Providing location data about a mobile entity
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsJames Thomas Edward McDonnell, Andrew Thomas, Michael P. Spratt, John Deryk Waters, Simon E. Crouch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and device is provided for obscuring the location of a mobile entity to a specified accuracy level. Available location data that has a known accuracy greater than the specified accuracy has its accuracy decreased (85) by combining with the components of the available location data, additional components randomized over a range set by the difference between the known accuracy of the available location data and the specified accuracy level.
Claims10
A method of obscuring the location of a mobile entity to a specified accuracy level, wherein available location data having a known accuracy greater than said specified accuracy has its accuracy decreased by combining with the components of the available location data, additional components randomised over a range set by the difference between the known accuracy of the available location data and the specified accuracy level.
A mobile device comprising a processing subsystem for carrying out processing tasks, a location-discovery subsystem for obtaining the location of the device to known accuracy, and communication subsystem for sending the location of the device to a remote entity;
- the processing means being operative to control the sending out of the device location at a desired accuracy level less than said known accuracy for which purpose the processing subsystem is provided with accuracy-reduction means for combining with components of the device's location as provided by the location-discovery subsystem, additional components randomised over a range set by the difference between the known accuracy of the location provided by the location-discovery subsystem data, and said desired accuracy level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.