Method and apparatus for providing privacy policy generation based on in-game behavior data

• US 10,188,950 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2014
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Biswas, Debmalya, Nolan, Julian, Lawrenson, Matthew John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Seng Heng
• Application Number:
  US14/521,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20160114247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/55 Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2109 Game systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS

Abstract

An approach is provided of generating real-world privacy policies based on in-game behavior. A privacy policy platform determines in-game behavior data associated with at least one user while the at least one user is playing at least one location-based game. The privacy platform causes, at least in part, a mapping of the in-game behavior data to one or more game locations within the at least one location-based game. The privacy platform further causes, at least in part, a correlation of the one or more game locations to one or more real-world locations. The privacy platform then causes, at least in part, a generating of one or more privacy policies for the one or more real-world locations based, at least in part, on the in-game behavior data mapped to the correlated one or more game locations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by at least one processor, in-game behavior data associated with user information restricted by at least one user with respect to other users at at least one in-game location while the at least one user is playing at least one location-based game, wherein the at least one location-based game models the at least one in-game location based on an equivalent real-world location, and the location-based game directs the at least one user to visit the equivalent real-world location when playing the location-based game;

causing, at least in part by the at least one processor, a mapping of the in-game behavior data that occurs at the at least one in-game location within the at least one location-based game to the equivalent real-world location; and

causing, at least in part by the at least one processor, a generation of one or more privacy policies based, at least in part, on the in-game behavior data, wherein the one or more privacy policies permit and restrict access to the user information via at least one device of the at least one user by another user when the at least one device is detected as located at the equivalent real-world location based on sensor data from the at least one device, wherein the user information includes one or more interests, one or more activities, one or more social links, or a combination thereof of the at least one user.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a classification of the in-game behavior data to determine the at least one in-game location, one or more game contacts, one or more interactions with the one or more game contacts, one or more game activities, or a combination thereof, wherein the one or more game contacts include the another user,

wherein the one or more privacy policies are further based, at least in part, on the classification, and

wherein the user information is collected via one or more user interfaces of the at least one device, detected via one or more sensors of the at least one device, or a combination thereof.

3. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a correlation of the one or more game contacts to one or more real-world contacts of the at least one user,

wherein the one or more privacy policies are further generated with respect to access to the user information by the one or more real-world contacts, and

wherein the location-based game presents on the at least one device a virtual representation of the equivalent real-world location for the at least one user to virtually visit when playing the location-based game.

4. A method of claim 2, wherein the classification is performed incrementally as the in-game behavior data becomes available, and wherein the equivalent real-world location is a real-world location where the at least one user is currently located, and the location-based game augments one or more play elements onto a camera view of the real-world location on the at least one device.

5. A method of claim 2, wherein the classification is performed using a semantic classification, and wherein the location-based game presents a mixed reality image of the equivalent real-world location that is an analogous representation of a real-world location where the at least one user is currently located.

6. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a generalization of the at least one in-game location as a point of interest category,

wherein the correlation of the at least one in-game location to the equivalent real-world location is based, at least in part, on the generalization,

wherein the one or more privacy policies are further generated with respect to access to the user information by one or more applications on the at least one device, and

wherein the equivalent real-world location is a real-world location away from a real-world home of the at least one user at a distance approximately identical with a distance between the at least one in-game location and an in-game home of the at least one user.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing the in-game behavior data to determine sensitivity status information of the at least one in-game location, the equivalent real-world location, or a combination thereof for the at least one user.

8. A method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining time spent at the at least one in-game location based, at least in part, on the in-game behavior data,

wherein the sensitivity status information is based, at least in part, on the time spent.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more privacy policies include one or more permissive policies and one or more restrictive policies, wherein the one or more permissive policies allow access to one or more functions of the at least one device associated with the another user, and wherein the one or more restrictive policies restrict access to the one or more functions of the at least one device associated with the another user.

10. A method of claim 9, wherein the one or more functions of the at least one device include, at least in part, one or more application functions, one or more sensor functions, one or more device pairing functions, or a combination thereof.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine in-game behavior data associated with user information restricted by at least one user with respect to other users at at least one in-game location while the at least one user is playing at least one location-based game, wherein the at least one location-based game models the at least one in-game location based on an equivalent real-world location, and the location-based game directs the at least one user to visit the equivalent real-world location when playing the location-based game;

cause, at least in part, a mapping of the in-game behavior data that occurs at the at least one in-game location within the at least one location-based game to the equivalent real-world location; and

cause, at least in part, a generation of one or more privacy policies based, at least in part, on the in-game behavior data, wherein the one or more privacy policies permit and restrict access to the user information via at least one device of the at least one user by another user when the at least one device is detected as located at the equivalent real-world location based on sensor data from the at least one device, wherein the user information includes one or more interests, one or more activities, one or more social links, or a combination thereof of the at least one user.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a classification of the in-game behavior data to determine the at least one in-game location, one or more game contacts, one or more interactions with the one or more game contacts, one or more game activities, or a combination thereof, wherein the one or more game contacts include the another user,

wherein the one or more privacy policies are further based, at least in part, on the classification, and

wherein the user information is collected via one or more user interfaces of the at least one device, detected via one or more sensors of the at least one device, or a combination thereof.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a correlation of the one or more game contacts to one or more real-world contacts of the at least one user,

wherein the one or more privacy policies are further generated with respect to access to the user information by the one or more real-world contacts.

14. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the classification is performed incrementally as the in-game behavior data becomes available, performed using a semantic classification, or a combination thereof.

15. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a generalization of the at least one in-game location as a point of interest category,

wherein the correlation of the at least one in-game location to the equivalent real-world location is based, at least in part, on the generalization, and

wherein the one or more privacy policies are further generated with respect to access to the user information by one or more applications on the at least one device.

16. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process the in-game behavior data to determine sensitivity status information of the at least one in-game location, the equivalent real-world location, or a combination thereof for the at least one user.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform:

determining in-game behavior data associated with user information restricted by at least one user with respect to other users at at least one in-game location while the at least one user is playing at least one location-based game, wherein the at least one location-based game models the at least one in-game location based on an equivalent real-world location, and the location-based game directs the at least one user to visit the equivalent real-world location when playing the location-based game;

causing, at least in part, a mapping of the in-game behavior data that occurs at the at least one in-game location within the at least one location-based game to the equivalent real-world location; and

causing, at least in part, a generation of one or more privacy policies based, at least in part, on the in-game behavior data, wherein the one or more privacy policies permit and restrict access to the user information via at least one device of the at least one user by another user when the at least one device is detected as located at the equivalent real-world location based on sensor data from the at least one device, wherein the user information includes one or more interests, one or more activities, one or more social links, or a combination thereof of the at least one user.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

causing, at least in part, a classification of the in-game behavior data to determine the at least one in-game location, one or more game contacts, one or more interactions with the one or more game contacts, one or more game activities, or a combination thereof, wherein the one or more game contacts include the another user,

wherein the one or more privacy policies are further based, at least in part, on the classification, and

wherein the user information is collected via one or more user interfaces of the at least one device, detected via one or more sensors of the at least one device, or a combination thereof.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

causing, at least in part, a correlation of the one or more game contacts to one or more real-world contacts of the at least one user,

wherein the one or more privacy policies are further generated with respect to access to the user information by the one or more real-world contacts.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

processing the in-game behavior data to determine sensitivity status information of the at least one in-game location, the equivalent real-world location, or a combination thereof for the at least one user.