Privacy Rules Engine for Wireless Customer Data Access Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems fail to effectively manage customer data privacy across wireless telephony services, as they lack a comprehensive method to restrict access based on roles and categories, leading to potential unauthorized access and non-compliance with regulations.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for managing customer data by assigning roles to entities accessing the data, determining access levels based on data categories, and using a data structure with a data store and retriever component to enforce privacy rules, ensuring only authorized access to customer data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a comprehensive role-based access control system is implemented to restrict access to customer data, then data security and compliance are improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments customer data into distinct categories (e.g., personally identifiable information, financial data, location data) and assigns different access levels to various roles based on these categories. This segmentation allows the system to implement granular access control without requiring a completely complex authorization framework, as each data category can be managed independently with specific access rules.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a multi-dimensional access control model that adds categories and access levels as new dimensions to the traditional role-based system. Instead of a flat permission structure, the system creates a hierarchical matrix where roles map to categories map to access levels, providing comprehensive security control while maintaining manageable complexity through structured organization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Measurement precision

If granular access levels are determined for each role based on data categories, then access control precision is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess control precisionVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-defining data categories and establishing access level mappings for each role before actual data access operations occur. The system categorizes customer data upfront and creates a lookup structure that maps roles to permitted categories and access levels, allowing rapid authorization decisions during runtime without performing complex evaluations at access time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses copying by creating a simplified representation of access control rules in a data structure that can be quickly queried. Instead of evaluating complex policies each time access is requested, the system maintains copied or cached access control metadata that enables fast comparison and decision-making while preserving the precision of granular access control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If multiple data categories are defined with different access levels, then data protection coverage is improved, but system configuration complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata protection coverageVSAvoidconfiguration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by designing a standardized data category framework and role structure that can be applied across different types of customer data and access scenarios. The same categorical framework and access level model serve multiple functions: protecting personally identifiable information, financial data, location data, and other categories using a unified approach, thereby reducing configuration complexity through reuse and standardization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses parameter changes by allowing the system to dynamically adjust access levels and category assignments based on role requirements without changing the underlying structure. The framework supports configurable parameters such as category definitions, role mappings, and access level thresholds that can be modified to accommodate different protection needs while maintaining a consistent model, thus balancing comprehensive coverage with manageable configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS7496191B1Integrated privacy rules engine and application
Publication Date: 2009.02.24 T MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC
  • US7496191B1 patent drawing
  • US7496191B1 patent drawing
  • US7496191B1 patent drawing

AI summary

A system and method for managing customer data is provided. The method for managing customer data includes assigning one or more roles with entities desiring access to customer data, the entities including at least one application. The method provides for determining a category associated with at least some of the customer data, determining an access level for each role based on the category associated with the at least some of the customer data, and restricting access by the application to a system maintaining the customer data based on whether the application is authorized to access the system.