Personal data subscriber systems and methods

• US 8,296,323 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Titanium Fire Ltd Executive Pension Scheme
• Original Assignee: Titanium Fire Ltd.
• Inventors: Pollard, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahmoudi, Tony
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOI, MICHELE C
• Application Number:
  US12/356,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

Methods and systems for facilitating the propagation of personal data include a Personal Data Propagation Environment (“PDP environment”) that facilitates the propagation of personal data items between secure personal data stores and various consumers of the personal data items. One PDP environment includes a personal data manager and a personal data subscriber. The personal data manager manages personal data items on a secure data store associated with a user computing device. The personal data manager provides access to personal data items stored on the secure data store in accordance with a personal data subscription associated with the personal data subscriber.

Claims

1. A personal data subscriber computing system configured to facilitate propagation of personal data, comprising:

a memory; and

a personal data subscriber module stored on the memory and configured, when executed by the personal data subscriber computing system, to;

retrieve a personal data subscription data structure that includes indicators of a plurality of personal data items and that entitles the personal data subscriber computing system to access the plurality of personal data items stored on a secure data store communicatively coupled to a personal data manager computing device that is a personal computing device of a user, wherein the plurality of personal data items stored on the secure data store represent personal information about the user, wherein the personal data subscription data structure includes an indication of a category of personal data items, the category indicating at least one of address information, credit card information, and bank account information, and wherein the personal data subscriber module retrieves the personal data subscription data structure by;

communicating with a personal data propagation service computing system; and

causing the personal data propagation service computing system to store an association of an identifier of the personal data subscriber computing system with the personal data subscription data structure, wherein the personal data manager computing device, the personal data subscriber computing system, and the personal data propagation service computing system are distinct and remote from one another;

cause the personal data manager computing device to determine whether access by the personal data subscriber computing system to at least one personal data item of the plurality of personal data items stored on the secure data store is in accord with the personal data subscription; and

when it is determined that access by the personal data subscriber computing system to the at least one personal data item is in accord with the personal data subscription;

receive from the personal data manager computing device the at least one personal data item; and

initiate an electronic transaction based on the received personal data item.

2. The personal data subscriber computing system of claim 1 wherein the secure data store includes a plurality of data items that include at least one of a personal name, an address, financial information, a user name, a password, a government identifier, a communication preference, and contact information.

3. The personal data subscriber computing system of claim 1 wherein the personal data subscriber module is further configured, when executed by the personal data subscriber computing system, to:

receive an indication that one or more data items have been modified on a data store associated with the personal data subscriber computing system; and

in response to the received indication, automatically propagate the one or more modified data items to the personal data manager computing device, based at least in part on whether one of the one or more modified personal data items is one of the plurality of personal data items to which the personal data subscription entitles access, thereby causing the personal data manager computing device to store the one or more modified data items as personal data items on the secure data store.

4. The personal data subscriber computing system of claim 3 wherein the personal data subscriber module automatically propagates the one or more modified data items by transmitting the modified data items to the personal data manager computing device.

5. The personal data subscriber computing system of claim 3 wherein the one or more modified personal data items include at least one of account information associated with a user of the personal data manager computing device, transaction information associated with a user of the personal data manager computing device, contact information for an entity associated with the personal data subscriber computing system, marketing information for an entity associated with the personal data subscriber computing system, and terms and conditions associated with use of the personal data subscriber computing system.

6. The personal data subscriber computing system of claim 1 wherein the personal data subscriber computing system is operated by an electronic commerce entity.

7. The personal data subscriber computing system of claim 1 wherein the personal data subscriber module includes instructions for execution by the computing system.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including non-transitory contents including instructions that, when executed by a personal data subscriber computing system, cause the personal data subscriber computing system to facilitate propagation of personal data, by performing a method comprising:

retrieving a personal data subscription data structure that includes indicators of a plurality of personal data items and that entitles the personal data subscriber computing system to access the plurality of personal data items stored on a secure data store communicatively coupled to a personal data manager computing device that is a personal computing device of a user, wherein the plurality of personal data items stored on the secure data store represent personal information about the user, wherein the personal data subscription data structure includes an indication of a category of personal data items, the category indicating at least one of address information, credit card information, and bank account information, and wherein the retrieving the personal data subscription data structure includes;

communicating with a personal data propagation service computing system; and

causing the personal data propagation service computing system to store an association of an identifier of the personal data subscriber computing system with the personal data subscription data structure, wherein the personal data manager computing device, the personal data subscriber computing system, and the personal data propagation service computing system are distinct and remote from one another;

causing the personal data manager computing device to determine whether access by the personal data subscriber computing system to at least one personal data item of the plurality of personal data items stored on the secure data store is in accord with the personal data subscription; and

