Privacy-preserving large-scale location monitoring
US9756461B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 19, 2016 |
| Grant date | Sep 5, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 19, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W4/08
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A privacy-preserving location monitoring system is provided, comprising monitoring hosts and a server. Immense resource requirement in large-scale location monitoring is lessened by allowing peripheral devices of users to bond to only one host. A peripheral device's one or more identity resolving keys (IRKs) retrieved by the host are sent to the server so as to register the IRKs to the server. The server propagates the IRKs to all other hosts. Furthermore, each host only stores the IRKs of peripheral devices frequently visiting the host. An incoming IRK not known by the host is sent to the server for resolving an identity of a peripheral device sending this IRK. The system is implementable in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology. Based on privacy features of BLU, different privacy protection mechanisms, including opt-in/out, k-anonymity and granularity-based anonymity, are provided.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.