THIRD PARTY TOKEN SYSTEM FOR ANONYMOUS SHIPPING

• US 20130018759A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Gururajan, Raghuram, Metral, Max E.
• Application Number:
  US13/436,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20130018759A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A method and a system for a third party token system for anonymous shipping are described. A selection of shipping service providers approved by a recipient is received. A token corresponding to a mailing address of the recipient is generated. The token corresponding to the mailing address of the recipient is sent to a shipping service provider approved by the recipient. The token is valid only for the shipping service providers selected by the recipient.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one processor having;

a trusted shipping service provider module configured to receive a selection of one or more shipping service providers approved by a recipient; and

a token generator configured to generate one or more tokens corresponding to a mailing address of the recipient and communicate the one or more tokens with the corresponding mailing address of the recipient to the selected shipping service providers, the one or more tokens valid only for the selected one or more shipping service providers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the token generator is configured to receive a request from a sender for a token associated with the recipient, and to communicate the one or more tokens corresponding to the mailing address of the recipient to the sender in response to the request, the one or more tokens comprising a code for the mailing address of the recipient.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the token generator is configured to identify at least one of the selected shipping service providers to the sender, and to communicate to the sender that the one or more tokens are valid only with respect to the at least one of the selected shipping service providers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the token generator is configured to receive a query from a sender to confirm whether a shipping service provider has been approved by the recipient, and to communicate to the sender whether the shipping service provider has been approved by the recipient.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the token generator is configured to receive a request from a sender for a token associated with the recipient and an identification of a shipping service provider, to determine whether the shipping service provider identified by the sender has been approved by the recipient, and to communicate a token associated with the identified shipping service provider to the sender based on the determination that the service provider identified by the sender has been approved by the recipient.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage device configured to store information of the sender, information of the recipient, a mailing address of the recipient, selected shipping service providers approved by the recipient, and the one or more tokens corresponding to the selected shipping service providers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more tokens comprise an alphanumeric code corresponding to an identity of the recipient, the mailing address of the recipient, and a selected shipping service provider.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the token generator associates the one or more tokens with the sender.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the token generator generates a disposable token for a single use.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the token generator generates the one or more token for a sender to apply the one or more token on a shipping package in lieu of a mailing address of the recipient.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises:

a physical address validation module configured to retrieve and validate a physical address associated with an e-mail address received from a third party server;

a financial transaction validation module configured to retrieve a financial account associated with the e-mail address and operate a financial transaction on the financial account; and

a third party authentication module configured to authenticate the third-party server, from which the e-mail address was received, prior to operating the financial transaction.

12. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more shipping service providers approved by a recipient;

generating one or more tokens corresponding to a mailing address of the recipient, the one or more tokens valid only for the selected one or more shipping service providers;

communicating the one or more tokens with the corresponding mailing address of the recipient to the selected shipping service providers.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a request from a sender for a token associated with the recipient; and

communicating the one or more tokens corresponding to the mailing address of the recipient to the sender in response to the request, the one or more tokens comprising a code for the mailing address of the recipient.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying at least one of the selected shipping service providers to the sender; and

communicating to the sender that the one or more tokens are valid only with respect to the at least one of the selected shipping service providers.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a query from a sender to confirm whether a shipping service provider has been approved by the recipient; and

communicating to the sender whether the shipping service provider has been approved by the recipient.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a request from a sender for a token associated with the recipient and an identification of a shipping service provider;

determining whether the shipping service provider identified by the sender has been approved by the recipient; and

communicating a token associated with the identified shipping service provider to the sender based on the determination that the service provider identified by the sender has been approved by the recipient.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing in a storage device, information of the sender, information of the recipient, a mailing address of the recipient, selected shipping service providers approved by the recipient, and the one or more tokens corresponding to the selected shipping service providers.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating a single use disposable token associated with the sender.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating the one or more token for a sender to apply the one or more token on a shipping package in lieu of a mailing address of the recipient.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more shipping service providers approved by a recipient;

generating one or more tokens corresponding to a mailing address of the recipient, the one or more tokens valid only for the selected one or more shipping service providers;

communicating the one or more tokens with the corresponding mailing address of the recipient to the selected shipping service providers.