Vehicle Location Anonymization Using Map Tiles and Delta Coordinates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle data, particularly absolute coordinates, contains personal identifiable information that poses challenges for data governance and privacy concerns, hindering the collection and dissemination necessary for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) features.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that converts absolute vehicle coordinates to ambiguous coordinates using hash coordinates and delta coordinates, retrieving a map tile associated with these coordinates to generate anonymized location data, ensuring privacy while maintaining useful location information for ADAS operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If absolute coordinates are used to represent vehicle location, then location precision is improved, but privacy protection deteriorates due to personal identifiable information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the location representation into two components: map tile identifier (coarse location) and delta coordinates (fine relative position). This segmentation allows the system to maintain precise vehicle positioning while the map tile serves as an anonymized reference that does not directly reveal the exact location, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and privacy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces map tiles as an intermediary layer between the vehicle's absolute coordinates and the external system. Instead of transmitting direct coordinates, the system uses map tile identifiers as a mediator that obscures the exact location while still enabling location-based functionalities, thereby protecting privacy without sacrificing operational precision.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If anonymization techniques are applied to vehicle location data, then privacy protection is improved, but location precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by maintaining different precision levels for different components of the location data. The map tile identifier provides coarse-grained anonymized location information for privacy protection, while the delta coordinates provide fine-grained precise positioning relative to the map tile. This allows the system to deliver both privacy protection and precise location information as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-dimension coordinate system (absolute coordinates) to a two-dimensional representation system (map tile identifier + delta coordinates). This dimensional change enables the system to simultaneously provide anonymized coarse location and precise relative positioning, resolving the apparent trade-off between privacy and precision.
3Adaptability or versatility
If absolute coordinates are transmitted for ADAS monitoring, then data utility is improved, but data governance challenges worsen due to personal identifiable information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the personally identifiable information (absolute coordinates) from the location data and replaces it with anonymized map tile identifiers. This extraction removes the privacy-sensitive component while retaining the essential location information needed for ADAS monitoring and analysis, thereby reducing data governance complexity without sacrificing data utility.
Data Source
AI summary
A method that includes defining delta coordinates indicative of positional relationship between a vehicle and a distinct location separate from the vehicle, converting absolute coordinates of the vehicle to ambiguous coordinates having hash coordinates associated with the distinct location and the delta coordinates, retrieving a map tile associated with the ambiguous coordinates from among a plurality of map tiles, and outputting a message including anonymized location data as a location of the vehicle and defined by the map tile and the delta coordinates.