Privacy-Aware Information Collection System for Smart Cities

Solution Overview

Problem

In smart cities, management agencies face a burden in obtaining consent from residents for personal information collection, as acquiring consent each time is inefficient and potentially invasive.

Innovation Solution

An information collecting system that includes an information acquisition terminal and a device managed by the institution, which sets designated information acquisition spaces and prohibited spaces based on location, time, and resident preferences, allowing residents to control when their personal information is collected.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If consent is obtained from each resident each time personal information is to be obtained, then privacy protection is improved, but processing burden on management agency increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidprocessing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by obtaining resident consent in advance through the information acquisition terminal before actual information collection occurs. The space setting unit pre-establishes information acquisition spaces and prohibited spaces based on resident preferences, so that when the management agency needs to collect information, the consent process has already been completed, eliminating repeated consent requests.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The information acquisition terminal serves as an intermediary device between residents and the management agency. It collects consent information from residents and transmits it to the management agency, reducing the direct processing burden on the management agency while ensuring privacy protection requirements are met.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If personal information is collected without consent, then processing burden is reduced, but privacy protection deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing efficiencyVSAvoidprivacy protection

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by obtaining resident consent in advance through the information acquisition terminal before actual information collection occurs. The space setting unit pre-establishes information acquisition spaces and prohibited spaces based on resident preferences, so that when the management agency needs to collect information, the consent process has already been completed, eliminating repeated consent requests.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If consent is obtained each time personal information is collected, then privacy control is improved, but operational efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy controlVSAvoidoperational efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by obtaining resident consent in advance through the information acquisition terminal before actual information collection occurs. The space setting unit pre-establishes information acquisition spaces and prohibited spaces based on resident preferences, so that when the management agency needs to collect information, the consent process has already been completed, eliminating repeated consent requests.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The information acquisition terminal enables residents to self-manage their privacy preferences by designating information acquisition spaces and prohibited spaces. This self-service approach allows residents to control their own data collection preferences without requiring continuous intervention from the management agency, simplifying operational processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12096158B2Information collecting system and information collecting method

Publication Date: 2024.09.17 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

In an information collecting system, an information collecting device managed by the designated institution sets information acquisition spaces where acquisition of personal information of residents in the region is allowed and information acquisition prohibited spaces where acquisition of personal information of residents is prohibited, the information collecting device transmits space information corresponding to spaces in which information acquisition terminals are located, for information acquisition terminals which are located in information acquisition spaces and information acquisition prohibited spaces and which allow acquisition of personal information of residents, and the information acquisition terminal determines that personal information acquired by an information acquisition terminal is not to be transmitted to an information collecting device when the information acquisition terminal is located in an information acquisition prohibited space, based on the received space information.