Tracking system with user-definable private ID for improved privacy protection

• US 7,940,170 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2008
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Original Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Inventors: Tsau, Guannho George
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase; Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US12/042,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20090224970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.19, 340/572.4
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A location tracking service includes a location tracking server and individual tracking modules. An individual tracking module can be attached or embedded in a consumer product. Each tracking module is programmable by an end-user to include a private ID that is sent along with tracking data to the location tracking server. The end-user can define and edit the private ID in the tracking module independent of the location tracking service to improve privacy protection. The tracking data may include raw (unprocessed) location data to reduce processing requirements at the tracking module.

Claims

1. A method for providing tracking information with privacy protection, comprising:

receiving in a tracking module a private identification (ID) defined by a user and storing the private ID in a memory of the tracking module;

providing a user interface to the tracking module for the user to edit the private ID stored in the tracking module;

in response to a trigger, the tracking module sending an instance of location tracking data to a location tracking server configured to receive and store the instance of location tracking data, the location tracking data including a representation of the private ID defined by the user;

receiving in the location tracking server an initial service request including the private ID and a public ID linking the private ID with the user; and

in response to the initial service request, providing to the user location based service from at least the instance of location tracking data,

the tracking module sending each instance of tracking data with the private ID defined by the user and without information identifying the user such that the identity of the user is unknown at the location tracking server until the user makes the initial service request providing the private ID and the public ID to the location tracking server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location tracking data sent by the tracking module includes raw unprocessed location data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the raw unprocessed location data corresponds to unprocessed Global Positioning System (GPS) data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of a trigger criteria from the user and in response storing a trigger criteria in the location tracking module according to a user'"'"'s selection defining states for which tracking data is received and/or sent.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising in response to the trigger criteria sending additional data or content along with the location tracking data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the additional data or content includes a product code.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the additional data or content includes at least one of audio or visual data.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving a user preference defining preferences for sending additional data or content with the tracking data.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving a user preference in the tracking module defining a data retention preference and sending the retention preference with the tracking data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the tracking module an editing request by the user to edit the private ID stored in the tracking module and in response to the edit request changing the private ID.

11. A method of providing tracking information on-demand with improved privacy, comprising:

at a location tracking server, storing instances of tracking data received from a multitude of tracking modules with each instance of tracking data including a representation of a private identification (ID) and location data sent from an individual tracking module, each private ID stored in a respective tracking module;

in response to an initial location tracking service request that includes a particular private ID and a public ID that links the private ID with the user, searching for stored tracking data based on the particular private ID and generating location information to fulfill the location tracking service request; and

wherein each private ID is independently definable and editable by end-users in charge of respective tracking modules through user interfaces to the tracking modules such that the identity of a user is unknown until the user makes an initial location tracking service request providing the private ID and the public ID that links the private ID with the user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the location tracking server enacting a retention policy to delete the public ID associated with the initial location tracking service request after a predetermined condition is satisfied.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein each instance of tracking data includes raw location data and the method further comprising the location tracking server computing position data on-demand to service the initial location tracking service request.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising each instance of tracking data including user defined preferences regarding data retention.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein each instance of tracking data includes at least one of audio or visual data, the method further comprising the location information including audio-visual content.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a tracking module operable to receive location signals and transmit an instance of tracking data to a location tracking server in response to a trigger;

a memory coupled to the tracking module; and

a user interface coupled to the tracking module for a user to program a private identification (ID) into the memory independently of the location tracking server;

the tracking module sending each instance of tracking data to the location tracking server with the private ID independently definable and editable by the user such that the identity of an end-user is unknown until the end-user makes an initial service request providing the private ID and a public ID that links the private ID with the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the tracking module includes a receiver to receive raw Global Positioning System (GPS) data and a transmitter to transmit tracking data to the location tracking server.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the tracking data sent by the tracking module comprises a representation of raw GPS data and the tracking module does not compute a location from the raw GPS data.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the tracking module include at least one of a camera and a microphone, wherein instances of tracking data further include audio-visual data.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each instance of tracking data further comprises a product code.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein triggering criteria is selectable by an end-user.