Privacy protection system and method

• US 7,389,541 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Jia, Guoping, Brebner, Gavin
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr.; Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZECHER, CORDELIA P K
• Application Number:
  US10/751,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20040181683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• Field of Search: 726/16, 726/18, 726/26
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A privacy protection system in which a user accesses via his/her personal computer (10) one or more web service providers (14, 16, 18) provides a trusted area (20) which includes storage memory (22) in which the user'"'"'s profile is stored. The memory (22) is connected to fake identity generator (24) designed to generate a plurality of fake user identities (26a to 26c) and to transmit these to the service providers (14 to 18). The trusted area (20) also includes a response analyzer (30) for analyzing the responses (28a to 28c) generated by the service providers (14 to 18). From the responses the response analyzer generates the correct response, or an approximation of the correct response, for the user'"'"'s true identity The system provides for obtaining personalized responses form service providers but without revealing the user'"'"'s true identity.

Claims

1. A privacy protection system including a user side device (22) provided with a true user profile which comprises user related profile data, a profile generator (24) operable to generate at least one false user profile (26a-26c) which includes profile data not the same as the user'"'"'s profile data, transmission means operable to transmit the at least one false user profile to a third party (14-18) with a data request, a receiving unit (28a-28c) operable to receive a response from the third party generated on the basis of the false user profile, and a response analyser (30) operable to determine from the received response a response related to the true user profile.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the profile generator (24) is operable:

a) to generate a plurality of user profiles of which only one is a true user profile, or

b) to generate a plurality of user profiles none of which includes a true user profile, or

c) to split user data forming the true user profile into separate parts with the separate parts being included in false user profiles to which are added false user data, or

d) to generate entirely false profiles none of which contains any true user data.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the profile generator is operable to generate a plurality of false user profiles which provide a spread of user data enabling interpolation of the received responses.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the false user profiles are generated on a random basis.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the response analyser is operable to extrapolate or interpolate from the received responses in order to generate an estimated response for the true user profile.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system is operable to receive responses over a period of time.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the user profile generator is provided in a user'"'"'s communication device or is provided at a location remote from the user.

10. A computer including a privacy protection system according to claim 1.

11. A computer according to claim 10, wherein the computer is a personal computer, a portable computer, a hand held computer, a personal digital assistant or a mobile telephone.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission means are operable to transmit a plurality of false user profiles to a third party (14-18) with a data request.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the false user profile contains at least one item of user identification data and at least one other item of user data.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the false user profile contains at least one item of data from the true user profile corresponding to a user field and at least one item of false data corresponding to a different user field.

8. A privacy protection method including the steps of providing at a user side a true user profile (22) comprising user related profile data, providing a profile generator (24) which generates at least one false user profile (26a-26c) which includes profile data not the same as the true user profile data, transmitting (42) the at least one false user profile to a third party (14-18) with a data request, receiving (44) a response (28c-28c) from the third party generated on the basis of the false user profile, and providing a response analyser (30) which analyses the response to determine from the received response a response related to the true user profile.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein:

a) a plurality of user profiles is generated of which only one is a true user profile, or

b) a plurality of user profiles is generated none of which includes a true user profile, or

c) entirely false profiles are generated none of which contains true user data, or

d) a plurality of false user profiles are generated which provide a spread of user data enabling interpolation of the received responses.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein said transmission means are operable to transmit a plurality of false user profiles to a third party (14-18) with a data request.

16. The method according to claim 8, wherein the false user profile contains at least one item of user identification data and at least one other item of user data.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein the false user profile contains at least one item of data from the true user profile corresponding to a user field and at least one item of false data corresponding to a different user field.