when it is determined that access by the personal data subscriber computing system to the at least one personal data item is in accord with the personal data subscription;

receiving from the personal data manager computing device the at least one personal data item; and

initiating an electronic transaction based on the received personal data item.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein causing the personal data manager computing device to determine whether access by the personal data subscriber computing system to at least one of the plurality of personal data items is in accord with the personal data subscription includes requesting the at least one personal data item from the personal data manager computing device.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein causing the personal data manager computing device to determine whether access by the personal data subscriber computing system to at least one of the plurality of personal data items is in accord with the personal data subscription includes acknowledging a request received from the personal data subscriber computing device.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the at least one personal data item reflects information about an identity of a person associated with the secure data store.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:

initiating storage of a personal data item on the secure data store.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein initiating storage of the personal data item on the secure data store includes transmitting the personal data item to the personal data manager computing device.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the transmitted personal data item includes at least one of contact information for an entity associated with the personal data subscriber computing system, financial information associated with a user of the personal data manager computing device, and transaction information associated with the initiated transaction.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the personal data subscription data structure indicates at least one of a type of personal data item, a class of personal data items, and a group of personal data items.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the personal data subscription data structure specifies access rights to the received personal data item.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the electronic transaction includes at least one of an account operation, a purchase of goods or services, a licensing operation, an offer provision, and an acceptance of an offer.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an indication that one or more data items have been modified on a data store associated with the personal data subscriber computing system; and

in response to the received indication, automatically propagating the one or more modified data items to the personal data manager computing device, based at least in part on whether one of the one or more modified data items is one of the plurality of personal data items to which the personal data subscription entitles access, thereby causing the personal data manager computing device to store the one or more modified data items as personal data items on the secure data store.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein automatically propagating the one or more modified personal data items includes transmitting the modified personal data items to the personal data manager computing device.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein automatically propagating the one or more modified personal data items includes receiving from a remote personal data propagation service an indication that the personal data manager computing device is associated with the personal data subscription.

21. A method in a personal data subscriber computing system for facilitating propagation of personal data, the method comprising:

retrieving a personal data subscription data structure that includes indicators of a plurality of personal data items and that entitles the personal data subscriber computing system to access the plurality of personal data items stored on a secure data store communicatively coupled to a personal data manager computing device that is a personal computing device of a user, wherein the plurality of personal data items stored on the secure data store represent personal information about the user, wherein the personal data subscription data structure includes an indication of a category of personal data items, the category indicating at least one of address information, credit card information, and bank account information, wherein the retrieving the personal data subscription data structure includes;

communicating with a remote personal data propagation service computing system; and

causing the personal data propagation service computing system to store an association of an identifier of the personal data subscriber computing system with the personal data subscription data structure;

receiving an indication of an update to a data item stored in a data store communicatively coupled to the personal data subscriber computing system; and

responsive to the received indication of the update to the data item, automatically propagating the updated data item to multiple personal data manager devices that are remote from the personal data subscriber computing system, by;

interacting with the remote personal data propagation service to determine the personal data manager computing devices that are each associated with the personal data subscription; and

automatically initiating transmission of the updated data item to the multiple personal data manager computing devices, thereby causing each of the personal data manager computing devices to store the updated data item as a personal data item on a respective secure data store,

wherein the personal data manager computing devices are personal computing devices of users, and wherein the personal data manager computing devices, the personal data subscriber computing system, and the personal data propagation service are distinct and remote from one another.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein interacting with the remote personal data propagation service includes receiving from the remote personal data propagation service indicators of the multiple personal data manager computing devices.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein interacting with the remote personal data propagation service includes requesting the remote personal data propagation service to provide information about personal data manager computing devices associated with the personal data subscription.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the automatically propagating the updated personal data item occurs in response to a user interaction with the personal data subscriber computing system, the user operating one of the multiple personal data manager computing devices.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the automatically propagating the updated data item occurs in response to the received indication of the update to the data item and without intervening interaction from a user between the update to the data item and the automatic propagation of the updated data item.

26. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

determining that at least one of the multiple personal data manager computing device is offline; and

recording an indication to transmit the updated data item to the at least one personal data manager computing device at a later time.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein the updated data item includes at least one of contact information for an entity associated with the personal data subscriber computing system, marketing information for and entity associated with the personal data subscriber computing system, financial information associated with users of the multiple personal data manager computing device, and transaction information associated with the multiple personal data manager computing devices.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein initiating transmission of the updated data item to the multiple personal data manager computing devices includes causing each of the multiple personal data manager computing devices to store the updated personal data item on a secure data store that is communicatively coupled to the multiple personal data manager computing device.