Anonymizing personally identifiable information in sensor data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12449541-B2
Application number	US-202217746015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2022
Priority date	May 17, 2022
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A computer includes a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to receive lidar data from a lidar device, generate a point cloud from the lidar data, identify an object in the point cloud, and, upon identifying the object, delete a portion of the lidar data that is from a region encompassing the object. The object includes personally identifiable information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
receive lidar data from a lidar device;
generate a point cloud from the lidar data;
identify an object in the point cloud, the object including personally identifiable information; and
upon identifying the object, delete a portion of the lidar data that is from a region encompassing the object.

2. The computer of claim 1 , wherein deleting the portion of the lidar data that is from the region includes reducing a density of the point cloud in the region.

3. The computer of claim 2 , wherein reducing the density of the point cloud in the region is conditional on the density in the region before reduction exceeding a threshold.

4. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the lidar data includes locations of points and additional sensing characteristics, and deleting the portion of the lidar data that is from the region includes removing or blurring the additional sensing characteristics in the region.

5. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the additional sensing characteristics include active illumination reflectance.

6. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the additional sensing characteristics include polarization data.

7. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the additional sensing characteristics include relative radial velocity.

8. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the additional sensing characteristics include ambient illumination.

9. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the object includes text.

10. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the object includes a face of a person.

11. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the object includes a person that is walking.

12. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to:
detect a vibration in locations of points of the point cloud over time, the vibration including personally identifiable information; and
upon detecting the vibration, obscure the vibration.

13. The computer of claim 12 , wherein obscuring the vibration includes removing doppler shift of the points.

14. The computer of claim 12 , wherein obscuring the vibration includes adding noise to the vibration.

15. The computer of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to:
receive motion data of a vehicle including the lidar device; and
before detecting the vibration, adjust the point cloud based on the motion data.

16. The computer of claim 1 , wherein identifying the object in the point cloud and deleting the portion of the lidar data from the region are conditional on receiving a determination to save the lidar data.

17. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the point cloud is a combined point cloud, the lidar data includes a plurality of individual point clouds from respective sweeps by the lidar device, and the combined point cloud is generated by combining the plurality of individual point clouds.

18. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the lidar data is collected over a time range.

19. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to transmit the lidar data from a vehicle including the lidar device to a remote computer that is remote from the vehicle.

20. A method comprising:
receiving lidar data from a lidar device;
generating a point cloud from the lidar data;
identifying an object in the point cloud, the object including personally identifiable information; and
upon identifying the object, deleting a portion of the lidar data that is from a region encompassing the object.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Herman david michael
• Shanku Alexander George

Classifications

• G01S7/4802

  using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section · CPC title

• G06F21/6254 Primary

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

• G01S17/89 Primary

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S17/88 Primary

  Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title