Method, system, and apparatus for maintaining user privacy in a knowledge interchange system

• US 20060074863A1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kishore, Ajitesh, Sahasrabudhe, Sandeep
• Granted Patent: US 7,730,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus are provided for maintaining user privacy in a knowledge interchange (“KI”) system. A user may provide privacy preferences relating to their participation in the KI system. The user may identify specific keywords, noun phrases, and contacts that should not be transmitted to a server computer. The user may also specify whether each keyword, noun phrase, or contact should be public or private. If a public keyword is identified during a search query as being associated with the user, the user'"'"'s identity will be made available to a seeker If a private keyword is identified during a search query as being associated with the user, the user'"'"'s identity will not be made available and a brokered communication process between the seeker and the user will be performed.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining user privacy in a knowledge interchange system, the method comprising:

receiving from a user one or more privacy preferences relating to participation in a knowledge interchange system;

monitoring user interaction with one or more programs to identify one or more items of interest, said monitoring limited by the privacy preferences;

based on the items of interest, creating a knowledge interchange profile that identifies the interests of the user, the individuals with which the user has communicated, and the topics on which the communication with the individuals was made; and

transmitting the contents of the knowledge interchange profile to a server computer, the contents of the knowledge interchange profile limited by the privacy preferences.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the privacy preferences comprises preferences regarding what information should be analyzed during the creation of the knowledge interchange profile.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the knowledge interchange profile comprises one or more keywords, noun phrases, and contacts, and wherein the privacy preferences further comprise preferences regarding keywords, noun phrases, and contacts that should not be transmitted to the server computer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the privacy preferences further comprise an indication as to whether each keyword, noun phrase, or contact should be public or private.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the privacy preferences further comprise an indication as to the maximum number of requests for assistance the user is willing accept from the server computer within a specified period of time.

6. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

7. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of claim 1.

8. A method for maintaining user privacy in a knowledge interchange system, the method comprising:

receiving knowledge interchange profiles from one or more users of the knowledge interchange system and storing the profiles in a profile database, wherein each knowledge interchange profile comprises one or more keywords, one or more noun phrases, and one or more contacts;

receiving privacy preferences from each user of the knowledge interchange system and storing the privacy preferences;

receiving a request to query the profile database;

performing the received query over the profile database to identify search results;

determining whether the search results include a contact that was identified based upon keywords or noun phrases within the knowledge interchange profile of the contact that the contact indicated as private within their privacy preferences; and

in response to determining that the search results include a contact that was identified based upon an association with keywords or noun phrases that the contact indicated as private within their privacy preferences, performing a brokered communication process between the user submitting the search query and the identified contact.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the brokered communication process comprises:

transmitting the query results to the user submitting the search query, the query results identifying the identified contact anonymously;

receiving a request from the user submitting the search query to contact the identified contact;

in response to receiving the request, transmitting a request for assistance to the identified contact on behalf of the user submitting the search query;

receiving a reply to the request from the identified contact indicating whether assistance will be offered to the user submitting the search query; and

if assistance will be offered, transmitting the identity of the identified contact to the user submitting the search query.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the request for assistance transmitted to the identified contact on behalf of the user submitting the search query identifies the user submitting the search query.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the request for assistance transmitted to the identified contact on behalf of the user submitting the search query does not identify the user submitting the search query.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein prior to transmitting the request for assistance to the identified contact a determination is made based on privacy preferences for the identified contact whether the identified contact has been contacted for assistance more than a specified number of times within a predefined period of time and, if the identified contact has been contacted more than the specified number of times not transmitting the request for assistance.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether the search results include a contact that was identified based upon keywords or noun phrases within the knowledge interchange profile of the contact that the contact indicated as public within their privacy preferences; and

in response to determining that the search results include a contact that was identified based upon an association with keywords or noun phrases that the contact indicated as public within their privacy preferences, transmitting the identity of the identified contact to the user submitting the search query with the search results.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform the method of claim 8.

15. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of claim 8.

16. A system for maintaining user privacy in a knowledge interchange system, the system comprising:

a client computer operative to receive from a user one or more privacy preferences relating to participation in a knowledge interchange system, to monitor user interaction with one or more programs executing on the client computer to identify one or more items of interest, to create a knowledge interchange profile based on the monitoring that comprises one or more keywords, noun phrases, and contacts, to transmit the contents of the knowledge interchange profile to a server computer, the contents of the knowledge interchange profile and said monitoring limited by the privacy preferences; and

a server computer operative to receive and store the knowledge interchange profile and the privacy preferences in a profile database, to receive a request to query the profile database, to perform the query over the profile database to identify search results, to determine whether the search results include a contact that was identified based upon keywords or noun phrases within the knowledge interchange profile of the contact that the contact indicated as private within their privacy preferences, and in response to determining that the search results include a contact that was identified based upon an association with keywords or noun phrases that the contact indicated as private within their privacy preferences, to perform a brokered communication process between the user submitting the search query and the identified contact.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the privacy preferences comprises preferences regarding what information should be analyzed during the creation of the knowledge interchange profile.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the privacy preferences further comprise an indication as to whether each keyword, noun phrase, or contact should be public or private.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the brokered communication process comprises:

transmitting the query results to the user submitting the search query, the query results identifying the identified contact anonymously;

receiving a request from the user submitting the search query to contact the identified contact;

in response to receiving the request, transmitting a request for assistance to the identified contact on behalf of the user submitting the search query;

receiving a reply to the request from the identified contact indicating whether assistance will be offered to the user submitting the search query; and

if assistance will be offered, transmitting the identity of the identified contact to the user submitting the search query.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the request for assistance transmitted to the identified contact on behalf of the user submitting the search query does not identify the user submitting the search query.