Apple inc. (20240283632). Private Retrieval of Location-Based Information simplified abstract

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 20240283632 titled 'Private Retrieval of Location-Based Information

Simplified Explanation

A computing device sends a request for location-based information to a server, where the request includes address information and an encrypted sub-region specification. The server uses the address information to select a subset of the location-based information and performs a privacy protocol on the subset using the encrypted sub-region specification. The encrypted version of the requested information is returned to the computing device for decryption.

• The computing device requests location-based information from a server.
• The request includes address information and an encrypted sub-region specification.
• The server selects a subset of the location-based information based on the address information.
• A privacy protocol is performed on the subset using the encrypted sub-region specification.
• The encrypted version of the requested information is returned to the computing device for decryption.

Potential Applications

1. Location-based services 2. Privacy-preserving data retrieval 3. Secure communication protocols

Problems Solved

1. Protecting user privacy in location-based services 2. Secure data retrieval without revealing specific requests 3. Enhancing data security in communication protocols

Benefits

1. Enhanced privacy protection 2. Secure data transmission 3. Improved user trust in location-based services

Commercial Applications

Location-based service providers, communication companies, and data security firms can utilize this technology to enhance user privacy and data security in their services.

Questions about Location-Based Information Retrieval

How does the encryption of sub-region information enhance privacy in location-based services?

The encryption of sub-region information ensures that the server does not have access to specific location details, enhancing user privacy.

What are the potential implications of this technology on data security in communication protocols?

This technology can significantly improve data security by allowing secure data retrieval without revealing specific requests, thus enhancing overall communication protocol security.

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.