Private Location Verification with Encrypted Geographical Tiles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing location-based services face challenges in verifying the accuracy of location data collected by mobile devices while respecting user privacy, as data protection regulations limit the sharing of location data with third parties, and location data can be inaccurate or spoofed, especially in situations where users are incentivized to provide location data.
Innovation Solution
A computationally efficient method using a private set intersection technique between a location-based services server and a location verification system to verify the location of a mobile device without sharing unencrypted location information, employing RSA-based private set intersection protocols to determine common geographical tiles associated with the possible and detected locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If location data is shared with third parties for verification, then location accuracy can be improved, but user privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential verification information (encrypted location data and device identifiers) needed for accuracy verification, while leaving the full unencrypted location data private. This allows third-party verification systems to check location accuracy without accessing sensitive user location information, resolving the contradiction between verification needs and privacy protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces encrypted location data as an intermediary that enables verification without direct access to sensitive information. The encryption acts as a mediator that allows the verification system to perform its function while the user's privacy remains protected, as the verifier cannot decode or misuse the location data.
2Loss of information
If location data is encrypted to protect privacy, then user privacy is preserved, but verification complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary encryption to location data before it is transmitted to verification systems. This pre-processing step ensures privacy is protected from the outset, and the verification system is designed in advance to handle encrypted data through cryptographic operations, making the overall process manageable despite the added complexity.
3Measurement precision
If location verification is performed using traditional methods, then location accuracy can be verified, but computational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional cryptographic verification methods with homomorphic encryption operations that allow mathematical computations to be performed directly on encrypted data. This substitution enables the verification system to check location accuracy without decrypting the data, significantly improving computational efficiency while maintaining verification accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices for privately verifying and enhancing location data are disclosed. A location-based services server receives a possible location of a mobile device. A location verification system determines a detected location of the mobile device. The location-based services server and location verification system communicate using a private set intersection technique to determine whether the possible location corresponds to the detected location without the possible location or detected location being shared. Probabilities associated with the possible and detected locations can also be combined to enhance the accuracy of the possible location.