Personal Ontology Graph for Secure Data Targeting

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing interconnectedness of personal electronic devices raises privacy concerns as users lack control over the collection, use, and distribution of their personal information, leading to potential misuse by unauthorized parties.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that utilize a personal ontology graph to securely manage and distribute personal information, allowing users to maintain control over their data by using a personal agent operating locally or remotely, ensuring privacy and enabling targeted advertising while protecting sensitive information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If personal information is collected and distributed by connected devices, then targeted advertising and content delivery can be improved, but user privacy and control over personal information deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetargeted advertising effectivenessVSAvoidprivacy loss
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a personal agent as an intermediary component that resides on the user's device and acts as a mediator between the user's personal information and external systems. This agent selectively controls what information is shared, with whom, and under what conditions, thereby enabling targeted advertising while preserving user privacy and control. The personal agent translates user preferences into actionable targeting criteria without exposing raw personal data to advertisers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If personal information is shared with third parties, then advertising targeting accuracy is improved, but security and unauthorized access risks worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadvertising targeting accuracyVSAvoidinformation security
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary targeting information from the user's personal data through the personal agent, rather than sharing the complete personal information set with third parties. The agent processes and filters data locally, extracting only the minimal required attributes for advertising targeting (such as inferred interests or demographic categories) while leaving sensitive personal information secure on the user's device. This extraction approach maintains targeting accuracy while minimizing security exposure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Adaptability or versatility

If comprehensive personal information is collected, then user profiling and content matching are improved, but user control and privacy management become more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent matching capabilityVSAvoidprivacy management
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a self-service privacy management system where the personal agent automatically handles information collection, processing, and sharing decisions based on user-defined preferences. The system autonomously manages the complexity of comprehensive data collection by inferring user interests, automatically creating profiles, and dynamically controlling information disclosure without requiring users to manually manage each aspect of their privacy settings. This self-service approach enables sophisticated content matching while keeping privacy management simple for users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2875459B1Information targeting systems and methods
Publication Date: 2021.02.17 INTERTRUST TECH CORP
  • EP2875459B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2875459B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2875459B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for the secure management of electronic information relating to a user. In certain embodiments, systems and methods disclosed herein may allow for personal information related to a user to be used in connection with information targeting systems and methods configured to match and/or target information for delivery to a user based on the user's interests. In some embodiments, personal information relating to a user may be stored and/or managed in a personal ontology graph or other data structure including, among other things, various inferred interests of the user derived from available personal information.