Patent · US Expired

System and method of de-identifying data

US7158979B2 · kind B2 · utility

32Cited by
1References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 22, 2002
Grant dateJan 2, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 26, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F21/6254
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of de-identifying data, wherein the data to be de-identified is stored in a transaction table containing transactions and a personal information table containing identifiable information. The method includes the steps of generating a de-identification pointer associated with an individual in the personal information table, wherein the individual is associated with at least one transaction in the transaction table; creating a non-protected transaction table, wherein the non-protected transaction table includes a non-protected transaction reference and non-protected information associated with a transaction from the transactional table; and creating an index table including the identification and the non protected transaction reference. According to a preferred embodiment, the identification is advantageously unique and may also lack context to the individual. According to a further feature, the identification may be random or pseudo-random.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.