Method of and systems for privacy preserving mobile demographic measurement of individuals, groups and locations over time and space

• US 9,298,897 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Inventors: Broadstone, Andrew J., Jones, Russel Kipp, Morgan, Edward James, Alizadeh-shabdiz, Farshid, Brachet, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Chao, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gao, Shu Chun
• Application Number:
  US13/901,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20130340095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26, 726/28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

Disclosed are techniques for privacy preserving mobile demographic measurement of individuals, groups, and locations over time and space. A method of estimating demographic information associated with a user of a mobile device and/or a location while preserving the privacy of the user based at least in part on a location estimate of the mobile device of the user includes receiving an estimated geographical location of the mobile device of the user and receiving a time at which the mobile device was at the estimated geographical location. The method includes assigning substitute identifiers for the geographical location and the time at which the mobile device was at the estimated geographical location. The method includes associating the geographical areas substitute identifiers with demographic information and estimating demographic information associated with the user of the mobile device based on the substitute identifiers and based on the demographic information associated with substitute identifiers.

Claims

1. A method of estimating demographic information associated with a user of a mobile device while preserving privacy of the user based at least in part on a location estimate of the mobile device of the user, the method comprising:

(a) receiving an estimated geographical location of the mobile device of the user;

(b) receiving a time at which the mobile device was at the estimated geographical location;

(c) providing a set of substitute identifiers for a corresponding set of at least one geographical area;

(d) assigning one of the set of substitute identifiers for a geographical area corresponding to the estimated geographical location of the mobile device;

(e) assigning a substitute identifier for the time at which the mobile device was at the estimated geographical location;

(f) retrieving, from a non-transitory computer readable medium, demographic information corresponding to the substitute identifier for the geographical area and the substitute identifier for the time; and

(g) forming a device demographic profile based on the demographic information corresponding to the substitute identifier for the geographical area and the substitute identifier for the time,

wherein the demographic profile stores statistics of the mobile device that serve as demographic information for the user of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising (h) estimating the received geographical location associated with the mobile device of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising (h) recording the device demographic profile in a device demographic profile log.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising (i) estimating demographic information associated with at least one geographical area of the set of geographical areas based on demographic information recorded in the device demographic profile log, wherein the device demographic profile log contains a plurality of device demographic profiles.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising (h) sending the estimated demographic information associated with the user of the mobile device to the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the substitute identifier for the geographical area corresponding to the geographical location of the mobile device that is assigned identifies a particular set of demographic information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the substitute identifier for the geographical area corresponding to the geographical location of the mobile device that is assigned is reduced in specificity relative to the estimated geographical location of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the substitute identifier for the time at which the mobile device was at the estimated geographic location is a measure of time that is reduced in specificity relative to the time that was received.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the substitute identifier for the time at which the mobile device was at the estimated geographic location is at least one of (A) a representation of time lacking date information, (B) a time range, and (C) an hour of a week designation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimating demographic information associated with the user of the mobile device is performed on a separate computer system from a computer system performing any one or more of steps (a) through (e).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the separate computer system, relative to the computer system performing any one or more of steps (a) through (e), is as least one of (A) maintained in a separate network, (B) maintained in a separate building, and (C) maintained by a separate operational entity.

12. An computing system configured to estimate demographic information associated with a user of a mobile device while preserving privacy of the user based at least in part on a location estimate of the mobile device of the user, the method comprising:

a location server configured to determine an estimated geographical location of the mobile device of the user; and

a demographic server including;

a device demographics profile logging module configured to receive a time at which the mobile device was at the estimated geographical location, assign a substitute identifier for a geographical area corresponding to the estimated geographical location of the mobile device, and assign a substitute identifier for the time at which the mobile device was at the estimated geographical location,

a location demographics profile retrieval module configured to retrieve demographic information corresponding to the substitute identifier for the geographical area and the substitute identifier for the time, and

a location demographics profile engine configured to form a device demographic profile based on demographic information corresponding to the substitute identifier for the geographical area and the substitute identifier for the time,

wherein the demographic profile stores statistics of the mobile device that serve as demographic information for the user of the mobile device.

13. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the demographic server further comprises a storage device storing a device demographic profile log in which the device demographic profile associated with the user of the mobile device is recorded.

14. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the location demographics profile engine is further configured to adjust the demographic information corresponding to the substitute identifier for the geographical area and the substitute identifier for the time based on device demographic profiles associated with users of a plurality of mobile devices that visited the geographical area.

15. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the location demographics profile engine is further configured to send the device demographic profile to the mobile device.

16. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the substitute identifier for the geographical area corresponding to the geographical location of the mobile device is reduced in specificity relative to the estimated geographical location of the mobile device.

17. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the substitute identifier for the time at which the mobile device was at the estimated geographic location is a measure of time that is reduced in specificity relative to the time that was received.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instruction when executed by one or more processors of one or more computing systems operable to:

determine an estimated geographical location of a mobile device of a user;

determine a time at which the mobile device was at the estimated geographical location;

assign a substitute identifier for a geographical area corresponding to the estimated geographical location of the mobile device;

assign a substitute identifier for the time at which the mobile device was at the estimated geographical location;

retrieve demographic information corresponding to the substitute identifier for the geographical area and the substitute identifier for the time; and

form a device demographic profile based on the demographic information corresponding to the substitute identifier for the geographical area and the substitute identifier for the time,

wherein the demographic profile stores statistics of the mobile device that serve as demographic information for the user of the mobile device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the executable instructions when executed are further operable to:

adjust the demographic information corresponding to the substitute identifier for the geographical area and the substitute identifier for the time based on device demographic profiles associated with users of a plurality of mobile devices that visited the geographical area.