Method, system, and apparatus for providing services in a privacy enabled mobile and ubicom environment

• US 20020173296A1
• Filed: 05/21/2001
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Gyorbiro, Norbert, Alamaki, Tero, Tarkiainen, Mikko, Nordman, Ian, Gripenberg, Casper, Vanska, Marko
• Granted Patent: US 6,678,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus for protecting personal privacy in a wireless local area network using a framework at both the terminal and the service in the wireless local area network. The terminal includes a memory that stores the profile data for a user. The terminal is coupled by radio frequency to an access point that is also coupled to a wired network such as the Internet. A service operator coupled to the wired network offers a service opportunity to the user by sending a message to the terminal that includes the service opportunity. If the profile data for the user indicates that the user is interested in either this type of service opportunity or this particular service, the user sends at least a portion of the profile data to the service operator. The service operator uses the profile data to personalize the service prior to sending it to the user. If the profile data for the user indicates that the user does not want to disclose the profile data for this service opportunity, the service operator can only respond by sending a default service opportunity or not sending any service opportunity.

Claims

1. A wireless network system for controlling the disclosure of user profile data comprising:

a wireless device including a memory storing the user profile data;

an access point coupled to the wireless device and a wired network to facilitate communication between the wireless device and a wired network; and

a service operator coupled to the wired network that offers a service opportunity to a user;

wherein the service operator sends the service opportunity to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a Bluetooth device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the service operator personalizes the service opportunity for the user if the user profile data indicates that the user is interested in this type of service opportunity.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the service operator personalizes the service opportunity for the user if the user profile data indicates that the user is interested in this service operator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises:

a service user interface component that displays the service opportunity to the user;

a management user interface component that allows the user to modify at least one property of the wireless network system;

a privacy management component that develops a set of privacy rules for restricting communication between the wireless device and the service operator based on said at least one property; and

a connector component that applies the set of privacy rules to each communication between the wireless device and the service operator.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the privacy management component further comprises:

an awareness management component that stores a history of service opportunities that satisfy the set of privacy rules;

a visibility management component that allows the user to set a privacy level; and

a profile management component that retrieves or updates the user profile data.

7. A method of controlling the disclosure of personal data on a wireless network comprising:

receiving an indication of a service opportunity from a service operator;

requesting the service opportunity;

initiating a session with the service operator if a user has an interest in the service opportunity;

sending at least portion of user profile data if the user consents to disclosure of the user profile data for the service opportunity; and

receiving the service opportunity personalized for the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the indication of the service opportunity further comprises:

receiving an inquiry request from an access point; and

sending a response message to the access point.

9. A method of controlling the disclosure of personal data on a wireless network comprising:

receiving a request for a service opportunity from a wireless device;

sending service opportunity data;

initiating a session with the wireless device if a user has an interest in the service opportunity;

requesting user profile data;

receiving at least a portion of user profile data if the user consents to disclosure of the user profile data for the service opportunity; and

sending a personalized service opportunity to the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless device is a Bluetooth device.

11. A method of controlling the disclosure of personal data on a wireless network comprising:

receiving an indication of a service opportunity from a service operator;

requesting the service opportunity;

initiating a session with the service operator if a user has an interest in the service opportunity;

withholding at least a portion of user profile data if the user does not consent to disclosure of the user profile data for the service opportunity; and

receiving the service opportunity in a default form.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the indication of the service opportunity further comprises:

receiving an inquiry request from an access point; and

sending a response message to the access point.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the wireless device is a Bluetooth device.

16. The computer device of claim 15, wherein the service operator personalizes the service opportunity for the user if the user profile data indicates that the user is interested in this type of service opportunity.

17. The computer device of claim 15, wherein the service operator personalizes the service opportunity for the user if the user profile data indicates that the user is interested in this service operator.

18. The computer device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display the service opportunity to the user;

allow the user to modify at least one property of the wireless network system;

develop a set of privacy rules for restricting communication between the wireless device and the service operator based on said at least one property; and

apply the set of privacy rules to each communication between the wireless device and the service operator.

19. The computer device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

store a history of service opportunities that satisfy the set of privacy rules;

allow the user to set a privacy level; and

retrieve or update the user profile data.

13. A method of controlling the disclosure of personal data on a wireless network comprising:

receiving a request for a service opportunity from a wireless device;

sending service opportunity data;

initiating a session with the wireless device if a user has an interest in the service opportunity;

requesting user profile data; and

sending the service opportunity in a default form.

15. A computer device for controlling the disclosure of user profile data comprising:

a memory device; and

a processor disposed in communication with the memory device, the processor configured to;

store the user profile data;

communicate with a service operator over a wired network;

receive a service opportunity from the service operator; and

evaluate the service opportunity to determine whether a user consents to disclosure of the user profile data for the service opportunity.

20. A computer readable medium for controlling the disclosure of user profile data comprising:

code for storing the user profile data;

code for communicating with a service operator over a wired network;

code for receiving a service opportunity from the service operator; and

code for evaluating the service opportunity to determine whether a user consents to disclosure of the user profile data for the service opportunity.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the service operator personalizes the service opportunity for the user if the user profile data indicates that the user is interested in this type of service opportunity.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the service operator personalizes the service opportunity for the user if the user profile data indicates that the user is interested in this service operator.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

code for displaying the service opportunity to the user;

code for allowing the user to modify at least one property of the wireless network system;

code for developing a set of privacy rules for restricting communication between the wireless device and the service operator based on said at least one property; and

code for applying the set of privacy rules to each communication between the wireless device and the service operator.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the code for developing the set of privacy rules further comprises:

code for storing a history of service opportunities that satisfy the set of privacy rules;

code for allowing the user to set a privacy level; and

code for retrieving or updating the user profile data.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the wireless device is a Bluetooth device.

25. A system for intelligently distributing a commercial message to a user comprising:

a wireless device carried by the user, the wireless device including user profile data that characterizes the user;

at least one geographically distributed access point;

a server coupled to said at least one geographically distributed access point, the server including a database that stores at least a portion of the user profile data and at least one commercial message categorized by generic user characteristics;

the wireless device sending a user identifying signal to the server through said at least one access point; and

the server operating on the signal to select a message from its database associated with the generic user characteristics and sending the selected message to the wireless device via said at least one access point.