Information management apparatus, data processing method and computer program

• US 8,577,922 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Miyakawa, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Issac M
• Application Number:
  US13/500,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-899
• US Class Current: 707/791
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/00 Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using active systems G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/00 Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00; network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorised activity G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

An information management apparatus includes: a data receiving section, a collected data storage section, an aggregating section, a feature extracting section, a determining section, and an evaluation data storage section. The data receiving section periodically receives action data showing an action of a user. The collected data storage section stores the action data received by the data receiving section every user. The aggregating section generates a data set every user by aggregating action data containing an approximate content, of the action data stored in the collected data storage section. The feature extracting section extracts an index and a reference showing privacy confidentiality of the data set as a feature to incorporate in the data set. The determining section determines whether or not the privacy confidentiality of the feature of the data set is equal to or higher than a predetermined level. The evaluation data storage section stores the data set which passed the determining section.

Claims

1. An information management apparatus comprising:

a data receiving section configured to periodically receive action data showing an action of a user;

a collected data storage section configured to store the action data received by said data receiving section every user;

an aggregating section configured to generate a data set every user by aggregating action data containing an approximate content, of the action data stored in said collected data storage section;

a feature extracting section configured to extract an index and a reference showing privacy confidentiality of said data set as a feature to incorporate in said data set;

a determining section configured to determine whether or not the privacy confidentiality of the feature of said data set is equal to or higher than a predetermined level; and

an evaluation data storage section configured to store said data set which passed said determining section.

2. The information management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said action data is position data containing a position of a mobile equipment which belongs to the user and an attribute composed of a position measuring time of the position and identification data of the user.

3. The information management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said data receiving section receives position data from one or more mobile equipments,

wherein said collected data storage section stores the position data received by said data receiving section every user,

wherein said aggregating section generates said position data set of the position data which are continuous for a predetermined time when arranging the position data stored in said collected data storage section every user in time series, and which are near in position, generates a stay point containing a position of an optional position data which is contained in said position data set and a time zone in which times of all the position data contained in said position data set are contained, and generates as said data set, a stay point set having as elements, the stay points which have a same position or near positions and which are for a same user,

wherein said feature extracting section extracts as a feature, a stay point feature showing the privacy confidentiality of the stay point which is contained in said stay point set, and incorporates the feature into said stay point set,

wherein said determining section determines whether or not the privacy confidentiality of the stay point feature of said stay point set is equal to or higher than the predetermined level, and

wherein said evaluation data storage section stores said stay point set which passed said determining section.

4. The information management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said stay point feature is at least one of:

frequency showing the number of stay points contained in said stay point set;

periodicity showing a period of a time zone of the stay point contained in said stay point set;

continuity showing a length of the time zone of the stay point contained in said stay point set;

public nature showing the number of stay point sets which contain the stay points which have same or near positions as or to a position of any of the stay points of said stay point set and which have user names different from the user name of any of the stay points; and

dispersibility having a distance between the stay points contained in said stay point set as an index.

5. The information management apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a feature inputting section configured to correct at least one of the features of the frequency, the periodicity, the continuity, the public nature and the dispersibility, or input a user definition feature which is different from any of the features.

6. The information management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said determining section uses the user definition feature of the features contained in said data set for the determination of the privacy confidentiality primarily.

7. The information management apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

an external data acquiring section configured to collect a place contained in data published on the Internet by the user; and

a feature analyzing section configured to analyze the place collected by said external data acquiring section to specify an open position, and assigns an open feature to said stay point set when the position of the stay point contained in said stay point set is same as or near to the open position.

8. The information management apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a meaning data storage section configured to store a correspondence relation of the position data stored in said collected data storage section and a meaning showing a feature of an entity in the position of said position data; and

a meaning adding section configured to acquire the meaning corresponding to the position contained in the position data stored in said collected data storage section from said meaning data storage section and adds said meaning to said position data,

wherein said aggregating section generate said position data set of the position data which are continuous for a predetermined time when arranging the position data stored in said collected data storage section in time series, which are near in position, and which have a same meaning, and carries out every user, processing of generating the stay point which contains the position of optional position data which is contained in said position data set, and a time zone in which times of all the position data contained in said position data set.

9. The information management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a feature inputting section configured to correct the feature extracted by said feature extracting section or add an index and a level showing the privacy confidentiality which are different from the feature as a feature.

10. The information management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an external data acquiring section configured to collect data about the action of the user published onto a network; and

a feature analyzing section configured to add, when the data collected by said external data acquiring section is contained in said data set generated by said aggregating section, an open feature which is different from any of the features contained in said data set, to said data set as a feature.

11. The information management apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when the open feature is contained as the feature contained in said data set, said determining section does not store said data set in said evaluation data storage section or primarily store said data set in said evaluation data storage section.

12. The information management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a meaning data storage section configured to relate and store the action data stored in said collected data storage section and a meaning of the action data; and

a meaning adding section configured to refer to said meaning data storage section and add the meaning corresponding to the action data to the action data,

wherein said aggregating section aggregates the action data which are stored in said collected data storage section, and which are approximate in meaning added to the action data by said meaning adding section added and generates a data set every user.

