Contact Data Quality Filtering via Device Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for collecting and processing contact data, such as those used in the Corona-Warn-App, face challenges in ensuring data quality due to variations in hardware and software characteristics of terminal devices, leading to inconsistent and unreliable contact data, particularly in large-scale investigations.

Innovation Solution

A method where device identification data is transmitted from terminal devices to a server, which uses this information to evaluate and treat contact data, allowing for the rejection, correction, or further processing of data based on device characteristics, thereby improving data quality and reducing unnecessary data transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If contact data is collected from all terminal devices without filtering, then the quantity of contact data is increased, but the quality and reliability of the data deteriorates due to hardware and software variations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequantity of contact dataVSAvoidquality of contact data

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The server performs preliminary evaluation of device identification data before processing contact data. By checking device characteristics in advance and creating allowlists or blocklists, the system pre-filters devices that can and cannot provide reliable contact data, preventing low-quality data from entering the processing pipeline

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Device identification data serves as an intermediary element between the terminal device and the contact data. The server uses this intermediary information (device characteristics, hardware identifiers, software versions) to evaluate and filter devices, enabling quality control without directly examining the contact data itself

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If device identification data is transmitted and processed to filter contact data, then the quality of contact data is improved, but the device complexity and data transmission requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality of contact dataVSAvoidcomplexity of data processing system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary device identification data (device characteristics, hardware identifiers, software versions) from terminal devices, separating this evaluation information from the main contact data. This extraction allows the server to perform filtering based on device quality without processing the entire contact dataset

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The server changes the evaluation parameters by assessing device identification data against predefined criteria (device characteristics, compatibility requirements). This parameter-based evaluation enables automated filtering decisions, transforming a complex quality assessment task into a systematic parameter-matching process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Quantity of substance

If contact data from incompatible devices is processed, then the quantity of data available for analysis is increased, but the measurement precision and consistency of contact behavior analysis deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevolume of contact data for analysisVSAvoidconsistency of contact data

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different quality standards and filtering criteria to different devices based on their identification data. By evaluating each device's hardware and software characteristics locally, the system determines which devices meet the required quality thresholds for contact data collection, ensuring consistent measurement precision across all included devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4020497A1Method for processing of contact data, terminal, server, network assembly and computer program

Publication Date: 2022.06.29 DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG

Figure 1

AI summary

At the beginning of 2020, the need arose to collect, process, and share contact information between people in order to identify any contacts that may have led to the transmission of coronavirus infections. The object of the present invention is to further improve the data processing of contact data. To this end, a method for processing contact data is proposed, wherein contact data for at least one contact device 3 is recorded on an end device 2, wherein the end device 2 and the contact device 3 each have device identifiers, wherein the contact data can be transmitted from the end device 2 to a server 4, wherein the device identifiers are transmitted from the contact device 2 to the server, and wherein the server 4 processes the contact data from the contact device 3 depending on the device identifiers of the contact device 3.