Techniques for monetizing anonymized context

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of offering anonymous incentive based context to service providers, comprising delivering context information of a user to the service provider, wherein prior to delivery of the context information to the service provider, the context is anonymized by removing identifying information and aggregating it with context from additional users.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of offering anonymous incentive based context to service providers, comprising:
 delivering context information of a user to said service provider, wherein prior to delivery of said context information to said service provider, said context is anonymized by removing identifying information and aggregating it with context from additional users.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising said user receiving compensation for their contribution to said aggregated context information. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein an anonymization service provides said anonymizing and knows the identities of users but has no access to context or monetary rewards and wherein said service provider receives said anonymized context but cannot attribute it to a specific source and optionally arranges for said compensation and wherein a reward provider generates rewards but has no immediate knowledge of recipients. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 said user submitting an offer request for a list of available offers from said service provider and upon receipt, said service provider selects a set of offers to deliver to said user; and   wherein upon receipt of at least one offer, said user chooses whether to participate.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein if said user chooses to participate, a context bundle is delivered to an anonymizer in one of the following manners:
 a context bundle is sent from said user to said anonymizer to be aggregated with the context of other users; or   a context bundle is sent from said user to said service provider, wherein context is initially provided by the client to the service provider in an obscured form as part of the service request, said service provider then forwards said obscured context to said anonymizer, said anonymizer attests to said service provider that said context has been delivered, said service provider provides an improved service response to the client.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein after receiving said context bundle said anonymizer removes identifying information, and once said context is collected from a required number of users for a given offer, context packages are randomly assembled into an anonymized bundle list and sent from said anonymizer to said service provider. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein upon receipt, said service provider unpacks each context package and reward requests are combined into a reward request list that is sent from said service provider to a reward provider and contains a list of reward requests, whereafter a reward list is sent from said reward provider to said anonymizer; and
 wherein said Anonymizer caches each reward for a random amount of time to prevent correlation across rewards and each reward is then addressed to a specific recipient in a reward message.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein if said service provider is not a trusted service provider, an anonymizer signals availability of a context bundle and waits for a reward prior to delivering said bundle to said service provider. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said Anonymizer is adapted to choose to enforce some or all of the rules during processing of bundles from the rules group consisting of:
 All responses being anonymized in satisfaction of a given offer must contain an identical copy of the offer and signature;   All offers follow a generic format that contains four fields: the context being requested, the level of aggregation, the amount of compensation, and the type of compensation;   Valid offers must be registered in advance with said Anonymizer; and   Bundles containing offers that do not meet the desired set of criteria would be rejected.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein each offer is signed using a private key of said service provider for authenticity and specifies: the set of desired context; the level of aggregation that this data will receive before delivery; and the form and amount of compensation and selection of an offer may utilize a user interaction or a previously formulated user-defined policy. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said context bundle is protected from tampering by signing with a private key tied to the client's identity, and accessible only by said anonymizer since it is encrypted with said anonymizer's public key and wherein said context bundle contains: the client's identity, a real or virtual timestamp for freshness; a copy of an original offer, still signed for authenticity; a context package for said service provider, encrypted using the public key of the service provider containing said original offer; the context requested in said offer; an obscured form of a node's identity encrypted using the public key of the anonymizer; and a public key generated by said client. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein transmission of said anonymized bundle list is randomly delayed to further protect identities of a set of clients whose data are contained in said bundle. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein when said anonymized bundle list is sent from said anonymizer to said service provider, it is signed using said anonymizer's private key, for authenticity and further includes a timestamp for freshness, and a list of context packages in random order. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein upon receipt, said service provider unpacks said anonymized bundle list, checks for authenticity and freshness and then unpacks each context package and takes the following steps: validates the offer; saves said context for further processing; and formulates a reward request using an obscured node identity and public key 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said reward request is protected by signing with said service provider's private key for authenticity and encrypting with said reward provider's public key for secrecy and wherein each reward request contains: a timestamp for freshness; the value of the requested reward; the obscured identity of the recipient; and the public key provided by the recipient. 
     
