SECURE DATA CONTAINER FOR AN AMBIENT INTELLIGENT ENVIRONMENT

1 . A method comprising:

collecting a set of information from a first digital network information endpoint associated with a vehicle;

associating, by use of a data processor, a persistent digital identifier with the collected information, the persistent digital identifier being derived from information associated with the vehicle;

enabling a user to specify a shared data set from the collected information;

enabling the user to specify a set of sharing controls corresponding to the shared data set;

combining information identifying the shared data set and the sharing controls in a secure container; and

enabling a second digital network information endpoint access the shared data set via the secure container upon presentation of a valid secure access token.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the collected information is normalized, homogenized, and aggregated to form a unified data set associated with the persistent digital identifier.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the collected information is stored in a network cloud.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the persistent digital identifier is derived from the vehicle identification number (VIN) associated with the vehicle.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shared data set includes a current vehicle status, a current vehicle location, a driver profile, a driver calendar, and driver contact information.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 including enabling the user to select a personalization template used to configure a presentation of the shared data set to the second digital network information endpoint.

7 . The method a claimed in claim 1 wherein the sharing controls include access, privacy, expiry, synchronization, and usage controls.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 including generating the secure access token with access control information.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 1 including automatically pushing the shared data to the second digital network information endpoint based on a pre-configured trigger.

10 . A system comprising:

one or more data processors; and

a vehicle-based Distributed Shared Data Object system, executable by the one or more data processors, to:

collect a set of information from a first digital network information endpoint associated with a vehicle;

associate a persistent digital identifier with the collected information, the persistent digital identifier being derived from information associated with the vehicle;

enable a user to specify a shared data set from the collected information;

enable the user to specify a set of sharing controls corresponding to the shared data set;

combine information identifying the shared data set and the sharing controls in a secure container; and

enable a second digital network information endpoint to access the shared data set via the secure container upon presentation of a valid secure access token.

11 . The system as claimed in claim 10 wherein the collected information is normalized, homogenized, and aggregated to form a unified data set associated with the persistent digital identifier.

12 . The system as claimed in claim 10 wherein the collected information is stored in a network cloud.

13 . The system as claimed in claim 10 wherein the persistent digital identifier is derived from the vehicle identification number (VIN) associated with the vehicle.

14 . The system as claimed in claim 10 wherein the shared data set includes a current vehicle status, a current vehicle location, a driver profile, a driver calendar, and driver contact information.

15 . The system as claimed in claim 10 being further configured to enable the user to select a personalization template used to configure a presentation of the shared data sot to the second digital network information endpoint.

16 . The system as claimed in claim 10 wherein the sharing controls include access, privacy, expiry, synchronization, and usage controls.

17 . The system as claimed in claim 10 being further configured to generate the secure access token with access control information.

18 . The system as claimed in claim 10 being further configured to automatically push the shared data to the second digital network information endpoint based on a pre-configured trigger.

19 . A non-transitory machine-useable storage medium embodying instructions which, when executed by as machine, cause the machine to:

collect a set of information from a first digital network information endpoint associated with a vehicle;

associate a persistent digital identifier with the collected information, the persistent digital identifier being derived from information associated with the vehicle;

enable a user to specify a shared data set from the collected information;

enable the user to specify a set of sharing controls corresponding to the shared data set;

combine information identifying the shared data set and the sharing controls in a secure container; and

enable a second digital network information endpoint to access the shared data set via the secure container upon presentation of a valid secure access token.

20 . The machine-useable storage medium as claimed in claim 19 wherein the persistent digital identifier is derived from the vehicle identification number (VIN) associated with the vehicle.