Anonymous shopping transactions on a network through information broker services

• US 8,001,014 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: CPTN Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Sonderegger, Kelly Ervin, Robertson, John M., Perkins, Arn D., Young, Russell T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pond; Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US12/618,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20100063897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0615 Anonymizing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for enabling a user to transact an anonymous on-line transaction, wherein a form of on-line payment is requested at a transaction interface is disclosed. The method may include providing an anonymous user interface that enables a user to initiate an on-line payment, accessing a first profile comprising user data when the user activates the form of on-line payment, generating a second profile linked to the first profile wherein, the second profile comprises anonymous data, and communicating the anonymous data from the second profile to the transaction interface to enable completion of the transaction.

Claims

1. A method for initiating anonymous on-line transactions, comprising:

providing an anonymous shopping toolbar having an anonymous credit card option for anonymously initiating an on-line transaction through an information broker computer;

receiving an anonymous credit card request at the information broker computer, wherein the information broker computer receives the anonymous credit card request over a network connection that links the information broker computer to a client computer, and wherein the client computer communicates the anonymous credit card request to the information broker computer in response to a selection of the anonymous credit card option;

generating, at the information broker computer in response to the anonymous credit card request, a unique single-use anonymous credit card number having an expiration date corresponding to a month and a year in which the on-line transaction is completed, wherein the on-line transaction is completed in the month and year in which the anonymous credit card request is received;

linking the anonymous credit card number to a real credit card account associated with the client computer; and

sending the anonymous credit card number from the information broker computer to the client computer over the network connection that links the information broker computer to the client computer, wherein the client computer automatically communicates the anonymous credit card number to a merchant to initiate the on-line transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, at the information broker computer, whether the information broker computer has issued a predetermined number of unique anonymous credit card numbers in the month and the year in which the on-line transaction occurs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information broker computer includes one or more numbers from the real credit card account in the anonymous credit card number in response to determining that the predetermined number of unique credit card numbers have been issued in the month and the year in which the on-line transaction occurs.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined number of unique credit card numbers comprises one trillion unique credit card numbers, and wherein including the one or more numbers from the real credit card account in the anonymous credit card number enables the information broker computer to issue an additional one trillion unique credit card numbers in the month and the year in which the on-line transaction occurs.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the information broker computer selects the one or more numbers from a first four numbers in the real credit card account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the anonymous credit card number comprises a single use credit card number having a purchase limit corresponding to an amount for the on-line transaction.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the anonymous credit card request received at the information broker computer includes the amount for the on-line transaction, information associated with the real credit card account, and an alias name, and wherein the anonymous credit card number further includes the alias name.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the anonymous shopping toolbar further includes an anonymous delivery option for anonymously delivering goods purchased in the on-line transaction.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an anonymous delivery request at the information broker computer, wherein the information broker computer receives the anonymous delivery request over the network connection that links the information broker computer to the client computer, and wherein the client computer communicates the anonymous delivery request to the information broker computer in response to a selection of the anonymous delivery option;

generating an anonymous delivery address having a routing code embedded therein at the information broker computer in response to the anonymous delivery request; and

sending the anonymous delivery address from the information broker computer to the client computer over the network connection that links the information broker computer to the client computer, wherein a delivery service receives a delivery that includes the goods purchased in the on-line transaction at the anonymous delivery address, and wherein the delivery service references the embedded routing code to route the delivery to a real delivery address associated with the client computer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the anonymous delivery address comprises an address for a hub station associated with the delivery service, and wherein the anonymous delivery request includes the real delivery address associated with the client computer and information for billing the client computer.

11. A system for initiating anonymous on-line transactions, the system comprising:

an information broker computer having one or more processors configured to;

provide an anonymous shopping toolbar having an anonymous credit card option for anonymously initiating an on-line transaction through the information broker computer;

receive an anonymous credit card request over a network connection that links the information broker computer to a client computer, and wherein the client computer communicates the anonymous credit card request to the information broker computer in response to a selection of the anonymous credit card option;

generate, in response to the anonymous credit card request, a unique single-use anonymous credit card number having an expiration date corresponding to a month and a year in which the on-line transaction is completed, wherein the on-line transaction is completed in the month and year in which the anonymous credit card request is received;

link the anonymous credit card number to a real credit card account associated with the client computer; and

send the anonymous credit card number to the client computer over the network connection that links the information broker computer to the client computer, wherein the client computer automatically communicates the anonymous credit card number to a merchant to initiate the on-line transaction.

12. The system of claim 11, the one or more processorsfurther configured to determine whether the information broker computer has issued a predetermined number of unique anonymous credit card numbers in the month and the year in which the on-line transaction occurs.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the information broker computer includes one or more numbers from the real credit card account in the anonymous credit card number in response to the one or more processors determining that the predetermined number of unique credit card numbers have been issued in the month and the year in which the on-line transaction occurs.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the predetermined, number of unique credit card numbers comprises one trillion unique credit card numbers, and wherein including the one or more numbers from the real credit card account in the anonymous credit card number enables the information broker computer to issue an additional one trillion unique credit card numbers in the month and the year in which the on-line transaction occurs.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the information broker computer selects the one or more numbers from a first four numbers in the real credit card account.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the anonymous credit card number comprises a single use credit card number having a purchase limit corresponding to an amount for the on-line transaction.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the anonymous credit card request received at the information broker computer includes the amount for the on-line transaction, information associated with the real credit card account, and an alias name, and wherein the anonymous credit card number further includes the alias name.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the anonymous shopping toolbar further includes an anonymous delivery option for anonymously delivering goods purchased in the on-line transaction.

19. The system of claim 18, the one or more processors further configured to:

receive an anonymous delivery request over the network connection that links the information broker computer to the client computer, and wherein the client computer communicates the anonymous delivery request to the information broker computer in response to a selection of the anonymous delivery option;

generating an anonymous delivery, address having a routing code embedded therein in response to the anonymous delivery request; and

sending the anonymous delivery address to the client computer over the network connection that links the information broker computer to the client computer, wherein a delivery service receives a delivery that includes the goods purchased in the on-line transaction at the anonymous delivery address, and wherein the delivery service references the embedded routing code to route the delivery to a real delivery address associated with the client computer.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the anonymous delivery address comprises an address for a hub station associated with the delivery service, and wherein the anonymous delivery request includes the real delivery address associated with the client computer and information for billing the client computer.