Vector space method for secure information sharing

• US 8,024,344 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2008
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Relativity ODA LLC
• Original Assignee: Content Analyst Company, LLC (Relativity ODA LLC)
• Inventors: Bradford, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly; Anh
• Application Number:
  US12/133,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20090328226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 707/739, 707/741, 707/750, 715/256, 715/708, 715/751
• US Class Current: 707/739
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Presented are systems and methods for securely sharing confidential information. In such a method, term vectors corresponding to ones of a plurality of confidential terms included in a plurality of confidential documents is received. Each of the received term vectors is mapped into a vector space. Non-confidential documents are mapped into the vector space to generate a document vector corresponding to each non-confidential document, wherein the generation of each document vector is based on a subset of the received term vectors. At least one of the non-confidential documents is identified in response to a query mapped into the vector space.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for securely sharing sensitive documents, wherein a non-sensitive vector space is embodied in a computer readable medium, and the non-sensitive vector space includes non-sensitive term vectors and non-sensitive document vectors corresponding to a collection of non-sensitive documents, the computer-based method comprising:

(a) transmitting a subset of the non-sensitive term vectors to a plurality of entities that each manage a sensitive document database, each non-sensitive term vector corresponding to a non-sensitive term;

(b) receiving offset vectors from the plurality of entities responsive to sensitive documents in the sensitive document databases that contain the non-sensitive terms;

(c) updating the term vectors in the non-sensitive vector space responsive to the offset vectors from the sensitive documents, wherein step (c) comprises;

updating the term vectors in the non-sensitive vector space responsive to the offset vectors, such that a first term vector is updated based on a combination of offset vectors respectively received from each entity, and

updating the term vectors in the non-sensitive vector space responsive to the offset vectors, such that a new term vector is generated for each offset vector;

(d) generating a vector representation of a query in the non-sensitive vector space based on the updated term vectors; and

(e) identifying at least one non-sensitive document based on a comparison between the vector representation of the query and the non-sensitive document vectors.

2. The computer-based method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a number of times each non-sensitive term occurs in the collection of non-sensitive documents.

3. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises:

receiving new term vectors from the plurality of entities.

4. The computer-based method of claim 3, wherein step (c) comprises:

updating the term vectors in the non-sensitive vector space responsive to the offset vectors and the new term vectors.

5. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code stored therein for securely sharing sensitive information, wherein a non-sensitive vector space is embodied in the computer readable storage medium, and the non-sensitive vector space includes non-sensitive term vectors and non-sensitive document vectors corresponding to a collection of non-sensitive documents, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable first program code for causing a computer to transmit a subset of the non-sensitive term vectors to a plurality of entities that each manage a sensitive document database, each non-sensitive term vector corresponding to a non-sensitive term;

computer readable second program code for causing a computer to receive offset vectors from the plurality of entities responsive to sensitive documents in the sensitive document databases that contain the non-sensitive terms;

computer readable third program code for causing a computer to update the term vectors in the non-sensitive vector space responsive to the offset vectors from the sensitive documents, wherein the computer readable third program code comprises;

code for causing the computer to update the term vectors in the non-sensitive vector space responsive to the offset vectors, such that a first term vector is updated based on a combination of offset vectors respectively received from each of the entities, and

code for causing the computer to update the term vectors in the non-sensitive vector space responsive to the offset vectors, such that a new term vector is generated for each offset vector;

computer readable fourth program code for causing a computer to generate a vector representation of a query in the non-sensitive vector space based on the updated term vectors; and

computer readable fifth Program code for causing a computer to identify at least one non-sensitive document based on a comparison between the vector representation of the query and the non-sensitive document vectors.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising:

computer readable sixth program code for causing a computer to transmit a number of times each non-sensitive term occurs in the collection of non-sensitive documents.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the computer readable second program code further comprises:

code for causing the computer to receive new term vectors from the plurality of entities.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer readable third program code comprises:

code for causing the computer to update the term vectors in the non-sensitive vector space responsive to the offset vectors and the new term vectors.