Pseudonymous server for system for customized electronic identification of desirable objects

• US 5,754,938 A
• Filed: 10/31/1995
• Issued: 05/19/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pinpoint Incorporated (Altitude Capital Partners)
• Original Assignee: Frederick S.M. Herz, Jason M. Eisner, Marcos Salganicoff
• Inventors: Salganicoff, Marcos, Herz, Frederick S. M., Eisner, Jason M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, John W.
• Application Number:
  US08/550,886
• Time in patent office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 348/1, 348/2, 348/6, 348/7, 348/8, 348/10, 348/11, 348/12, 348/13, 348/5.5, 395/200.47, 395/200.48, 395/200.49
• US Class Current: 725/116
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing, e.g. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards; Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/00 Contacts liquid contacts H01H29/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0662 with particular pseudorandom sequence generator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end intermediate processing or storage in data networks H04L29/08702
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2223 being a public access point, e.g. for downloading to or uploading from clients arrangements specially adapted to plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L29/08801
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; protocols involving user profiles for network applications in communication control or processing H04L29/08936; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; protocols for scheduling and organising the servicing of requests, whereby a time schedule is established for servicing the requests in network applications in communication control or processing H04L29/08963; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 : involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protocols involving user profiles for network applications in communication control or processing H04L29/08936; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 : Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 : Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4665 : involving classification methods, e.g. Decision trees
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 : for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; data switching network applications using user profiles H04L29/08936
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 : Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 : Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 : Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access

Abstract

This invention relates to customized electronic identification of desirable objects, such as news articles, in an electronic media environment, and in particular to a system that automatically constructs both a "target profile" for each target object in the electronic media based, for example, on the frequency with which each word appears in an article relative to its overall frequency of use in all articles, as well as a "target profile interest summary" for each user, which target profile interest summary describes the user'"'"'s interest level in various types of target objects. The system then evaluates the target profiles against the users'"'"' target profile interest summaries to generate a user-customized rank ordered listing of target objects most likely to be of interest to each user so that the user can select from among these potentially relevant target objects, which were automatically selected by this system from the plethora of target objects that are profiled on the electronic media. Users'"'"' target profile interest summaries can be used to efficiently organize the distribution of information in a large scale system consisting of many users interconnected by means of a communication network. Additionally, a cryptographically-based pseudonym proxy server is provided to ensure the privacy of a user'"'"'s target profile interest summary, by giving the user control over the ability of third parties to access this summary and to identify or contact the user.

Claims

1. A method for automatically providing a user with confidential access to selected ones of a plurality of target objects and sets of target object characteristics that are accessible via an electronic storage media, where said users are connected via user terminals and data communication connections to a target server system which accesses said electronic storage media, said method comprising the steps of:

confidentially generating a user pseudonym at a proxy server, which pseudonym is unique to said user, by means of authenticated user credentials provided by an authenticating entity;

mapping a user target profile interest summary indicative of said user'"'"'s access patterns to target objects and sets of target object characteristics to said user pseudonym;

enabling access by said user to said plurality of target objects and sets of target object characteristics stored on said electronic storage media via said user target profile interest summary associated with said user'"'"'s pseudonym; and

confidentially routing target objects and sets of target object characteristics, retrieved in said step of enabling access, to said user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

assuring at said authenticating entity that said generated pseudonym has unalterable stipulations for qualifying said user, which untamperable stipulations result from the checking of said user credentials by said authenticating entity.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

assuring that said user target profile interest summary contains said user credentials in an untamperable portion of said user target profile interest summary associated with said pseudonym.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said target server system is connected to said user terminal via said proxy server, said step of mapping comprises:

mediating in said proxy server between said target server system and said user terminal.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said proxy server maintains and updates said user target profile interest summary.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said proxy server may mediate between the user and other parties such as, but not limited to publicly known target servers, pseudonymous target-object server entities, publicly known individuals users, and other pseudonymous individual users.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said proxy server regulates access to said user target profile interest summaries by parties other than said user, said step of mapping comprises:

storing data in a memory indicative of characteristics of parties who said user desires to have access to said user target profile interest summary;

correlating data indicative of characteristics of a one of said parties with said stored data to determine whether said one party is authorized to access said user target profile interest summary; and

enabling said one party to access said user target profile interest summary when said step of correlating determines authorization of access.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said stored data comprises a party profile which defines which of said parties can access to said user target profile interest summary and access condition data which instructs said proxy server of the manner of said regulated access.

9. The method of claim 8 where said regulated access to said user target profile interest summary may be specific to allowing the release of certain classes of transactions and other second order attributes synthesized from raw transaction and viewing duration information as dictated by said user'"'"'s access rules.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of mapping further comprises:

enabling said user to access said memory to input said stored data.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein said proxy server regulates access to said user by parties other than said user, said step of mapping comprises:

storing data indicative of characteristics of parties who said user desires to have access to said user;

correlating data indicative of characteristics of a one of said parties with said stored data to determine whether said one party is authorized to access said user; and

enabling said one party to access said user when said step of correlating determines authorization of access.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of enabling access comprises:

receiving a message from said one party;

placing said received message in a packet confidentially addressed to said user; and

transmitting said packet to said user terminal.

