Information content distribution based on privacy and/or personal information

• US 7,162,451 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2002
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bisdikian, Chatschik, Naghshineh, Mahmoud, Sow, Daby Mousse, Lee, Nathan Junsup, Berger, Stefan, Perret, Veronique
• Primary Examiner(s): Reagan; James A
• Application Number:
  US10/082,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20030105719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26, 705/39, 705/51, 705/57, 705/75, 705/80, 380/30, 707/3, 707/6, 707/9, 707/10, 709/203, 709/217, 709/230, 235/380, 715/513
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0604 with predefined switching scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/084 Equal gain combining, only phase adjustments antenna beam scanning or forming by phase or amplitude control H01Q3/26, e.g. phased arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0894 using different delays between antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15535 Control of relay amplifier gain amplifier gain control in general H03G3/00; gain control reducing self - or loop interference H04B7/15578
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/12 Generation of orthogonal codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0041 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0066 Parallel concatenated codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0069 Puncturing patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0071 : Use of interleaving interleaving per se H03M13/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/06 : using space diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 : by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1819 : with retransmission of additional or different redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1841 : Resequencing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1845 : Combining techniques, e.g. code combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1848 : Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0096 : Channel splitting in point-to-point links
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 : Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/28 : in relation to timing considerations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/34 : ensuring sequence integrity, e.g. using sequence numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 : Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0042 : intra-user or intra-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 : allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0083 : symbol-by-symbol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 : for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 : using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 : Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/225 : Calculation of statistics, e.g. average, variance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/24 : using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 : taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 : taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 : taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/46 : in multi hop networks, e.g. wireless relay networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 : Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and apparatus to protect user privacy while accessing information in public places, using both public and personal devices. This is achieved by employing a mechanism that prevents private information from being displayed on public devices. Instead, this type of information is made available only to a user'"'"'s personal device(s) that the user carries and/or trusts. An example embodiment of the invention shows relevant parts of the information content, referred to also as information documents or simply documents, to multiple devices based on privacy level and user preferences. Embodiments of the present invention also provide personalized services based on privacy levels defined by users. These users can for example be customers of a retail store. The service provided is sometimes also based on user history of accessing information documents. It permits personalized information to be sent to a customer'"'"'s personal device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing information responsive to a user'"'"'s query, said information having a first portion and at least one other portion;

identifying said user'"'"'s meeting a first identification criterion;

forming a user identification when said first identification criterion is met;

employing said user identification in splitting said information to form said first portion of the information and said at least one other portion of the information;

forwarding said first portion of information to a first device and said at least one other portion of information to at least one other device, said at least one other device not requiring any relationship to said first device;

wherein content included in said first portion of information and included in said at least one other portion of information is based on a preference criterion; and

wherein said preference criterion is a criterion selected from a group of criteria including;

security level;

user profile;

user data;

user history;

preferred customer status;

user affiliation;

user service level association;

time of day;

day of year;

religion;

ethnic background;

national background;

gender;

sexual orientation;

demographic information;

context;

inventory;

classification level; and

any combination of the above criterion.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of identifying is performed by an identifier, and step of employing is performed by a respondent server.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said respondent server is also said identifier.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first device is a user device employed in making said query, and said step of identifying includes identifying said user device employing identification criteria.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein one of said identification criteria is a criterion selected from a group of criteria including:

identifying a device identification;

identifying a device group identification;

identifying a user identification;

identifying a user group identification;

authenticating user of said device by user identification and password;

employing a verification signature included in said query;

employing an RF id tag;

employing a 3rd party mechanism; and

any combination of said criterion.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

said user employing said first device in a session; and

associating said user for said session employing said verification.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a first entity supplying said first device to a user.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein said first entity is a business and said user is a customer.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of receiving said query said user'"'"'s meeting a first identification criterion, includes at least one step from a group of steps including:

user pre-registering query;

utilizing user criteria;

selecting a hyper-link;

sending mail.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first portion of information includes private user information and said at least one other portion of information includes public information.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising changing preference criteria dynamically.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said step of changing preference criteria is performed dynamically during a session.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein preference criteria change dynamically during a session by a user.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising forming a user profile database for a plurality of users.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein said step of forming is repeated in accordance with a database update criterion.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said database update criterion is a criterion selected from a group of criteria including:

change of preference criteria by user;

change of identification criteria;

information access;

change of context; and

any combination of the above criterion.

17. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein said step of forming an identification when said first identification criterion is met, indudes:

identifying user; and

associating said user with said user profile.

18. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein said step of forming an identification when said first identification criterion is met includes:

associating said identification criterion with user profile.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising forming a user profile database for a plurality of users based on said preference criteria.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said step of employing said identification in forming said first portion of information and said at least one other portion of information, includes:

creating rules for forming said first portion and said at least one other portion based on said preference criteria;

employing said rules to form said first portion and said at least one other portion.

21. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of forming an identification when said first identification criterion is met, includes:

identifying user;

associating said user with said identification criterion.

22. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing a program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the method steps of providing information, forming, employing and forwarding.

23. An apparatus comprising:

means for routing responsive to a user'"'"'s query information having a first portion and at least one other portion, said a first portion of information being routed to a first device and said at least one other portion of information being routed to at least one other device, said means for routing including;

means for receiving said query and identifying said user'"'"'s meeting a first identification criterion;

means for forming a user identification when said first identification criterion is met;

means for employing said user identification in forming said first portion of information and said at least one other portion of information;

means for forwarding said first portion of information to said first device and said at least one other portion of information to said at least one other device, wherein said forwarding of said first portion and at least one other portion requiring no persistent or predetermined order;

wherein content included in said first portion of information and included in said at least one other portion of information is based on a preference criterion; and

wherein said preference criterion is a criterion selected from a group of criteria including;

security level;

user profile;

user data;

user history;

preferred customer status;

user affiliation;

user service level association;

time of day;

day of year;

religion;

ethnic background;

national background;

gender;

sexual orientation;

demographic information;

context;

inventory;

classification level; and

any combination of the above criterion.

24. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing information routing, the computer readable program code means in said artide of manufacture comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of:

providing information responsive to a user'"'"'s query, said information having a first portion and at least one other portion;

identifying said user'"'"'s meeting a first identification criterion;

forming an user identification when said first identification criterion is met;

employing said user identification in splitting said information to form said first portion of the information and said at least one other portion of the information;

forwarding said first portion of information to a first device and said at least one other portion of information to at least one other device, said at least one other device not requiring any relationship to said first device;

wherein content included in said first portion of information and included in said at least one other portion of information is based on a preference criterion; and

wherein said preference criterion is a criterion selected from a group of criteria including;

security level;

user profile;

user data;

user history;

preferred customer status;

user affiliation;

user service level association;

time of day;

day of year;

religion;

ethnic background;

national background;

gender;

sexual orientation;

demographic information;

context;

inventory;

classification level; and

any combination of the above criterion.

25. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing routing, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the functions of:

means for routing responsive to a user'"'"'s query information having a first portion and at least one other portion, said first portion of information being routed to a first device and said at least one other portion of information being routed to at least one other device, said means for routing including;

means for receiving said query and identifying said user'"'"'s meeting a first identification criterion;

means for forming an user identification when said first identification criterion is met;

means for employing said user identification in forming said first portion of information and said at least one other portion of information;

means for forwarding said first portion of information to said first device and said at least one other portion of information to said at least one other device,

wherein content included in said first portion of information and included in said at least one other portion of information is based on a preference criterion; and

wherein said preference criterion is a criterion selected from a group of criteria including;

security level;

user profile;

user data;

user history;

preferred customer status;

user affiliation;

user service level association;

time of day;

day of year;

religion;

ethnic background;

national background;

gender;

sexual orientation;

demographic information;

context;

inventory;

classification level; and

any combination of the above criterion.