Vehicle Position Data Privacy via Mode Masking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies that analyze position information of mobile objects, such as automobiles, struggle to protect personal information, especially when the amount of data is large, and may inadvertently reveal home or workplace locations.
Innovation Solution
An information provider system that receives and processes position information from multiple mobile objects, generates surface information by calculating the highest frequency positions, and outputs this information separated by a predetermined distance to protect personal data, allowing for accurate analysis while concealing sensitive locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If position information of mobile objects is analyzed to provide accurate analysis results, then the accuracy of analysis is improved, but personal information such as home position and workplace position may be revealed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes position information that could reveal personal information (home and workplace locations) from the analyzed position data. By identifying and extracting only the necessary position information for analysis while excluding sensitive locations, the system maintains analysis accuracy without compromising privacy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing qualities to different parts of the position information data. Sensitive locations (home and workplace areas) are masked or excluded, while other position information is preserved for analysis. This local differentiation allows accurate analysis of travel patterns without revealing personal information.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If position information is anonymized to protect personal information, then personal information protection is improved, but the position in home vicinity may become visible when the amount of position information is large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary identification and marking of home and workplace positions before the anonymization process. By pre-identifying these sensitive locations, the system can ensure they are properly protected during subsequent data processing, preventing them from becoming visible even when large amounts of position information are analyzed.
3Loss of information
If all position information is displayed for analysis, then complete analysis data is provided, but privacy protection is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments position information into two categories: sensitive position information (home and workplace locations) and non-sensitive position information (other travel locations). This segmentation allows the system to selectively process and display only non-sensitive information, maintaining data completeness for analysis purposes while protecting privacy by excluding sensitive segments.
Data Source
AI summary
An information providing device 30 includes a communication unit 33 that receives location information of a plurality of vehicles 50; a storage unit 32 that stores map information including road maps; a departure/arrival point location information generating unit (for example, “departure/arrival point location information generating unit 313” described hereinafter) that accumulates the location information for discretely changing time for respective moving bodies, calculates a mode of the location information for the respective moving bodies, and generates, as departure/arrival point location information, plane information including the location information of the mode; and a location information outputting unit (for example, “location information outputting unit 314” described hereinafter) that, for each moving body of the plurality of moving bodies, outputs the plane information and also outputs the location information beyond a location separated by a prescribed distance from the position of the mode.