Techniques and architecture for anonymizing user data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016012252-A1
Application number	US-201314369268-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 23, 2013
Priority date	Dec 23, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus may include an interface to receive a multiplicity of user information samples at a respective multiplicity of instances; a processor circuit, and an entropy multiplexer for execution on the processor circuit to generate a pseudo random number based upon a pseudo random number seed and pseudo random number algorithm for each user information sample of the multiplicity of user information samples. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

First claim

1 - 27 . (canceled)

28 . An apparatus for anonymizing user information, comprising:
an interface to receive a multiplicity of user information samples at a respective multiplicity of instances; a processor circuit; and an entropy multiplexer for execution on the processor circuit to generate a pseudo random number based upon a pseudo random number seed and pseudo random number generator algorithm for each user information sample of the multiplicity of user information samples, and to generate a user information record that contains the pseudo random number and user information sample.

29 . The apparatus of claim 28 , the entropy multiplexer for execution on the processor circuit to generate a user information vector that includes a multiplicity of user information records and respective pseudo random numbers.

30 . The apparatus of claim 28 , the multiplicity of user information samples comprising location information for a user device.

31 . The apparatus of claim 28 , the entropy multiplexer comprising one or more pseudo random number generators (PRNG), each pseudo random number generator for execution on the processor circuit to generate a sequence of one or more pseudo random numbers based upon a pseudo random number seed.

32 . The apparatus of claim 28 , the entropy multiplexer comprising a random number generator tree containing a plurality of levels, the random number generator tree for execution on the processor circuit to generate one or more random numbers at each level of the plurality of levels, wherein a first random number generated by a first random number generator on a first level is to feed a second random number generator at a second level lower than the first level, the second random number generator to generate a random number sequence comprising two or more random numbers.

33 . The apparatus of claim 32 ,
the first level including a multiplicity of random number generators fed by a corresponding multiplicity of first random number seeds, the first random number seeds corresponding to information samples collected at a series of first instances in which successive first instances are separated by a first interval, and the second level including a multiplicity of random number generators fed by a corresponding multiplicity of second random number seeds, the second random number seeds corresponding to information samples collected at a series of second instances in which successive second instances are separated by a second interval less than the first interval.

34 . The apparatus of claim 28 , the entropy multiplexer for execution on the processor circuit to generate a user information access vector that specifies an algorithm to generate the pseudo random number.

35 . The apparatus of claim 28 , the user information samples comprising location information, the entropy multiplexer for execution on the processor circuit to generate a location vector for each user information sample that specifies a set of location dimensions and pseudo random number associated with the each user information sample.

36 . The apparatus of claim 29 , the entropy multiplexer for execution on the processor circuit to publish the user information vector anonymously using network address masking.

37 . The apparatus of claim 32 , the entropy multiplexer for execution on the processor circuit to generate, in at least one level, a data PRNG fed by a data seed, the data PRNG to generate:
a first pseudo random number as an address of user information associated with the data seed; and a second pseudo random number to serve as an encryption key for user information.

38 . At least one computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to generate, responsive to receipt of a multiplicity of user information samples, a pseudo random number based upon a pseudo random number seed and pseudo random number generator algorithm for each user information sample of the multiplicity of user information samples, and to generate a user information record that contains the pseudo random number and user information sample.

39 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 38 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to generate a user information vector that includes a multiplicity of user information records, each user information record comprising a user information sample and respective pseudo random number.

40 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 38 , the multiplicity of user information samples comprising location information for a user device.

41 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 38 , comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to generate a sequence of one or more pseudo random numbers based upon a pseudo random number seed.

42 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 38 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to generate one or more random numbers at each level of a plurality of levels, wherein a first random number generated by a first random number generator on a first level is to feed a second random number generator at a second level lower than the first level, the second random number generator to generate a random number sequence comprising two or more random numbers.

43 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 42 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to feed a multiplicity of first random number seeds to the first level, the first random number seeds corresponding to information samples collected at a series of first instances in which successive first instances are separated by a first interval, and
to feed a multiplicity of second random number seeds to the second level, the second random number seeds corresponding to information samples collected at a series of second instances in which successive second instances are separated by a second interval less than the first interval.

44 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 38 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to generate a user information access vector that specifies an algorithm to generate the pseudo random number.

45 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 38 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to generate a location vector for each user information sample that specifies a set of location dimensions and pseudo random number associated with the each user information sample.

46 . The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 38 comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to partition the set of location dimensions into two or more location sub-dimensions that are each associated with a respective pseudo random number.

47 . A computer implemented method to randomize user information, comprising:
receiving a multiplicity of user information samples at a respective multiplicity of instances a processor circuit; receiving a random number seed and pseudo random number generator algorithm; generating a pseudo random number based upon the pseudo random number seed and pseudo random number generator algorithm for each user information sample of the multiplicity of user information samples, and generating a user information record that contains the pseudo random number and user information sample.

48 . The computer implemented method of claim 47 , comprising: generating a user

Assignees

• Deleeuw William C
• Smith Ned M

Inventors

• Deleeuw William C
• Smith Ned M

Classifications

• H04L9/0869

  involving random numbers or seeds · CPC title

• H04L63/0421

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

• G06F21/6254 Primary

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

• H04L9/0656

  Pseudorandom key sequence combined element-for-element with data sequence, e.g. one-time-pad [OTP] or Vernam's cipher · CPC title

• H04L2209/42

  Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms · CPC title