Maintaining user privacy in a virtual earth environment

• US 20060238380A1
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lawler, Stephen L., Schwartz, Joseph, Lombardi, Steve, Kimchi, Gur, Kuppusamy, Ashok, Gounares, Alexander G., Endres, Raymond E., Dekate, Amit
• Application Number:
  US11/334,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20060238380A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/995.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3841 Data obtained from two or more sources, e.g. probe vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Provided is a single repository for capturing, connecting, sharing, and visualizing information based on a geographic location, for example. Provided is a schema, repository, index, and APIs for any information, place, entity, attribute, service or person that can be referenced geographically. A system to provide real time image data includes an input component that receives image data associated with a specific geographic area, a splitter component that splits the image data into at least two quadrants, and a storage component that stores at least a portion of the at least two quadrants. Also provides is on-line or real-time advertising based on a user'"'"'s mapped location and/or a user preference.

Claims

1. A system for maintaining privacy in a user-supplied information environment, comprising:

an interface module that receives an input from at least one user;

a location module that obtains location information; and

a time module that associates a time stamp with the input and the location information and delays a posting of the location information for a predefined period.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a rendering component that renders the location information to at least another user after an expiration of the predefined period.

3. The system of claim 1, the interface module provides a selectable opt-in or opt-out option.

4. The system of claim 1, the input is at least one of when to display real-time data, a precision of real-time data, and at least one other user who can access real-time data.

5. The system of claim 1, the input is a location dithering that limits accessibility of the input to a particular location while a user is present in the particular location.

6. The system of claim 1, the input is a per-watcher dithering that limits accessibility of the input to a pre-selected group of users.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a stitching component that maintains the input and the location information for a predetermined time before transmitting to a rendering component.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a stitching component that receives the input and location information from the location module after a delay.

9. A method for providing a level of privacy to a user that contributes user-information, comprising:

receiving an input from at least one user;

associating the input with the at least one user;

determining if a privacy criteria has been requested; and

modifying the input based in part on the requested privacy criteria.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

associating at least one of a time or a location with the input; and

displaying the input and the associated time or the associated location as specified in the requested privacy criteria.

11. The method of claim 9, the requested privacy criteria comprising at least one of a real-time data display time, a precision of display data, an identification of at least one user authorized to access data, and a data encryption criteria.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising delaying display of the input for a predefined period.

13. The method of claim 9, determining if a privacy criteria has been requested comprising ascertaining if others are authorized to receive real-time data.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

associating a keyword with the input;

receiving a query that contains the keyword; and

displaying the input based in part on the received query.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting one of a human face and a license plate number; and

blurring the detected human face or the detected license plate number to protect identifying criteria.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a listing of contacts and a defined map area that contains a particular section of a displayed map area;

tracking a location of each contact; and

sending a notification as each contact enters the defined map area.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving one of a defined period or at least one selected contact; and

monitoring the defined map area until one of an expiration of the defined period or detection of the at least one selected contact within the defined map area.

18. A system for preventing real-time tracking in a user-populated network environment, comprising:

means for receiving an input from at least one user;

means for associating the received input with the at least one user;

means for ascertaining whether the at least one user has requested a privacy; and

means for protecting a privacy of the user.

19. The system of claim 18, the means for receiving an input from at least one user associates at least one of a location and a time-stamp with the input.

20. The system of claim 18, the means for protecting a privacy of the user delays posting the user input for a predetermined period, after which the user input is posted to a community of users.