Conditionally obfuscating one or more secret entities with respect to one or more billing statements

• US 20110166972A1
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cohen, Alexander J., Rinaldo, John D. JR., Tegreene, Clarence T., Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Mangione-Smith, William H.
• Application Number:
  US12/927,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20110166972A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: associating one or more fees with one or more communiqués affiliated with one or more secret entities and addressed to a particular end user; and providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities, the providing of the one or more billing statements being in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user to conditionally obfuscate the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more billing statements. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A computationally-implemented method, comprising:

associating one or more fees with one or more communiqué

s affiliated with one or more secret entities and addressed to a particular end user; and

providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities, the providing of the one or more billing statements being in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user to conditionally obfuscate the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more billing statements, wherein said providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities, the providing of the one or more billing statements being in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user to conditionally obfuscate the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more billing statements is performed via at least one of a machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter.

2-71. -71. (canceled)

72. A computationally-implemented system, comprising:

circuitry for associating one or more fees with one or more communiqué

s affiliated with one or more secret entities and addressed to a particular end user; and

circuitry for providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities, the providing of the one or more billing statements being in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user to conditionally obfuscate the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more billing statements.

76. The computationally-implemented system of claim 72, wherein said circuitry for associating one or more fees with one or more communiqué

s affiliated with one or more secret entities and addressed to a particular end user comprises;

circuitry for associating the one or more fees with the one or more communiqué

s by associating the one or more fees with one or more obfuscations of the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more communiqué

s.

93. The computationally-implemented system of claim 72, wherein said circuitry for associating one or more fees with one or more communiqué

s affiliated with one or more secret entities and addressed to a particular end user comprises;

circuitry for associating the one or more fees with one or more obfuscations of the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more communiqué

s, the one or more obfuscations involving one or more conditional obfuscations of the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more communiqué

s in response to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects of a communication device associated with the particular end user, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that upon occurrence at least infers that one or more third parties are within proximate vicinity of the communication device.

103. The computationally-implemented system of claim 72, wherein said circuitry for providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities, the providing of the one or more billing statements being in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user to conditionally obfuscate the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more billing statements comprises:

circuitry for prompting generation of one or more hardcopy billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities.

104. The computationally-implemented system of claim 72, wherein said circuitry for providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities, the providing of the one or more billing statements being in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user to conditionally obfuscate the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more billing statements comprises:

circuitry for providing one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities, the providing of the one or more electronic billing statements being in accordance with the one or more conditional directives of the particular end user.

105. The computationally-implemented system of claim 104, wherein said circuitry for providing one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities, the providing of the one or more electronic billing statements being in accordance with the one or more conditional directives of the particular end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements to at least one communication device associated with the particular end user.

106. The computationally-implemented system of claim 105, wherein said circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements to at least one communication device associated with the particular end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements to the at least one communication device associated with the particular end user in response, at least in part, to receiving a request for a billing statement from the communication device.

107. The computationally-implemented system of claim 105, wherein said circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements to at least one communication device associated with the particular end user comprises:

circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers presence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device.

108. The computationally-implemented system of claim 107, wherein said circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers presence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device comprises:

circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining the occurrence of the one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being specified by the one or more conditional directives of the particular end user.

109. The computationally-implemented system of claim 107, wherein said circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers presence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device comprises:

circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining that the communication device having reached one or more particular points or intervals of time.

110. The computationally-implemented system of claim 107, wherein said circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers presence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device comprises:

circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining that the communication device being at one or more particular locations.

111. The computationally-implemented system of claim 107, wherein said circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers presence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device comprises:

circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining that the communication device being outside of one or more particular locations.

112. The computationally-implemented system of claim 107, wherein said circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers presence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device comprises:

circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of the one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the determining being based on sensor provided data.

113. The computationally-implemented system of claim 112, wherein said circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of the one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the determining being based on sensor provided data comprises:

circuitry for determining occurrence of the one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device based on sensor data provided by the communication device.

114. The computationally-implemented system of claim 113, wherein said circuitry for determining occurrence of the one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device based on sensor data provided by the communication device comprises:

circuitry for determining occurrence of the one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device based on image data provided by an image capturing device that infers that the one or more third parties being within the proximate vicinity of the communication device.

115. The computationally-implemented system of claim 113, wherein said circuitry for determining occurrence of the one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device based on sensor data provided by the communication device comprises:

circuitry for determining occurrence of the one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device based on audio data provided by an audio capturing device that infers that the one or more third parties being within the proximate vicinity of the communication device.

