Location Modification System for Privacy Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users of location-tracking services face privacy concerns when sharing their location and route, as turning off location sharing can raise suspicion among others, and existing methods lack a seamless way to modify shared information without arousing curiosity.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows users to define and apply predetermined themes to modify their location and related information, such as substituting actual locations or events, to present alternative information to different user groups, ensuring privacy without raising suspicion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users turn off location sharing to protect privacy, then privacy protection is improved, but suspicion among other users increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copy of the user's location information that is modified to show fictional or alternative locations instead of actual locations. This copy is then shared with other users, allowing the user to maintain privacy while preventing suspicion by providing plausible alternative location data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary layer between the user's actual location and the location information shared with others. This intermediary modifies the location data through themes or fictional scenarios, acting as a buffer that protects privacy while maintaining social harmony.
2Measurement precision
If users share actual location information, then location accuracy is improved, but privacy protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of sharing actual location data, the system creates and shares modified copies of location information. These copies maintain the structure and format of location data but contain fictional or alternative location values, thereby preserving privacy while providing location-like information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional approach by not sharing the true location at all. Instead, it shares the opposite or alternative location information, turning the problem of location disclosure on its head by deliberately providing false but plausible location data.
3Reliability
If users apply theme-based location modification, then privacy protection is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements universal theme templates that can be applied to multiple users and situations. These pre-defined themes handle various privacy scenarios with a single framework, reducing the need for complex custom solutions for each user while maintaining effective privacy protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent prepares theme templates and modification rules in advance, before they are needed for actual privacy protection. This preliminary setup allows the system to quickly apply pre-thought-out privacy scenarios without requiring complex real-time decision-making, thereby reducing operational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An approach is provided for thematically modifying location and related information. A location modification platform determines location information of a device associated with a first user. The location modification platform then modifies the location information to indicate a location other than an actual location of the device according to a predetermined theme and causes, at least in part, actions that result in presentation of the modified location information to a second user.