SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING VERIFIED INFORMATION CARDS IN A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

• US 20100228624A1
• Filed: 03/03/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Equifax, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Equifax, Inc.
• Inventors: Morris, W. Kerry, Johnson, Mitchell S., Colson, Christen J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.470
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0248 Avoiding fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Digital information cards associated with verified information about users are described. The cards can be used to optimize a network communications experience or interaction for a user and a commercial entity, such as a website provider. The cards can be user-centric in that the user can control access to information associated with the card. A website can access the information claim using a link of the information card and can customize a user'"'"'s website experience based on the verified information claim.

Claims

1. An information card stored on a computer-readable medium, the information card comprising:

a link capable of providing access to an information claim in an element of a data file, the information claim being associated with a user,

wherein the information claim is verified using credit data about the user,

wherein the information claim is designated by the user as capable of being accessed.

2. The information card of claim 1, wherein the information claim is verified using credit data about the user by:

analyzing a credit file comprising credit data associated with the user;

generating at least one question and an answer to the at least one question based on the analyzing of the credit file comprising credit data associated with the user, the at least one question being associated with the information claim;

presenting the at least one question to the user; and

receiving the answer to the at least one question from the user.

3. The information card of claim 1, wherein the information claim is designated by the user as capable of being accessed by:

presenting a plurality of information claims to the user, the plurality of information claims comprising the information claim; and

receiving a designation associated with the information claim from the user, the designation representing that the user allows the information claim to be accessible using the information card.

4. The information card of claim 3, wherein the plurality of information claims comprises at least one other information claim that is not capable of being accessed by a party other than the user and an information card provider.

5. The information card of claim 1, wherein the information claim comprises at least one of:

demographic data of the user;

financial information of the user;

or

an advertising preference of the user.

6. The information card of claim 1, wherein the information card is configurable to include a session identifier representing that a web page customized using the information claim was provided to the user.

7. The information card of claim 1, wherein the information claim is verified using credit data about the user prior to being stored on the computer-readable medium,

wherein the information claim is designated by the user as capable of being accessed prior to being stored on the computer-readable medium.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a link to an information claim in an element of a data file, the link being associated with an information card of a user, wherein the information claim has been verified using credit data about the user and the information claim has been designated by the user as capable of being accessed;

accessing, by an access engine stored on a computer-readable medium, the information claim using the link; and

configuring a web page based on the information claim, wherein the web page is to be provided to the user.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

accessing the information claim using the link and using the information claim to customize the web page to be provided to the user without receiving an identity of the user.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing to the user the web page customized using the information claim; and

providing a session identifier to the information card of the user, the session identifier representing that the web page customized using the information claim was provided to the user.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein configuring the web page based on the information claim comprises:

selecting, based on the information claim, an advertisement from a plurality of advertisements; and

configuring the web page to include the advertisement selected based on the information claim from the plurality of advertisements.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein configuring the web page based on the information claim comprises:

performing a search for information using the information claim; and

configuring the web page to include search results from the search for information using the information claim.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the information claim comprises at least one of:

demographic data of the user;

financial information of the user;

or

an advertising preference of the user.

14. A system comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium having code stored thereon, the code being executable by the processor to cause the system to;

receive a link to an information claim in an element of a data file, the link being associated with an information card of a user, wherein the information claim has been verified using credit data about the user and the information claim has been designated by the user as capable of being accessed;

access the information claim using the link; and

configure a web page based on the information claim, wherein the web page is to be provided to the user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the code is executable by the processor to cause the system to:

provide to the user the web page customized using the information claim; and

provide a session identifier to the information card of the user, the session identifier representing that the web page customized using the information claim was provided to the user.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the code is executable by the processor to cause the system to configure the web page based on the information claim by:

selecting, based on the information claim, an advertisement from a plurality of advertisements; and

configuring the web page to include the advertisement selected based on the information claim from the plurality of advertisements.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the code is executable by the processor to cause the system to configure the web page based on the information claim by:

performing a search for information using the information claim; and

configuring the web page to include search results from the search for information using the information claim.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the information claim comprises at least one of:

demographic data of the user;

financial information of the user;

or

an advertising preference of the user.

19. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of data elements comprising information about a user;

receiving a command at an information card device to allow the at least one data element of the plurality of data elements to be accessible;

receiving a command at the information card device to allow at least one other data element of the plurality of data elements to be inaccessible to a party other than the user and the information card device;

configuring, by the information card device, an information card to include a link capable of providing access to the at least one data element and configuring the information card to prevent access to the at least one other data element; and

storing the information card on a computer-readable medium.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a representation of web activity of the user;

storing the representation of the web activity of the user in a data element of the plurality of data elements.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of data elements comprise a data element having at least one of:

demographic data of the user;

credit data of the user;

web activity history of the user;

financial information of the user;

or

an advertising preference of the user.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the plurality of data elements is verified using credit data about the user.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one data element comprises an identity of the user, wherein the identity of the user has been authenticated.