Motion Sensor Data Restriction for Privacy Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies for mobile devices, such as smartphones, fail to effectively restrict movement trajectory information from being accessed by malicious users, posing privacy risks, while methods to disable positioning infrastructure or limit IMU usage are either inconvenient or impractical.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus with a control unit that restricts the output of movement amount information from motion sensors, using various layers of processing, including hardware, IMU operation, and application management, to prevent unauthorized access to user movement data, especially in sensitive areas or when indoors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If movement amount information is continuously output for emergency detection, then emergency response capability is improved, but user privacy is compromised due to trajectory tracking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the output control of movement amount information adaptive rather than static. The control unit dynamically adjusts whether to output movement information based on real-time detection of emergency situations. In normal conditions, output is restricted to protect privacy; in emergency conditions, output is enabled to ensure safety. This dynamic switching resolves the contradiction between continuous monitoring for safety and privacy protection during normal use.
2Loss of information
If positioning infrastructure and IMU are disabled to protect privacy, then user privacy is improved, but device convenience and functionality are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary portion of movement information for emergency detection while leaving the positioning infrastructure and IMU functional for normal use. Instead of disabling these components entirely, the control unit selectively outputs movement amount information only when emergencies are detected. This extraction approach maintains privacy by limiting data output while preserving full device functionality for conventional purposes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If movement amount information is output for all applications, then application functionality is improved, but security against malicious access is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit acts as an intermediary between the motion sensor and external systems/applications. It mediates the flow of movement amount information by filtering and controlling what data is output. The control unit monitors for emergency conditions and only permits information output when such conditions are detected, thereby blocking malicious access during normal operations while still enabling legitimate emergency response functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus includes a control unit configured to restrict, on the basis of movement amount information obtained from a motion sensor, output of the movement amount information.