Patent ID: 7360251
Filing Date: 2008-04-15
Classification: G06F,G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for collecting transaction data generated by users accessing a network through an internet service provider without associating personally identifiable information with the transaction data, comprising: obtaining an identifier from an internet service provider representing one or more users of a computer network; creating an anonymized identifier using the obtained identifier at the internet service provider; collecting data being transmitted across the computer network from the internet service provider; collecting transaction data associated with a merchant system on the network which is separate from the internet service provider, for transactions conducted between the merchant and one or more users of the computer network; creating one or more transaction codes using the collected transaction data; associating the anonymized identifier with the collected data and the one or more transaction codes; creating a transaction record including one or more transaction codes and an anonymized identifier; and storing the transaction record.