18421778. Private Retrieval of Location-Based Information simplified abstract (Apple Inc.)

Private Retrieval of Location-Based Information

Organization Name

Apple Inc.

Inventor(s)

Rehan Rishi of San Francisco CA (US)

Fabian K. Boemer of Mountain View CA (US)

Karl Tarbe of Cupertino CA (US)

Brandon J. Van Ryswyk of Mountain View CA (US)

Marco Zuliani of Willow Glen CA (US)

Abhishek (APS) Bhowmick of Sunnyvale CA (US)

Tancrède Lepoint of New York NY (US)

Private Retrieval of Location-Based Information - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18421778 titled 'Private Retrieval of Location-Based Information

The abstract of the patent application describes a system where a computing device requests location-based information (LBI) from a server. The request includes first address information indicating a geographic area and an encrypted version of second address information specifying a sub-region of the geographic area. The server uses the first address information to select a subset of the LBI and performs a privacy protocol on the selected subset using the encrypted second address information. The server then returns an encrypted version of the requested LBI to the computing device for decryption.

• The computing device sends a request for location-based information to a server.
• The request includes first address information and an encrypted version of second address information.
• The server uses the first address information to select a subset of the LBI.
• A privacy protocol is performed on the selected subset using the encrypted second address information.
• The server returns an encrypted version of the requested LBI to the computing device for decryption.

Potential Applications: - Location-based services - Privacy-preserving data retrieval - Secure communication protocols

Problems Solved: - Protecting user privacy in location-based services - Secure data retrieval without revealing specific user requests

Benefits: - Enhanced privacy protection - Secure data transmission - Improved user trust in location-based services

Commercial Applications: Title: Secure Location-Based Information Retrieval System This technology can be used in various commercial applications such as: - Mobile apps for location-based services - E-commerce platforms for targeted advertising - Navigation systems for personalized recommendations

Questions about the technology: 1. How does the encryption process ensure user privacy in location-based information retrieval? 2. What are the potential challenges in implementing this system in real-world applications?

Frequently Updated Research: Stay updated on advancements in privacy-preserving protocols for location-based services to enhance the security and efficiency of the system.

Original Abstract Submitted

A computing device sends a request for location-based information (LBI) to a server, where the request includes first address information indicative of a geographic area (e.g., where the computing device is located), and an encrypted version of second address information that specifies a sub-region of the geographic area. The second address information is encrypted by a first key not accessible to the server. The first address information is used to select a subset of the LBI stored on the server. The server then performs a privacy protocol such as Private Information Retrieval on the selected subset using the encrypted second address information. This produces an encrypted version of the requested LBI without the server having access to information indicating which item of LBI was requested. The encrypted version of the particular item of LBI is returned to the computing device, where it can be decrypted using a second key.