Sensor-Level PII Tagging for Low-Bandwidth Ambient Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor systems face challenges in efficiently processing and transmitting sensor data, particularly in distinguishing and handling personally identifiable information (PII) to comply with regulations like GDPR, which leads to increased bandwidth requirements and potential security risks.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system comprising a sensing element, a data identification engine, a data tagging engine, and a communication interface, which identifies and tags personally relevant information within the ambient data, allowing for the separation and processing of PII data in a manner that reduces bandwidth requirements and enhances security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all sensor data is transmitted to central server for PII removal, then data privacy compliance is achieved, but bandwidth requirements increase and energy consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor performs preliminary identification and tagging of PII data at the source before transmission, so that downstream systems only receive already-processed data. This preliminary action at the sensor level eliminates the need for downstream PII removal processing and reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining privacy compliance
2Reliability
If all sensor data is transmitted to central server for PII removal, then data privacy compliance is achieved, but bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor extracts and tags PII-containing data portions at the source, separating them from non-PII data. This extraction allows the system to transmit only the necessary data portions or to handle tagged data differently in the network, reducing the overall bandwidth requirements while ensuring PII compliance through the tagging mechanism
3Reliability
If sensor data is processed downstream for PII identification, then compliance is achieved, but latency and security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
PII identification and tagging is performed preliminarily at the sensor before data leaves the device, eliminating downstream processing delays. This preliminary action reduces latency by ensuring compliance processing happens at the source rather than after data transmission begins
4Adaptability or versatility
If untagged sensor data propagates outside sensor, then data processing flexibility is maintained, but security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The PII tag acts as an intermediary marker that identifies sensitive data portions without requiring the actual PII data to propagate. The tag enables downstream systems to recognize and handle PII data appropriately while the untagged non-PII data can propagate freely, maintaining processing flexibility while reducing security risks through selective identification rather than widespread propagation of sensitive information
Data Source
AI summary
A method, apparatus and system for generating sensor data comprising a subset of tagged sensor data. The method includes: sensing, using a sensing element, ambient data, wherein the ambient data characterises a condition of an environment proximate to the sensing element; identifying, using a data identification engine, at least a first subset of the ambient data comprising a representation of, or identifying information related to, personally relevant information obtained by the sensing element; tagging, using a data tagging engine, the first subset of the ambient data with at least one data tag; and outputting, via the communication interface, at least a second subset of the ambient data comprising ambient data that has not been tagged by the data tagging engine.