Anonymous Session Continuation Using Privacy-Preserving Tracking Tokens
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computer implemented services struggle to maintain a high quality of service for anonymous sessions due to data privacy regulations that limit the collection of context information, leading to less personalized experiences for users who choose to remain anonymous.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a session tracking token system that allows guests to continue anonymous sessions by associating context information with a transformed version stored on their device, enabling future sessions to be restored without collecting identifying information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If context information is collected for anonymous sessions, then service personalization quality improves, but data privacy compliance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments context information into two categories: identifiable information (stored locally on user devices) and anonymized information (stored on server systems). This segmentation allows the system to collect comprehensive context data for personalization while ensuring that identifiable information remains with the user, thus complying with data privacy regulations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces session tracking tokens as intermediaries that link anonymous sessions to stored context information without revealing user identity. These tokens act as mediators between the service system and user device, enabling personalized service delivery while maintaining user anonymity and privacy compliance.
2Measurement precision
If identifiable information is stored for session continuation, then session restoration accuracy improves, but user anonymity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional approach by storing context information locally on user devices rather than centrally on servers. User devices generate and retain their own session context, reversing the conventional data storage model to prioritize user anonymity while maintaining session restoration capability through local storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates copies of context information - storing anonymized versions on server systems and complete versions locally on user devices. This copying strategy enables the server to provide personalized services using anonymized data while users maintain full control of their identifiable information locally, thus preserving anonymity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If context information is deleted after sessions end, then data privacy compliance improves, but service personalization quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by storing context information in anonymized form on server systems before sessions end. This advance preparation enables rapid session restoration and personalization when users return, while the anonymized storage ensures data privacy compliance is maintained throughout the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the state of context information by transforming identifiable data into anonymized data through hashing or aggregation. This parameter change allows the system to retain useful context information for personalization while removing identifying characteristics, thus resolving the conflict between data retention and privacy compliance.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for managing sessions between guests and computer implemented services are disclosed. Upon initiating a session, it may be determined whether a guest wishes to remain anonymous during the session. If the guest wishes to remain anonymous and wishes for the anonymous session to be able to be continued, a session tracking token may be issued to the guest. Context information may be collected based on the guest's interactions with the computer implemented services and the context information may be associated with the session tracking token. If the guest wishes to continue the anonymous session at a future point in time, the guest may provide the context information and the session tracking token. If the context information and session tracking token are successfully validated, the previous anonymous session may be restored without linking the context information to an identity of the user.