Interrogate-response communication system with privacy indication

• US 20040162056A1
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Engelhart, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,280,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for obtaining information about a product or service offering having an associated receiver responsive to an information request or query. The method comprise providing a portable subscriber device linked with a communication network, presenting at least one selectable query for information to a subscriber via the subscriber device, selecting the at least one query for information, providing a desired privacy status of the subscriber utilizing the subscriber device, transmitting the query and the privacy status and, at the associated receiver, processing the privacy status and responding to the query by providing the requested information to the subscriber. A corresponding apparatus is also disclosed.

Claims

9. An apparatus to enable a user to interrogate a product or service offering concerning desired information, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a portable user device including,

(i) an anonymity register to store at least an affirmative and negative privacy indication indicative of whether the user desires to remain anonymous,

(ii) a query selector to select at least one query for requested information,

(iii) a destination register to identify a destination to receive the requested information, and

(iv) a user transmitter to transmit the privacy indication, query, and said destination; and

(b) a wireless receiver associated with at least one product or service offering, said receiver including a controller to effectuate a transmission of said requested information to said destination in response to said query and to store or discard said destination information in accordance with said privacy indication.

1. A method of obtaining information about a product or service offering having an associated receiver responsive to an information request, said method comprising:

providing a portable subscriber device linked with a communication network,

presenting at least one selectable query for information to a subscriber via said subscriber device,

selecting said at least one query for information,

providing a desired privacy status of the subscriber utilizing said subscriber device,

transmitting the query and the privacy status, and

at the associated receiver, processing said privacy status and responding to said query by providing said information to said subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting step includes transmitting a reply address that is used in the processing step to provide said information to said subscriber.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said subscriber terminal comprises a cellular telephone linked with a cellular telephone network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said processing step further includes effectuating a transmission of said information to said subscriber in the form of hypertext language.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising effectuating said transmission via a packet data network via one of email, html, and xml.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said processing step further includes suppressing at least a portion of subscriber information in response to an affirmative privacy indication of said privacy status.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said suppressing step includes discarding said reply address.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said processing step includes acquiring subscriber information in response to a negative privacy indication of said privacy status.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said query includes one of price, specifications, product attributes, . . . (need help here).

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said anonymity register is settable by the user prior to issuing an information request to indicate an affirmative or negative condition, and said controller responds to discard user information in response to an affirmative status and to effect capturing of user information in response to a negative status indication, wherein said user information includes said destination or other attribute of the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said user destination information comprises one of a user name, address, an email address, an IP address, a telephone number, and a message box.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said user device comprises a cellular telephone operable in a cellular network.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said language is html, java script, xml.

13-1. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said controller effectuates a transmission of said requested information in the form of hypertext language.

15. An apparatus to anonymously permit a user to interrogate a product or service offering about desired information, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a portable user device including,

(i) an anonymity register indicative of a desired privacy status of the user,

(ii) an information selector that enables the user to send a query for at least one item of desired information,

(iii) a destination address that identifies a destination to receive requested information, and

(iv) a transmitter to transmit the privacy status, information request, and said destination address; and

(b) a wireless receiver associated with at least one product or service offering, said receiver including a controller to effectuate a transmission of said requested information to said destination in response to said query and being responsive to said privacy status to discard user information after one use thereof.

16. A portable communicator for use in an automated interrogate-response system that anonymously permits a user to obtain desired information about a product of service, said communicator comprising:

(i) an anonymity indicator reflecting a desired privacy status of the user,

(ii) a selector that enables the user to request desired information,

(iii) a destination address that identifies a destination to receive requested information, and

(iv) a transmitter to transmit the privacy status, information request, and said destination address.

17. A responder for a product or service offering for use in an automated interrogate-response system to anonymously permit a user to obtain desired information about a product or service, said responder comprising:

a wireless receiver associated with at least one product or service offering that includes a controller to effect a transmission of user-requested information to a destination address in response to a query, said query being transmitted along with said address and a customer profile, said profile including a privacy indication so that the controller may respond by discarding user information after one use of the profile in accordance with the desire of the user.