13. A data processing method of an information management apparatus,

wherein said information management apparatus comprises a collected data storage section configured to store action data showing an action of a user every user,

wherein said data processing method comprises:

periodically receiving said action data to store in said collected data storage section;

generating a data set every user by aggregating the action data, which have an approximate content, of the action data stored in said collected data storage section to generate a data set every user;

extracting as a feature, an index and reference showing the privacy confidentiality of said data set as the feature to incorporate into said data set;

determining whether or not the privacy confidentiality of the feature of said data set is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value; and

storing said data set which passed said determining section in an evaluation data storage section.

14. The data processing method according to claim 13, wherein said action data is position data containing a position of a mobile equipment which belongs to the user and an attribute composed of a position measuring time of the position and identification data of the user.

15. The data processing method according to claim 14, wherein said storing comprises:

receiving position data from one or more mobile equipments and storing every user in said collected data storage section,

wherein said generating step comprises;

generating said position data set of the position data which are continuous for a predetermined time when arranging the position data stored in said collected data storage section every user in time series, and which are near in position, generating a stay point containing a position of an optional position data which is contained in said position data set and a time zone in which times of all the position data contained in said position data set are contained, and generating as said data set, a stay point set having as elements, the stay points which have a same position or near positions and which are for a same user,

wherein said incorporating comprises;

extracting as a feature, a stay point feature showing the privacy confidentiality of the stay point which is contained in said stay point set, and incorporating the feature into said stay point set,

wherein said determining comprises;

determining whether or not the privacy confidentiality of the stay point feature of said stay point set is equal to or higher than the predetermined level, and

wherein said storing comprises;

storing said stay point set which passed said determining section.

16. The data processing method according to claim 15, wherein said stay point feature is at least one of:

frequency showing the number of stay points contained in said stay point set;

periodicity showing a period of a time zone of the stay point contained in said stay point set;

continuity showing a length of the time zone of the stay point contained in said stay point set;

public nature showing the number of stay point sets which contain the stay points which have same or near positions as or to a position of any of the stay points of said stay point set and which have user names different from the user name of any of the stay points; and

dispersibility having a distance between the stay points contained in said stay point set as an index.

17. The data processing method according to claim 15, further comprising:

correcting at least one of the features of the frequency, the periodicity, the continuity, the public nature and the dispersibility, or inputting a user definition feature which is different from any of the features,

wherein said determining comprises;

using the user definition feature of the features contained in said data set for the determination of the privacy confidentiality primarily.

18. The data processing method according to claim 15, further comprising:

collecting a place contained in data published on the Internet by the user; and

analyzing the place collected by said external data acquiring section to specify an open position, and assigns an open feature to said stay point set when the position of the stay point contained in said stay point set is same as or near to the open position.

19. The data processing method according to claim 15, wherein said data management apparatus further comprises:

a meaning data storage section configured to store a correspondence relation of the position data stored in said collected data storage section and a meaning showing a feature of an entity in the position of said position data,

wherein said data processing method further comprises;

acquiring the meaning corresponding to the position contained in the position data stored in said collected data storage section from said meaning data storage section and adding said meaning to said position data,

wherein said generating comprises;

generating said position data set of the position data which are continuous for a predetermined time when arranging the position data stored in said collected data storage section in time series, which are near in position, and which have a same meaning, and carrying out every user, processing of generating the stay point which contains the position of optional position data which is contained in said position data set, and a time zone in which times of all the position data contained in said position data set.

20. The data processing method according to claim 13, further comprising:

correcting the feature extracted by said feature extracting section or adding an index and a level showing the privacy confidentiality which are different from the feature as a feature.

21. The data processing method according to claim 13, further comprising:

collecting data about the action of the user published onto a network; and

adding, when the data collected by said external data acquiring section is contained in said data set generated by said aggregating section, an open feature which is different from any of the features contained in said data set, to said data set as a feature,

wherein said determining comprises;

when the open feature is contained as the feature contained in said data set, stopping storing said data set in said evaluation data storage section or primarily storing said data set in said evaluation data storage section.

22. The data processing method according to claim 13, wherein said information management apparatus further comprises:

a meaning data storage section configured to relate and store the action data stored in said collected data storage section and a meaning of the action data,

wherein said data processing method further comprises;

referring to said meaning data storage section and adding the meaning corresponding to the action data to the action data, and

wherein said generating comprises;

aggregating the action data which are stored in said collected data storage section, and which are approximate in meaning added to the action data by said meaning adding section added and generating a data set every user.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in which a program code is stored to attain a data processing method which comprises:

periodically receiving action data to store in said collected data storage section, wherein the action data showing an action of a user is stored in a collected data storage section every user;

generating a data set every user by aggregating the action data, which have an approximate content, of the action data stored in said intelligence section to generate a data set every user;

extracting as a feature, an index and reference showing the privacy confidentiality of said data set as the feature to incorporate into said data set;

determining whether or not the privacy confidentiality of the feature of said data set is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value; and

storing said data set which passed said determining section in an evaluation data storage section.