Apparatus and method for deleting personal information in vehicle

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus and a method for deleting personal information in a vehicle. The apparatus for deleting personal information according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a dummy data generation module that receives, from a vehicle user, a deletion request for a copy of the user's personal information stored in synchronization with a vehicle and generates one or more pieces of dummy data corresponding to the copy of the personal information; and an overwriting module that deletes the copy of the personal information by overwriting same with the generated dummy data.

Description

Device and method for deleting personal information in a vehicle

[0001] The disclosed embodiments relate to techniques for protecting personal information stored in a vehicle.

[0002] Most new vehicles on the market today offer the convenience of connecting the user's mobile phone to the vehicle via short-range wireless communication. This process stores and manages the user's personal information, including contact information, call history, and text message history.

[0003] However, if the ownership or user of the vehicle changes due to the sale of the vehicle or termination of use of the vehicle (including termination of lease, short-term or long-term rental, etc.), there is a risk that the personal information of the previous vehicle user remaining in the vehicle may be exposed.

[0004] To prevent such risks, vehicle users can attempt to delete personal information stored in the vehicle using the vehicle's factory reset function before ending their use. However, this factory reset function only restores vehicle settings to their factory defaults and is not intended to delete personal information. Therefore, some personal information may remain in the vehicle even after the reset. Furthermore, because the vehicle reset reverts the firmware installed in the vehicle to its factory state, it takes a long time to complete. Furthermore, a separate firmware update must be performed after the reset, making it particularly difficult to apply to short-term rentals where users change frequently.

[0005] The disclosed embodiments are intended to provide a technical means for protecting personal information by effectively deleting personal information of vehicle users stored in a vehicle.

[0006] According to an exemplary embodiment, a terminal device is disclosed, comprising: a data storage area in which a user's personal information is stored; a synchronization module connected to a vehicle via a wireless or wired communication means and providing personal information to the vehicle as the user drives the vehicle; and a personal information deletion module that receives a request from the user to delete a copy of the user's personal information stored in a synchronized manner in the vehicle, generates one or more dummy data corresponding to the personal information copy, and deletes the personal information copy by overwriting the personal information copy using the generated dummy data.

[0007] In one embodiment, the personal information may include one or more of the user's contacts, recent call list, or recent text message list.

[0008] In one embodiment, the personal information deletion module provides the user with a storage history of copies of personal information previously stored in the vehicle at the user's request, and can delete some or all of the copies of personal information at the user's option.

[0009] In one embodiment, the personal information deletion module may create one or more dummy data entries in the data storage area.

[0010] In one embodiment, each of the one or more dummy data entries may contain the same string or string of numbers.

[0011] In one embodiment, each of the one or more dummy data entries may contain a random string or sequence of numbers.

[0012] In one embodiment, the personal information deletion module may create one or more dummy data entries equal to the maximum number of entries that can be synchronized in the vehicle.

[0013] In one embodiment, one or more dummy data entries may be created to have a higher synchronization priority with the vehicle than actual data entries already stored in the data storage area.

[0014] In one embodiment, the personal information deletion module can encrypt the user's personal information previously stored in the data storage area to create dummy data.

[0015] In one embodiment, the personal information deletion module may perform a backup of personal information before encrypting the personal information.

[0016] In one embodiment, the personal information deletion module may disconnect and reconnect the communication connection with the vehicle, and after reconnection, if a personal information synchronization request is received from the vehicle, transmit dummy data to the vehicle.

[0017] In one embodiment, the personal information deletion module may transmit a request for updating personal information to the vehicle, and when a request for synchronizing personal information is received from the vehicle in response to the update request, the module may transmit dummy data to the vehicle.

[0018] According to another exemplary embodiment, an in-vehicle personal information deletion device is provided, comprising: a dummy data generation module that receives a request from a vehicle user to delete a copy of the user's personal information synchronized and stored in the vehicle, and generates one or more dummy data corresponding to the personal information copy; and an overwrite module that deletes the personal information copy by overwriting the personal information copy using the generated dummy data.