     
         16 . A computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions, which when accessed, cause a machine to perform operations comprising:
 offering anonymous incentive based context to service providers by delivering context information of a user to said service provider, wherein prior to delivery of said context information to said service provider, said context is anonymized by removing identifying information and aggregating it with context from additional users.   
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions of  claim 1 , further comprising said user receiving compensation for their contribution to said aggregated context information. 
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions of  claim 16 , wherein an anonymization service provides said anonymizing and knows the identities of users but has no access to context or monetary rewards and wherein said service provider receives anonymized context but cannot attribute to a specific source and arranges for said compensation and wherein a reward provider generates rewards but has no immediate knowledge of recipients. 
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions of  claim 16 , further comprising said user submitting an offer request for a list of available offers from said service provider and upon receipt, said service provider selects a set of offers to deliver to said user;
 wherein upon receipt of an offer, said user chooses whether to participate;   wherein if said user chooses to participate, either a context bundle is sent from said user to said anonymizer to be aggregated with the context of other users, or   a context bundle is sent from said user to said service provider, wherein context is initially provided by the client to the service provider in an obscured form as part of the service request, said service provider then forwards said obscured context to said anonymizer to be aggregated with the context of other users, said anonymizer attests to the service provider that said context has been delivered, said service provider provides an improved service response to the client.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein once said context is collected from a required number of users for a given offer, context packages are randomly assembled into an anonymized bundle list and sent from said anonymizer to said service provider;
 wherein upon receipt, said service provider unpacks each context package and all reward requests are combined into a reward request list that is sent from said service provider to a reward provider and contains a list of reward requests, whereafter said reward list is sent from said reward provider to said anonymizer; and   wherein said Anonymizer caches each reward for a random amount of time to prevent correlation across rewards and each reward is then addressed to a specific recipient in a reward message.   
     
     
         21 . The computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions of  claim 20 , wherein said Anonymizer is adapted to choose to enforce some or all of the rules during processing of bundles from the rules group consisting of:
 All responses being anonymized in satisfaction of a given offer must contain an identical copy of the offer and signature;   All offers follow a generic format that contains four fields: the context being requested, the level of aggregation, the amount of compensation, and the type of compensation;   Valid offers must be registered in advance with said Anonymizer; and   Bundles containing offers that do not meet the desired set of criteria would be rejected.   
     
     
         22 . The computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions of  claim 20 , wherein when said context bundle is sent from said user client to said anonymizer to be aggregated with the context of other users, said message is protected from tampering by signing with a private key tied to the client's identity, and accessible only by said anonymizer by encrypting with an anonymizer public key. 
     
     
         23 . The computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions of  claim 22 , wherein said message contains a timestamp for freshness; a copy of an original offer, still signed for authenticity; and a context package for said service provider, encrypted using the public key of the service provider. 
     
     
         24 . A system, comprising:
 an information assimilation and communication platform adapted to offer anonymous incentive based context to service providers by delivering context information of a user to said service provider, wherein prior to delivery of said context information to said service provider, said context is anonymized by removing identifying information and aggregating it with context from additional users.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , further comprising said user receiving compensation for their contribution to said aggregated context information. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein an anonymization service provides said anonymizing and knows the identities of users but has no access to context or monetary rewards and wherein said service provider receives anonymized context but cannot attribute to a specific source and arranges for said compensation and wherein a reward provider generates rewards but has no immediate knowledge of recipients. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 said user submitting an offer request for a list of available offers from said service provider and upon receipt, said service provider selects a set of offers to deliver to said user;   wherein upon receipt of an offer, said user chooses whether to participate;   wherein if said user chooses to participate, a context bundle is sent from said user to said anonymizer to be aggregated with the context of other users and once said context is collected from a required number of users for a given offer, context packages are randomly assembled into an anonymized bundle list and sent from said anonymizer to said service provider;   wherein upon receipt, said service provider unpacks each context package and all reward requests are combined into a reward request list that is sent from said service provider to a reward provider and contains a list of reward requests, whereafter said reward list is sent from said reward provider to said anonymizer; and   wherein said Anonymizer caches each reward for a random amount of time to prevent correlation across rewards and each reward is then addressed to a specific recipient in a reward message.