Location Service Server for Privacy-Preserving Context Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional location-based services face challenges in scalability, inability to capture temporal differences, and potential privacy issues due to excessive location queries and disclosure of user location, particularly in high-volume applications and mass market scenarios.
Innovation Solution
The system translates complex location and time information into a simple situational context value, using a geo database with polygons of varying precision and time-indexed data structures to identify space-time contexts without exposing precise user locations, allowing for relevant content delivery while maintaining privacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional location-based services use precise coordinates and frequent location queries to provide accurate location information, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a location service server as an intermediary between the mobile device and the location-based service application. The server handles complex location query processing, fence crossing detection, and context determination, while the mobile device only needs to report basic location updates. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by transferring computational complexity from the device to the server, maintaining location accuracy while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining geographic fences and context rules on the server side before actual location queries. The server pre-processes location data, pre-establishes context determination logic, and pre-configures fence boundaries. This preliminary processing reduces the complexity of real-time location analysis on mobile devices while maintaining measurement precision.
2Reliability
If conventional systems perform frequent location queries to detect fence crossings in real-time, then reliability is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic location reporting where the mobile device reports its location at predetermined intervals or when significant location changes occur, rather than continuously querying. The server uses these periodic updates to detect fence crossings by comparing reported locations against predefined fence boundaries. This periodic approach maintains reliable fence crossing detection while significantly reducing the energy consumption associated with continuous location polling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing the server to autonomously determine fence crossing events based on periodic location reports. The server automatically compares device locations with fence definitions, detects crossings without additional device intervention, and triggers appropriate services. This self-service mechanism maintains detection reliability while minimizing the energy burden on mobile devices.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional location-based services disclose precise user location information to provide location-aware services, then adaptability is improved, but loss of information (privacy) increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential location information needed for service delivery while leaving sensitive precise location data on the user's device. The system determines fence crossing events and contextual information without requiring the application or server to access the user's exact coordinates. This extraction approach provides adaptability for location-based services while protecting user privacy by removing unnecessary sensitive information from the communication stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The location service server acts as an intermediary that protects user privacy by processing location data without exposing precise coordinates to applications. The server receives location reports, determines contextual information and fence crossing events, and provides only the necessary service information to applications. This intermediary layer maintains service adaptability while preventing loss of private location information.
4Productivity
If conventional techniques use excessive messaging over the air interface to support location-based services, then productivity is improved, but loss of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and processes only the essential location-related messages needed for service delivery. The system determines fence crossing events and context information server-side, requiring minimal uplink and downlink messaging. Only critical location updates and service trigger messages are transmitted over the air interface, reducing messaging volume while maintaining service productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary processing of location data and fence crossing detection on the server side before air interface communication is needed. By pre-determining context information and crossing events, the system minimizes the number of messages required over the air interface, improving productivity while reducing the energy loss associated with excessive messaging.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for providing situational user contexts to mobile applications, allowing for delivery of the relevant content without exposing mobile users' locations and other personal data. A plurality of space-time contexts (STCs) are stored in computer memory, with each STC representing a situational environment as a function of location and time. A mobile user device is associated with at least one of the STCs based on, for example, the location of the device and the current time. The associated STCs are provided to an application interested in delivering context-specific data to the user of the mobile user device.