System and method for providing private demand-driven pricing

• US 20080114681A1
• Filed: 11/01/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Staddon, Jessica Nicola, Kissner, Lea
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system and method for providing private demand-driven pricing for fixed cost digital goods are described. Symmetric private information retrieval is engaged on a table that includes public key encryptions of prices for digital goods stored in a database by a seller system, wherein a desired marginal pricing level has not been realized. The price of one digital good is decrypted with a private key for pricing by a purchaser system. A purchasing decision based upon the decrypted price is sent to the seller system without revealing the particular digital good being purchased. A conditionally disclosed symmetric key for goods is received under which the digital goods in the database have been encrypted. Symmetric private information retrieval is engaged on the database and the digital good purchased with the symmetric key is decrypted. The encrypted prices of the digital goods are privately updated based upon the desired marginal pricing level.

Claims

1. A system for private variable cost digital goods pricing, comprising:

a database to store an encrypted price that has been experimentally perturbed for non-identically-priced digital goods, wherein a desired marginal pricing level has not been realized for at least one of the digital goods;

a purchaser system to provide a purchasing decision about a particular digital good in response to the perturbed encrypted price without revealing the particular digital good; and

a seller system to privately update the original encrypted price of the particular digital good as a reflection of the desired marginal pricing level.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the updated encrypted prices of the digital goods are determined as a function of an additive pricing adjustment constant.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the updated encrypted prices of the digital goods are periodically determined as a function of a subtractive pricing adjustment constant.

4. A method for private variable cost digital goods pricing, comprising:

perturbing an encrypted price experimentally for non-identically-priced digital goods, wherein a desired marginal pricing level has not been realized for at least one of the digital goods;

providing a purchasing decision about a particular digital good in response to the perturbed encrypted price without revealing the particular digital good; and

privately updating the original encrypted price of the particular digital good as a reflection of the desired marginal pricing level.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

determining the updated encrypted prices of the digital goods as a function of an additive pricing adjustment constant.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising:

periodically determining the updated encrypted prices of the digital goods as a function of a subtractive pricing adjustment constant.

7. A computer-readable storage medium holding code for performing the method according to claim 4.

8. A system for providing private demand-driven pricing for variable cost digital goods that are uniquely priced, comprising:

a database to store a table comprising public key encryptions of prices for digital goods stored in a database by a seller system, wherein a desired marginal pricing level has not been realized for at least one of the digital goods;

a purchaser system, comprising;

a pricing module, comprising;

a price retrieval submodule to engage in symmetric private information retrieval on the table; and

a price decryption submodule to decrypt the price of one of the digital goods with a private key for pricing by a purchaser system;

a purchasing module, comprising;

a decision submodule to send a purchasing decision about one of the digital goods based upon the decrypted price from the purchaser system to the seller system without revealing the particular digital good being purchased, and to receive a conditionally disclosed symmetric key for goods in return under which the digital goods in the database have been encrypted; and

a goods retrieval submodule to engage in symmetric private information retrieval on the database and to decrypt the digital good purchased with the symmetric key for goods; and

a seller system to privately update the encrypted prices of the digital goods based upon the desired marginal pricing level.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the seller system determines the updated encrypted prices of the digital goods as a function of an additive pricing adjustment constant, periodically determines the updated encrypted prices of the digital goods as a function of a subtractive pricing adjustment constant, and approximates the desired marginal pricing level as a ratio of the additive pricing adjustment constant and the subtractive pricing adjustment constant.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein the seller system determines a new balance of an account held by the purchaser system comprising a homomorphic encryption of a current balance debited by the decrypted price of the digital goods.

11. A method for providing private demand-driven pricing for variable cost digital goods that are uniquely priced, comprising:

engaging in symmetric private information retrieval on a table comprising public key encryptions of prices for digital goods stored in a database by a seller system, wherein a desired marginal pricing level has not been realized for at least one of the digital goods;

decrypting the price of one of the digital goods with a private key for pricing by a purchaser system;

sending a purchasing decision about one of the digital goods based upon the decrypted price from the purchaser system to the seller system without revealing the particular digital good being purchased;

receiving a conditionally disclosed symmetric key for goods in return under which the digital goods in the database have been encrypted;

engaging in symmetric private information retrieval on the database and decrypting the digital good purchased with the symmetric key for goods; and

privately updating the encrypted prices of the digital goods based upon the desired marginal pricing level.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining the updated encrypted prices of the digital goods as a function of an additive pricing adjustment constant;

periodically determining the updated encrypted prices of the digital goods as a function of a subtractive pricing adjustment constant; and

approximating the desired marginal pricing level as a ratio of the additive pricing adjustment constant and the subtractive pricing adjustment constant.

13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining a new balance of an account held by the purchaser system comprising a homomorphic encryption of a current balance debited by the decrypted price of the digital goods.

14. A computer-readable storage medium holding code for performing the method according to claim 11.