Method and apparatus for preserving customer identity in on-line transactions

• US 20030200468A1
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Wu, Hsi-Cheng, Raley, Michael, Ta, Thanh, Chen, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1083 Partial license transfers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/045 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply hybrid encryption, i.e. combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing and accomplishing on-line transactions while preserving the privacy of user information. User information is stored at a trusted Web site. A user logs on to a transacting Web site with a user device and requests a transaction from the transacting Web site. The user is verified through the trusted Web site using an anonymous identifier corresponding to the user information and the transaction is accomplished between the user device and the transacting Web site using the anonymous identifier without transferring the user information to the transacting Web site.

Claims

1. A method for managing and accomplishing transactions while preserving the privacy of user information:

storing user information at a trusted Web site;

logging on to a transacting Web site with a user device;

requesting a transaction from the transacting Web site;

verifying the user through the trusted Web site using an anonymous identifier corresponding to the user information; and

accomplishing the transaction between the user device and the transacting Web site using the anonymous identifier without transferring the user information to the transacting Web site.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information is at least one of personal and credit information relating to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the trusted Web site is a transaction aggregator.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising accumulating plural transactions at the transaction aggregator and aggregating the plural transactions into a single charge.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction is a content use transaction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said requesting step comprises sending the anonymous identifier and an identification of desired content.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the anonymous identifier to create a protected instance of a rendering engine on the user device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the anonymous identifier is established between the trusted Web site and the user device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the trusted Web site comprises a repository that maintains specific information related to one or more authorized users.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the trusted Web site comprises a repository that maintains specific information related to one or more authorized users.

10. A system for managing and accomplishing transactions while preserving the privacy of user information:

means for storing user information at a trusted Web site;

means for logging on to a transacting Web site with a user device;

means for requesting a transaction from the transacting Web site;

means for verifying the user through the trusted Web site using an anonymous identifier corresponding to the user information; and

means for accomplishing the transaction between the user device and the transacting Web site using the anonymous identifier without transferring the user information to the transacting Web site.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the user information is at least one of personal and credit information relating to the user.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the trusted Web site is a transaction aggregator.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for accumulating plural transactions at the transaction aggregator and aggregating the plural transactions into a single charge.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the transaction is a content use transaction.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said means for requesting comprises means for sending the anonymous identifier and an identification of desired content.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for using the anonymous identifier to create a protected instance of a rendering engine on the user device.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the anonymous identifier is established between the trusted Web site and the user device.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein said means for storing, said means for logging in, said means for requesting, said means for verifying, and said means for accomplishing comprise devices of a computer system.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein said means for storing, said means for logging in, said means for requesting, said means for verifying, and said means for accomplishing comprise computer readable instructions recorded on a medium.