Synthetic Data Annotation for Privacy-Preserving Model Training

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing machine learning models struggle to be trained on confidential data without violating privacy, as direct access to such data is often restricted.

Innovation Solution

Training a synthetic data generation model in an eyes-off environment using anonymity techniques to replicate confidential data patterns, generating synthetic data that is then annotated in an eyes-on environment, and using this data to train a target model for deployment in the eyes-off environment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If human annotators directly access confidential data to provide annotations, then model training accuracy is improved, but data privacy is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemodel training accuracyVSAvoiddata privacy violation
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system that sits between the confidential data and human annotators. This system uses automated preprocessing, differential privacy techniques, and controlled access mechanisms to enable annotators to work with protected data without direct exposure, thus maintaining both privacy and annotation quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates anonymized copies or synthetic versions of confidential data that preserve the structural and statistical properties needed for accurate annotation while removing or obscuring personally identifiable information. Annotators work with these copies rather than the original confidential data

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Object-affected harmful factors

If synthetic data is used to train models in eyes-off environment, then data privacy is maintained, but model accuracy may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata privacy protectionVSAvoidmodel accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions to enhance synthetic data quality before it is used for model training. This includes using high-fidelity generative models, applying domain-specific constraints, and iteratively refining the synthetic data generation process to ensure the synthesized data closely mirrors the statistical properties and patterns of real confidential data

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adjusts key parameters in the synthetic data generation process, such as noise levels, transformation intensity, and generative model hyperparameters, to optimize the balance between privacy protection and data fidelity. By carefully tuning these parameters, the system maintains realistic data characteristics while ensuring privacy safeguards

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If annotated data is shared between eyes-off and eyes-on environments, then model training effectiveness is improved, but data security risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemodel training effectivenessVSAvoiddata security
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the data lifecycle into distinct secure zones: eyes-off environment for confidential data processing, intermediary processing zone for annotation, and eyes-on environment for model training. Each segment has controlled data flow and access permissions, allowing annotated data to be shared across environments while maintaining security boundaries through encryption, access controls, and audit trails

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12353580B2Building annotated models based on eyes-off data
Publication Date: 2025.07.08 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • US12353580B2 patent drawing
  • US12353580B2 patent drawing
  • US12353580B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems and methods are directed to building annotated models based on eyes-off data. Specifically, a synthetic data generation model is trained and used to further train a target model. The synthetic data generation model is trained within an eyes-off environment using an anonymity technique on confidential data. The synthetic data generation model is then used to create synthetic data that closely represents the confidential data but without any specific details that can be linked back to the confidential data. The synthetic data is then annotated and used to train the target model within an eyes-on environment. Subsequently, the target model is deployed back within the eyes-off environment to classify the confidential data.