[0019] In one embodiment, the personal information may include one or more of the user's contacts, recent call list, or recent text message list.

[0020] In one embodiment, the vehicle may further include an interface module that provides the user with a storage history of a copy of personal information stored in the vehicle at the user's request and receives the user's selection information regarding the storage history.

[0021] In one embodiment, the dummy data generation module may create one or more dummy data entries in a data storage area where the user's personal information is stored.

[0022] In one embodiment, each of the one or more dummy data entries may contain the same string or string of numbers, or may contain a random string or string of numbers.

[0023] In one embodiment, the dummy data generation module can generate one or more dummy data entries equal to the maximum number of synchronizable entries of the vehicle.

[0024] In one embodiment, one or more dummy data entries may be created to have a higher synchronization priority with the vehicle than actual data entries already stored in the data storage area.

[0025] In one embodiment, the dummy data generation module can generate dummy data by encrypting the user's personal information previously stored in the data storage area.

[0026] In one embodiment, the system may further include a backup module that performs a backup of personal information before encrypting the personal information.

[0027] In one embodiment, the overwrite module may disconnect and reconnect communication with the vehicle, and upon receiving a request for synchronization of personal information from the vehicle after reconnection, transmit dummy data to the vehicle.

[0028] In one embodiment, the overwrite module may transmit a request to update personal information to the vehicle, and when a request to synchronize personal information is received from the vehicle in response to the update request, the overwrite module may transmit dummy data to the vehicle.

[0029] According to the disclosed embodiments, after the vehicle is no longer in use, the vehicle user can effectively delete personal information such as contact information or recent call / text history stored in the vehicle, thereby effectively protecting the personal information of the previous user even when the vehicle user changes.

[0030] In addition, according to the disclosed embodiments, personal information stored in a vehicle can be quickly deleted without initializing the vehicle's firmware, so personal information protection can be effectively implemented even in environments where users change frequently, such as rental cars.

[0031] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system environment for implementing personal information deletion according to one embodiment.

[0032] Figure 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a terminal according to one embodiment.

[0033] Figure 3 is a block diagram for detailing a personal information deletion module according to one embodiment.

[0034] Figures 4a to 4c are exemplary diagrams illustrating an interface for receiving a request for deletion of personal information from a user and providing the user with personal information details stored in the vehicle according to one embodiment.

[0035] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating a personal information deletion process according to one embodiment.

[0036] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a computing environment including a computing device suitable for use in exemplary embodiments.

[0037] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description is provided to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the methods, devices, and / or systems described herein. However, these are merely examples and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0038] In describing embodiments of the present invention, if a detailed description of a known technology related to the present invention is judged to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the terms described below are terms defined in consideration of their functions in the present invention, and this may vary depending on the intention or custom of the user or operator. Therefore, the definitions should be made based on the contents throughout this specification. The terminology used in the detailed description is only for the purpose of describing embodiments of the present invention and should not be limited in any way. Unless clearly used otherwise, the singular form includes the plural form. In this description, expressions such as "comprises" or "having" are intended to indicate certain features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof, and should not be construed to exclude the presence or possibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof other than those described.

[0039] Additionally, while terms such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component may be referred to as a "second component," and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a "first component."

[0040] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system environment (100) for implementing personal information deletion according to one embodiment. As illustrated, the system environment includes a terminal (102) and a vehicle (104).

[0041] The terminal (102) is a terminal used by a user of the vehicle (104). In the disclosed embodiment, the terminal (102) may include, without limitation, any type of computing device that is generally portable and has wireless communication capabilities, such as a laptop computer, a smartphone, a tablet, or a wearable device.

[0042] The vehicle (104) may be a vehicle driven by a user carrying a terminal (102). In one embodiment, the vehicle (104) may include all types of land vehicles such as passenger cars, vans, trucks, and buses, as well as water or air vehicles such as ships and aircraft without limitation.

