Local Anonymization Workflow for Cross-Border Maintenance Messaging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems face challenges in providing maintenance services across borders while adhering to cross-border personal information transfer restrictions, particularly in cases where the aggregation base and local service bases are operated by different companies, leading to difficulties in generating and managing anonymization keys for maintenance staff.

Innovation Solution

An information processing system that includes a first computer operating at a first computer, a second computer, and a client terminal, where personal information is processed and transmitted in a way that complies with local regulations, allowing for the generation of processed time-series data without crossing borders, enabling the aggregation base to issue instructions to local bases without transferring personal information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the aggregation base directly issues instructions to local maintenance staff using personal information, then maintenance service efficiency is improved, but cross-border personal information transfer restrictions are violated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance service efficiencyVSAvoidcompliance with cross-border data transfer restrictions
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts personal information from the data transmission process between aggregation base and local bases. Only anonymized operation data is transmitted across borders, while personal information remains localized at each base, eliminating cross-border personal information transfer while maintaining service efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary anonymization process that transforms personal information into anonymous identifiers. This intermediary mechanism allows the aggregation base to issue instructions efficiently while preventing actual personal information from crossing borders, thus resolving the contradiction between efficiency and compliance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If anonymization number keys are generated and stored at the central agency for each maintenance staff, then individual notification capability is improved, but data storage capacity and management complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindividual notification capabilityVSAvoiddata storage and management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the anonymization key generation and storage responsibility from the central agency to the local bases. Each local base generates and manages its own anonymization keys for its staff, eliminating the need for the central agency to store and manage huge amounts of anonymization data while maintaining individual notification capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Local bases perform self-service by generating and managing their own anonymization keys independently. This eliminates the burden on the central agency to manage global anonymization data, reducing storage complexity while preserving the ability to notify individuals at local bases

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If personal information is transferred to the aggregation base for processing, then instruction issuance capability is improved, but data security and compliance are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstruction issuance capabilityVSAvoiddata security risks and compliance violations
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts personal information from the cross-border data transmission process. Only anonymized operation data is transmitted to the aggregation base, which can still issue instructions effectively without accessing actual personal information, thus maintaining instruction capability while ensuring data security and compliance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Anonymization acts as an intermediary layer between personal information and the aggregation base processing system. This allows the aggregation base to perform its instruction issuance function while personal information remains protected and localized, eliminating security risks and compliance violations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4250160B1Information processing system, information processing method, and computer
Publication Date: 2025.12.10 HITACHI LTD
  • EP4250160B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4250160B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4250160B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is an information processing system including a first computer at a first base, a second computer at a second base, and a terminal connected to the first computer, in which the first computer stores, as personal information of a user of the terminal, personal management information including an ID and a contact detail of the user, generates personal time-series information in which the personal information and time are added to the operation information of the terminal, generates processed time-series information by performing concealment on the personal information in the personal time-series information, and. transmits the processed time-series information to the second computer, the second computer receives the processed time-series information, generates search range information for the processed time-series information from a search condition for the processed time-series information for specifying the user at the first base and a message to be transmitted to the user at the first base, and transmits the search range information to the first computer, and the first computer specifies the user by searching for the personal time-series information, with the search condition of the received search range information.