Patent ID: 8463289
Filing Date: 2013-06-11
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. One or more computer-readable memory comprising computer-executable instructions for removing personally identifiable information from user trails, the computer-executable instructions directed to steps comprising: receiving a first user trail comprising a first set of discrete locations of a first computing device, the first user trail having personally identifiable information; modifying the first user trail to generate a new first user trail without the personally identifiable information by removing the personally identifiable information by performing at least one of: replacing a turn in the first user trail with a sequence of equivalent turns, each of which differs from the identified turn, the sequence of equivalent turns having, in aggregate, a same starting point as the replaced turn and a same ending point as the replaced turn; replacing at least one segment of the first user trail, the at least one segment being less than the whole first user trail, with one or more segments differing from the replaced at least one segment, the one or more segments having a same starting point as the replaced at least one segment and a same ending point as the replaced at least one segment; dividing the first user trail into two or more sub-trails and identifying at least one of the two or more sub-trails as having been generated by a different computing device; and exchanging a portion of the first user trail with a portion of a second user trail intersecting with the first user trail, the exchanged portions of the first and second user trails having the intersection as an endpoint.