[0043] The vehicle (104) may be connected to the terminal (102) via a wireless or radio communication means. For example, the vehicle (104) may be connected to the terminal (102) via a cable or a short-range wireless communication means to transmit and receive data. Typically, Bluetooth is used as a short-range wireless communication means between the vehicle (104) and the terminal (102). However, it should be noted that the disclosed embodiments are not limited to a specific short-range wireless communication means, and other short-range wireless communication means such as wireless LAN, Zigbee, or Z-Wave may also be used. In addition, in the disclosed embodiments, the user of the vehicle (104) should be understood to include the driver or passenger of the vehicle (104).

[0044] When the vehicle (104) and the terminal (102) are connected via a wireless or wired communication means, the vehicle (104) can receive and store the user's personal information from the terminal (102). Here, the user's personal information may include one or more of the user's contact information, a recent call list, or a recent text message list. For example, the infotainment system (generally referred to as AVN, etc.) of the vehicle (104) can synchronize and store one or more of the contact information, recent call list, or recent text message list stored in the terminal (102). The vehicle (104) can use the synchronized personal information to provide a hands-free function to the user of the vehicle (104) or display the recent call or text message history through a display or voice equipped in the vehicle (104).

[0045] In the disclosed embodiments, the terminal (102) may provide a function for deleting the user's personal information stored in the vehicle (104). For convenience of explanation, the user's personal information stored in the vehicle (104) will be referred to as a "personal information copy" hereinafter. For example, when ownership is transferred due to the sale of the vehicle (104), or when the vehicle's (104) usage period ends, such as due to the end of the rental period, it is preferable that the user's personal information previously stored in the vehicle (104) be deleted in a manner that cannot be restored. To this end, the terminal (102) is configured to delete the personal information copy by overwriting the user's personal information copy synchronized and stored in the vehicle (104) using dummy data in response to a deletion request from the user.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a terminal (102) according to one embodiment. As illustrated, the terminal (102) according to one embodiment includes a data storage area (202), a synchronization module (204), and a personal information deletion module (206).

[0047] The data storage area (202) is an area where the personal information of the terminal (102) user is stored. In one embodiment, the data storage area (202) may include, without limitation, any type of data storage capable of storing and managing data in the terminal (102) for a short or long term, such as volatile or non-volatile memory, external memory, or a hard disk.

[0048] The synchronization module (204) is connected to the vehicle (104) via wireless or wired communication means, and provides the user's personal information to the vehicle (104) as the user drives the vehicle (104).

[0049] The personal information deletion module (206) receives a request from the user to delete a copy of the user's personal information that is synchronized and stored in the vehicle (104), creates one or more dummy data corresponding to the personal information copy, and deletes the personal information copy by overwriting the personal information copy using the created dummy data.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a personal information deletion module (206) according to one embodiment in more detail. As illustrated, the personal information deletion module (206) according to one embodiment includes an interface module (302), a dummy data generation module (304), a backup module (306), and an overwrite module (308).

[0051] The interface module (302) provides an interface for receiving a request for deletion of personal information from a user of the terminal (102). For example, the interface module (302) may provide an interface consisting of multiple buttons, as illustrated in FIG. 4A. The user may request deletion of personal information by selecting one of the multiple buttons provided on the screen of the terminal (102), for example, the "Privacy Protection" button illustrated in FIG. 4A.

[0052] In one embodiment, the interface module (302) may retrieve the storage history of personal information copies stored in the vehicle (104) and provide the retrieved data to the user upon request. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4b, the user may select the "Search" button displayed on the terminal (102) to request a search for the personal information storage history stored in the vehicle (104). The interface module (302) may then communicate with the vehicle (104) to retrieve the storage history of personal information copies stored in the vehicle (104), and display the storage history of the retrieved personal information copies on the screen, as illustrated in FIG. 4c. The user may then review the storage history of the personal information copies displayed on the screen and select one or more pieces of personal information to be deleted.

[0053] The dummy data generation module (304) generates one or more dummy data corresponding to a copy of the user's personal information stored and synchronized in the vehicle (104).

[0054] In one embodiment, the dummy data generation module (304) is configured to generate one or more dummy data entries in a data storage area where the user's personal information is stored. For example, if the personal information to be deleted is contact information, the dummy data generation module (304) may add one or more additional contact entries composed of dummy data to the contact storage space within the data storage area (202) of the terminal (104).

[0055] In one embodiment, each of the one or more dummy data entries added may contain the same string or number sequence. For example, if the personal information to be deleted is contact information, the dummy data generation module (304) may add multiple dummy data entries containing the same name and phone number to the contact storage space previously stored in the terminal (104), as follows.

[0056] - Name: Hong Gil-dong / Phone number: 010-1234-5678

[0057] In another embodiment, each of the one or more dummy data entries added may contain a different string or number sequence. For example, if the personal information to be deleted is contact information, the dummy data generation module (304) may add multiple dummy data entries containing random names and phone numbers to the contact storage space previously stored in the terminal (104), as follows.

[0058] - Name: aekcov / Phone number: 010-1234-5678

[0059] - Name: qwerqwd / Phone number: 010-9876-5432

[0060] - Name: Ppakkeupke / Phone number: 010-9999-9999

[0061] - Name: Byachapadike / Phone number: 010-8888-8888

[0062] In one embodiment, the dummy data generation module (304) may generate one or more dummy data entries equal to the maximum number of synchronizable entries of the vehicle. For example, if the maximum number of synchronizable contacts of the vehicle is 5,000, the dummy data generation module (304) may generate 5,000 dummy data entries. In this case, the one or more dummy data entries to be generated may be generated so that they have a higher synchronization priority with the vehicle (104) than actual data entries already stored in the data storage area. For example, if the vehicle (104) synchronizes only the most recent 5,000 contacts based on the data creation date, the dummy data generation module (304) may set the creation date of the dummy data entry to be more recent than the creation date of the actual data entry. In another example, if the vehicle (104) sorts contacts alphabetically and synchronizes only the first 5,000 contacts, the dummy data generation module (304) may generate the dummy data entries so that the dummy data is positioned before the actual data when sorting the contacts. When configured in this way, when personal information is synchronized in the overwrite module (308) later, dummy data rather than actual data is given priority and transmitted to the vehicle (104) as the data to be synchronized.

[0063] In another embodiment, the dummy data generation module (304) may encrypt the user's personal information previously stored in the data storage area (202) or generate dummy data using a hash function. For example, the dummy data generation module (304) may encrypt the user's actual personal information using a symmetric key encryption algorithm such as AES or ARIA, a public key-based encryption algorithm such as RSA or ECC, and a hash function such as SHA128, SAH256, or SHA512, or convert the encrypted personal information into a hash value and use it as dummy data. At this time, the dummy data generation module (304) may receive from the user or randomly generate a key used in the encryption algorithm and hash function.

[0064] The backup module (306) performs a backup of previously stored personal information before encrypting the personal information in the dummy data generation module (304). The backup module (306) can recover the encrypted personal information using the backed up personal information after the deletion of the personal information stored in the vehicle (104) is completed.

[0065] The overwrite module (308) deletes the copy of personal information stored in the vehicle (104) by overwriting the copy of personal information using dummy data generated by the dummy data generation module (304).

[0066] In one embodiment, the overwrite module (308) may be configured to disconnect and reconnect the communication connection with the vehicle (104), and, if a personal information synchronization request is received from the vehicle (104) after the reconnection, transmit dummy data to the vehicle. For example, the overwrite module (308) may intentionally disconnect the short-range wireless communication connection with the vehicle (104) and reconnect it after a certain period of time. Typically, when the short-range wireless communication connection with the terminal (102) is established, the vehicle (104) transmits a request to update personal information, such as contact information and recent call / text lists, to the terminal (102). In response to the request, the overwrite module (308) may transmit dummy data instead of actual data to the vehicle (104), thereby replacing a copy of personal information previously stored in the vehicle (104) with the dummy data. In one embodiment, the overwrite module (308) may repeat the above-described process of disconnecting, reconnecting, and updating personal information accordingly multiple times to completely delete the copy of personal information.

[0067] In another embodiment, the overwrite module (308) may be configured to transmit a request to update personal information to the vehicle (104), and when a request to synchronize personal information is received from the vehicle in response to the update request, transmit dummy data to the vehicle (104). For example, if the infotainment system of the vehicle (104) is configured to update personal information in response to a request from the terminal (102), the overwrite module (308) may transmit a separate update request to the vehicle (104), and when the vehicle (104) requests the terminal (102) to transmit new personal information in response to the update request, transmit dummy data instead of actual data to the vehicle (104), thereby replacing a copy of the personal information previously stored in the vehicle (104) with the dummy data. In one embodiment, the overwrite module (308) may repeat the personal information update request and the corresponding personal information update process multiple times to completely delete the copy of the personal information.

[0068] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a personal information deletion process (500) according to one embodiment. The illustrated method may be performed on a computing device having one or more processors and a memory storing one or more programs executed by the one or more processors, such as a terminal (102) according to one embodiment. In the illustrated flowchart, the method or process is described by dividing it into a plurality of steps, but at least some of the steps may be performed in a different order, combined with other steps and performed together, omitted, divided into sub-steps and performed, or one or more steps not illustrated may be added and performed.

[0069] In step 502, the terminal (102) receives a request from the user to delete a copy of the user's personal information that is synchronized and stored in the vehicle (104).

[0070] In step 504, the terminal (102) generates one or more dummy data corresponding to the personal information copy.

[0071] In step 506, the terminal (102) deletes the personal information copy by overwriting the personal information copy using the generated dummy data.

[0072] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a computing environment (10) including a computing device suitable for use in exemplary embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, each component may have different functions and capabilities other than those described below, and may include additional components other than those described below.

[0073] The illustrated computing environment (10) includes a computing device (12). In some embodiments, the computing device (12) may be a terminal (102) according to one embodiment. The computing device (12) includes at least one processor (14), a computer-readable storage medium (16), and a communication bus (18). The processor (14) may cause the computing device (12) to operate according to the exemplary embodiments described above. For example, the processor (14) may execute one or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium (16). The one or more programs may include one or more computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor (14) may cause the computing device (12) to perform operations according to the exemplary embodiments.

[0074] A computer-readable storage medium (16) is configured to store computer-executable instructions or program code, program data, and / or other suitable forms of information. A program (20) stored in the computer-readable storage medium (16) includes a set of instructions executable by the processor (14). In one embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium (16) may be a memory (volatile memory such as random access memory, non-volatile memory, or a suitable combination thereof), one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, any other form of storage medium that is accessible by the computing device (12) and capable of storing desired information, or a suitable combination thereof.

[0075] A communication bus (18) interconnects various other components of the computing device (12), including the processor (14) and computer-readable storage media (16).

[0076] The computing device (12) may also include one or more input / output interfaces (22) that provide interfaces for one or more input / output devices (24) and one or more network communication interfaces (26). The input / output interfaces (22) and the network communication interfaces (26) are connected to the communication bus (18). The input / output devices (24) may be connected to other components of the computing device (12) via the input / output interfaces (22). Exemplary input / output devices (24) may include input devices such as pointing devices (such as a mouse or a trackpad), a keyboard, a touch input device (such as a touchpad or a touchscreen), a voice or sound input device, various types of sensor devices and / or photographing devices, and / or output devices such as display devices, printers, speakers and / or network cards. The exemplary input / output devices (24) may be included within the computing device (12) as a component constituting the computing device (12), or may be connected to the computing device (12) as a separate device distinct from the computing device (12).

[0077] While representative embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications to the above-described embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the claims set forth below but also by equivalents thereof.

[0078] <Explanation of symbols>

[0079] 102: Terminal

[0080] 104: Vehicle

[0081] 202: Data storage area

[0082] 204: Synchronization Module

[0083] 206: Personal Information Deletion Module

[0084] 302: Interface Module

[0085] 304: Dummy Data Generation Module

[0086] 306: Backup Module

[0087] 308: Overwrite module

Claims

1. Data storage area where the user's personal information is stored; A synchronization module that is connected to the vehicle via wireless or wired communication means and provides the personal information to the vehicle as the user drives the vehicle; A terminal device including a personal information deletion module that receives a request from the user to delete a copy of the user's personal information that is synchronized and stored in the vehicle, creates one or more dummy data corresponding to the personal information copy, and deletes the personal information copy by overwriting the personal information copy using the created dummy data.

