Anonymous Interest Profiles for Privacy-Controlled Web Personalization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems fail to provide users with personalized internet experiences while respecting their privacy and allowing control over data collection, limiting smaller companies' ability to reach consumers effectively.

Innovation Solution

A Profile of Interest DNA (PIDNA) system that allows users to create, manage, and control their interest-based profiles, enabling smaller companies to access this data for personalized services, while ensuring user privacy and autonomy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If current systems collect user data continuously, then personalization capability is improved, but user privacy control deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepersonalization capabilityVSAvoidprivacy control

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a user-controlled profile system as an intermediary between data collection and personalization. Users create profiles with explicit interests and preferences, which act as a mediator that allows personalized content delivery without requiring continuous covert data collection. The profile serves as a trusted intermediary that websites can query to obtain personalization data while users maintain control over what information is shared.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Users actively create and maintain their own profiles by specifying their interests, preferences, and demographic information. This self-service approach replaces passive data collection with active user participation, giving users direct control over their personalization data while enabling websites to deliver personalized content without continuous monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Loss of information

If user data is collected for personalization, then content relevance is improved, but data collection control deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent relevanceVSAvoiddata collection control

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Users complete a profile setup process in advance, providing their interests, preferences, and demographic information before visiting websites. This preliminary action eliminates the need for continuous data collection during browsing, as websites can query the pre-existing profile to obtain relevant personalization data immediately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The user profile acts as an intermediary data repository that websites can access through a standardized interface. This mediator allows websites to obtain relevant personalization data without implementing their own data collection mechanisms, thereby maintaining content relevance while simplifying user control over data sharing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If smaller companies want to provide personalized services, then service quality is improved, but access to user data deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice qualityVSAvoidaccess to user data

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal profile system that can be accessed by any website or application through a standardized interface. This universal approach allows smaller companies to access user profile data without needing to develop proprietary data collection systems, enabling them to provide personalized services with the same quality as larger companies while maintaining user control over data sharing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Object-generated harmful factors

If anonymous profiles are used, then privacy is improved, but personalization effectiveness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidpersonalization effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses anonymous or pseudonymous user profiles that copy essential personalization attributes (interests, preferences, demographics) without containing directly identifiable personal information. This allows websites to deliver personalized content based on profile data while maintaining user anonymity, effectively decoupling personalization capability from identifiable user data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS12361076B2Method and system for authorizing and enabling anonymous consumer internet personalization

Publication Date: 2025.07.15 SEMANTIC LABS LLC

AI summary

A system and method for customizing information presented to a user based on user preferences and/or interests. The system receives user preferences and/or interests and builds a user profile for the user based on those preferences and/or interests. The system receives a request from a website or application to access the user's profile. In response to this request, the system provides the website or application with access to the user's profile and generates one or more customized content items based on the user's profile, which may be embedded into, overlaid on the website or graphical user interface of the application. The system also allows the user to personalize their profile to generate customized content items on websites and applications that the user visits or uses.