Consumer Record Matching via Encrypted Attribute Hashing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for matching consumer information across different entities often face challenges due to privacy concerns and inefficiencies in data sharing, leading to missed matches despite the existence of corresponding information.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the receipt and processing of encrypted identification and attribute strings from multiple compute devices, where records with matching hashed attribute strings are combined, and subsequent filtering to create a matched record set, ensuring privacy compliance and accurate matching.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If consumer information is shared across entities for matching, then matching accuracy improves, but privacy compliance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematching accuracyVSAvoidprivacy compliance
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a trusted third-party computing environment (secure enclave, homomorphic encryption, or differential privacy mechanism) as an intermediary that enables matching operations without direct exposure of raw consumer data. This intermediary layer allows entities to contribute data for matching while maintaining privacy compliance, resolving the contradiction between matching accuracy and privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates cryptographic copies or transformed representations of consumer data (encrypted identifiers, hashed attributes, synthetic data) that can be shared and processed for matching purposes without exposing the original sensitive information. These copies enable accurate matching while preserving privacy, as the original data remains protected in its source systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Object-affected harmful factors

If limited information is used for matching, then privacy compliance improves, but matching accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprivacy complianceVSAvoidmatching accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments consumer information into different components with varying privacy sensitivities (identifiers, demographics, behavior data) and processes them through different privacy-preserving mechanisms. This segmentation allows maximization of usable information for matching while applying appropriate privacy protection to each segment, overcoming the limitation of having to use only limited information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms data parameters through cryptographic operations (encryption, hashing, differential privacy noise addition) that change the form of information to enable matching. These parameter changes allow the system to use far more information than limited approaches would permit, while the transformed parameters maintain privacy compliance through mathematical guarantees.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If multiple data sources are integrated for matching, then matching completeness improves, but system complexity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematching completenessVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal matching framework that can integrate multiple data sources through a common set of privacy-preserving operations and protocols. This multi-functional system handles different data types, encryption methods, and computing environments (secure enclaves, homomorphic encryption, differential privacy) through unified interfaces, reducing the complexity that would otherwise arise from managing multiple separate integration systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2915048B1Method and apparatus for matching consumers
Publication Date: 2019.05.15 DATALOGIX
  • EP2915048B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2915048B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2915048B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a first record set from a first compute device and a second record set from a second compute device. Each record from the first record set has a first attribute string; and each record from the second record set has a first attribute string. The method includes defining a third record set to include each record from the first record set that has a first attribute string equal to a first attribute string of a record from the second record set. The method also includes repeating the above steps for a fourth record set from the first compute device and a fifth record set from the second compute device to further define the third record set. Each record from the fourth record set has a second attribute string and each record from the fifth record set has a second attribute string.