Data anonymity system

• US 8,862,877 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2008
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Platt, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORTHY, ARAVIND K
• Application Number:
  US12/190,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20100042833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,254 Days
• Field of Search: 713/168, 713/160, 713/165, 726/4, 726/5, 726/26
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12

Abstract

A method and system for providing data anonymously is provided. The method involves receiving an encrypted operator match ID by a client device from a first entity, where the encrypted operator match ID is encrypted using a first encryption key; decrypting the encrypted operator match ID using a first decryption key, associated with the first encryption key, by the client device to obtain a decrypted operator match ID; encrypting the decrypted operator match ID using a second encryption key by the client device to obtain a re-encrypted operator match ID; and sending the client device usage information with the re-encrypted operator match ID by the client device to a second entity through an anonymous channel, where the second entity decrypts the re-encrypted operator match ID using a second decryption key, associated with the second encryption key, to obtain the operator match ID.

Claims

1. A method for anonymous data collection, comprising:

receiving, at a client device from a first entity, an encrypted operator match ID corresponding to the client device, wherein the encrypted operator match ID is encrypted using a first encryption key;

decrypting the encrypted operator match ID using a first decryption key, associated with the first encryption key, by the client device to obtain a decrypted operator match ID;

encrypting the decrypted operator match ID using a second encryption key by the client device to obtain a re-encrypted operator match ID; and

sending, by the client device to a second entity, client device usage information for the client device and the re-encrypted operator match ID;

wherein the second entity decrypts the re-encrypted operator match ID using a second decryption key, associated with the second encryption key, to obtain an operator match ID.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the client device usage information to obtain updated client device usage information and sending the updated client device usage information with the re-encrypted operator match ID by the client device to the second entity, wherein the re-encrypted operator match ID is persistently stored on the client device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device usage information is sent by the client device to the second entity through an anonymous channel, wherein the anonymous channel prevents the second entity from identifying the client device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the operator match ID and purchasing history associated with the operator match ID by the second entity, wherein the second entity associates the client device usage information with the purchasing history based on the operator match ID.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the encrypted operator match ID by the client device from the first entity comprises:

receiving the encrypted operator ID and a client device ID by a third entity from the first entity; and

identifying the client device based on the client device ID by the third entity and forwarding the encrypted operator match ID by the third entity to the client device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the third entity provides a television programming service to the client device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information are sent by the client device to the second entity through an anonymous channel at least by:

sending the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information by the client device to a third entity through the anonymous channel; and

forwarding the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information to the second entity by the third entity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the third entity forwards the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information with a plurality of operator match IDs and corresponding client device usage information for each of the plurality of operator match IDs, wherein a minimum number of operator match IDs and corresponding client device usage information are sent in each transmission to the second entity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the encrypted operator match ID is assigned to the client device by the first entity.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving encrypted purchase history by a client device from a first entity, wherein the encrypted purchase history is encrypted using the second encryption key; and

sending the encrypted purchase history with the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information to the second entity by the client device through an anonymous channel.

11. A method for providing client device usage information, comprising:

receiving, at a client device from a first entity, an encrypted operator match ID corresponding to the client device, wherein the encrypted operator match ID is encrypted using an encryption key, wherein data encrypted by the encryption key can be decrypted using a decryption key held by a second entity;

forwarding, by the client device to the second entity, the encrypted operator match ID and client device usage information for the client device, wherein the client device usage information identifies prior usage of the client device; and

decrypting the encrypted operator match ID using the decryption key by the second entity.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having encoded instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving, at a client device from a first entity, an encrypted operator match ID corresponding to the client device, wherein the encrypted operator match ID is encrypted using a first encryption key;

decrypting the encrypted operator match ID using a first decryption key, associated with the first encryption key, by the client device to obtain a decrypted operator match ID;

encrypting the decrypted operator match ID using a second encryption key by the client device to obtain a re-encrypted operator match ID; and

sending, by the client device to a second entity, client device usage information for the client device and the re-encrypted operator match ID;

wherein the second entity decrypts the re-encrypted operator match ID using a second decryption key, associated with the second encryption key, to obtain an operator match ID.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the encoded instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to further perform the steps of updating the client device usage information by the client device to obtain updated client device usage information and sending the updated client device usage information with the re-encrypted operator match ID by the client device to the second entity, wherein the re-encrypted operator match ID is persistently stored on the client device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the client device usage information is sent by the client device to the second entity through an anonymous channel, wherein the anonymous channel prevents the second entity from identifying the client device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the encoded instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to further perform the step of receiving the operator match ID and purchasing history associated with the operator match ID by the second entity, wherein the second entity associates the client device usage information with the purchasing history based on the operator match ID.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein receiving the encrypted operator match ID by the client device from the first entity comprises:

