Secure Database Search Architecture for Privacy-Preserving Data Merging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users are concerned about the merging of information collected by different systems, which can create a detailed depiction of an individual, and existing solutions that create a complete information barrier overly limit the usefulness of stored data.
Innovation Solution
A computing architecture that allows two secured systems to maintain secrecy while enabling limited data merging, allowing them to determine if a person meets certain requirements without either system learning the other's information, and preventing users from accessing both sets of data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If two systems merge information to provide comprehensive search results, then the completeness and usefulness of data is improved, but user privacy and security are compromised due to detailed individual depiction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the information processing into separate segments: System 1 processes first search terms and returns counts, System 2 processes second search terms and returns counts, neither system accesses the other's raw data. This segmentation allows comprehensive search functionality while maintaining privacy by ensuring no single system creates a detailed individual depiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where System 1 receives a first search term and returns a count of matching records without revealing actual data, then System 2 receives a second search term and returns a count of matching records. The intermediary nature of these count-based responses prevents direct data sharing while enabling combined search functionality.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a complete information barrier is created between systems to protect privacy, then user security is improved, but the usefulness of stored data is overly limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by allowing limited information exchange in the form of search term counts rather than complete data sharing. System 1 receives a first search term and returns a count, System 2 receives a second search term and returns a count - this partial information flow enables combined search functionality without creating a complete information barrier that would overly limit data usefulness.
3Measurement precision
If systems share detailed information to improve search accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but information loss and privacy risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary information element (count of matching records) from the complete data sets. System 1 extracts a count based on the first search term, System 2 extracts a count based on the second search term, and these extracted counts are combined to provide search results. This extraction approach maintains search accuracy while preventing loss of private information.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes receiving a first search term and a second search term and using the first search term to search a first system that associates the first search term with a plurality of people to retrieve a respective identifier for each of the plurality of people. The second search term and the plurality of identifiers are used to search a second system that associates the second search term with a second plurality of people. The second system returns a count of the number of people who are in both the first plurality of people and the second plurality of people but is prevented from associating the first search term with a person and from releasing the association between the second search term and the second plurality of people. The count is returned as the number of people who have both the first search term and the second search term.