Method and apparatus for masking private mailing address information by manipulating delivery transactions

• US 7,240,035 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accessify, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hall Aluminum LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Engstrom, G. Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): ZEENDER, FLORIAN M
• Application Number:
  US09/872,293
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/28, 705/29, 705/74
• US Class Current: 705/74
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

An online purchaser subscribes for substitute delivery address service with a delivery address service. The online purchaser provides the delivery address service with his/her mailing address. As part of the subscription service, the delivery address service provides the online purchaser with one or more substitute delivery addresses for use to engage in online purchase transaction. As a result, online businesses from which the online purchaser purchases goods attempt to deliver the purchases goods to the purchaser at the substitute delivery address or addresses. The delivery address service facilitates redirection and delivery of the purchased goods to the purchaser, thereby protecting the privacy of the purchaser'"'"'s mailing address. In an alternate embodiment, the beneficiary may be another subscriber designated as recipient by the purchaser.

Claims

1. In an electronic delivery address service, a method comprising:

receiving by the delivery address service via electronic communication, an electronic subscription from a subscriber, the received subscription including a mailing address of the subscriber;

in response, the delivery address service electronically generating a substitute delivery address;

transmitting by the delivery address service via electronic communication the substitute delivery address to the subscriber, for the subscriber to use in an online purchase of a good;

receiving by the delivery address service via electronic communication, an electronic notification of either a request to deliver or an arrival of the purchased good, as a result of the substitute delivery address being used by the subscriber in the online purchase of the good; and

intervening by the delivery address service by electronically accessing and communicating the mailing address provided by the subscriber as part of said electronic subscription to a delivery service to facilitate delivery of the purchased good to the subscriber at the mailing address of the subscriber, wherein said mailing address accessed and communicated by said delivery address service is retrieved from a database of said delivery address service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the delivery address service correlating the substitute delivery address to the mailing address of the subscriber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the substitute delivery address comprises one of a plurality of mailboxes pre-established with a mailbox service by the delivery address service.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises the delivery address service selecting a mailbox proximately located with the mailing address of the subscriber, for use as the substitute delivery address.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said receiving by the delivery address service of a notification comprises receiving by the delivery address service a notification from a mailbox service with respect to the arrival of the purchased goods.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said intervening by the delivery address service comprises said delivery address service notifying said subscriber of the arrival of the purchased goods.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the substitute delivery address comprises one of a plurality of virtual delivery address artificially created by the delivery address service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said receiving of a notification comprises receiving a notification of a request to deliver the purchased good from the delivery service, and the method further comprises providing the mailing address of the subscriber to the delivery service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said intervening by the delivery address service comprises the delivery address service automatically providing said mailing address of the subscriber to the delivery service.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving a confirmation by the delivery address service of the purchase.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the delivery address service receives the confirmation from the subscriber.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the delivery address service receives the confirmation from an online business from which the goods to be delivered was purchased.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber is a purchaser of the goods.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber is a beneficiary of the purchase.

15. A storage medium having stored therein a plurality of instructions that are machine executable, wherein when executed, said executing instructions operate to enable an address delivery service to receive a delivery address service subscription from a subscriber, including a mailing address of the subscriber, to generate a substitute delivery address, to transmit the substitute address to the subscriber, to receive an electronic notification of a request to deliver or arrival of purchased goods for the subscriber, resulting from the substitute delivery address being used by the subscriber, in an online purchase, and to intervene by the delivery address service by electronically accessing and communicating the mailing address provided by the subscriber as part of said subscription to a delivery service to facilitate delivery of the purchased goods to the subscriber at the mailing address of the subscriber, wherein said mailing address accessed and communicated by said delivery address service is retrieved from a database of said delivery address service.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein said executing instructions further operate to correlate the subscription delivery address with the mailing address of the user.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein said executing instructions further enable the delivery address service to provide one of a plurality of pre-established mailboxes as the substitute delivery address.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein said executing instructions further enable the delivery address service to receive a notification of the arrival of the purchased goods from a mailbox service, and to notify the subscriber of the arrival.

19. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein said executing instructions further enable the delivery address service to provide one of a plurality of virtual delivery addresses as the substitute delivery address.

20. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein said executing instructions further enable the delivery address service to receive a notification of a request to deliver the purchased goods from a delivery service, and to provide the mailing address of the subscriber to the delivery service.

21. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein said executing instructions further enable the delivery address service to receive a confirmation of the online purchase.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of instructions that are machine executable, wherein when executed, said executing instructions operate to enable the apparatus to receive a delivery address service subscription from a subscriber, including a mailing address of the subscriber, to generate a substitute delivery address, to transmit the substitute delivery address to the subscriber, to receive an electronic notification of a request to deliver or arrival of purchased goods of the subscriber, resulting from the substitute delivery address being used by the subscriber in an online purchase, and to intervene by the delivery address service by electronically accessing and communicating the mailing address provided by the subscriber as part of said subscription to a delivery service to facilitate delivery of the purchased goods to the subscriber at the mailing address of the subscriber, wherein said mailing address accessed and communicated by said delivery address service is retrieved from a database of said delivery address service; and

a processor coupled to said storage medium to execute said instructions.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said executing instructions further operate to correlate the subscription delivery address with the mailing address of the user.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said executing instructions further enable the delivery address service to provide one of a plurality of pre-established mailboxes as the substitute delivery address.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said executing instructions further enable the delivery address service to receive a notification of the arrival of the purchased goods from a mailbox service, and to notify the subscriber of the arrival.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said executing instructions further enable the delivery address service to provide one of a plurality of virtual delivery addresses as the substitute delivery address.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said executing instructions further enable the delivery address service to receive a notification of a request to deliver the purchased goods from a delivery service, and to provide the mailing address of the subscriber to the delivery service.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said executing instructions further enable the delivery address service to receive a confirmation of the online purchase.