Patent ID: 7653615
Filing Date: 2010-01-26
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method in connection with a database having a plurality of entries and a plurality of attributes common to each entry, each entry corresponding to an individual, the method for providing a level of protection of privacy of the individual, the method comprising: receiving at a interface a query q from a querying entity; passing the query q to the database; receiving at a interface an answer a in response to the query q; generating an amount of noise e at the interface by calculating a number r, effectively flipping an unbiased coin r times and counting a number of times heads is observed h, and subtracting r/2 from h to result in e, wherein r is calculated at least in part based on a number of times t that a particular querying entity queries the database and e generating an amount of noise e based at least in part on a perceived amount of loss of privacy p that is considered acceptable and small enough to be insignificant with regard to built-in sampling error; adding the noise e to the answer a at the interface to result in an obscured answer o; and the interface returning the obscured answer o to the querying entity.