Trusted agent for electronic commerce

• US 6,378,075 B1
• Filed: 12/09/1999
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MasterCard International InCorporation (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: The Brodia Group
• Inventors: Goldstein, Theodore C., Rubin, Paul, Martinez, Ronald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELISCA, PIERRE E
• Application Number:
  US09/458,350
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200-202, 713/233, 705/26, 705/39, 705/41, 705/59, 705/64, 705/69, 705/76, 705/80
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A trusted agent server provides a networked application that assists a customer in managing their online commercial affairs. A user contacts the server using a network access device, such as a browser on a personal computer. The trusted agent client component augments the user'"'"'s network access device to perform business transactions on behalf of the user. The user controls these transactions through the trusted agent server. A trusted agent service is a trusted agent client component application which operates in conjunction with the trusted agent server. The trusted agent service is an Internet-based mechanism that makes single-click buying available on any commercial Web site. The trusted agent also provides customers with access to personal and credit card information used during single-click transactions, smart receipts used for ongoing customer support, merchant and product preference settings, and direct response product offerings keyed to these preferences. Because this information is all stored on the trusted agent server, it is available to any device connected to the Internet. The trusted agent service is implemented by operating the trusted agent server.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assisting a customer in managing their online commercial affairs, comprising:

a trusted agent server that holds and manages said customer'"'"'s business affairs;

a network access device by which said customer contacts said trusted agent server, said network access device including a trusted agent client that augments said network access device to perform commercial transactions with third parties on behalf of said customer;

wherein said customer controls said commercial transactions with said third parties through said trusted agent server;

wherein said trusted agent server communicates with at least one commerce server; and

wherein said commerce server comprises;

a direct response server for the creation, delivery, and redemption of direct response offers from anywhere on the Internet; and

wherein said offers can optionally be either delivered to trusted agents according to customer preferences, or found in a banner-like or other formats on Web sites.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network access device is a browser;

and

wherein said trusted agent server is invoked by selecting a corresponding network address with said browser.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, said trusted agent server further comprising:

a memory for storing customer related information including any of personal and credit card information, smart receipts used for ongoing customer support, merchant and product preferences, and direct response product offerings keyed to said product preferences.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said direct response server can deliver online a direct response comprising any of:

a direct order by concluding a transaction for a product they represent without requiring a jump to any other site;

a lead by transmitting a request to a merchant for additional information; and

store traffic, either through a link to redemption at an online commerce site, or by printing said response on paper for redemption at a retailer location.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said commerce server comprises:

a relationship marketing server which uses a smart receipt as the basis for after-market customer care.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said smart receipt is generated by said relationship marketing server when a customer buys a product as a unique digital object which contains all of the information needed for customer care;

wherein said relationship marketing server sends said information to said trusted agent server;

wherein said customer opens said trusted agent, selects said smart receipt, and is presented with any of a number of services and pre-formatted and routed requests for related product offers.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said commerce server implements any of a point-based loyalty program, a club card for discounted purchases, and a volume purchase reward.

8. A trusted agent process for assisting a customer in managing their online commercial affairs, said process comprising the steps of:

visiting any merchant network location that contains a customer completed form;

invoking a trusted agent service using a specific network address that links said customer to a trusted agent service provider'"'"'s server;

providing customer identification and/or authorization information to said trusted agent service;

submitting a customer request to said trusted agent server;

said trusted agent service automatically completing said form for said customer; and

sending said completed form to said merchant using a standard transport protocol.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein said trusted agent server performs certain actions on behalf of the customer using either of an indirect technique and a direct technique.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein said indirect technique communicates command operations from said trusted agent server first to said customer'"'"'s location and then to said merchant.

11. The process of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

invoking said trusted agent service;

completing said form as a result of customer and trusted agent server interaction; and

submitting said completed form to said merchant from said customer location.

12. The process of claim 9, wherein said direct technique communicates operations directly from said trusted agent server to said merchant.

13. The process of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

representing a business instrument as a network digital object that has ownership which can be verified over a network, wherein said digital object is stored at said trusted agent server.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein said business instrument comprises any of a credit card, warranty, receipt, or contract.

15. A process for creating a trusted agent on a customer system for assisting said customer in managing their online commercial affairs, said process comprising the steps of:

running a browser with cryptography enabled on said system;

applying for a code signing certificate by using said browser;

generating a key in said browser and retrieving said certificate;

installing an object signing tool on said system;

storing files that are to be signed in a directory on said system;

said signing tool signing each file separately and storing related signatures in a file;

selecting the name of said file where said signatures are stored;

assigning a unique ID attribute for each script used to implement said trusted agent;

signing each said script;

finding a certificate location;

running said signing tool;

said signing tool creating a trusted agent file; and

storing said trusted agent file on a trusted agent server along with said scripts.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein said trusted agent is written in a portable language which, optionally, comprises any of JavaScript, Java, C, C++, Visual Basic, ECMAscript, and Dynamic HTML.

17. An apparatus for assisting a customer in managing their online commercial affairs, comprising:

a network access device by which said customer contacts a trusted agent server that holds and manages said customer'"'"'s business affairs, said network access device including a trusted agent client that augments said network access device to perform commercial transactions with third parties on behalf of said customer;

wherein said trusted agent server is accessed at a unique network address provided by a uniform resource locator (URL);

wherein said URL is identified with, and selected by, an actuation mechanism associated with said trusted agent client; and

wherein said customer controls said commercial transactions with said third parties through said trusted agent server.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said actuation mechanism comprises any of a button, a hotkey, a user gesture, or voice command.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein code elements of said trusted agent client require code signing.

20. An apparatus for assisting a customer in managing their online commercial affairs, comprising:

a trusted agent server that holds and manages said customer'"'"'s business affairs, said trusted agent server responsive to a network access device by which said customer contacts said trusted agent server to perform commercial transactions with third parties on behalf of said customer;

wherein said trusted agent server has a unique network address provided by a uniform resource locator (URL);

wherein said customer controls said commercial transactions with said third parties through said trusted agent server;

wherein said trusted agent server populates an electronic form with information required for said commercial transaction; and

wherein said trusted agent continues to monitor the web page and fills in the subsequent web pages until the merchant'"'"'s transaction is concluded.

21. A process for creating a trusted agent on a customer system for assisting said customer in managing their online commercial affairs, said process comprising the steps of:

running a browser with cryptography enabled on said system;

applying for a code signing certificate by using said browser;

generating a key in said browser and retrieving said certificate;

installing an object signing tool on said system;

storing files that are to be signed in a directory on said system;

said signing tool signing each file separately and storing related signatures in a file;

selecting the name of said file where said signatures are stored;

assigning a unique ID attribute for each script used to implement said trusted agent;

finding a certificate location;

running said signing tool;

said signing tool creating a trusted agent file; and

storing said trusted agent file on a trusted agent server along with said scripts.

22. The process of claim 21, wherein said trusted agent is written in a portable language which, optionally, comprises any of JavaScript, Java, C, C++, Visual Basic, ECMAscript, and Dynamic HTML.