System and method for providing private demand-driven pricing

• US 8,712,915 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2006
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Staddon, Jessica Nicola, Kissner, Lea
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalinowski, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEGA, MURALI K
• Application Number:
  US11/591,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,736 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1- 79
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system and method for providing private demand-driven pricing for fixed cost digital goods are described. Symmetric private information retrieval is engaged on a table that includes public key encryptions of prices for digital goods stored in a database by a seller system, wherein a desired marginal pricing level has not been realized. The price of one digital good is decrypted with a private key for pricing by a purchaser system. A purchasing decision based upon the decrypted price is sent to the seller system without revealing the particular digital good being purchased. A conditionally disclosed symmetric key for goods is received under which the digital goods in the database have been encrypted. Symmetric private information retrieval is engaged on the database and the digital good purchased with the symmetric key is decrypted. The encrypted prices of the digital goods are privately updated based upon the desired marginal pricing level.

Claims

1. An online system for private variable cost digital goods pricing, comprising:

a database configured to store an original encrypted price for non-identically-priced digital goods offered for online sale;

an e-commerce server with a processor and a memory configured to execute code, comprising;

a pricing module configured to determine a price for at least one of the non-identically priced digital goods, comprising;

a constant module configured to create a purchase encrypted price by addition of a positive constant to the original encrypted price of the non-identically-priced digital good each time that the non-identically priced digital good is purchased;

a demand module configured to measure, over a fixed time interval, the demand at the purchase encrypted price for the non-identically priced digital good; and

an additive module configured to set the price by subtraction of a positive additive from the purchase encrypted price of the digital good at the end of the fixed time interval; and

a seller system module configured to update the original encrypted price of the particular digital good with the price; and

a purchaser client with a processor and a memory configured to execute code, comprising;

an encryption module configured to create a homomorphically encrypted price by homomorphically encrypting the purchase encrypted price; and

a decision module configured to provide a purchasing decision of a particular online buyer about a particular digital good at the homomorphically encrypted price.

2. A method for private variable cost digital goods pricing, comprising the steps of:

offering for sale by an online vendor system a plurality of non-identically-priced digital goods;

storing on a database an original encrypted price for the plurality of non-identically-priced digital goods;

determining a price for at least one of the non-identically priced digital goods, comprising;

creating a purchase encrypted price by adding a positive constant to the original encrypted price of the non-identically-priced digital good each time that the non-identically priced digital good is purchased;

measuring, over a fixed time interval, the demand at the purchase encrypted price for the non-identically priced digital good; and

setting the price by subtracting, at the end of the fixed time interval, a positive additive from the purchase encrypted price of the digital good;

creating a homomorphically encrypted price by homomorphically encrypting the purchase encrypted price;

providing electronically from a purchaser system a purchasing decision of a particular online buyer about a particular digital good at the homomorphically encrypted price; and

updating with a seller system the original encrypted price of the particular digital good with the price,

wherein all the steps are performed on a suitably programmed computer.

3. An online system for providing private demand-driven pricing for variable cost digital goods that are uniquely priced, comprising:

a database configured to store a table comprising public key encryptions of prices for digital goods stored in the database by a seller system; and

an e-commerce server with a processor and a memory configured to execute code, comprising;

a pricing module, comprising;

a price retrieval module configured to access the table of public key encryptions of prices for the digital goods by using partially homomorphic encryption and symmetric encryption; and

a price decryption module configured to decrypt the public key encryption of the price of one of the digital goods with a private key into a decrypted price for pricing by a purchaser system; and

a seller system module configured to update the public key encryptions of the prices of the digital goods; and

a purchasing client with a processor and a memory configured to execute code, comprising;

an encryption module configured to create a homomorphically encrypted price by homomorphically encrypting the decrypted price;

a decision module configured to send a purchasing decision about one of the digital goods at the homomorphically encrypted price from the purchaser system to the seller system, and to receive in return, if the purchasing decision is to purchase the digital good, a symmetric key for goods under which the digital goods in the database have been encrypted; and

a goods retrieval module configured to use partially homomorphic encryption and symmetric encryption to access the database and to decrypt the digital good purchased with the symmetric key for goods.

4. A system according to claim 3, the seller system further comprising:

a pricing updating module configured to determine the updated public key encryptions of the prices of the digital goods using an additive constant;

a periodic pricing updating module configured to periodically determine the updated public key encryptions of the prices of the digital goods using a subtractive constant; and

an approximation module configured to approximate a target price as a ratio of the additive constant and the subtractive constant.

5. A system according to claim 3, the seller system further comprising:

an account balance module configured to determine a new balance of an account held by the purchaser system comprising a homomorphic encryption of a current balance debited by the decrypted price of the digital goods.

6. A method for providing private demand-driven pricing for variable cost digital goods that are uniquely priced, comprising the steps of:

using partially homomorphic encryption and symmetric encryption to access a table comprising public key encryptions of prices for digital goods stored in a database by a seller system;

decrypting the public key encryption of the price of one of the digital goods with a private key into a decrypted price for pricing by a purchaser system;

creating a homomorphically encrypted price by homomorphically encrypting the decrypted price;

sending electronically from a purchaser system a purchasing decision of a particular buyer about one of the digital goods at the homomorphically encrypted price;

receiving in return, if the purchasing decision is to purchase the digital good, a symmetric key for goods under which the digital goods in the database have been encrypted;

using partially homomorphic encryption and symmetric encryption to access the database and decrypting the digital good purchased with the symmetric key for goods; and

updating the public key encryptions of the prices of the digital goods,

wherein all the steps are performed on a suitably programmed computer.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

determining the updated public key encryptions of the prices of the digital goods using an additive constant;

periodically determining the updated public key encryptions of the prices of the digital goods using a subtractive constant; and

approximating a target price as a ratio of the additive constant and the subtractive constant.

8. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

determining a new balance of an account held by the purchaser system comprising a homomorphic encryption of a current balance debited by the decrypted price of the digital goods.