Method and system for sharing anonymous user information

• US 20020099824A1
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cronin, Garrett J., Bender, Brad H., Lloyd, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system

Abstract

A method and system for sharing online user information in an anonymous manner. The system associates an identifier with anonymized information of the user, and sends the anonymized user information to a receiving party.

In one embodiment, the system receives a temporary id with personally identifiable information from a Web site, uses the personally identifiable information as a key to obtain the anonymized information from a data source, and sends the temporary id with the anonymized information to the receiving party. The receiving party uses the temporary id, previously received by the Web site, as a key to obtain the anonymized information of the user.

In another embodiment, the system receives a temporary id from a Web site with a cookie from the user, uses the cookie as a key to obtain the anonymized information from a data source, and sends the temporary id with the anonymized information to the receiving party. The receiving party uses the temporary id, previously received by the Web site, as a key to obtain the anonymized information of the user.

Claims

1. A method for sharing anonymous user information, comprising:

associating an identifier with anonymized information of the user; and

sending the anonymized user information to a receiving party.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier includes at least one of a user identifier and a Web browser identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user identifier includes personally identifiable information, including at least one of a name, an address, a telephone number, a social security number, and an email address.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the Web browser identifier includes a cookie.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the anonymized user information includes user information that is bucketed into an anonymous grouping to prevent triangulation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier includes personally identifiable information, and further including:

receiving a temporary id and the personally identifiable information associated with the user;

using the personally identifiable information as a key to obtain the anonymized information from a data source;

sending the temporary id with the anonymized information to the receiving party.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving party uses the temporary id, previously received by the Web site, as a key to obtain the anonymized information of the user.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the temporary id and the personally identifiable information associated with the user is deleted at a predetermined period of time after sending the temporary id with the anonymized information to the receiving party.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier includes a cookie, and further including:

receiving a temporary id and the cookie associated with the user'"'"'s Web browser;

using the cookie as a key to obtain the anonymized information from a data source;

sending the temporary id with the anonymized information to the receiving party.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving party uses the temporary id, previously received by the Web site, as a key to obtain the anonymized information of the user.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the temporary id and the cookie associated with the user'"'"'s Web browser is deleted at a predetermined period of time after sending the temporary id with the anonymized information to the receiving party.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identifier includes at least one of a user identifier and a Web browser identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the user identifier includes personally identifiable information, including at least one of a name, an address, a telephone number, a social security number, and an email address.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the Web browser identifier includes a cookie.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the anonymized user information includes user information that is bucketed into an anonymous grouping to prevent triangulation.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identifier includes personally identifiable information, and wherein the instructions are further adapted to be executed to receive a temporary id and the personally identifiable information associated with the user, to use the personally identifiable information as a key to obtain the anonymized information from a data source, and to send the temporary id with the anonymized information to the receiving party.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the receiving party uses the temporary id, previously received by the Web site, as a key to obtain the anonymized information of the user.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the temporary id and the personally identifiable information associated with the user is deleted at a predetermined period of time after sending the temporary id with the anonymized information to the receiving party.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the identifier includes a cookie, and wherein the instructions are further adapted to be executed to receive a temporary id and the cookie associated with the user'"'"'s Web browser, to use the cookie as a key to obtain the anonymized information from a data source, and to send the temporary id with the anonymized information to the receiving party.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the receiving party uses the temporary id, previously received by the Web site, as a key to obtain the anonymized information of the user.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the temporary id and the cookie associated with the user'"'"'s Web browser is deleted at a predetermined period of time after sending the temporary id with the anonymized information to the receiving party.

12. An apparatus for sharing anonymous user information, comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to associate an identifier with anonymized information of the user, and to send the anonymized user information to a receiving party, the memory coupled to the processor.

23. A method for sharing anonymous user information, comprising:

means for associating an identifier with anonymized information of the user; and

means for sending the anonymized user information to a receiving party.