Secured electronic rating system
First Claim
1. A method of providing secure communication of private information to a remote subsystem through electronic media comprising:
- providing a local subsystem disposed at a local location and accessible to a user, said local subsystem being responsive to user input information and being operative to generate local communication data, and being operative to receive remote communication data, said local subsystem having an identifying number associated therewith for transmission to a remote subsystem with said communication data;
providing a remote subsystem located remotely from said local subsystem for receiving said local communication data and for receiving and storing said identifying number, and for generating remote communication data;
developing score rating information for storage in the remote subsystem, such storage information being communicatable to a user at said local subsystem upon request;
establishing a first communication link between the local subsystem and the remote subsystem, said first communication link being operative to communicate said identifying number to the remote subsystem for storage;
communicating said local communication data from said local subsystem to said remote subsystem, and communicating said identifying number to said remote subsystem via said first communication link;
storing said identifying number in said remote subsystem;
communicating remote communication data including a telephone toll-free number through said first communication link from said remote subsystem to said local subsystem;
using said toll-free number to establish a second communication link between said local subsystem and said remote subsystem, said second communication link being a toll free telephone connection, and being operative to again communicate said identifying number to said remote subsystem; and
comparing the identifying number communicated from said local subsystem through said second communication link to said remote subsystem to the identifying number stored in the remote subsystem to verify that the second communication link is established between said remote subsystem and said local subsystem, whereupon a user at said local subsystem will be allowed to communicate his/her private information to the remote subsystem; and
transmitting private information from the local subsystem, including an evaluation relating to the degree of the user'"'"'s satisfaction with a product, to the remote subsystem through said second communication link, and in response thereto determining a new score rating associated with the selected product based on the transmitted evaluation and a previous rating stored in said remote subsystem.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A remote communication system for facilitating secure on-line evaluation of goods based upon consumers'"'"' satisfaction through electronic media wherein a suitable local user input device in association with a data transmission system, couples the user input to a packet network system for communicating to a remote receiver/decoder apparatus to obtain potentially desired scoring information such as an electronic evaluation form regarding a previously purchased product. Upon selection of scoring option by the user, a telcom network communication link for communicating a telephone number associated with the desired product from the user to the remote receiver allows the user to score the desired product. The telcom connection, linking the user input device to the remote server device may also include a toll-free 800 telephone number system to encourage shoppers to perform evaluations of purchased product without incurring costs associated therewith. During the telcom connection, a buyer identification number may be used to limit rating input to one evaluation per buyer thereby increasing accuracy of product evaluation.
398 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of providing secure communication of private information to a remote subsystem through electronic media comprising:
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providing a local subsystem disposed at a local location and accessible to a user, said local subsystem being responsive to user input information and being operative to generate local communication data, and being operative to receive remote communication data, said local subsystem having an identifying number associated therewith for transmission to a remote subsystem with said communication data; providing a remote subsystem located remotely from said local subsystem for receiving said local communication data and for receiving and storing said identifying number, and for generating remote communication data; developing score rating information for storage in the remote subsystem, such storage information being communicatable to a user at said local subsystem upon request; establishing a first communication link between the local subsystem and the remote subsystem, said first communication link being operative to communicate said identifying number to the remote subsystem for storage; communicating said local communication data from said local subsystem to said remote subsystem, and communicating said identifying number to said remote subsystem via said first communication link; storing said identifying number in said remote subsystem; communicating remote communication data including a telephone toll-free number through said first communication link from said remote subsystem to said local subsystem; using said toll-free number to establish a second communication link between said local subsystem and said remote subsystem, said second communication link being a toll free telephone connection, and being operative to again communicate said identifying number to said remote subsystem; and comparing the identifying number communicated from said local subsystem through said second communication link to said remote subsystem to the identifying number stored in the remote subsystem to verify that the second communication link is established between said remote subsystem and said local subsystem, whereupon a user at said local subsystem will be allowed to communicate his/her private information to the remote subsystem; and transmitting private information from the local subsystem, including an evaluation relating to the degree of the user'"'"'s satisfaction with a product, to the remote subsystem through said second communication link, and in response thereto determining a new score rating associated with the selected product based on the transmitted evaluation and a previous rating stored in said remote subsystem. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of providing secure communication of commercial transaction data and for securely communicating rating information relating to consumer satisfaction, comprising:
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providing a local subsystem disposed at a local location and accessible to a consumer, said local subsystem being responsive to consumer input information and operative to generate local communication data, and being operative to receive remote communication data, said local subsystem having an identifying number associated therewith for transmission to a remote subsystem; providing a remote subsystem located remotely from said local subsystem for receiving said local communication data, and for receiving and storing said identifying number, and for generating said remote communication data, said remote location having at least one identifiable product remotely selectable by the consumer; establishing a first communication link between the local subsystem and the remote subsystem; selecting at least one of said identifiable products through the first communication link; communicating remote communication data including a telephone toll number and a telephone toll-free number associated with the selected product through said first communication link from the remote subsystem to the local subsystem; using the retrieved toll number to establish a second communication link between the local subsystem and the remote subsystem, said second communication link being a telephone toll connection and being operative to transfer said identifying number associated with said local subsystem to said remote subsystem; storing the transferred identifying number in the remote subsystem; purchasing the selected product through said second communication link; evaluating the selected product; using the toll-free number to establish a third communication link between said local subsystem and said remote subsystem, said third communication link being a toll-free telephone connection, and again transferring said identifying number associated with said local subsystem to said remote subsystem; and comparing the identifying number transferred through said third communication link to the identifying number stored in the remote subsystem to verify that the third communication link is between said remote subsystem and said local subsystem, whereupon the consumer will be allowed to communicate his/her evaluation to the remote subsystem. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A remote communication system for securing electronic purchases of digital information including means for permitting a user of a purchased product to subsequently rate the purchased product comprising:
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a local subsystem disposed at a local location and accessible to a user, said local subsystem being responsive to a user input and operative to generate communication data corresponding thereto, said local subsystem being identifiable by a caller ID number; means establishing a first communication link for communicating said communication data to a remote location; a remote subsystem located at said remote location for receiving said communication data and in response thereto transmitting a telephone toll number and a toll-free telephone number associated with a product selected by the user back through said first communication link to said local subsystem, said remote subsystem including means for transferring an ordered product from said remote subsystem to said local subsystem; means for storing caller ID numbers transmitted thereto; comparison means for comparing a received caller ID number to the stored caller ID numbers to recognize a particular caller ID when a toll-free number is subsequently used to contact said remote subsystem; means using the transmitted toll number to establish a second communication link between said local subsystem and said remote subsystem through which the selected product may be ordered, said second communication link transmitting a caller ID number identifying said local subsystem to said remote subsystem; and means using said toll-free number to establish a third communication link between said local subsystem and said remote subsystem whereupon said caller ID is recognized by said comparison means and whereupon being recognized, the user will be permitted to communicate an evaluation of said selected product to said remote subsystem. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification