Method of purchasing insurance or validating an anonymous transaction

• US 20040267578A1
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Pearson, Siani Lynne
• Application Number:
  US10/817,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20040267578A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A method purchasing insurance is provided , the method comprising the steps of entering into a contract of insurance with the insurer based solely on the generalised identity (perhaps created for that particular purpose) that is associated with selected policy attributes (possibly generalised to ranges etc.) or statements that the user'"'"'s attributes satisfy a policy, such that other attributes, including the real identity of the user, remain unknown to the insurer. The degree of which information is withheld or generalised is based on an assessment of the trustworthiness of the insurer'"'"'s computer system.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a transaction between a first entity and a second entity where as part of the transaction the second entity or an examination agent operating on behalf of the second entity requires information to assess a level of risk associated with transacting with the first entity, the method comprising the steps of:

a) a data processor acting on behalf of the first entity requesting a data processor acting on behalf of the second entity to provide data about itself;

b) the data processor acting on behalf of the first entity analysing the response and determining an assessment of trust of the data processor operating on behalf of the second entity;

c) defining a pseudonymous identity for the first entity; and

d) providing data about the first entity to the second entity where data is selectively withheld or generalised in response to the assessment of trust.

2. A method of conducting a transaction as claimed in claim 1, in which the method further comprises the step of entering into a contract for the transaction based on data provided about the first entity such that the identity of the first entity remains unknown to the second entity.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the transaction is the purchase of insurance, and for a given type of insurance the pseudonymous identity is associated with sufficient information to enable the insurer or an insurance examination agent to assess a level of risk for pricing or issuing an insurance.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, in which, when seeking to claim on the insurance policy, the data pertaining to the first entity are made available to the insurer in order that the insurer can validate that there is an acceptable level of correlation between the pseudonymous identity and the first entity.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the first entity submits their information or responses via a trusted computer, and wherein a trusted platform module within the trusted computer generates a user identity which can be used in future to confirm the identity of the first entity.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the first entity enters their data onto a trusted computer together with their policy agent which defines how information relating to the first entity can be disclosed.

7. A method as claimed in claim 4, in which the transaction relates to the purchase of insurance and the policy agent communicates with an insurance examination agent in order to negotiate and authorise an insurance policy.

8. A method as claimed in claim 5, in which the transaction relates to the purchase of insurance and the trusted computing platform and a server running the examination agent authenticate with one another such that the policy issued to the first entity via the pseudonymous identity is linked to an identity used in the authentication or to a further identifier provided by the first entity.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the generalised data is generated by a generalising agent acting in accordance with a user'"'"'s security policy.

12. A method as claimed in claim 3, in which, when seeking to claim on the insurance policy, the details of the first entity are made available to the insurer in order that the insurer can validate that there is an acceptable level of correlation between the generalised identity and the first entity.

10. A method of purchasing insurance, comprising the steps of:

i) an insurer making its conditions for insurance available to a third party;

ii) a customer making its responses to the conditions for insurance available to the third party, and

iii) the third party analysing the responses and determining whether insurance can be offered to the customer and if so validating to the insurer that a policy has been issued to the customer and that the customer satisfies the insurer'"'"'s conditions, wherein

iv) the customer enters their data onto a trusted computer together with their policy agent which defines how information relating to the customer can be disclosed to an insurance examination agent, and the trusted computer interrogates the data processing environment and policies of the third party to determine how trustworthy the third parties is, and adjusts the way in which it discloses information about the customer on the basis of the determination of trustworthiness.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, in which the transaction is conducted electronically and in which the customer submits their information or responses via a trusted computer, and wherein a trusted platform module within the trusted computer generates a user identity which can be used in future to confirm the identity of the customer.

13. A method as claimed in claim 10, in which a pseudonymous identity is formed based on a generacised identity, the pseudonymous identity including pseudonymous information which can be exchanged with the insurer so that the insurer can validate that it is communicating with the first entity via its pseudonymous identity.

14. An apparatus for conducting a transaction comprising a first data processor acting on behalf of a second entity, and where as part of the transaction the second entity or an examination agent operating on behalf of the second entity requires information to assess a level of risk associated with transacting with the first entity, wherein:

a) the first data processor requests the second data processor to provide information about itself and the policies of the second entity;

b) the first data processor analyses the response and assesses the amount of trust that should be attributed to the second data processor and/or the second entity;

c) the first data processor defines a pseudonymous identity for the first entity; and

d) the first data processor provides information about the first entity to the second data processor where information is associated with the pseudonymous identity and information is selectively withheld or generalised in response to the assessment of the amount of trust attributed to the second data processor.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, in which the first computer executes a policy agent which controls how information relating to the first entity is disclosed.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, in which the first computer has a trusted platform module which generates a user identity which can be used to confirm the identity of the first entity.