System for protecting anonymity of parties involved in a person-to-person electronic commerce transaction
First Claim
1. A method of protecting anonymity of buyer and seller during fulfillment of a person-to-person electronic commerce transaction by a trusted intermediary comprising:
- obtaining transaction, buyer, and seller information;
arranging for shipment of goods that are subject of the transaction with a selected shipper;
electronically generating an encrypted mailing label, at least part of the transaction, buyer, and seller information being included as part of the encrypted mailing label;
sending the encrypted mailing label to the seller;
receiving notification of acceptance by the buyer once buyer receives the goods from the seller via the shipper; and
sending payment for the goods to the seller.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A person-to-person electronic commerce system that protects the anonymity of buyers and sellers. Embodiments of the present invention interpose a trusted intermediary between the buyer and seller during the transaction fulfillment process. Buyer and seller may disclose their personal information to the trusted intermediary. The trusted intermediary then arranges payment and shipping on behalf of the parties. In this way, neither buyer nor seller need know anything about the other in order to fulfill the transaction. The system may include an auction web site for holding an electronic auction of goods resulting in a transaction between a buyer and a seller, and a trusted intermediary, coupled to the auction web site, to obtain transaction, buyer, and seller information from the auction web site, to arrange for shipment of the goods with a selected shipper, to generate an encrypted mailing label, at least part of the transaction, buyer, and seller information being included as part of the encrypted mailing label, to send the encrypted mailing label to the seller, to receive notification of acceptance by the buyer once buyer receives the goods from the seller via the shipper, and to send payment for the goods to the seller.
45 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of protecting anonymity of buyer and seller during fulfillment of a person-to-person electronic commerce transaction by a trusted intermediary comprising:
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obtaining transaction, buyer, and seller information;
arranging for shipment of goods that are subject of the transaction with a selected shipper;
electronically generating an encrypted mailing label, at least part of the transaction, buyer, and seller information being included as part of the encrypted mailing label;
sending the encrypted mailing label to the seller;
receiving notification of acceptance by the buyer once buyer receives the goods from the seller via the shipper; and
sending payment for the goods to the seller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An article comprising:
- a storage medium having a plurality of machine readable instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor, the instructions provide for the protection of anonymity of buyer and seller during fulfillment of a person-to-person electronic commerce transaction, the instructions including obtaining transaction, buyer, and seller information, arranging for shipment of goods that are subject of the transaction with a selected shipper, generating an encrypted mailing label, at least part of the transaction, buyer, and seller information being included as part of the encrypted mailing label, sending the encrypted mailing label to the seller, receiving notification of acceptance by the buyer once buyer receives the goods from the seller via the shipper, and sending payment for the goods to the seller.
- View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A person-to-person electronic commerce system protecting anonymity of buyers and sellers comprising:
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an auction web site for holding an electronic auction of goods resulting in a transaction between a buyer and a seller;
a trusted intermediary, coupled to the auction web site, to obtain transaction, buyer, and seller information from the auction web site, to arrange for shipment of the goods with a selected shipper, to generate an encrypted mailing label, at least part of the transaction, buyer, and seller information being included as part of the encrypted mailing label, to send the encrypted mailing label to the seller, to receive notification of acceptance by the buyer once buyer receives the goods from the seller via the shipper, and to send payment for the goods to the seller. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of operating an auction web site to protect anonymity of parties to a person-to-person electronic commerce transaction comprising:
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managing an auction of goods to be sold by a seller;
identifying a winning bidder as a buyer of the goods in a transaction and obtaining information identifying the buyer, and the seller, and the transaction;
arranging for shipment of the goods with a selected shipper;
generating an encrypted mailing label, at least part of the transaction, buyer, and seller information being included as part of the encrypted mailing label;
sending the encrypted mailing label to the seller;
receiving notification of acceptance by the buyer once buyer receives the goods from the seller via the shipper; and
sending payment for the goods to the seller. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification