those of a individual that has tested positive. Additionally, the metadata that has been broadcasted together with the identifiers such as the transmit power can now be decrypted and used. Based on the collected data, the Exposure Notification Framework provided by Apple and Google groups exposures into 30 minute "exposure windows", which in turn can be used to determine the individual risk. Exposures are defined as an aggregation of all encounters with another individual on a single calendar day (UTC timezone). For privacy reasons, it is neither possible to track encounters with other individuals across multiple days, nor to link individual exposure windows to each other.
Once the keys and the exposure detection configuration have been downloaded, the data is handed over to the Exposure Notification Framework, which analyzes whether one of the identifiers collected by the mobile phone matches those of the device of another individual that has tested positive. Additionally, the metadata that has been broadcasted together with the identifiers such as the transmit power can now be decrypted and used. Based on the collected data, the Exposure Notification Framework provided by Apple and Google groups exposures into 30 minute "exposure windows", which in turn can be used to determine the individual risk. Exposures are defined as an aggregation of all encounters with another individual on a single calendar day (UTC timezone). For privacy reasons, it is neither possible to track encounters with other individuals across multiple days, nor to link individual exposure windows to each other.
It is important to note that the persons that have been exposed to a positive tested individual are **not informed by a central instance**, but the risk of an exposure is calculated locally on their phones. The information about the exposure remains on the users mobile phone and is not shared.
@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ The [European Federation Gateway Service (EFGS)](https://github.com/eu-federatio
![Figure 15: High-level EFGS overview](images/solution_architecture/EFGS_overview.jpg "Figure 15: High-level EFGS overview")
The Federation Gateway Service facilitates backend-to-backend integration. Countries can onboard incrementally, while the national backends retain flexibility and control over data distribution to their users.
For example, if a German citizen visits France and then becomes infected, the keys of the German citizen are then relevant for the citizens of France. In this case the German citizen keys would be shared with the EFGS to enable the French backend to obtain the keys. Similarly, if a French user is visiting Germany, that user's keys are of relevance to the German database.
For example, if a German citizen visits Italy and then becomes infected, the keys of the German citizen are then relevant for the citizens of Italy. In this case the German citizen keys would be shared with the EFGS to enable the French backend to obtain the keys. Similarly, if a French user is visiting Germany, that user's keys are of relevance to the German database.
![Figure 16: Autonomous National Backend](images/solution_architecture/EFGS_Autonomous_Backend.jpg "Figure 16: Autonomous National Backend")
@ -307,11 +307,13 @@ In order for the EFGS to function correctly, all users must specify their visite
## LIMITATIONS
Even though the system can support individuals in finding out whether they have been in proximity with a person that has been tested positive later on, the system also has limits (shown in *Figure 14*) that need to be considered. One of those limitations is that while the device constantly broadcasts its own Rolling Proximity Identifiers, it only listens for others in defined time slots. Those [listening windows are currently up to five minutes](https://covid19-static.cdn-apple.com/applications/covid19/current/static/contact-tracing/pdf/ExposureNotification-BluetoothSpecificationv1.2.pdf) apart and are defined as being only very short. In our considerations we expect the windows to have a length of two to four seconds. For the attenuation, the two buckets provided by the framework are being considered. A lower attenuation means that the other device is closer; we assume that an attenuation <58 dB translates to a distance below two meters. A higher attenuation might either mean that the other device is farther away (i.e. a distance of more than two meters) or that there is something between the devices blocking the signal. This could be objects such as a wall, but also humans or animals.
Even though the system can support individuals in finding out whether they have been in proximity with a person that has been tested positive later on, the system also has limits (shown in *Figure 17*) that need to be considered. One of those limitations is that while the device constantly broadcasts its own Rolling Proximity Identifiers, it only listens for others in defined time slots. Those listening windows are three minutes minutes apart and are defined as being only very short. In our considerations we expect the windows to have a length of four seconds. A lower attenuation means that the other device is closer, while a higher attenuation might either mean that the other device is farther away (e.g. a distance of more than two meters) or that there is something between the devices blocking the signal. This could be objects such as a wall, but also humans or animals.
![Figure 15: Limitations of the Bluetooth Low Energy approach](images/solution_architecture/figure_14.svg "Figure 15: Limitations of the Bluetooth Low Energy approach")
| ![Figure 17: Limitations of the Bluetooth Low Energy approach](images/solution_architecture/limitations.svg "Figure 17: Limitations of the Bluetooth Low Energy approach") |
|:--:|
| <b>Figure 17: Limitations of the Bluetooth Low Energy approach</b>|
In *Figure 14*, this is visualized, while focusing on the captured Rolling Proximity Identifiers by only a single device. We are assuming that devices broadcast their own RPI every 250ms and use listening windows with a length of two seconds, five minutes apart. There are five other active devices each representing a different kind of possible exposure. In the example, devices 3 and 4 go completely unnoticed, while a close proximity with the user of device 2 cannot be detected. In contrast to that very brief, but close connection with the user of device 5 (e.g. only brushing the other person in the supermarket) is noticed and logged accordingly. The duration and interval of scanning needs to be balanced by Apple and Google against battery life, as more frequent scanning consumes more energy.
In *Figure 17*, this is visualized, while focusing on the captured Rolling Proximity Identifiers by only a single device. We are assuming that devices broadcast their own RPI every 250ms and use listening windows with a length of four seconds, three minutes apart. There are five other active devices each representing a different kind of possible exposure. In the example, devices 3 and 4 go completely unnoticed, while a close proximity with the user of device 2 cannot be detected. In contrast to that very brief, but close connection with the user of device 5 (e.g. only brushing the other person in the supermarket) is noticed and logged accordingly. The duration and interval of scanning needs to be balanced by Apple and Google against battery life, as more frequent scanning consumes more energy.
It must be noted that some of the encounters described above are corner cases. While especially the cases with a very short proximity time cannot be detected due to technical limitations, the framework is able to detect longer exposures. As only exposures of longer duration within a certain proximity range are considered relevant for the intended purpose of this app, most of them are covered.