Non-Repeating Tokens for Privacy-Preserving Communication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication systems allow content providers to easily track user activity, invading user privacy by identifying users and building profiles, which is undesirable.

Innovation Solution

A communication intermediary provides non-repeating user-identification-tokens to content providers, which are encrypted to conceal user identities, allowing content providers to access user-specific resources without revealing user information, ensuring anonymity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If user identity is revealed to content providers to facilitate communications, then content providers can establish and send communications to users, but user privacy is invaded and user tracking becomes possible

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication establishmentVSAvoiduser privacy invasion

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a communication intermediary that acts as a mediator between users and content providers. The intermediary generates non-repeating user identification tokens that allow content providers to establish communications without directly accessing user identities. The intermediary receives tokens from content providers, translates them into user-specific resources, and facilitates the communication while preventing user tracking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If user identity is concealed from content providers to protect privacy, then user tracking is prevented, but content providers cannot establish communications with users

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser privacy protectionVSAvoidcommunication establishment

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The communication intermediary resolves this contradiction by generating non-repeating tokens that provide content providers with enough information to establish communications without revealing user identities. The intermediary translates these tokens into user-specific resources, enabling communication establishment while maintaining privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transforms user identification from a static identity parameter to a dynamic non-repeating token parameter. Each token is unique and non-repeating, allowing communication establishment while preventing tracking. The intermediary translates these varying token parameters into the stable user-specific resources needed for communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS7900245B1Method and system for non-repeating user identification in a communication system

Publication Date: 2011.03.01 SPRINT SPECTRUM LLC

AI summary

A method and system operative to preclude content providers from tracking users, while still allowing content providers to communicate to users. An intermediary, such as an access channel provider for instance, gives content providers non-repeating user-identification-tokens, each of which a content provider can use as a key to access an intermediary resource that facilitates a communication to the user, without revealing the user's identity to the content provider.