116. The computationally-implemented system of claim 113, wherein said circuitry for determining occurrence of the one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device based on sensor data provided by the communication device comprises:

circuitry for determining occurrence of the one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device based on locational data provided by location determining device that infers that the one or more third parties being within the proximate vicinity of the communication device.

117. The computationally-implemented system of claim 107, wherein said circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers presence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device comprises:

circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining that the one or more third parties are within the proximate vicinity of the communication device based on log entry data that was at least originally entered by the particular end user.

118. The computationally-implemented system of claim 117, wherein said circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining that the one or more third parties are within the proximate vicinity of the communication device based on log entry data that was at least originally entered by the particular end user comprises:

circuitry for determining that the one or more third parties are within the proximate vicinity of the communication device based on log entry data that was at least originally entered by the particular end user and that was entered via a personal management application.

119. The computationally-implemented system of claim 117, wherein said circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining that the one or more third parties are within the proximate vicinity of the communication device based on log entry data that was at least originally entered by the particular end user comprises:

circuitry for determining that the one or more third parties are within the proximate vicinity of the communication device based on log entry data that was at least originally entered by the particular end user and that was entered via a social networking application.

120. The computationally-implemented system of claim 107, wherein said circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers presence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device comprises:

circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers that the one or more third parties are sufficiently close to the communication device such that the one or more third parties can see, hear, or sense a communiqué

being presented through the communication device.

121. The computationally-implemented system of claim 120, wherein said circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers that the one or more third parties are sufficiently close to the communication device such that the one or more third parties can see, hear, or sense a communiqué

being presented through the communication device comprises;

circuitry for transmitting the one or more electronic billing statements in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects associated with the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers that the one or more third parties are within 30 feet of the communication device from which the one or more third parties can see, hear, or sense a communiqué

being presented through the communication device.

122. The computationally-implemented system of claim 72, wherein said circuitry for providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities, the providing of the one or more billing statements being in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user to conditionally obfuscate the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more billing statements comprises:

circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities by providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that indicate one or more locum tenentes for one or more representations of the one or more secret entities.

123. The computationally-implemented system of claim 122, wherein said circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities by providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that indicate one or more locum tenentes for one or more representations of the one or more secret entities comprises:

circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that indicate one or more obfuscating substitutes for one or more names of the one or more secret entities.

124. The computationally-implemented system of claim 122, wherein said circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities by providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that indicate one or more locum tenentes for one or more representations of the one or more secret entities comprises:

circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that indicate one or more obfuscating substitutes for one or more addresses of the one or more secret entities.

125. The computationally-implemented system of claim 122, wherein said circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities by providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that indicate one or more locum tenentes for one or more representations of the one or more secret entities comprises:

circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that indicate one or more obfuscating substitutes for one or more numbers of the one or more secret entities.

126. The computationally-implemented system of claim 122, wherein said circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities by providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that indicate one or more locum tenentes for one or more representations of the one or more secret entities comprises:

circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that indicate one or more locum tenentes for one or more representations of the one or more secret entities, the one or more locum tenentes having been provided by the particular end user.

127. The computationally-implemented system of claim 72, wherein said circuitry for providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities, the providing of the one or more billing statements being in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user to conditionally obfuscate the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more billing statements comprises:

circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities by providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that does not directly or indirectly identify the one or more secret entities.

128. The computationally-implemented system of claim 72, wherein said circuitry for providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities, the providing of the one or more billing statements being in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user to conditionally obfuscate the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more billing statements comprises:

circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements by providing one or more electronic billing statements in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user that directs obfuscating of the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more electronic billing statements when one or more specified conditions have at least occurred.

129. The computationally-implemented system of claim 128, wherein said circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements by providing one or more electronic billing statements in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user that directs obfuscating of the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more electronic billing statements when one or more specified conditions have at least occurred comprises:

circuitry for providing the one or more electronic billing statements in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user that directs obfuscating of the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more electronic billing statements when a communication device that the one or more electronic billing statements are to be provided to has reached one or more specified points or intervals of time.

130. The computationally-implemented system of claim 128, wherein said circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements by providing one or more electronic billing statements in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user that directs obfuscating of the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more electronic billing statements when one or more specified conditions have at least occurred comprises:

circuitry for providing the one or more electronic billing statements in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user that directs obfuscating of the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more electronic billing statements when a communication device that the one or more electronic billing statements are to be provided to is at one or more specified locations.

