Metadata Detail Level Control for Digital Content Records
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for metadata security in digital content records either completely remove metadata, preventing useful information from being shared, or require complex encryption and decryption processes, failing to provide controlled access to specific metadata fields.
Innovation Solution
A system that adjusts the metadata detail level for each recipient based on a comparison of the recipient and a predefined list, allowing for controlled access to metadata by modifying the resolution of information, such as replacing exact locations with regional locations, and analyzing content like faces or capture locations to determine appropriate access levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metadata is completely removed from digital content records, then security and privacy are improved, but useful information sharing is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments metadata into multiple hierarchical levels of detail (first level, second level, third level). Instead of removing all metadata or providing complete metadata, the system divides metadata into categories such as location information (country, state, city, street address), date information (year, month, day, time), and device information. This segmentation allows selective provision of metadata at appropriate detail levels to different recipients, resolving the contradiction between security and information sharing.
2Reliability
If encryption is applied to metadata, then security is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-processing metadata into multiple hierarchical detail levels before distribution. The metadata is organized in advance with different levels of granularity (e.g., location from country to street address, date from year to time). When a recipient requests metadata, the system can directly provide the appropriate pre-prepared level without requiring real-time encryption/decryption operations. This eliminates complex cryptographic processing while maintaining security through selective information disclosure.
3Reliability
If metadata detail is reduced for all recipients, then security is improved, but information quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different levels of metadata detail to different recipients based on their specific needs and trust levels. Rather than uniformly reducing detail for all recipients, the system allows the owner to assign different metadata detail levels to different recipients or recipient groups. For example, one recipient may receive complete location and date information while another receives only aggregated information. This ensures each recipient gets the appropriate quality of information for their purpose while maintaining overall security.
Data Source
AI summary
Metadata associated with a digital content record is modified, where the digital content record is to be provided to a particular recipient, and has associated therewith an account. A recipient list associated with the account identifies one of three or more metadata detail levels associated with each of a plurality of potential recipients. In this regard, a particular metadata detail level is determined based at least upon a comparison of the particular recipient and the recipient list. Then, the metadata associated with the digital content record is adjusted in accordance with the particular metadata detail level. Accordingly, a relative detail, or resolution, of information provided by the metadata may be controlled.