PRIVATE INFORMATION REQUESTS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

• US 20110161176A1
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chuan David Ai
• Original Assignee: Chuan David Ai
• Inventors: Ai, Chuan David
• Granted Patent: US 8,725,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.66
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

Information management techniques for performing private information request are provided. Original information request entered on a personal computing device are obscured by a camouflaging engine. The obscured information request is then submitted to a search engine accessible over the Internet by the device. Subsequently, the search engine will generate search results based on the obscured information request. Upon completion of the search, a filtering engine on the device will filter the obscured search result based on the original entered information request, preferences or personal profile. The output of the filtering engine, reflecting the personalized result for the original information request, can be displayed on the device. The device could also include ways to receive advertisements from the search engine, or a third or an outside advertisement party. An advertisement filtering engine on the device filters the received advertisements and displays the filtered advertisements on the device.

Claims

1. A method for performing private information requests on a personal computing device, comprising:

a) entering an original information request on said personal computing device, wherein said original information request comprises at least one keyword;

b) a camouflaging engine obscuring said entered and original information request and producing an obscured information request;

c) an information request submission engine submitting said obscured information request to a third party or outside search engine, wherein the search engine is accessible over the Internet;

d) said search engine generating a search result, wherein said search result is the result of applying said obscured information request to said search engine;

e) a receiving engine receiving said obscured search result from said search engine;

f) a filtering engine filtering said obscured search result based on said original entered information request, stored preferences and personal profile of the user of said personal computing device, or a combination thereof; and

g) displaying said filtered search result on said personal computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

said original information request comprises two or more keywords and said obscured information request is a subset of keywords compared to the number of keywords in said original information request,

said original information request comprises two or more keywords and said obscured information request contains fewer keywords compared to the number of keywords in said original information request,

and one or more keywords in said obscured information request are replaced by one or more generalized keywords, one or more less-sensitive keywords, one or more less-specific keywords, one or more less-privacy revealing keywords, one or more related keywords or one or more alternate keywords compared to the original keywords in said original information request,

said original information request comprises two or more keywords and one or more keywords in said original information request are removed,

said original information request comprises two or more keywords and one or more keywords in said original information request are removed as a result of searching and selecting one or more keywords from a defined list of keywords,

said original information request comprises two or more keywords and one or more keywords are removed or changed according to said stored preferences and personal profile of the user of said personal computing device, or

any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of obscuring does not result in an encryption of the information request keywords.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said obscured information request remains to be a list of one or more keywords.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving one or more advertisements from said search engine or receiving one or more advertisements from a third advertisement party or an outside advertisement party.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a) said receiving engine receiving one or more advertisements,

b) an advertisement filtering engine filtering said received advertisements; and

c) displaying said filtered advertisements on said personal computing device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said advertisement filtering is performed based on said original information request, said stored preferences and personal profile of the user of said personal computing device, or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising an interface for allowing the user of said personal computing device to delete one or more advertisements from the current or any future display.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising listing information pertaining said deleted advertisements in said stored preferences and personal profile of the user of said personal computing device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said information request is a search query, an information subscription or a database query.

11. A digital storage medium tangibly embodying machine-readable instructions executable by a personal computing device, the instructions comprising steps for:

a) entering an original information request on said personal computing device, wherein said original information request comprises at least one keyword;

b) obscuring said entered and original information request and producing an obscured information request;

c) submitting said obscured information request to a third party or outside search engine, wherein the search engine is accessible over the Internet;

d) receiving said obscured search result from said search engine;

e) filtering said obscured search result based on said original entered information request, stored preferences and personal profile of the user of said personal computing device, or a combination thereof; and

f) displaying said filtered search results on said personal computing device.

12. The digital storage medium of claim 11, wherein:

said original information request comprises two or more keywords and said obscured information request is a subset of keywords compared to the number of keywords in said original information request,

said original information request comprises two or more keywords and said obscured information request contains fewer keywords compared to the number of keywords in said original information request,

and one or more keywords in said obscured information request are replaced by one or more generalized keywords, one or more less-sensitive keywords, one or more less-specific keywords, one or more less-privacy revealing keywords, one or more related keywords or one or more alternate keywords compared to the original keywords in said original information request,

said original information request comprises two or more keywords and one or more keywords in said original information request are removed,

said original information request comprises two or more keywords and one or more keywords in said original information request are removed as a result of searching and selecting one or more keywords from a defined list of keywords,

said original information request comprises two or more keywords and one or more keywords are removed or changed according to said stored preferences and personal profile of the user of said personal computing device, or

any combination thereof.

13. The digital storage medium of claim 11, wherein said obscuring instructions do not result in an encryption of the information request keywords.

14. The digital storage medium of claim 11, wherein said obscured information request remains to be a list of one or more keywords.

15. The digital storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for receiving one or more advertisements from said search engine or receiving one or more advertisements from a third advertisement party or an outside advertisement party.

16. The digital storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

a) said receiving engine receiving one or more advertisements,

b) an advertisement filtering engine filtering said received advertisements; and

c) displaying said filtered advertisements on said personal computing device.

17. The digital storage medium of claim 16, wherein said advertisement filtering is performed based on said original information request, said stored preferences and personal profile of the user of said personal computing device or any combination thereof.

18. The digital storage medium of claim 16, further comprising an interface for allowing the user of said personal computing device to delete one or more advertisements from the current or any future display.

19. The digital storage medium of claim 18, further comprising listing information pertaining said deleted advertisements in said stored preferences and personal profile of the user of said personal computing device.

20. The digital storage medium of claim 11, wherein said information request is a search query, an information subscription or a database query.