Location Data Blurring via Intermediary Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing need for protecting mobile device users' privacy regarding their location data, as detailed location logs can be intrusive and sensitive, necessitates a solution that manages and anonymizes location information without burdening users with manual management.
Innovation Solution
A privacy-enhanced mobility data service that processes location data using prestored entries with location statuses, generating derived locations that are less accurate than the original, and storing these in user-specific or general logs, with options for masking or blurring to comply with regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If detailed location information is stored, then personalized service quality is improved, but user privacy protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that receives precise location data, matches it against prestored location entries with associated statuses, and generates derived location data that preserves service quality while protecting privacy. This intermediary process transforms sensitive raw location information into anonymized derived information that can be used for personalized services without exposing actual user locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the accuracy parameter of location data by generating derived locations with reduced precision. Instead of storing exact coordinates, the system stores derived locations that are less accurate, thereby maintaining utility for service personalization while eliminating the ability to identify specific user positions, thus resolving the privacy-quality tradeoff.
2Adaptability or versatility
If detailed location data is collected, then service personalization is improved, but data security risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary location information needed for service personalization while leaving out sensitive identifying details. By matching precise locations against prestored entries and extracting only the derived location status and generalized position, the system maintains service personalization capability while removing the security risks associated with storing detailed personal location data.
3Measurement precision
If precise location information is stored, then location accuracy is improved, but privacy protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional approach by not storing precise location information directly. Instead, it stores derived location data with reduced accuracy that is generated from matching precise locations against prestored entries. This inversion allows the system to maintain location tracking functionality while inherently protecting privacy by design, as the stored data never contains precise identifying information.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for blurring location data. Location data indicating a location of a mobile device and a user identification associated with the mobile device is received. Prestored data indicating a plurality of entries is accessed, each entry having a respective stored location associated with a corresponding location status. In response to an entry in the prestored data including a stored location corresponding to the location of the mobile device indicated in the location data, a derived location of the mobile device is generated based on the corresponding location status of the stored location, wherein the derived location is less accurate than the location indicated in the received location data. The derived location of the mobile device is stored in a mobile device location log associated with the received user identification.