131. The computationally-implemented system of claim 128, wherein said circuitry for providing the one or more billing statements by providing one or more electronic billing statements in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user that directs obfuscating of the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more electronic billing statements when one or more specified conditions have at least occurred comprises:

circuitry for providing the one or more electronic billing statements in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user that directs obfuscating of the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more electronic billing statements when one or more third parties are in proximate vicinity of a communication device that the one or more electronic billing statements are to be provided to.

132. The computationally-implemented system of claim 131, wherein said circuitry for providing the one or more electronic billing statements in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user that directs obfuscating of the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more electronic billing statements when one or more third parties are in proximate vicinity of a communication device that the one or more electronic billing statements are to be provided to comprises:

circuitry for providing the one or more electronic billing statements in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user that directs obfuscating of the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more electronic billing statements when one or more specified third parties are in proximate vicinity of a communication device that the one or more electronic billing statements are to be provided to.

133. The computationally-implemented system of claim 72, further comprising:

circuitry for transmitting to a communication device associated with the particular end user one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities, the providing being in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects of the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers absence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device.

134. The computationally-implemented system of claim 133, wherein said circuitry for transmitting to a communication device associated with the particular end user one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities, the providing being in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects of the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers absence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the communication device the one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities in response, at least in part, to determining that the communication device has reached one or more particular points or intervals of time.

135. The computationally-implemented system of claim 134, wherein said circuitry for transmitting to the communication device the one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities in response, at least in part, to determining that the communication device has reached one or more particular points or intervals of time comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the communication device the one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities in response, at least in part, to determining that the communication device has reached one or more specified points or intervals of time as specified by the one or more conditional directives.

136. The computationally-implemented system of claim 133, wherein said circuitry for transmitting to a communication device associated with the particular end user one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities, the providing being in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects of the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers absence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the communication device the one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities in response, at least in part, to determining that the communication device is at one or more particular locations.

137. The computationally-implemented system of claim 136, wherein said circuitry for transmitting to the communication device the one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities in response, at least in part, to determining that the communication device is at one or more particular locations comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the communication device the one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities in response, at least in part, to determining that the communication device is at one or more specified locations as specified by the one or more conditional directives.

138. The computationally-implemented system of claim 133, wherein said circuitry for transmitting to a communication device associated with the particular end user one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities, the providing being in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects of the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers absence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the communication device the one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities in response, at least in part, to determining that the communication device is outside of one or more specified locations as specified by the one or more conditional directives.

139. The computationally-implemented system of claim 133, wherein said circuitry for transmitting to a communication device associated with the particular end user one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities, the providing being in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects of the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers absence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the communication device the one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities in response, at least in part, to determining that the one or more third parties are not within the proximate vicinity of the communication device based on sensor provided data.

140. The computationally-implemented system of claim 133, wherein said circuitry for transmitting to a communication device associated with the particular end user one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities, the providing being in response, at least in part, to determining occurrence of one or more particular contextual aspects of the communication device, the one or more particular contextual aspects being one or more environmental aspects of the communication device that at least infers absence of one or more third parties within proximate vicinity of the communication device comprises:

circuitry for transmitting to the communication device the one or more electronic billing statements that indicate the one or more fees and that identifies the one or more secret entities in response, at least in part, to determining that the one or more third parties are not within the proximate vicinity of the communication device based on log entry data that was at least originally entered by the particular end user.

141. The computationally-implemented system of claim 72, further comprising:

circuitry for receiving from the particular end user the one or more conditional directives.

142. The computationally-implemented system of claim 141, wherein said circuitry for receiving from the particular end user the one or more conditional directives comprises:

circuitry for soliciting from the particular end user the one or more conditional directives including one or more conditions for obfuscating the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more billing statements.

73-75. -75. (canceled)

77-92. -92. (canceled)

94-102. -102. (canceled)

143. A computationally-implemented system, comprising:

means for associating one or more fees with one or more communiqué

s affiliated with one or more secret entities and addressed to a particular end user; and

means for providing one or more billing statements that indicate the one or more fees without at least directly identifying the one or more secret entities, the providing of the one or more billing statements being in accordance with one or more conditional directives of the particular end user to conditionally obfuscate the one or more secret entities with respect to the one or more billing statements.

144-145. -145. (canceled)