Method and Apparatus for Data Protection in Cloud-Based Matching System

• US 20170171248A1
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Hong Bo Bb, Ren, Chang Rui, Tong, Yue Yt, Wang, Bao Hua Bh
• Granted Patent: US 9,992,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Enhanced security is provided for cloud based matching systems by using the principle of Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA). The client uses IIA to transform alternative data before sending it to the cloud, and then does the reverse transformation on the matching results generated by the cloud service provider to rebuild the matching results for the alternative data. Using this protocol, the client does not disclose its own data in a form that is usable by the cloud service provider, and the cloud service provider does not disclose to the client the provider'"'"'s proprietary coefficient beta information.

Claims

1. A method for data protection in cloud-based matching systems, comprising:

transforming alternative client data using the principle of Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA);

receiving calculated results of matching upon the transformed alternative data;

rebuilding a final result for said alternative client data by a reverse transformation on the calculated results using the principle of IIA.

2. A method of data protection as in claim 1, wherein the alternative client data is comprised of random alternatives combined with original alternatives and wherein said combined alternative client data is split into a plurality of sub-lists.

3. A method of data protection as in claim 2, wherein said rebuilding is done on the said plurality of sub-lists.

4. A method of data protection as in claim 3, wherein each of said plurality of sub-lists is processed concurrently.

5. A method of data protection as in claim 1, wherein the principle of IIA is defined as

6. A method of data protection as in claim 1, wherein the matching results are calculated using a Multinomial Logit Model (MNL).

7. A method of data protection as in claim 1, wherein the matching system is applied to a workforce scheduling task.

8. A system for data protection of cloud-based matching, comprising:

a processing unit for transforming alternative client data using the principle of Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA);

a communications channel for receiving results of a matching calculation upon the transformed alternative data;

a processing unit for rebuilding a final result for said alternative client data by a reverse transformation on the calculated results using the principle of IIA.

9. A system for data protection as in claim 8, wherein the alternative client data is comprised of random alternatives combined with original alternatives and wherein said combined alternative client data is split into a plurality of sub-lists.

10. A system for data protection as in claim 9, wherein said rebuilding is done on the said plurality of sub-lists.

11. A system for data protection as in claim 10, wherein each of said plurality of sub-lists is processed concurrently.

12. A system for data protection as in claim 8, wherein the principle of IIA is defined as

13. A system for data protection as in claim 8, wherein the matching results are calculated using a Multinomial Logit Model (MNL).

14. A system for data protection as in claim 8, wherein the matching system is applied to a financial product recommendation task.

15. A method for data protection in cloud-based matching systems, comprising:

receiving from a source alternative client data transformed using the principle of Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA);

calculating results of matching upon the transformed alternative data;

making said results available to the source for rebuilding a final result for said alternative client data by a reverse transformation on the calculated results using the principle of IIA.

16. A method of data protection as in claim 15, wherein the alternative client data is comprised of random alternatives combined with original alternatives and wherein said combined alternative client data is split into a plurality of sub-lists.

17. A method of data protection as in claim 16, wherein said rebuilding is done on the said plurality of sub-lists.

18. A method of data protection as in claim 17, wherein each of said plurality of sub-lists is processed concurrently.

19. A method of data protection as in claim 15, wherein the principle of IIA is defined as

20. A method of data protection as in claim 15, wherein the matching results are calculated using a Multinomial Logit Model (MNL).