Radio Map Fingerprinting With Obfuscated Location References

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing radio map generation and positioning systems face challenges in maintaining privacy and complying with export restrictions on sensitive fingerprint data, leading to increased complexity and cost due to the need for country-specific servers.

Innovation Solution

A computing device and method that obfuscates location references using unique translation and rotation parameters, allowing fingerprint data to be transmitted and used across countries while preserving privacy, and enabling the generation and use of radio maps without exposing underlying location information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If fingerprint data is transmitted to servers in other countries for radio map generation, then positioning service capability is improved, but privacy protection and compliance with export restrictions deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning service capabilityVSAvoidprivacy exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary obfuscation of location references in fingerprint data before transmission to foreign servers. Translation and rotation parameters are pre-generated and applied to hide actual locations, ensuring privacy protection is established before data leaves the jurisdiction, thus resolving the contradiction between enabling international positioning services and protecting local privacy requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Translation parameters and rotation parameters act as intermediaries between the original location data and the foreign server processing. These parameters transform the location information into an obfuscated form that preserves positioning functionality while preventing direct access to sensitive location data, thus enabling cross-border data transmission without privacy exposure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If fingerprint data is encrypted and transmitted to foreign servers, then international collaboration is improved, but data security and compliance with export bans deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinternational collaborationVSAvoiddata security

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies obfuscation transformations before data transmission, ensuring that even if data is intercepted or accessed unauthorizedly during international transmission, the location information remains protected. This preliminary security measure enables reliable international collaboration while maintaining data security compliance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameters of location data by applying translation and rotation transformations, converting original location coordinates into obfuscated forms. This parameter transformation maintains the mathematical relationships needed for positioning while fundamentally altering the data representation to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive location information

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-affected harmful factors

If multiple country-specific servers are deployed to comply with export restrictions, then privacy protection is improved, but system complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The obfuscation system provides universal functionality that works across all countries and jurisdictions. By transforming location data into an obfuscated form using standardized translation and rotation parameters, a single server infrastructure can serve multiple countries without requiring separate country-specific servers, thus maintaining privacy protection while reducing system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates obfuscated copies of location data that preserve the necessary spatial relationships for positioning while hiding sensitive information. These transformed copies can be freely transmitted and processed internationally, eliminating the need for multiple physical servers in different countries and thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining privacy protection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS12556371B2Computing device and method for generating or using a radio map that is based on fingerprint data having an obfuscated location

Publication Date: 2026.02.17 HERE GLOBAL BV

AI summary

A computing device, method and computer program product are provided to generate or update a radio map based on a plurality of fingerprint data that each respectively includes an obfuscated location reference. The radio map may be provided to another computing device for use in conjunction with positioning services. A computing device is provided that is configured to determine a position based upon a radio map. A computing device, method and computer program product are also provided to determine a position based upon a radio map for which the obfuscated location references are deobfuscated based on the one or more parameters, such as one or more translation and/or rotation parameters.