System, method, and computer program product for maintaining consumer privacy and security in electronic commerce transactions

• US 7,636,696 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2000
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Megasoft Limited
• Original Assignee: Megasoft Consultants, Inc.
• Inventors: Dewakar, Sunny Ramaswamy, Sigler, Jr., Charles E., Carrens, William Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Worjloh, Jalatee
• Application Number:
  US09/715,176
• Time in Patent Office: 3,319 Days
• Field of Search: 705 64- 79, 713/150, 713/200
• US Class Current: 705/74
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for maintaining the anonymity of a consumer in a transaction with a retailer. The consumer provides payment method information and ship-to address information to a trusted third party. The consumer purchases products from a retailer by providing the trusted third party anonymous identifiers (e.g., nicknames, unique codes, or one time use codes either supplied by the consumer or by the trusted third party) corresponding to the selected payment methods and ship-to addresses. The retailer requests payment approval from the trusted third party. The trusted third party receives payment approval from a payment partner using the payment method information determined from the anonymous identifier received from the consumer. The trusted third party provides payment approval to the retailer along a transaction unique shipment identifier to place on the parcel. The trusted third party sends the same transaction unique shipment identifier and the actual shipping address determined from the anonymous identifier received from the consumer to a shipping partner who re-labels the package and delivers it to the consumer. The trusted third party acts as an e-mail conduit for messages sent to member consumers.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of purchasing a product from a seller that maintains anonymity of a buyer and a payment method used in a transaction between said buyer and said seller, comprising the steps of:

assigning, by said buyer using a computerized buyer device or by a computerized trusted third party system, an anonymous identifier to each of a plurality of different payment methods;

for each of said plurality of different payment methods, populating, by said computerized trusted third party system, a digital repository with data that is associated with said buyer, said data including a buyer identification indicator, the indicator corresponding to the respective payment method, and the anonymous identifier assigned to the respective payment method;

selecting, by said buyer using said computerized buyer device and the anonymous identifiers, one of said plurality of different payment methods for purchasing said product from said seller in said transaction between said buyer and said seller, said product having a total sale price;

receiving, by said computerized trusted third party system from said computerized buyer device, the anonymous identifier assigned to the selected payment method, the anonymous identifier being received as an anonymous payment method for said product that said buyer is purchasing;

transmitting, by said computerized trusted third party system to a computerized seller device, transactional data for purchasing said product that maintains anonymity of said buyer and the selected payment method, said transactional data including a transaction identifier identifying said transaction between said buyer and said seller;

receiving, by said computerized trusted third party system from said computerized seller device, a transaction processing request including said transaction identifier and said total sale price for payment approval of said product that said buyer is purchasing;

identifying, by said computerized trusted third party system, said transaction between said buyer and said seller using said transaction identifier;

in a querying step, querying, by said computerized trusted third party system using the received anonymous identifier, said digital repository to determine the selected payment method;

requesting, by said computerized trusted third party system, payment approval from a payment partner processor by providing said payment partner processor a description of the selected payment method determined in said querying step and said total sale price; and

providing, by said computerized trusted third party system, said payment approval to said computerized seller device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said payment partner processor is a credit processor that receives credit approval from a credit approval authority.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said payment partner processor is a credit approval authority.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected payment method is one or more of a credit card, a debit card, an e-check, and a direct debit account.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the anonymous identifiers is a nickname.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the anonymous identifiers is a one-time use code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the anonymous identifiers is a unique code.

