Secure coordinate identification method, system and program

• US 7,962,757 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2004
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dunham, Steven Bruce, Jonas, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami; Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): YALEW, FIKREMARIAM A
• Application Number:
  US10/807,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20050066182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,638 Days
• Field of Search: 713/189, 380/46
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/42 Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials

Abstract

A method, program and system (10) for processing data are disclosed. The method, program and system comprising the steps of: (a) receiving data representing a location of an item (e.g., people, personal property, real property, organizations, chemical compounds, organic compounds, proteins, biological structures, biometric values or atomic structures), (c) determining a plurality of fixed coordinates that represent the location (e.g., by “rounding” and/or comparing to a reference grid), (d) utilizing an algorithm (e.g., encryption, encoding and/or one-way function) to process the plurality of fixed coordinates (each separately or together), and (e) comparing the processed data to at least a portion of secondary data (perhaps comprising data previously stored in a database).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identification, processing, and comparison of location coordinate data in a confidential and anonymous manner, comprising:

receiving, in a computer, a plurality of fixed coordinates, each of the fixed coordinates representing a location of an item comprising an individual, personal property or real property, and the plurality of fixed coordinates being generated by more than one process;

utilizing, in the computer, a cryptographic algorithm to encrypt the plurality of fixed coordinates, thereby forming a processed data; and

comparing, in the computer, the encrypted fixed coordinates of the processed data to at least a portion of secondary data that comprises one or more encrypted fixed coordinates to determine whether a relationship exists between the encrypted fixed coordinates of the processed data and the encrypted fixed coordinates of the secondary data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving data representing the location of the item and determining the plurality of fixed coordinates that represent the location of the item prior to receiving the plurality of fixed coordinates.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of storing the processed data in a database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of comparing the processed data to at least a portion of secondary data includes the secondary data comprising data previously stored in a database.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of matching the processed data to the at least a portion of secondary data that is determined to reflect an identical one of the plurality of fixed coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of issuing a signal based upon a user-defined rule.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the plurality of fixed coordinates that represent the location occurs in relation to a grid.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the grid comprises a uniform grid.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the grid comprises a non-uniform grid.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the grid is a multi-dimensional grid.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the grid is based upon a user-defined criterion.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the user-defined criterion corresponds with quantity.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the user-defined criterion corresponds to time.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the plurality of fixed coordinates that represent the location includes the step of determining a nearest of the plurality of fixed coordinates.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining a plurality of fixed coordinates that represent the location includes the step of determining the plurality of fixed coordinates surrounding the location.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for execution by a computer for performing a method of identification, processing, and comparison of location coordinate data in a confidential and anonymous manner, comprising:

receiving, in a computer, a plurality of fixed coordinates, each of the fixed coordinates representing a location of an item comprising an individual, personal property or real property, and the plurality of fixed coordinates being generated by more than one process;

utilizing, in the computer, a cryptographic algorithm to encrypt the plurality of fixed coordinates, thereby forming a processed data; and

comparing, in the computer, the encrypted fixed coordinates of the processed data to at least a portion of secondary data that comprises one or more encrypted fixed coordinates to determine whether a relationship exists between the encrypted fixed coordinates of the processed data and the encrypted fixed coordinates of the secondary data.

17. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 16 further comprising the step of receiving data representing the location of the item and determining the plurality of fixed coordinates that represent the location of the item prior to receiving the plurality of fixed coordinates.

18. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 16 further comprising the step of storing the processed data in a database.

19. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 16 wherein the step of comparing the processed data to at least a portion of secondary data includes the secondary data comprising data previously stored in a database.

20. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 16 further comprising the step of matching the processed data to the at least a portion of secondary data that is determined to reflect an identical one of the plurality of fixed coordinates.

21. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 16 further comprising the step of issuing a signal based upon a user-defined rule.

22. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 16 wherein the step of determining the plurality of fixed coordinates that represent the location occurs in relation to a grid.

23. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 22 wherein the grid comprises a uniform grid.

24. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 22 wherein the grid comprises a non-uniform grid.

25. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 22 wherein the grid is a multi-dimensional grid.

26. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 22 wherein the grid is based upon a user-defined criterion.

27. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 26 wherein the user-defined criterion corresponds with quantity.

28. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 26 wherein the user-defined criterion corresponds to time.

29. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 16 wherein the step of determining the plurality of fixed coordinates that represent the location includes the step of determining the nearest of the plurality of fixed coordinates.

30. The computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 16 wherein the step of determining a plurality of fixed coordinates that represent the location includes the step of determining the plurality of fixed coordinates surrounding the location.