Establishing a link between identifiers without disclosing specific identifying information
Inventors
Goel, Vinay • McDonnell, Philip • Kulkarni, Sachin • Gupta, Anshul • Saxena, Shobhit • McDonald, Patrick • Duong, Thai • Ion, Mihaela • Kreuter, Benjamin • Patel, Sarvar • Seth, Karn
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10558817-B2
Publication Date
2020-02-11
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method for linking user identifiers. The method includes receiving, by a linking server and from a company server, a first data structure comprising entries. Each entry comprising a user tag, a first hashed user information, and a second hashed user information. The method includes receiving, by a linking server and from a partner server, a second data structure comprising entries. Each entry comprising a bridge tag, a first hashed bridge information, and a second hashed bridge information. The method includes retrieving, by the linking server and from the first data structure, a first entry of the entries and retrieving, by the linking server and from the second data structure, a first entry of the entries. The method includes linking the user tag of the first entry of the first data structure to the bridge tag of the first entry of the second data structure to generate a first linkage.
Core Innovation
A method and system link user identifiers by receiving, at a linking server, separate first and second data structures from a company server and a partner server. Each first data-structure entry includes an unhashed user tag plus first and second hashed user information associated with a client device, while each second data-structure entry includes an unhashed bridge tag plus first and second hashed bridge information associated with a client device. The first data structure is inaccessible to the partner server, and the second data structure is inaccessible to the company server.
The linking server retrieves corresponding entries from the first and second data structures and compares the first hashed user information of the first data-structure entry to the first hashed bridge information of the second data-structure entry. In response to determining a match, the linking server links the unhashed user tag of the first entry to the unhashed bridge tag of the second entry to generate linkage data that does not include the first hashed bridge information or the second hashed bridge information. The linking server then provides the linkage to the company server.
The document further describes privacy/security architecture for keeping hashed information accessible only to the linking server, including a clean room environment for the linking server relative to company and partner servers. An alternate approach enables tag correlation without disclosing partner PII-to-PII linkages by using commutative encryption and double-encryption so comparisons occur on encrypted values.
Claims Coverage
The partial content includes three independent claims. Across these independent claims, the core inventive features are receiving inaccessible company/partner data structures containing unhashed tags and hashed user/bridge information, comparing hashed user information to hashed bridge information at a linking server, and generating/providing linkage that omits the hashed bridge/user information.
Inaccessible company and partner data structures with tags and hashed information
Receiving, by a linking server and from a company server, a first data structure comprising entries with an unhashed user tag, first hashed user information, and second hashed user information, each entry associated with a client device; receiving, by the linking server and from a partner server, a second data structure comprising entries with an unhashed bridge tag, first hashed bridge information, and second hashed bridge information, each entry associated with a client device, wherein the first data structure is inaccessible to the partner server and the second data structure is inaccessible to the company server.
Hashed user-to-bridge comparison at the linking server
Comparing, by the linking server, the first hashed user information of the first entry of the first data structure to the first hashed bridge information of the first entry of the second data structure.
Match-driven tag linkage without including hashed bridge/user information
Linking, by the linking server and in response to determining a match, the unhashed user tag of the first entry of the first data structure to the unhashed bridge tag of the first entry of the second data structure to generate a first linkage that does not include the first hashed bridge information or the second hashed bridge information; and providing, by the linking server and to the company server, the first linkage.
Generate a third data structure that links tags without hashed bridge/user information
Generating, by the linking server, a third data structure based on the first hashed user information of a first entry of the first data structure and the hashed bridge information of a first entry of the second data structure, the third data structure comprising a linkage between the unhashed user tag of a first entry of the first data structure to the unhashed bridge tag of a first entry of the second data structure, the third data structure does not include the first hashed bridge information or the second hashed bridge information; and providing, by the linking server and to the company server, the third data structure.
Taken together, the independent claims require a linking server to operate on two inaccessible datasets containing unhashed tags and hashed user/bridge information, perform hashed user information comparison to hashed bridge information, and generate and provide a linkage or third data structure that omits the hashed bridge and hashed user information.
Stated Advantages
Generates and provides a linkage that does not include the first hashed bridge information or the second hashed bridge information.
Enables correlation of user tags and bridge tags without disclosing partner PII-to-PII linkages.
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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