Dummy information for location privacy in location based services

• US 8,559,927 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Atestraw Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Kim, Seungil
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, CONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US13/119,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

Technologies are generally described for location privacy protection. In some examples, location privacy protection is provided by determining a maximum number of dummy location information sets to be transmitted to an LBS provider along with actual location information based on a comparison of expected LBS data to be received and bandwidth availability, as well as expected power usage on a mobile device transmitting the information and available power for the mobile device. The dummy information may be generated such that realistic trajectories are obtained without enabling an intruder to detect a user'"'"'s actual path when the user is moving.

Claims

1. A method for protecting location privacy by employing dummy information when using location based services, the method comprising:

connecting to a location based service (LBS) provider;

submitting a user'"'"'s actual location and a first sub-group of dummy locations representing a maximum number of dummy locations allowed to be submitted by the user based on one or more constraints to the LBS provider, wherein the first sub-group is selected among a total group of dummy locations representing a maximum number of dummy locations allowed by the LBS provider regardless of any constraints, the one or more constraints comprising an available bandwidth, a power consumption of a computing device connecting to the LBS provider, and/or a service requirement of the LBS provider; and

receiving location based service data associated with a second sub-group of dummy locations and the user'"'"'s actual location from the LBS provider, wherein the second sub-group is a subset of the first sub-group and the second sub-group of dummy locations is selected using a sub-code that represents an index between the user'"'"'s actual location and the second sub-group of dummy locations.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sub-code is one of:

predetermined between the user and the LBS provider, generated by the LBS provider and pre-shared with the user, or generated by the computing device connecting to the LBS provider and sent to the LBS provider.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a number of the dummy locations for the first sub-group, N, to be submitted to the LBS provider based on N≦

min(B/Q_n, T/P_n)−

1, where B represents an available bandwidth for the computing device connecting to the LBS provider, Q_n represents an average amount of location service data to be transmitted by the LBS provider for each location, T represents a maximum permissible power usage for the computing device, and P_n represents power usage rate for receiving Q_n.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the first sub-group of dummy locations to the LBS provider at one of predetermined periodic intervals and a random interval.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

enabling the user to set a privacy protection level by adjusting a frequency of the transmission.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting user'"'"'s actual location information and the first sub-group of dummy locations to the LBS provider when a location determination service of the computing device is inactive.

7. An apparatus for protecting location privacy by employing dummy information when using location based services, comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is adapted to execute the instructions, which when executed configure the processor to;

connect to a location based service (LBS) provider;

submit a user'"'"'s actual location and a first sub-group of dummy locations representative of a maximum number of dummy locations allowed to be submitted by the user based on one or more constraints to the LBS provider, wherein the first sub-group is selected among a total group of dummy locations representative of a maximum number of dummy locations allowed by the LBS provider regardless of any constraints, the one or more constraints comprising an available bandwidth, a power consumption of apparatus, and/or a service requirement of the LBS provider; and

receive location based service data associated with a second sub-group of dummy locations and the user'"'"'s actual location from the LBS provider, wherein the second sub-group is a subset of the first sub-group and the second sub-group of dummy locations is selected using a sub-code that represents an index between the user'"'"'s actual location and the second sub-group of dummy locations.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the sub-code is one of:

predetermined between the user and the LBS provider, generated by the LBS provider and pre-shared with the user, or generated by the computing device connecting to the LBS provider and sent to the LBS provider.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

select a number of the dummy locations for the first sub-group, N, to be submitted to the LBS provider based on N≦

min(B/Q_n, T/P_n)−

1, where B represents an available bandwidth for the apparatus, Q_n represents an average amount of location service data to be transmitted by the LBS provider for each location, T represents a maximum permissible power usage for the apparatus, and P_n represents power usage rate for receiving Q_n.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit the first sub-group of dummy locations to the LBS provider at one of predetermined periodic intervals and a random interval.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

upon determination that the user is moving, generate a trajectory for the dummy locations; and

transmit the dummy locations along the generated trajectory such that a movement of the user is obscured.

12. A method for enabling protection of location privacy by employing dummy information in conjunction with location based services, the method comprising:

registering a user at a location based service (LBS) provider;

receiving the user'"'"'s actual location and a first sub-group of dummy locations representing a maximum number of dummy locations allowed to be submitted by the user based on one or more constraints at the LBS provider, wherein the first sub-group is selected among a total group of dummy locations representing a maximum number of dummy locations allowed by the LBS provider regardless of any constraints, the one or more constraints comprising an available bandwidth, a power consumption of a computing device connecting to the LBS provider, and/or a service requirement of the LBS provider; and

providing LBS data associated with a second sub-group of dummy locations and the user'"'"'s actual location to the computing device connecting to the LBS provider, wherein the second sub-group is a subset of the first sub-group and the second sub-group of dummy locations is selected using a sub-code that represents an index between the user'"'"'s actual location and the second sub-group of dummy locations.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the sub-code is one of:

predetermined between the user and the LBS provider;

generated by the LBS provider and pre-shared with the user; and

generated by the computing device connecting to the LBS provider and sent to the LBS provider.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first sub-group of dummy locations is selected randomly among the total group of dummy locations based on the allowed number dummy locations.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

enabling transmittal of the user'"'"'s actual location information and the first sub-group of dummy locations to the LBS provider when a location determination service of the computing device is inactive.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein dummy location information includes at least one of made-up location information and/or past actual location information.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

enabling the computing device to generate a trajectory for the dummy locations upon determination that the user is moving; and

enabling transmittal of the dummy locations along the generated trajectory such that a movement of the user is obscured.