On Cache-Aided Multi-User Private Information Retrieval with Small Caches

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a scheme for the problem of cache-aided multi-user private information retrieval with small caches, in which $K$ users are connected to $S$ non-colluding databases via shared links. Each database contains a set of $N$ files, and each user has a dedicated cache of size equivalent to the size of $M$ files. All the users want to retrieve a file without revealing their demands to the databases. During off-peak hours, all the users will fill their caches, and when required, users will demand their desired files by cooperatively generating query sets for each database. After receiving the transmissions from databases, all the users should get their desired files using transmitted data and their cache contents. This problem has been studied in [X. Zhang, K. Wan, H. Sun, M. Ji and G. Caire, \tqt{Fundamental limits of cache-aided multiuser private information retrieval}, IEEE Trans. Commun., 2021], in which authors proposed a product design scheme. In this paper, we propose a scheme that gives a better rate for a particular value of $M$ than the product design scheme. We consider a slightly different approach for the placement phase. Instead of a database filling the caches of all users directly, a database will broadcast cache content for all users on a shared link, and then the users will decide unitedly which part of the broadcasted content will be stored in the cache of each user. This variation facilitates maintaining the privacy constraint at a reduced rate.