Process for preserving the privacy of a user connected to a network

• US 10,091,647 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2018
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: L'Haridon, Sylvain, Papillon, Serge, Kanoun, Wael
• Primary Examiner(s): Sarwar, Babar
• Application Number:
  US15/962,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20180249327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 160 Days
• Field of Search: 4554042, 4554121-4142, 455418-4221, 4555521, 4554561-457
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

Process for preserving the privacy of a user connected to a network through a terminal that comprises geolocation means adapted to emit geolocation information about the geographical position of said user, said process providing for: analyzing a packet from said terminal to detect the eventual presence of geolocation information into said packet; replacing in said packet said detected geolocation information by virtual geolocation information that have been computed for said user; forwarding through said network said packet with said virtual geolocation information.

Claims

1. A terminal equipped to be connected to a network, the terminal comprising a geo-locater that emits geolocation information about the geographical position of said terminal, wherein said terminal is operative to:

analyse a packet to be sent by said terminal to detect a presence of geolocation information in said packet;

request virtual geolocation information for said terminal upon said detection of the presence of geolocation information in the packet as a result of said analysis;

replace in said packet said detected geolocation information with said virtual geolocation information; and

forward through said network said packet with said virtual geolocation information.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein virtual geolocation information is computed prior to said request and maintained in a virtual location database.

3. The terminal of claim 2, wherein in response to said request, the terminal obtains the virtual geolocation information from said virtual location database.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the request is provided to a computing device that computes the virtual geolocation information in response thereto, said computed virtual geolocation information being obtained by the terminal in reply to said request.