Patent ID: 7698250
Filing Date: 2010-04-13
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for providing data in response to a query on a database containing data pertaining to a plurality of privacy principals while controlling privacy loss of privacy principals, comprising: determining first information that would be available to an adversary with access to a first database query output, said first database query output returned in response to said query on said database not containing data associated with an individual privacy principal; determining second information that would be available to said adversary with access to a second database query output, said second database query output returned in response to said query on said database containing data associated with the individual privacy principal; calculating from a difference between the first information and the second information a differential diameter measurement indicative of the sensitivity of database query output resulting from the query due to addition to the database of data associated with the individual privacy principal; receiving a privacy parameter chosen by the individual privacy principal, the privacy parameter corresponding to a level of privacy loss acceptable to the individual privacy principal; using the differential diameter measurement and the privacy parameter in generating a distribution of noise values, the differential diameter measurement and the privacy parameter determinative of a width of the distribution of noise values; and selecting a noise value from the distribution to combine with results of an actual database query to generate a noisy database query output.