Method and apparatus for handling pseudo identities

• US 7,567,936 B1
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benhov GmbH, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Paradox Technical Solutions LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Allen, Thomas L., Peckover, Douglas L., Wright, Benjamin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fertig; Brian
• Application Number:
  US10/967,019
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705 38- 39, 235379-381, 715224-226
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

An electronic device is configured for use by a user who is a natural person, and has a network port through which the user can access an electronic network. The device can receive through the network port an information request intended for presentation to the user, the information request including a request for an actual identifier associated with the user. The device can respond to the information request in a manner that includes activating within the device a manager portion thereof that facilitates providing the information request with a pseudo identifier in place of the actual identifier.

Claims

1. A computer-readable memory medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a client computer system to:

automatically examine a web page, wherein the web page has been received by the client computer system from a web site over the Internet, wherein said examining is performed to determine whether the web page includes a plurality of blank fields to be populated in order to facilitate a payment for a purchase from the web site on behalf of a user of the client computer system, wherein the blank fields include;

(a) one or more first fields to be filled with payment information relating to the user, and (b) one or more second fields to be filled with identity information relating to the user; and

in response to said examination determining that the web page includes said plurality of fields;

populate said one or more first fields with first information regarding a first pseudo account of the user;

populate said one or more second fields with second information regarding a first pseudo identity of the user; and

wherein the first information and second information are sent to the web site in order to facilitate the payment;

wherein the first pseudo account has been created for the user by a first server associated with a financial institution, wherein the financial institution maintains a first actual account for the user and stores a link between the first pseudo account and the first actual account, the first actual account having an associated first account number;

wherein the second information is usable by a first entity associated with the web site to receive said authorization for payment from the first server, wherein the second information does not include the first account number;

wherein the first pseudo identity has been created for the user by a second server associated with a second entity distinct from the first entity and the financial institution, wherein the first pseudo identity does not contain any information regarding an actual identity of the user.

2. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

display a list of previously created pseudo accounts; and

receive input from the user selecting one of the listed pseudo accounts as said first pseudo account to be used in populating the web page.

3. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

search and/or sort a first list of previously created pseudo accounts;

display a second list resulting from said searching and/or sorting on a display device; and

enable the user to select the first pseudo account from the displayed second list.

4. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

display a list of previously created pseudo identities; and

receive input from the user selecting one of the listed pseudo identities as said first pseudo identity to be used in populating the web page.

5. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

search and/or sort a first list of previously created pseudo identities;

display a second list resulting from said searching and/or sorting on a display device; and

enable the user to select the first pseudo identity from the displayed second list.

6. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

send a request to the first server for creation of the first pseudo account; and

receive the first pseudo account from the first server.

7. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

send a request to the second server for creation of the first pseudo identity; and

receive the first pseudo identity from the second server.

8. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the purchase is of a first data file, wherein the program instructions are executable to receive the first data file from the web site.

9. The memory medium of claim 8, wherein the program instructions are executable to access an email from the second server, wherein the email includes the first data file, wherein the email is addressed to a first pseudo email address included as part of the second information.

10. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the first pseudo account is a pseudo credit card account.

11. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable to facilitate repeated purchases for the user from the web site using respective pseudo identities, wherein each of the pseudo identities includes a different pseudo email address.

12. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable to automatically select the first pseudo account from a list of previously created pseudo accounts based on a user-specified rule that specifies use of the first pseudo account for transactions with said web site.

13. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

verify that the first pseudo account satisfies one or more user-defined rules regarding use of the first pseudo account.

14. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable to associate one or more rules with the first pseudo account in response to user input specifying the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules include one or more of the following:

a first rule limiting use of the first pseudo account to one or more specified web sites;

a second rule limiting use of the first pseudo account to a specified class of web sites;

a third rule limiting use of the first pseudo account to sellers outside of a specified class.

15. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable to associate one or more rules with the first pseudo account in response to user input specifying the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules include one or more of the following:

a first rule limiting use of the first pseudo account to a maximum amount for any single transaction;

a second rule limiting use of the first pseudo account to a maximum amount for specified time period;

a third rule limiting use of the first pseudo account to a cumulative maximum amount for all transactions using the first pseudo account.

16. The memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are executable to associate one or more rules with the first pseudo account in response to user input specifying the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules include one or more of the following:

a first rule limiting use of the first pseudo account to a single transaction;

a second rule limiting use of the first pseudo account to a specified number of transactions.

17. A system comprising:

a first server configured to maintain a first pseudo account and a first actual account for a first user and to store a link between the first pseudo account and the first actual account, wherein the first server is associated with a financial institution, wherein the first pseudo account has first pseudo account information that specifies the first pseudo account;

a second server configured to create and maintain a first pseudo identity for the first user, wherein the first pseudo identity includes a first pseudo email address, wherein the second server is associated with a first entity different from the financial institution;

wherein the first server is configured to receive a request for authorization of a payment on behalf of the user, wherein the request is from a second entity associated with a website, wherein the request includes at least a portion of the first pseudo account information, wherein the second entity is different from the first entity and the financial institution, wherein the first server is configured to operate without disclosing to the second entity any information regarding the first actual account of the user;

wherein the second server is configured to;

receive an email which is addressed to the first pseudo email address, wherein the email includes an attached file from the website, wherein the attached file is a thing being purchased by said purchase; and

make the email available to the first user via the Internet.

18. The system of claim 17,

wherein the first server is configured to grant or deny said authorization for said payment based on a result of a risk analysis on the second entity.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first server and second server are controlled by or operated for a financial institution.