Tracking transactions by using addresses in a communications network

• US 8,849,704 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2008
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fintegraph, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Risible Enterprises LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rollins, Eugene J., Padala, Sailendra, Hendrikse, Norbert, Gauthier, Paul, Tso, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): THEIN, MARIA TERESA T
• Application Number:
  US12/053,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20090030807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,381 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Communications between participants over a communications link are proxied by an intermediary, such as an Integrated Order Mechanism (IOM). Participants interact with each other through the IOM. The IOM may be transparent to the participants such that they are not aware that the IOM is involved in processing communications. For example, in the context of a transaction by a customer making a purchase from a merchant over the Internet, the IOM facilitates the processing of transactions by processing requests from both the customer and the merchant. Neither the customer nor the merchant may be aware that the transactions are being handled by the IOM. Transactions may be tracked using addresses in a communications network. Address identifiers may be used to reduce the size of the addresses.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at an intermediary from a merchant computing device, at least one cookie that includes first transaction data for a transaction originated via a shopping application, wherein the intermediary comprises a proxy server associated with the shopping application;

receiving, at the intermediary, second transaction data for a completed transaction via a tracer image included in a merchant order confirmation provided by the merchant computing device for the completed transaction, wherein the tracer image does not include transaction origination information for the completed transaction;

determining, by the intermediary, that the completed transaction originated via the shopping application by comparing the first transaction data to the second transaction data; and

determining a commission owed to the shopping application for the completed transaction based at least in part on the determination that the completed transaction originated via the shopping application.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first transaction data comprises a customer identifier;

wherein the second transaction data comprises a particular customer identifier; and

wherein comparing the first transaction data to the second transaction data comprises comparing the particular customer identifier to the customer identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one cookie is set to expire after a specific period of time.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first transaction data comprises a customer identifier, a merchant identifier, and a product identifier;

wherein the second transaction data comprises a particular customer identifier, a particular merchant identifier, and a particular product identifier; and

wherein comparing the first transaction data to the second transaction data comprises comparing the particular customer identifier, the particular merchant identifier, and the particular product identifier to the customer identifier, the merchant identifier, and the product identifier, respectively.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein the first transaction data comprises a date and a time indicating when a customer accesses the shopping application for the transaction;

wherein the second transaction data comprises a particular date and a particular time indicating when the completed transaction is completed; and

wherein the method further comprises comparing the date and the time to the particular date and the particular time, respectively.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transaction data is generated in response to a request from a participant in the transaction.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

receive, at an intermediary from a merchant computing device, at least one cookie comprising first transaction data for a transaction originated via a shopping application, wherein the intermediary comprises a proxy server associated with the shopping application;

receive, at the intermediary, second transaction data for a completed transaction via a tracer image included in a merchant order confirmation provided by the merchant computing device for the completed transaction, wherein the tracer image does not include transaction origination information for the completed transaction;

compare, by the intermediary, the first transaction data to the second transaction data to determine whether the completed transaction originated via the shopping application; and

determine a commission owed to the shopping application for the completed transaction in response to the comparison.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7,

wherein the first transaction data comprises a customer identifier;

wherein the second transaction data comprises a particular customer identifier; and

wherein the processing device is further configured to compare the customer identifier to the particular customer identifier.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the at least one cookie is set to expire after a specified period of time.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7,

wherein the first transaction data comprises a customer identifier, a merchant identifier, and a product identifier;

wherein the second transaction data comprises a particular customer identifier, a particular merchant identifier, and a particular product identifier; and

wherein the processing device is further configured to compare the particular customer identifier, the particular merchant identifier, and the particular product identifier to the customer identifier, the merchant identifier, and the product identifier, respectively.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10,

wherein the first transaction data further comprises a date and time indicating when a customer accesses the shopping application for the transaction;

wherein the second transaction data comprises a particular date and a particular time indicating when the completed transaction is completed by a merchant; and

wherein the processing device is further configured to compare the date and time to the particular date and the particular time, respectively.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the first transaction data is generated in response to a request from a participant in the transaction.