Method and system for sharing end user information on network

• US 6,993,580 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2001
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Descartes Systems Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Airclic Inc. (The Descartes Systems Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Isherwood, David, Lommock, John, Nygren, Kaj, Ritz, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/971,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/225, 709/204, 709/206, 709/229, 705/74, 705/80, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A plurality of end users remotely access a network that includes a hub site and a number of provider sites. Information relating to the end user is associated with a non-externally identifying symbol. Public end-user information is shared with providers without permission from the end user. Private end-user information is shared with providers only upon receiving permission from the end user.

Claims

1. In a system having a plurality of end-users that remotely access a network having at least a hub site and a plurality of provider sites, a method for storing and selectively sharing end-user information, comprising:

a) storing, in a profile database associated with the hub site, a user-record corresponding to each end-user, each user-record comprising public information that the end-user submits to the hub site and that the end-user expects will be shared with one or more of the providers without permission of the end-user, private information that the end-user submits to the hub site and that the end-user expects will not be shared with any of the providers without permission of the end-user, and a non-externally identifying symbol associated with the user-record that identifies the end-user on the network;

b) in response to a first request signal containing the non-externally identifying symbol corresponding to the end-user, transmitting the public information associated with the end-user from the hub site to a provider without permission of the end-user;

c) in response to a second request signal containing the non-externally identifying symbol corresponding to the end-user, transmitting a permission request from the hub site to the end-user and transmitting the private information associated with the end-user from the hub site to the provider only if permission of the end-user is received in response to the permission request; and

d) wherein each user-record further comprises financial information associated with the end-user in response to a third request signal containing the non-externally identifying symbol corresponding to the end-user, transmitting a second permission request from the hub site to the end user and transmitting the financial information associated with the end-user from the hub site to the provider only upon receipt of authentication information from the provider and if permission of the end-user is received in response to the second permission request.