2. In claim 1, The above personal information includes one or more of the user's contact information, recent call list, or recent text message list.

3. In claim 1, The above personal information deletion module provides the user with the storage history of the copy of the personal information previously stored in the vehicle at the user's request, A terminal device that deletes part or all of the above personal information copies according to the user's choice.

4. In claim 1, The above personal information deletion module is a terminal device that creates one or more dummy data entries in the data storage area.

5. In claim 4, A terminal device, wherein each of the one or more dummy data entries contains the same string of characters or numeric sequences.

6. In claim 4, A terminal device, wherein each of the one or more dummy data entries comprises a random string or number sequence.

7. In claim 4, The above personal information deletion module is a terminal device that creates one or more dummy data entries equal to the maximum number of entries that can be synchronized with the vehicle.

8. In claim 7, A terminal device wherein the one or more dummy data entries are created to have a higher synchronization priority with the vehicle than actual data entries already stored in the data storage area.

9. In claim 1, The above personal information deletion module is a terminal device that encrypts the user's personal information previously stored in the data storage area to generate the dummy data.

10. In claim 9, The above personal information deletion module is a terminal device that performs a backup of the personal information before encrypting the personal information.

11. In claim 1, The above personal information deletion module is a terminal device that disconnects and reconnects a communication connection with the vehicle, and, when a request for synchronization of the personal information is received from the vehicle after the reconnection, transmits the dummy data to the vehicle.

12. In claim 1, The above personal information deletion module is a terminal device that transmits a request for updating the personal information to the vehicle, and when a request for synchronizing the personal information is received from the vehicle in response to the update request, transmits the dummy data to the vehicle.

13. A dummy data generation module that receives a request from a vehicle user to delete a copy of the user's personal information stored in sync with the vehicle and generates one or more dummy data corresponding to the copy of the personal information; and A device for deleting personal information in a vehicle, comprising an overwriting module that deletes a copy of personal information by overwriting the copy of personal information using the generated dummy data.

14. In claim 13, The above personal information includes one or more of the user's contact information, recent call list, or recent text message list.

15. In claim 13, A device for deleting personal information in a vehicle, further comprising an interface module that provides the user with a storage history of a copy of the personal information previously stored in the vehicle at the user's request and receives the user's selection information regarding the storage history.

16. In claim 13, The above dummy data generation module is an in-vehicle personal information deletion device that creates one or more dummy data entries in a data storage area where the user's personal information is stored.

17. In claim 16, A device for deleting personal information within a vehicle, wherein each of the one or more dummy data entries contains the same string or string of numbers, or contains a random string or string of numbers.

18. In claim 16, The above dummy data generation module is a device for deleting personal information within a vehicle, which generates one or more dummy data entries equal to the maximum number of entries that can be synchronized in the vehicle.

19. In claim 18, A device for deleting personal information in a vehicle, wherein the one or more dummy data entries are created to have a higher synchronization priority with the vehicle than actual data entries already stored in the data storage area.

20. In claim 13, The above dummy data generation module is a device for deleting personal information within a vehicle, which generates the dummy data by encrypting the user's personal information previously stored in the data storage area.

21. In claim 20, A device for deleting personal information in a vehicle, further comprising a backup module that performs a backup of the personal information before encrypting the personal information.

22. In claim 13, The above overwrite module is a device for deleting personal information within a vehicle, which disconnects and reconnects a communication connection with the vehicle, and, when a request for synchronization of the personal information is received from the vehicle after the reconnection, transmits the dummy data to the vehicle.

23. In claim 13, The above overwrite module is a device for deleting personal information within a vehicle, wherein the above overwrite module transmits a request for updating the personal information to the vehicle, and when a request for synchronizing the personal information is received from the vehicle in response to the update request, the dummy data is transmitted to the vehicle.

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