IP Library Granted Patent US 10,503,928
Granted Patent B2
US 10,503,928 · App. 15/036,515 · Granted Dec 10, 2019

Obfuscating data using obfuscation table

Inventors: Brian J. Stankiewicz (Mahtomedi, MN); Eric C. Lobner (Woodbury, MN); Richard H. Wolniewicz (Longmont, CO); William L. Schofield (Silver Spring, MD)
Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
G06F21/6254
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,503,928
App. No.
15/036,515
Granted
Dec 10, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

At least some aspects of the present disclosure feature systems and methods for obfuscating data. The method includes the steps of receiving or retrieve an input data stream including a sequence of n-grams, mapping at least some of the sequence of n-grams to corresponding tokens using an obfuscation table, and disposing the corresponding tokens to an output data stream.

Claims (42)

1. A method for obfuscating text data using a computer system having one or more processors and memories, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a first data stream of text data comprising a sequence of n-grams;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, an obfuscation table that maps a set of sensitive n-grams to corresponding tokens, wherein each respective token included in the obfuscation table has no meaning;

comparing, by the one or more processors, each respective n-gram of the sequence of n-grams received in the first data stream with the set of sensitive n-grams included in the obfuscation table;

based on the comparison, determining that a particular n-gram of the sequence maps to a corresponding token selected from the tokens included in the obfuscation table;

based on the determination that the particular n-gram maps to the corresponding token included in the obfuscation table,

disposing, by the one or more processors, the corresponding token in a second data stream to reduce an amount of sensitive information from the first data stream to the second data stream.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

applying, by the one or more processors, a statistical process on the second data stream.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding token is expressed in one of decimal format, a hexadecimal format, an alphanumeric format, a binary format, or a textual format.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding token comprises metadata describing one or more properties of the particular n-gram.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obfuscation table further maps variations of the sensitive n-grams to corresponding tokens.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each respective n-gram of the sequence of n-grams has a respective position in the first data stream, and wherein disposing the corresponding token in the second data stream comprises disposing the corresponding token at a position in the second data stream that corresponds to the respective position of the particular n-gram in the first data stream.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obfuscation table is predetermined.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating, by the one or more processors, the obfuscation table by creating respective mappings of the sensitive n-grams to the respective tokens.

9. A system for obfuscating data, the system comprising:

an interface configured to retrieve a first data stream of text data comprising a sequence of n-grams;

a memory configured to store a portion of the first data stream; and

one or more processors in communication with the memory, the one or more processors being configured to:

obtain an obfuscation table that maps a set of sensitive n-grams to corresponding tokens, wherein each respective token included in the obfuscation table has no meaning;

compare each respective n-gram of the sequence of n-grams received in the first data stream with the set of sensitive n-grams included in the obfuscation table;

based on the comparison, determine that a particular n-gram of the sequence maps to a corresponding token selected from the tokens included in the obfuscation table;

based on the determination that the particular n-gram maps to the corresponding token included in the obfuscation table, dispose the corresponding token in a second data stream to reduce an amount of sensitive information from the first data stream to the second data stream.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the interface is further

configured to receive a request for data from a user, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to retrieve the first data stream from the memory according to the received request for data.

11. The system of claim 10 ,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive user information entered by the user and verify an access level of the user based on the received user information.

12. The system of claim 9 ,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to compile a response package using the second data stream.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein to compile the response package, the one or more processors are configured to include at least part of the obfuscation table in the response package.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the corresponding token comprises metadata describing one or more properties of the n-gram.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein each respective n-gram of the sequence of n-grams has a respective position in the first data stream, and wherein to dispose the corresponding token in the second data stream, the one or more processors are configured to dispose the corresponding token at a position in the second data stream that corresponds to the respective position of the particular n-gram in the first data stream.

16. The system of claim 9 ,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to apply a statistical process to the second data stream.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to predict a relationship of a combination of n-grams with an event.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the one or more processors, that the corresponding token is obtained by applying a seed to the particular n-gram; and

providing, by the one or more processors, the seed in the second data stream.

19. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine that the corresponding token is obtained by applying a seed to the particular n-gram; and

provide the seed in the second data stream.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 1, 2024
From: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
To: SOLVENTUM INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES COMPANY
Reel/Frame 066433/0105 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2016
From: STANKIEWICZ, BRIAN J; LOBNER, ERIC C; WOLNIEWICZ, RICHARD H.; SCHOFIELD, WILLIAM L
To: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
Reel/Frame 038583/0771 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61904213 · Nov 14, 2013
Related Publication 20160321468A1 · Nov 3, 2016