Providing data of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11700240-B2
Application number	US-202117464224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2021
Priority date	Sep 2, 2020
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

Technologies and techniques for anonymously providing data of a motor vehicle. A first dataset is generated by a motor vehicle, and the first dataset is anonymized using a vehicle computing unit. User related data and the anonymized first dataset are communicated to a first server system using the vehicle computing unit and the communicated user related data is deleted using the first server system. The anonymized first dataset is communicated to a second server system using the first server system after deletion of the user related data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for anonymously providing data of a motor vehicle, comprising:
anonymizing a first dataset of a motor vehicle via a vehicle computing unit;
determining a transmission route comprising at least an entry node and an exit node of a plurality of server nodes of a first server system,
communicating, via the vehicle computing unit, user related data and the anonymized first dataset to the first server system via the entry node of the transmission route;
deleting the communicated user related data via the entry node of the first server system; and
communicating the anonymized first dataset to a second server system via the exit node of the transmission route.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmission route is randomly determined via the vehicle computing and/or the first server system.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising encrypting the anonymized first dataset via the vehicle computing unit before communicating to the first server system, wherein the encrypted anonymized first dataset is decrypted via the second server system.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining a success of deletion of the user related data by the second server system, and wherein the decryption via the second server system is performed depending on a result of the determination.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing multiple encryptions on the anonymized first dataset via the vehicle computing unit before communicating to the first server system, wherein a first portion of the multiple encrypted anonymized first dataset is decrypted via the first server system, and a second portion of the multiple encrypted anonymized first dataset is decrypted via the second server system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user related data comprises an IP address of the vehicle computing unit and/or an identifier associated with the vehicle computing unit.

7. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein anonymizing the first dataset is based on a predetermined parameter set,
and wherein a degree of anonymization is determined based on the anonymized first dataset via the second server system,
and further comprising generating an adapted parameter set based on the degree of anonymization.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined parameter set comprises a delay period and the anonymized first dataset is communicated to the first server system according to the delay period.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a number of motor vehicles, to which the anonymized dataset can be related, based on the anonymized first dataset and determining a degree of anonymization depending on the number via the second server system.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a second dataset and anonymizing the second dataset based on an adapted parameter set via the vehicle computing unit, wherein the anonymized second dataset is communicated to the first server system via the vehicle computing unit.

11. A server system network for anonymously providing data of a motor vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle computing unit for anonymizing a first dataset of a motor vehicle; and
a first server system comprising a plurality of server nodes, wherein a transmission route comprising at least an entry node and an exit node of the plurality of server nodes of a first server system is determined by one of the first server system or vehicle computing unit,
wherein the vehicle computing unit is configured to communicate user related data and the anonymized first dataset to the first server system via the entry node of the transmission route,
wherein the first server system is configured to delete the communicated user related data via the entry node, and communicate the anonymized first dataset to a second server system via the exit node of the transmission route.

12. The server system network of claim 11 , wherein the transmission route is randomly determined via the vehicle computing and/or the first server system.

13. The server system network of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle computing unit is configured to encrypt the anonymized first dataset before communicating to the first server system, and wherein the encrypted anonymized first dataset is decrypted via the second server system.

14. The server system network of claim 13 , wherein the second server is configured to determine a success of deletion of the user related data, and wherein the decryption via the second server system is performed depending on a result of the determination.

15. The server system network of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle computing unit is configured to perform multiple encryptions on the anonymized first dataset before communicating to the first server system, wherein a first portion of the multiple encrypted anonymized first dataset is decrypted via the first server system, and a second portion of the multiple encrypted anonymized first dataset is decrypted via the second server system.

16. The server system network of claim 11 , wherein the user related data comprises an IP address of the vehicle computing unit and/or an identifier associated with the vehicle computing unit.

17. The server system network of claim 11 ,
wherein anonymizing the first dataset is based on a predetermined parameter set,
and wherein a degree of anonymization is determined based on the anonymized first dataset via the second server system,
and wherein an adapted parameter set is generated based on the degree of anonymization.

18. The server system network of claim 17 , wherein the predetermined parameter set comprises a delay period and the anonymized first dataset is communicated to the first server system according to the delay period.

19. The server system network of claim 11 , wherein the second server system is configured to determine a number of motor vehicles, to which the anonymized dataset can be related, based on the anonymized first dataset and determining a degree of anonymization depending on the number.

20. The server system network of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle computing unit is configured to generate a second dataset and anonymize the second dataset based on an adapted parameter set via the vehicle computing unit, wherein the anonymized second dataset is communicated to the first server system via the vehicle computing unit.

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag
• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Max Stephan
• Stinner Markus

Classifications

• G07C5/008

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title

• G06F21/6254 Primary

  by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification · CPC title

• H04L63/0428

  wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload · CPC title

• H04L63/0421 Primary

  Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer · CPC title

• H04W12/02

  Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] · CPC title