Methods and systems for network-based analysis, intervention, and anonymization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9928383-B2
Application number	US-201514928061-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2014
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

Systems and method for alerting a user device based on a proposed anonymization of a contribution to a conversation thread via one or several location-based anonymization rules are disclosed herein. The system can include a user device that can have location-determining features that can determine a physical location of the user device; a network interface that can exchange data with a server via a communication network; and an I/O subsystem that can convert electrical signals to user-interpretable outputs in a user interface. The system can include a server that can: receive a contribution from the user device; determine an anonymization level for applying to the contribution; identify a potential identifier in the content of the contribution; anonymize the potential identifier according to the determined anonymization level; and generate and provide an alert to the user device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for alerting a user device based on a proposed anonymization of a contribution to a conversation thread via one or several location-based anonymization rules, the system comprising:
a user device comprising:
location-determining features configured to determine a physical location of the user device;
a network interface configured to exchange data with a server via a communication network; and
an I/O subsystem configured to convert electrical signals to user-interpretable outputs in a user interface; and

a server configured to:
receive a contribution from the user device, wherein the contribution comprises content for placement in a conversation thread;
determine an anonymization level for applying to the contribution, wherein determining the anonymization level comprises:
receiving physical location information from the user device, wherein the physical location information identifies the physical location of the user device;
retrieving an anonymization table from a content access database; and
extracting level data from the anonymization table based on the physical location information of the user device, wherein the level data includes the anonymization level, wherein the anonymization level is specific to a geographic location of a plurality of users;

identify a potential identifier in the content of the contribution;
anonymize the potential identifier according to the determined anonymization level, wherein anonymizing the potential identifier comprises: comparing the potential identifier with class materials associated with the conversation thread; and anonymizing the potential identifier when a non-match of the potential identifier and the class materials associated with the conversation thread is determined; and
generate and provide an alert to the user device, wherein the alert comprises code to direct the user device to provide an indicator of receipt of the alert via the I/O subsystem.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the indicator of the received alert comprises: an aural indicator; a tactile indicator; and a visual indicator.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the contribution comprises contribution data identifying an originator of the contribution.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the server is further configured to determine an active location of the originator of the contribution, wherein the active location is based on the physical location and a membership of the user.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein extracting level data from the anonymization table is based on the physical location information of the user device and the active location of the user.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the server is further configured to retrieve anonymization rules corresponding to the anonymization level, and wherein the location-determining features comprise a Global Positioning System receiver and a Global Positioning System antenna.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the server is further configured to identify the potential identifier as an actual identifier when the potential identifier matches user data and when the potential identifier does not match group materials.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the server is further configured to identify the potential identifier as not an actual identifier when the potential identifier does not match user data.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the server is further configured to identify the potential identifier as not an actual identifier when the potential identifier matches user data, when the potential identifier matches group materials, and when the potential identifier is associated with the group materials.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein identifying the potential identifier as not an actual identifier when the potential identifier matches user data, when the potential identifier matches group materials, and when the potential identifier is associated with the group materials comprising:
identifying a window size for evaluation, wherein the window size specifies an amount of data surrounding the potential identifier for analysis;
identifying data within the window;
analyzing the data within the window; and
outputting an indicator of association between the potential identifier and the group materials.

11. A method for alerting a user device based on a proposed anonymization of a contribution to a conversation thread via one or several location-based anonymization rules, the method comprising:
receiving at a server a contribution from a user device via a communication network, wherein the contribution comprises content for placement in a conversation thread;
determining with the server an anonymization level for applying to the contribution, wherein determining the anonymization level comprises:
receiving physical location information from the user device, wherein the physical location information identifies a physical location of the user device;
retrieving an anonymization table from a content access database; and
extracting level data from the anonymization table based on the physical location information of the user device, wherein the level data includes the anonymization level, wherein the anonymization level is specific to a geographic location of a plurality of users;

identifying with the server a potential identifier in the content of the contribution;
anonymizing with the server the potential identifier according to the determined anonymization level, wherein anonymizing the potential identifier comprises: comparing the potential identifier with class materials associated with the conversation thread; and anonymizing the potential identifier when a non-match of the potential identifier and the class materials associated with the conversation thread is determined; and
generating and providing an alert to the user device via the communication network, wherein the alert comprises code to direct the user device to provide an indicator of receipt of the alert via an I/O subsystem configured to convert electrical signals to user-interpretable outputs in a user interface.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the indicator of the received alert comprises one: an aural indicator; a tactile indicator; and a visual indicator.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the contribution comprises contribution data identifying an originator of the contribution.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining an active location of the originator of the contribution, wherein the active location is based on the physical location and a membership of the user.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein extracting level data from the anonymization table is based on the physical location information of the user device and the active location of the user.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising retrieving anonymization rules corresponding to the anonymization level.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the location information is generated by location-determining features of the user device.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the location-determining features comprise a Global Positioning System receiver and a Global Positioning System antenna.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising identifying the potential identifier as an actual identifier when the potential identifier matches user data and when the potential identifier does not match group materials.

Assignees

• Pearson Education Inc

Inventors

• York Sean A
• Hellman Scott A
• Wyatt James
• Rodriguez Marko
• Hill Steven H

Classifications

• H04L63/107

  wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals · CPC title

• G06F21/6254 Primary

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

• G06F2221/2111

  Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS · 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