COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHOD FOR ENSURING THE PRIVACY OF A USER, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT, DEVICE

• US 20120246733A1
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Toma, David, Schäfer, Jörg
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

The present description refers in particular to a computer-implemented method, a computer program product and a device for ensuring the privacy of a user and the utility of data communicated by a device, such as a vehicle telematics device, to a server, the method comprising: moving the device during a time period; receiving data at the device during the time period; processing, by the device, the received data; summarizing, by the device, the processed data in a matrix, wherein the rows and columns of the matrix define circumstances of movement of the device, wherein the matrix includes a plurality matrix-entries, and wherein each matrix-entry includes a distance covered by the device during the time period under a pair of said predefined circumstances of movement; and transmitting the summarized data from the device to the server.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for ensuring the privacy of a user (108) and the utility of data communicated by a device (101), such as a vehicle telematics device, to a server (106), the method comprising:

moving the device (101) during a time period;

receiving data at the device (101) during the time period;

processing, by the device (101), the received data;

summarizing, by the device (101), the processed data in a matrix, wherein the rows and columns of the matrix define circumstances of movement of the device (101), wherein the matrix includes a plurality matrix-entries, and wherein each matrix-entry includes a distance covered by the device (101) during the time period under a pair of said predefined circumstances of movement; and

transmitting the summarized data from the device (101) to the server (106).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processed data includes at least one of position data, velocity data, and time data, and wherein the velocity data indicates a speed at which the device (101) has been moved, the method further comprising:

correlating the position data and/or the velocity data and/or the time data with map information stored on the device (101);

determining, by the device (101) and based on the correlation, that the user has performed an action with an associated consequence; and

generating, by the device (101), an alert in response to the action.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

encrypting, before transmission, the summarized data, wherein the summarized data can be decrypted by the server (106) without assistance from the user;

encrypting, before the transmission, the processed data corresponding to the action, wherein the processed data can only be decrypted with a key of the user;

transmitting the encrypted processed data from the device (101) to the server (106).

4. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the predefined circumstances of movement comprise one or more of the following:

a velocity range at which the device (101) covered the distance;

a rate of acceleration at which the device (101) covered the distance;

a speed limit corresponding to at least one position within the distance covered by the device (101);

a road category corresponding to at least one position covered by the device (101).

5. The method of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the map information comprises a set of map coordinates, and wherein correlating the position data and the velocity data further comprises:

correlating the position data and the velocity data with a road category and/or a speed limit linked to the set of map coordinates.

6. The method of any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the action includes one or more of the following:

exceeding a speed limit;

exceeding a predefined rate of acceleration;

approaching and or being at a position that presents a risk to the user.

7. The method of any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the device (101) does not display the map information.

8. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one matrix entry E_ij is composed of a plurality of elements, wherein each element e_ij^k of the plurality of elements defines a distance, wherein the distance defined by the element e_ij^k may have been covered during a time interval which is nonadjacent to the time interval during which the distance defined by the next element e_ij^k+1 was covered, wherein the plurality of elements of each matrix entry defines the distance covered by the device (101) during the time period under the pair of predefined circumstances of movement corresponding to said matrix entry, and wherein the plurality of matrix entries defines the distance covered by the device (101) during the time period.

9. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (101) is embedded in a vehicle (102), the method further comprising:

compensating the user because the device (101) is embedded in the vehicle (102).

10. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the matrix is used to calculate an indication of driving behavior.

11. The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising

aggregating the transmitted data with data from at least one other device (101) at the server (106),

generating statistical data based on the aggregated data at the server (106), and preferably comprising

providing a web portal, wherein the user is able to access the statistical data and/or the summarized data of the user by means of the web portal.

12. A computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions, which, when loaded and executed on a device (101), such as a vehicle telematics device, cause the device (101) to perform operations according to the method of any one of the preceding claims.

13. A device (101), such as a vehicle telematics device (101), wherein the device (101) comprises:

a receiver operable to receive data during a time period, wherein the received data indicates that the device (101) has been moved during the time period;

a processor operable to process the received data, and summarize the processed data in a matrix, wherein the rows and columns of the matrix define circumstances of movement of the device (101), wherein the matrix includes a plurality matrix-entries, and wherein each matrix-entry includes a distance covered by the device (101) during the time period under a pair of said predefined circumstances of movement; and

a transmitter operable to transmit the summarized data to the server (106).

14. The device (101) of claim 13, wherein the device (101) is physically embedded in a vehicle (102), and wherein the device (101) uses an interface of the vehicle (102) to communicate.

15. A mobile device (101), such as a mobile telephone (101), wherein the device (101) comprises:

a receiver operable to receive data during a time period, wherein the received data indicates that the mobile device (101) has been moved during the time period;

a processor operable to process the received data, and summarize the processed data in a matrix, wherein the rows and columns of the matrix define circumstances of movement of the mobile device (101), wherein the matrix includes a plurality matrix-entries, and wherein each matrix-entry includes a distance covered by the mobile device (101) during the time period under a pair of said predefined circumstances of movement; and

a transmitter operable to transmit the summarized data to the server (106).