Anonymizing User Data via Topic Mapping for Server Search
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing server-based search systems face challenges in providing relevant search results and query suggestions while maintaining user privacy, as they require access to user-identifying information to deliver personalized content.
Innovation Solution
The system anonymizes user interest data by mapping it to broad topics stored locally on the user's device, allowing only these topics to be transmitted to the server, enabling relevant search results and query suggestions without exposing individual user information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If user-identifying information is transmitted to the server for personalized search results, then search relevance is improved, but user privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary anonymization process that transforms personally identifiable information into pseudonymous identifiers before transmission to the server. This mediator layer allows the system to maintain search personalization capabilities while preventing direct identification of users, thus resolving the contradiction between search relevance and user privacy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of user identification from specific personally identifiable information to generalized pseudonymous identifiers. By transforming the identification parameter while retaining enough information for personalization, the system achieves both improved search relevance and protected user privacy.
2Adaptability or versatility
If detailed user data is stored on the server, then personalized content delivery is improved, but data security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes sensitive personally identifiable information from the data transmitted to and stored on the server. By taking out only the necessary anonymized identifiers for personalization while excluding detailed user data, the system improves data security while maintaining personalized content delivery capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses disposable pseudonymous identifiers that are inexpensive and temporary rather than storing valuable permanent user data on servers. This approach reduces the security risk associated with storing detailed user information while still enabling personalized content delivery.
Data Source
AI summary
A device implementing a system for anonymizing user data provided for server-side operations includes a processor configured to receive user input including a search term, wherein first and second data structures are stored on the device, the first data structure including user interest data items that correspond to prior user activity, the second data structure including topic data items mapped to the user interest data items, the topic data items being broader than the user interest data items. The processor accesses the second data structure to obtain one or more topic data items. The processor transmits, to a server, the search term and one or more topic data items for obtaining a query suggestion or search result. The processor receives, from the server, the query suggestion or search result, the query suggestion or search result having been obtained based on the search term and one or more topic data items.