13. The method of claim 11 where said proxy server aggregrates all existing said user target profile interest summary and on/or specific transaction information in a set of statistics which may be provided to target-object providers and other parties desiring of said information, possibly in exchange for cash-money or other considerations to be provided to the agency that operates the pseudonymous server.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of confidentially generating comprises:

accessing a validating server to enable said validating server authenticate identity of said user.

15. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of mapping comprises:

transmitting user target profile interest summary data, indicative of user target object access activity, from said user terminal to said proxy server, and

updating said user target profile interest summary with said received user target profile set data.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of confidentially generating is responsive to a request received from said user for generating a replacement user pseudonym which is unique to said user who already has an issued pseudonym by means of an authenticated credential provided by an authenticating entity to thereby ensure user anonymity.

17. The method of claim 2 wherein said authenticating entity includes authenticated attributes for said user.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said target object comprises purchasable goods, said method further comprising the steps of:

transmitting data from said user terminal to said target server system indicative of said user'"'"'s authorization to purchase identified ones of said purchasable goods;

accessing a credit server via said proxy server to process a financial transaction to debit said user for purchase of said identified purchasable goods.

19. Apparatus for automatically providing a user with confidential access to selected ones of a plurality of target objects and sets of target object characteristics that are accessible via an electronic storage media, where said users are connected via user terminals and data communication connections to a target server system which accesses said electronic storage media, said method comprising:

means for confidentially generating a user pseudonym at a proxy server, which pseudonym is unique to said user, by means of authenticated user credentials provided by an authenticating entity;

means for mapping a user target profile interest summary indicative of said user'"'"'s access patterns to target objects and sets of target object characteristics to said user pseudonym;

means for enabling access by said user to said plurality of target objects and sets of target object characteristics stored on said electronic storage media via said user target profile interest summary associated with said user'"'"'s pseudonym; and

means for confidentially routing target objects and sets of target object characteristics, retrieved in said step of enabling access, to said user.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising:

means for assuring at said authenticating entity that said generated pseudonym has untamperable stipulations for qualifying said user, which untamperable stipulations result from the checking of said user credentials by said authenticating entity.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising:

means for assuring that said user target profile interest summary contains said user credentials in an untamperable portion of said user target profile interest summary associated with said pseudonym.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said target server system is connected to said user terminal via said proxy server, said means for mapping comprises:

means for mediating in said proxy server between said target server system and said user terminal.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said proxy server maintains and updates said user target profile interest summary.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said proxy server may mediate between the user and other parties such as, but not limited to publicly known target servers, pseudonymous target-object server entities, publicly known individuals users, and other pseudonymous individual users.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said proxy server regulates access to said user target profile interest summaries by parties other than said user, said means for mapping comprises:

means for storing data in a memory indicative of characteristics of parties who said user desires to have access to said user target profile interest summary;

means for correlating data indicative of characteristics of a one of said parties with said stored data to determine whether said one party is authorized to access said user target profile interest summary; and

means for enabling said one party to access said user target profile interest summary when said step of correlating determines authorization of access.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said stored data comprises a party profile which defines which of said parties can access to said user target profile interest summary and access condition data which instructs said proxy server of the manner of said regulated access.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 where said regulated access to said user target profile interest summary may be specific to allowing the release of certain classes of transactions and other second order attributes synthesized from raw transaction and viewing duration information as dictated by said user'"'"'s access rules.

28. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said means for mapping further comprises:

means for enabling said user to access said memory to input said stored data.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein said proxy server regulates access to said user by parties other than said user, said means for mapping comprises:

means for storing data indicative of characteristics of parties who said user desires to have access to said user;

means for correlating data indicative of characteristics of a one of said parties with said stored data to determine whether said one party is authorized to access said user; and

means for enabling said one party to access said user when said step of correlating determines authorization of access.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said means for enabling access comprises:

means for receiving a message from said one party;

means for placing said received message in a packet confidentially addressed to said user; and

means for transmitting said packet to said user terminal.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 where said proxy server aggregrates all existing said user target profile interest summary and on/or specific transaction information in a set of statistics which may be provided to target-object providers and other parties desiring of said information, possibly in exchange for cash-money or other considerations to be provided to the agency that operates the pseudonymous server.

32. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said means for confidentially generating comprises:

means for accessing a validating server to enable said validating server authenticate identity of said user.

33. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said means for mapping comprises:

means for transmitting user target profile interest summary data, indicative of user target object access activity, from said user terminal to said proxy server; and

means for updating said user target profile interest summary with said received user target profile set data.

34. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said means for confidentially generating is responsive to a request received from said user for generating a replacement user pseudonym which is unique to said user who already has an issued pseudonym by means of an authenticated credential provided by an authenticating entity to thereby ensure user anonymity.

35. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said authenticating entity includes authenticated attributes for said user.

36. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said target object comprises purchasable goods, said apparatus further comprises:

means for transmitting data from said user terminal to said target server system indicative of said user'"'"'s authorization to purchase identified ones of said purchasable goods;

means for accessing a credit server via said proxy server to process a financial transaction to debit said user for purchase of said identified purchasable goods.