receiving the encrypted operator ID and a client device ID by a third entity from the first entity; and

identifying the client device based on the client device ID by the third entity and forwarding the encrypted operator match ID by the third entity to the client device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the third entity provides a television programming service to the client device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the third entity forwards the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information with a plurality of operator match IDs and corresponding client device usage information for each of the plurality of operator match IDs, wherein a minimum number of operator match IDs and corresponding client device usage information are sent in each transmission to the second entity.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information by the client device are sent to the second entity through an anonymous channel at least by:

sending the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information by the client device to a third entity through the anonymous channel; and

forwarding the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information to the second entity by the third entity.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the encrypted operator match ID is assigned to the client device by the first entity.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the encoded instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to further perform the steps of:

receiving encrypted purchase history by a client device from a first entity, wherein the encrypted purchase history is encrypted using the second encryption key; and

sending the encrypted purchase history with the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information to the second entity by the client device through an anonymous channel.

22. A system for anonymous data collection, comprising:

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, of a client device, that receives, from a first entity, an encrypted operator match ID corresponding to the client device, wherein the encrypted operator match ID is encrypted using a first encryption key;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, of the client device, that decrypts the encrypted operator match ID using a first decryption key, associated with the first encryption key, to obtain a decrypted operator match ID;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, of the client device, that encrypts the decrypted operator match ID using a second encryption key to obtain a re-encrypted operator match ID; and

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, of the client device, that sends, to a second entity, client device usage information for the client device and the re-encrypted operator match ID;

wherein the second entity is configured to decrypt the re-encrypted operator match ID using a second decryption key, associated with the second encryption key, to obtain an operator match ID.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the system for anonymous data collection further comprises:

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, of the client device, that updates the client device usage information to obtain updated client device usage information and sends the updated client device usage information with the re-encrypted operator match ID to the second entity, wherein the re-encrypted operator match ID is persistently stored on the client device.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the subsystem that sends the client device usage information, sends the client device usage information to the second entity through an anonymous channel, wherein the anonymous channel prevents the second entity from identifying the client device.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the system for anonymous data collection further comprises a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, of the second entity, that receives the operator match ID and purchasing history associated with the operator match ID, wherein the second entity is configured to associate the client device usage information with the purchasing history based on the operator match ID.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the subsystem that receives the encrypted operator match ID, receives the encrypted operator match ID by:

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, of a third entity, that receives the encrypted operator ID and a client device ID from the first entity; and

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, of a third entity, that identifies the client device based on the client device ID and forwards the encrypted operator match ID to the client device.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the subsystem that sends the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information, sends the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client usage information through an anonymous channel and is configured to cause:

sending the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information by the client device to a third entity; and

forwarding the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information to the second entity by the third entity through the anonymous channel.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the third entity provides a television programming service to the client device.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the third entity is configured to forward the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information with a plurality of operator match IDs and corresponding client device usage information for each of the plurality of operator match IDs, wherein a minimum number of operator match IDs and corresponding client device usage information are sent in each transmission to the second entity.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the encrypted operator match ID is assigned to the client device by the first entity.

31. The system of claim 22, wherein the system further comprises:

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, of the client device, that receives encrypted purchase history from a first entity, wherein the encrypted purchase history is encrypted using the second encryption key; and

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, of the client device, that sends the encrypted purchase history with the re-encrypted operator match ID and the client device usage information to the second entity through an anonymous channel.

32. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having encoded instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving, at a client device from a first entity, an encrypted operator match ID corresponding to the client device, wherein the encrypted operator match ID is encrypted using an encryption key, wherein data encrypted by the encryption key can be decrypted using a decryption key held by a second entity;

forwarding, by the client device to the second entity, the encrypted operator match ID and client device usage information for the client device, wherein the client device usage information identifies prior usage of the client device; and

decrypting the encrypted operator match ID using the decryption key by the second entity.

33. A system for anonymous data collection, comprising:

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, of a client device, that receives from a first entity, an encrypted operator match ID corresponding to the client device, wherein the encrypted operator match ID is encrypted using an encryption key, wherein data encrypted by the encryption key can be decrypted using a decryption key held by a second entity;

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, of the client device, that forwards, to the second entity, the encrypted operator match ID and client device usage information for the client device, wherein the client device usage information identifies prior usage of the client device; and

a subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, of the second entity, that decrypts the encrypted operator match ID using the decryption key.