Privacy-based degradation of activity signals and automatic activation of privacy modes

• US 10,268,826 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2018
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamilton, Colleen, Howard, Robert, Clark, Lee Dicks, Yovin, John, Brown, Shawn, Malekzadeh, Sogol
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Thanh H
• Application Number:
  US15/896,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20180173882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided that address issues related to data privacy by enabling users to elect various levels of data sharing. A user of a user device is enabled to indicate their comfort level with sharing, transmitting, or otherwise exposing individual activity records (data entities) with respect to various activity categories. The exposure of activity records may be controlled with respect to on-device and off-device components. Furthermore, privacy profiles may be automatically generated for the user, and the privacy profiles may be automatically activated in corresponding situations.

Claims

1. A method in a user device, comprising:

receiving a selection of an activity type from a plurality of activity types;

providing, for selection, a pre-defined plurality of access limits for access to data entities of the activity type;

receiving a selection of an access limit from the pre-defined plurality of access limits;

configuring the access limit with a filter that filters received data entities of the activity type based on location; and

configuring an activity monitor to provide access to data entities of the activity type according to the access limit and filter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter is configured to filter the received data entities based on a location of the user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuring the access limit with a filter that filters received data entities of the activity type based on location comprises:

providing a user interface configured for user interaction to configure the access limit with the filter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined plurality of access limits includes at least one of an activity type limit, an on-device assistant service limit, a network-based assistant service limit, a favorite people limit, or a third-party services limit.

5. A user device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a storage device that stores one or more computer programs for execution by the at least one processor, the one or more computer programs including an activity monitor that includes instructions configured to perform a method that comprises;

receiving a request for an activity type from a requestor, the request specifying a target disclosure audience,

determining the target disclosure audience is within an access limit for the activity,

allowing the activity type request,

determining a received data entity of the activity type,

determining the data entity passes a location-based filter configured for the activity type, and

enabling the requestor to access the data entity.

6. The user device of claim 5, wherein the location-based filter is configured to filter received data entities based on a location of the user device.

7. The user device of claim 5, wherein said determining the target disclosure audience is within an access limit for the activity comprises:

checking a default access limit.

8. The user device of claim 5, wherein said determining the target disclosure audience is within an access limit for the activity comprises:

checking an access limit configured by a user for the activity type.

9. The user device of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the activity type request being allowed, monitoring for activities that generate data entities that fall under the activity type.

10. The user device of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a received second data entity of the activity type;

determining the second data entity fails to pass the location-based filter configured for the activity type; and

preventing access by the requestor to the second data entity.

11. The user device of claim 5, further comprising:

in response to the activity type request being allowed, registering the activity monitor to listen to specific data entities according to at least the location-based filter.

12. The user device of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a second request for a second activity type from a second requestor, the second request specifying a second target disclosure audience;

determining the second target disclosure audience falls outside of an access limit for the second activity type; and

rejecting the second activity type.

13. The user device of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a second request for a second activity type from a second requestor, the second request specifying a second target disclosure audience; and

determining that the second target disclosure audience falls outside of an access limit for the second activity type; and

enabling access by the second requestor to data entities that fall within the access limit for the second activity type but not to data entities that fall outside of the access limit for the second activity type.

14. A method in a user device, comprising:

analyzing activity records corresponding to received data entities for correlation;

inferring a privacy profile and an associated location-related situation based on said analyzing;

proposing the privacy profile to a user with an indication of the associated situation;

enabling the user to approve, reject, or modify at the proposed privacy profile and associated situation; and

including the proposed privacy profile and associated situation in a set of privacy profiles for the user when the user approves the proposed privacy profile.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said analyzing activity records corresponding to received data entities for correlation comprises:

correlating first and second activity records based on location.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the inferred location-related situation includes a location related to at least one of:

a vacation;

a work place;

a home;

exercise;

shopping;

dining;

or

the movies.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the inferred privacy profile is a work privacy profile, a vacation privacy profile, a home privacy profile, an exercise privacy profile, or a shopping privacy profile.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said inferring comprises:

based on said analyzing, inferring an access limit for an activity type;

configuring the access limit with a filter that filters received data entities of the activity type based on location; and

including the access limit with the filter in the privacy profile.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

collecting further activity records corresponding to further received data entities;

analyzing the collected further activity records;

inferring a situation trigger based at least on a location determined by said analyzing of the collected further activity records;

selecting an alternative privacy profile having an associated situation indicated by the inferred situation trigger from the set of privacy profiles; and

enacting the selected alternative privacy profile for the user.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

collecting additional activity records according to the enacted privacy profile.