8. A computer implemented method of purchasing a product from a seller that maintains anonymity of a buyer and a payment method used in a transaction between said buyer and said seller, comprising the steps of:

establishing, by a computerized trusted third party system for said buyer, a prefunded cash account, said prefunded cash account corresponding to one of a plurality of different payment methods;

assigning, by said buyer using a computerized buyer device or by said computerized trusted third party system, an anonymous identifier to each of said plurality of different payment methods;

for each of said plurality of different payment methods, populating, by said computerized trusted third party system, a digital repository with data that is associated with said buyer, said data including a buyer identification indicator, the indicator corresponding to the respective payment method, and the anonymous identifier assigned to the respective payment method;

selecting, by said buyer using said computerized buyer device and the anonymous identifiers, one of said plurality of different payment methods for purchasing said product from said seller in said transaction between said buyer and said seller, said product having a total sale price;

receiving, by said computerized trusted third party system from said computerized buyer device, the anonymous identifier assigned to the selected payment method, the anonymous identifier being received as an anonymous payment method for said product that said buyer is purchasing;

transmitting, by said computerized trusted third party system to a computerized seller device, transactional data for the purchase of said product that maintains anonymity of said buyer and the selected payment method, said transactional data including a transaction identifier identifying said transaction between said buyer and said seller;

receiving, by said computerized trusted third party system from said computerized seller device, a transaction processing request including said transaction identifier and said total sale price for payment approval of said product that said buyer is purchasing;

identifying, by said computerized trusted third party system, said transaction between said buyer and said seller using said transaction identifier;

in a querying step, querying, by said computerized trusted third party system using the received anonymous identifier, said digital repository to determine the selected payment method; and

in a paying step, in the event the selected payment method is determined to employ said prefunded cash account, paying, by said computerized trusted third party system, said seller an amount equal to said total sale price from said prefunded cash account.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein one or more of the anonymous identifiers is a nickname.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein one or more of the anonymous identifiers is a one-time use code.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein one or more of the anonymous identifiers is a unique code.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the paying step comprises making micropayments to the seller.

13. A system for purchasing a product from a seller that maintains anonymity of a buyer and a payment method used in a transaction between said buyer and said seller, comprising:

means for assigning, by said buyer or said trusted third party, an anonymous identifier to each of a plurality of different payment methods;

means for populating, by the trusted third party for each of said plurality of different payment methods, a digital repository with data that is associated with said buyer, said data including a buyer identification indicator, the indicator corresponding to the respective payment method, and the anonymous identifier assigned to the respective payment method;

means for selecting, by said buyer using the anonymous identifiers, one of said plurality of different payment methods for purchasing said product from said seller in said transaction between said buyer and said seller, said product having a total sale price;

means for receiving, by said trusted third party from said buyer, the anonymous identifier assigned to the selected payment method, the anonymous identifier being received as an anonymous payment method for said product that said buyer is purchasing;

means for transmitting, by said trusted third party to a seller, transactional data for the purchase of said product that maintains anonymity of said buyer and the selected payment method, said transactional data including a transaction identifier identifying said transaction between said buyer and said seller;

means for receiving, by said trusted third party from said seller, a transaction processing request including said transaction identifier and said total sale price for payment approval of said product that said buyer is purchasing;

means for identifying, by said trusted third party, said transaction between said buyer and said seller using said transaction identifier;

means for querying, by said trusted third party using the received anonymous identifier, said digital repository to determine the selected payment method,

means for requesting, by said trusted third party, payment approval from a payment partner by providing said payment partner a description of the selected payment method determined by said means for querying and said total sale price; and

means for providing, by said computerized trusted third party system, said payment approval to the seller.

14. A computer implemented method of purchasing a product from at least one seller that maintains anonymity of a buyer and a payment method used in a transaction between said buyer and said seller, comprising the steps of:

assigning, by said buyer using a computerized buyer device or by a computerized trusted third party system, an anonymous identifier to each of a plurality of different payment methods;

assigning, by said computerized trusted third party system, at least one unique buyer-seller identifier, each corresponding to a unique combination of said buyer and said at least one seller;

in a populating step, for each of said plurality of different payment methods, populating, by said computerized trusted third party system, a digital repository with data that is associated with said buyer, said data including a buyer identification indicator, the indicator corresponding to the respective payment method, the anonymous identifier assigned to the respective payment method, and said at least one unique buyer-seller identifier,

