Method and apparatus for transmitting bulk emergency data while preserving user privacy

• US 9,106,623 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2011
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Paddon, Michael W., Brown, Craig M., Northway, Craig W., Purser, Jessica M.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLDER, BRADLEY W
• Application Number:
  US13/100,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 380/270, 380/255, 380/259
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for performing bulk transmissions of information (e.g., emergency information, etc.) while preserving user privacy. An example mobile device described herein includes an information aggregation module configured to compile first information associated with the device, the first information including location-related information, an encryption module communicatively coupled to the information aggregation module and configured to encrypt the first information using at least one session key, and a transmitter communicatively coupled to the encryption module and configured to transmit encrypted first information to at least one receiver prior to a triggering event and to transmit the at least one session key to the at least one receiver after the triggering event.

Claims

1. A mobile device for transmitting encrypted data, the mobile device comprising:

an information aggregation circuit configured to compile first information associated with the device, the first information comprising location-related information;

an encryption circuit communicatively coupled to the information aggregation circuit and configured to encrypt the first information using at least one session key to obtain encrypted first information; and

a transmitter communicatively coupled to the encryption circuit and configured to transmit from the mobile device to at least one receiver of at least one other device both;

     1) the encrypted first information prior to a triggering event, and

     2) the at least one session key, used by the encryption circuit of the mobile device to encrypt the first information, after the triggering event in order to decrypt at the at least one receiver of the at least one other device, using the at least one session key, the encrypted first information such that the at least one receiver of the at least one other device can decrypt the encrypted first information only upon occurrence of the triggering event so that user privacy is preserved until the occurrence of the triggering event.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is further configured to regularly transmit the encrypted first information.

3. The mobile device of claim 2 wherein the transmitter is further configured to conduct an automatic on-demand transmission of the at least one session key in response to the triggering event.

4. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the encrypted first information according to a transmission schedule.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is further configured to embed the encrypted first information into transmissions of second information separate from the first information.

6. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of a call initiated by the mobile device and directed to an emergency number, receipt of a triggering signal, or a triggering action performed by a user of the mobile device.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the receiver comprises at least one of a disparate mobile device, a base station or an emergency response entity.

8. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the encryption circuit is further configured to encrypt the first information according to a cipher suite and the transmitter is further configured to transmit information relating to the cipher suite to the at least one receiver after the triggering event.

9. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the information aggregation circuit is further configured to compile at least one of satellite navigation information, network cell identifiers, network cell strengths, wireless access point identifiers, wireless access point strengths, compass readings or accelerometer readings.

10. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the first information further comprises network-related information.

11. The mobile device of claim 10 wherein the network-related information comprises at least one of call records, data flow records or network topology observations associated with the mobile device.

12. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the information aggregation circuit is further configured to compile information from one or more medical monitoring sensors associated with a user of the mobile device.

13. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the encrypted first information if the mobile device is in an idle state or if a battery charge level of the mobile device is above a threshold.

14. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the encryption circuit is further configured to discard the at least one session key upon transmission of the at least one session key to the at least one receiver.

15. The mobile device of claim 14 wherein the encryption circuit is further configured to encrypt the first information using a second session key in response to discarding of a first session key, wherein the first session key differs from the second session key.

16. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the encryption circuit is configured to encrypt a first subset of the first information using a first session key and to encrypt a second subset of the first information using a second session key, thereby obtaining a first encrypted information subset and a second encrypted information subset, respectively.

17. The mobile device of claim 16 wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the first encrypted information subset to a first receiver and to transmit the second encrypted information subset to a second receiver.

18. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured to discard the at least one session key prior to the triggering event without transmitting the at least one session key to the at least one receiver of the at least one other device.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the mobile device is configured to automatically discard the at least one session key based on a rolling schedule to limit data available at the at least one other device.

20. A method for transmitting encrypted data, the method comprising:

compiling by a processor-based device of a mobile device first information associated with the mobile device, the first information comprising location-related information;

encrypting by the processor-based device the first information using at least one session key to obtain encrypted first information;

prior to a triggering event, transmitting by the processor-based device of the mobile device the encrypted first information to at least one receiver of at least one other device; and

after the triggering event, transmitting by the processor-based device of the mobile device the at least one session key, used by the processor-based device to encrypt the first information, to the at least one receiver of the at least one other device in order to decrypt at the at least one receiver of the at least one other device, using the at least one session key, the encrypted first information such that the at least one receiver of the at least one other device can decrypt the encrypted first information only upon occurrence of the triggering event so that user privacy is preserved until the occurrence of the triggering event.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein transmitting the encrypted first information comprises regularly transmitting the encrypted first information.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein transmitting the encrypted first information comprises transmitting the encrypted first information according to a transmission schedule.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein transmitting the encrypted first information comprises embedding the encrypted first information into transmissions of second information that is separate from the first information and the encrypted first information.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of a call placed to an emergency number, receipt of a triggering signal, or a triggering action performed by a user of the mobile device.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein encrypting the first information comprises encrypting the first information based on a selected cipher suite and the method further comprises, after the triggering event, transmitting information relating to the selected cipher suite to the at least one receiver.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the location-related information comprises at least one of satellite navigation data, network cell identifiers, network cell strengths, wireless access point identifiers, wireless access point strengths, compass readings or accelerometer readings.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein the first information further comprises network-related information.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the network-related information comprises at least one of call records, data flow records or network topology observations.

