Wireless Station Location Privacy via Induced Error
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a growing need to determine the location of wireless devices while preserving their privacy, as existing methods can pinpoint a station's location too accurately, potentially infringing on its privacy.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves inducing an error in the location determination process to prevent precise location tracking, using error parameters to introduce random values or quantization levels, ensuring that the reported location is less accurate than the true location, thereby maintaining privacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If precise location determination methods are used, then location accuracy is improved, but privacy protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by intentionally introducing errors into the location determination process. What would normally be considered a harmful factor (location inaccuracy) is converted into a beneficial feature for privacy protection. The system deliberately adds random values or quantization errors to the measured location, transforming the potential harm of precise tracking into a protective mechanism that preserves user privacy while still providing useful location information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of location accuracy by introducing error parameters that modify the measured location values. Instead of maintaining high precision, the system deliberately alters the location parameters by adding random offsets or applying quantization, thereby changing the accuracy level to achieve privacy protection while maintaining functional utility.
2Measurement precision
If location accuracy is increased, then location determination quality is improved, but privacy security worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of precise location tracking into a benefit for privacy security. By intentionally degrading the location determination quality through error introduction, the system achieves higher privacy security. The harmful aspect of accurate tracking is transformed into a protective measure that safeguards user privacy while maintaining sufficient location functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the reliability parameter of location data by deliberately introducing errors. This parameter change reduces the trustworthiness of precise location information, thereby enhancing privacy security. The location data remains useful for general purposes but becomes unreliable for precise tracking, achieving the desired security level.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments allow a station to determine its location and report the location to a access point or other network entity. The station obtains agreement with an access point, group of access points, or other network entity to provide its location to a designated accuracy level and the access point(s) agree to provide services such as access to a location service, the access point(s) location to a designated positional accuracy, etc. The station measures its position and induces an error in its reported location. The induced error prevents an exact location of the station from being determined by the access point(s) or others, thus preserving the privacy of the station. The location reported by the station may be absolute (e.g., geographic coordinates) or relative to a landmark, location, etc.