Geographic Coordinate Obscuring for Connected Vehicle Privacy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for anonymizing travel-related data do not adequately protect sensitive information, as personally identifiable information can still be inferred from aggregated data despite anonymization techniques, raising privacy and security concerns.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where computing devices partially obscure geographic coordinates by altering them based on predefined conditions such as trip origins, destinations, and geofenced areas, reducing their precision to protect personal information, while ensuring the accuracy of aggregate travel data through non-obscured locations from other trips or vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If geographic coordinates are fully obscured to protect personal information, then privacy protection is improved, but the accuracy and utility of aggregate travel data deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different levels of coordinate obscuring to different locations based on their sensitivity. High-sensitive locations (homes, workplaces) receive stronger obscuring while low-sensitive locations maintain higher precision. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by protecting privacy where needed while preserving data accuracy where acceptable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the obscuring parameter (coordinate modification intensity) based on location sensitivity classification. By changing the parameter of coordinate transformation differently across various locations, the system balances privacy protection with data utility, preventing full obscuring that would degrade aggregate data quality.
2Reliability
If traditional anonymization techniques are applied to remove personally identifiable information, then basic privacy protection is improved, but sensitivity of travel data remains vulnerable to inference deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary coordinate obscuring before data aggregation to prevent sensitive information inference. By proactively transforming coordinates at the source rather than relying on post-hoc anonymization, the system preemptively blocks potential privacy breaches while maintaining data usefulness for aggregate analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary coordinate transformation process that acts as a buffer between raw location data and aggregate datasets. This intermediary layer modifies coordinates to prevent direct identification while preserving spatial patterns needed for traffic analysis, resolving the vulnerability to inference attacks.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If all geographic coordinates are altered to protect privacy, then personal information security is improved, but the ability to analyze traffic patterns and road characteristics deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different locations receive different levels of coordinate transformation based on their sensitivity classification. High-sensitive locations undergo stronger obscuring while low-sensitive locations maintain higher precision, ensuring that traffic pattern analysis can still utilize sufficient location data without compromising privacy at sensitive sites.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial coordinate obscuring rather than complete anonymization. By obscuring only the portion of coordinates necessary for privacy protection while retaining sufficient spatial information, the system maintains data utility for traffic analysis while achieving adequate privacy security.
Data Source
AI summary
As a computing device travels on a trip from a starting location to a destination location, geographic coordinates are captured and stored. The geographic coordinates are tested against an obscuring condition to determine a portion of the geographic coordinates that satisfy the obscuring condition. Based on the determined portion of geographic coordinates satisfying the obscuring condition, altering the geographic coordinates in the determined portion of the geographic coordinates to reduce their precision or accuracy. The computing device transmits the altered geographic coordinates and the geographic coordinates that did not satisfy the obscuring condition.