29. The method of claim 20 wherein transmitting the encrypted first information comprises transmitting the encrypted first information if the mobile device is in an idle state or if a battery charge level of the mobile device is above a threshold.

30. The method of claim 20 further comprising discarding the at least one session key upon transmitting the at least one session key.

31. The method of claim 20 further comprising, after the triggering event, disabling a low battery charge shutoff mechanism associated with the mobile device.

32. The method of claim 20 wherein encrypting the first information comprises:

encrypting at least a first portion of the first information using a first session key; and

encrypting at least a second portion of the first information using a second session key.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein transmitting the at least one session key comprises:

transmitting the first session key to at least a first receiver; and

transmitting the second session key to at least a second receiver.

34. A mobile device for transmitting encrypted data, the mobile device comprising:

means for collecting first information associated with the mobile device, the first information comprising location-related information;

means for encrypting the first information using at least one session key to obtain encrypted first information;

means for transmitting the encrypted first information to at least one receiver of at least one other device prior to a triggering event; and

means for transmitting by the mobile device the at least one session key, used by the means for encrypting of the mobile device to encrypt the first information, to the at least one receiver of the at least one other device after the triggering event in order to decrypt at the at least one receiver of the at least one other device, using the at least one session key, the encrypted first information such that the at least one receiver of the at least one other device can decrypt the encrypted first information only upon occurrence of the triggering event so that user privacy is preserved until the occurrence of the triggering event.

35. The mobile device of claim 34 wherein the means for transmitting the encrypted first information is further configured to transmit the encrypted first information according to a transmission schedule.

36. The mobile device of claim 34 wherein the means for transmitting the encrypted first information is further configured to embed the encrypted first information into transmissions of second information that is separate from the first information.

37. The mobile device of claim 34 wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of a call initiated by the mobile device and directed to an emergency number, receipt of a triggering signal, or a triggering action performed by a user of the mobile device.

38. The mobile device of claim 34 wherein the means for encrypting is configured to encrypt the first information according to a cipher suite and the mobile device further comprises means for transmitting information relating to the cipher suite to the at least one receiver after the triggering event.

39. The mobile device of claim 34 wherein the location-related information comprises at least one of satellite navigation information, network cell identifiers, network cell strengths, wireless access point identifiers or wireless access point strengths.

40. The mobile device of claim 34 wherein the first information further comprises network-related information.

41. The mobile device of claim 40 wherein the network-related information comprises at least one of call records, data flow records or network topology observations associated with the mobile device.

42. The mobile device of claim 34 wherein the means for encrypting is configured to discard the at least one session key upon transmission of the at least one session key to the at least one receiver.

43. A computer program product, for transmitting encrypted data, embodied on a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium and comprising processor-readable instructions configured, when executed on a processor, to cause the processor to:

compile first information associated with a mobile device, the first information comprising location-related information;

encrypt the first information using at least one session key in order to obtain encrypted first information;

transmit by the mobile device the encrypted first information to at least one receiver of at least one other device prior to a triggering event; and

transmit by the mobile device the at least one session key, used by the processor to encrypt the first information, to the at least one receiver of the at least one other device after the triggering event in order to decrypt at the at least one receiver of the at least one other device, using the at least one session key, the encrypted first information such that the at least one receiver of the at least one other device can decrypt the encrypted first information only upon occurrence of the triggering event so that user privacy is preserved until the occurrence of the triggering event.

44. The computer program product of claim 43 wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit the encrypted first information are further configured to cause the processor to transmit the encrypted first information according to a transmission schedule.

45. The computer program product of claim 43 wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit the encrypted first information are further configured to cause the processor to embed the encrypted first information into transmissions of second information that is separate from the first information.

46. The computer program product of claim 43 wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of a call placed to an emergency number, receipt of a triggering signal, or a triggering action performed by a user of the mobile device.

47. The computer program product of claim 43 wherein the instructions configured to cause the processor to encrypt the first information comprises instructions configured for causing the processor to encrypt the first information based on a selected cipher suite and the computer program product further comprises instructions configured to cause the processor to transmit information relating to the selected cipher suite to the at least one receiver after the triggering event.

48. The computer program product of claim 43 further comprising instructions configured to cause the processor to discard the at least one session key upon transmitting the at least one session key.

49. The computer program product of claim 43 further comprising instructions configured to cause the processor to disable a low battery charge shutoff mechanism associated with the mobile device after the triggering event.

50. The computer program product of claim 43 wherein the first information further comprises network-related information.