Data Protection System Selective Deletion Based on Creation Time

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for protecting data on electronic devices do not differentiate between data belonging to the original owner and data stored by a subsequent user, potentially leading to accidental deletion of third-party data.

Innovation Solution

A data protection system that differentiates data deletion based on creation dates and times relative to device theft or loss, allowing data created by the owner to be deleted without backup, data created by an innocent user to be left intact, and data created during an uncertain period to be quarantined and made unavailable to the current user.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data deletion is applied to all data on the device, then the original owner's data is protected, but third-party data created after theft may be accidentally deleted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata protection reliabilityVSAvoidaccidental deletion of third-party data
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments data into distinct categories based on creation time relative to the theft date. Data is divided into: (1) data created before theft (to be deleted), (2) data created after theft (to be protected), and (3) data created during the uncertain period (to be quarantined). This segmentation allows selective deletion while preserving third-party data created after theft.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a theft detection mechanism that triggers before actual data deletion occurs. When theft is detected, the system immediately identifies the theft date and uses this information to determine which data should be deleted and which should be protected, preventing accidental deletion of third-party data before it can occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If selective data deletion is implemented, then third-party data is protected, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection of third-party dataVSAvoiddata deletion system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a theft detection mechanism that triggers before actual data deletion occurs. When theft is detected, the system immediately identifies the theft date and uses this information to determine which data should be deleted and which should be protected, preventing accidental deletion of third-party data before it can occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If all data is deleted without distinction, then data protection is simplified, but the ability to restore third-party data is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata deletion simplicityVSAvoiddata restoration capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments data into distinct categories based on creation time relative to the theft date. Data is divided into: (1) data created before theft (to be deleted), (2) data created after theft (to be protected), and (3) data created during the uncertain period (to be quarantined). This segmentation allows selective deletion while preserving third-party data created after theft.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the data protection system with theft detection) that mediates between the simple desire to delete all data and the need to preserve third-party data. This intermediary layer processes data based on creation timestamps and applies appropriate actions (deletion, protection, or quarantine) without requiring complex user intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2427851B1Discriminating data protection system
Publication Date: 2017.12.13 ABSOLUTE SOFTWARE CORPORATION
  • EP2427851B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2427851B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2427851B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A data protection system selectively deletes data from an electronic device when the device is reported as lost or stolen, or when another data protection triggering event occurs. Different data files may, for example, be treated differently depending on when such files were created. For example, data files that were created while the computing device was known to be in the owner's possession may be deleted, while data files created after the electronic device left the owner's possession may be left intact (since they may have been created by an innocent user). Data files created between these two points in time may be quarantined so that they later be restored, if appropriate.