selecting, by said buyer using said computerized buyer device and the anonymous identifiers, one of said plurality of different payment methods for purchasing said product from said seller in said transaction between said buyer and said seller, said product having a total sale price, and

wherein an appropriate one of said at least one unique buyer-seller identifier is received by one of at least one computerized seller device from said computerized buyer device, said appropriate one of said at least one unique buyer-seller identifier corresponding to said buyer and one of said at least one seller;

receiving, by said computerized trusted third party system from said computerized buyer device, the anonymous identifier assigned to the selected payment method, the anonymous identifier being received as an anonymous payment method for said product that said buyer is purchasing, said product having a total sale price;

transmitting, by said computerized trusted third party system to the respective computerized seller device, transactional data for the purchase of said product that maintains anonymity of said buyer and the selected payment method, said transactional data including a transaction identifier identifying said transaction between said buyer and said seller;

receiving, by said computerized trusted third party system from the respective computerized seller device, a transaction processing request including said transaction identifier and said total sale price for payment approval of said product that said buyer is purchasing;

identifying, by said computerized trusted third party system, said transaction between said buyer and said seller using said transaction identifier;

in a querying step, querying, by said computerized trusted third party system using the received anonymous identifier, said digital repository to determine the selected payment method,

requesting, by said computerized trusted third party system, payment approval from a payment partner processor by providing said payment partner processor a description of the selected payment method determined in said querying step and said total sale price;

providing, by said computerized trusted third party system, said payment approval to the respective computerized seller device;

receiving, by said computerized trusted third party system from the respective computerized seller device, said appropriate one of said at least one unique buyer-seller identifier as a request for a communication of a message to said buyer; and

forwarding, by said computerized trusted third party system, said message to said computerized buyer device by determining an identity of said buyer using said appropriate one of said at least one unique buyer-seller identifier received in said request for said communication of said message to said buyer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the payment partner processor is a credit processor that receives credit approval from a credit approval authority.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the payment partner processor is a credit approval authority.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the selected payment method is at least one of a credit card, a debit card, an e-check, and a direct debit account.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein one or more of the anonymous identifiers is a nickname.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein one or more of the anonymous identifiers is a one-time use code.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein one or more of the anonymous identifiers is a unique code.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by said computerized trusted third party system, an e-mail address for use in anonymous communications with said at least one seller,

wherein said populating step comprises populating said digital repository with said e-mail address, and said message forwarded to said computerized buyer device is an e-mail message sent to said e-mail address.

22. A computer implemented method of purchasing a product from a seller that maintains anonymity of a buyer and a payment method used in a transaction between said buyer and said seller, comprising the steps of:

assigning, by said buyer using a computerized buyer device or by a computerized trusted third party system, an anonymous identifier to each of a plurality of different payment methods;

selecting, by said buyer using said computerized buyer device and the anonymous identifiers, one of said plurality of different payment methods for purchasing said product from said seller in said transaction between said buyer and said seller, said product having a total sale price;

receiving, by said computerized trusted third party system from said computerized buyer device, the anonymous identifier assigned to the selected payment method, the anonymous identifier being received as an anonymous payment method for said product that said buyer is purchasing;

transmitting, by said computerized trusted third party system to a computerized seller device, transactional data for the purchase of said product that maintains anonymity of said buyer and the selected payment method, said transactional data including a transaction identifier identifying said transaction between said buyer and said seller;

receiving, by said computerized trusted third party system from said computerized seller device, a transaction processing request including said transaction identifier and said total sale price for payment approval of said product that said buyer is purchasing;

identifying, by said computerized trusted third party system, said transaction between said buyer and said seller using said transaction identifier;

retrieving, by said computerized trusted third party system, a description of the selected payment method from a database using the received anonymous identifier;

requesting, by said computerized trusted third party system, payment approval from a payment partner processor by providing said payment partner processor said description of the selected payment method and said total sale price; and

controlling, by said computerized trusted third party system, payment to said seller using the selected payment method.