Third party privacy system
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method of providing privacy through anonymity is described. As one aspect of the invention, a person registers at a privacy server and is given a pseudo identity that can be used to browse, register, purchase, pay for, and take delivery of products and services. Transactions are completed with the privacy server on a need-to-know basis. A seller communicates with the privacy server but only sees a demand, not the identity of the buyer. The financial institution communicates with the privacy server and sees the payment, not the merchandise. The freight company communicates with the privacy server and sees the package, not its contents. The privacy server operates in a manner that assures privacy and anonymity for the buyer and, if necessary, both the seller as well.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1-5. -5. (canceled)
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6. A method, comprising:
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interacting of first and second entities which are different, including determining that an item will be physically transported from the first entity to a recipient;
arranging for a third entity different from each of the first and second entities to physically transport the item from the first entity to the recipient;
transporting of the item from the first entity to the recipient by the third entity; and
withholding from the first entity, throughout the permitting, determining, arranging and transporting, information that would permit the first entity to determine an actual identity of at least one of the second entity and the recipient. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus comprising an electronic system that includes:
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a first portion which facilitates interaction between first and second entities that are different in order to obtain a determination that an item will be physically transported from the first entity to a recipient; and
a second portion which arranges for a third entity different from each of the first and second entities to physically transport the item from the first entity to the recipient, the first and second portions withholding from the first entity information that would permit the first entity to determine an actual identity of at least one of the second entity and the recipient. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method comprising:
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establishing for a first user of an electronic network a pseudo identity that can be utilized by the first user to interact through the network with at least one further user of the network;
withholding information from each further user that would permit a further user to determine an actual identity of the first user;
maintaining a log of network activity carried out by the first user under the pseudo identity; and
providing a second user of the network with access to the log, the second user being different from the first user. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An apparatus comprising an electronic system that includes:
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a first portion that establishes for a first user of an electronic network a pseudo identity that can be utilized by the first user to interact through the network with at least one further user of the network; and
a second portion that maintains a log of network activity carried out by the first user under the pseudo identity, and that provides a second user of the network with access to the log, the second user being different from the first user, the first and second portions withholding information from each further user that would permit a further user to determine an actual identity of the first user. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification