Abstract:
A method of protecting the identity and physical address of a user in an online environment is provided which establishes a virtual e-box for the user including a virtual name and address for use by the user when requesting information or purchasing goods over the Internet. Anonymity may be further enhanced by providing the user with a virtual credit card, which is tied to a user&#39;s real credit card or other source of payment. Additionally, the user may receive prepaid shipping labels, which include a barcode or other encoded means of accessing a user&#39;s web site account to charge to the user the cost of shipping a package affixed with the label.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to a method and apparatus for protecting the privacy of online shoppers and other Internet users and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for providing virtual electronic or privacy boxes (e-box) which may be used in an Internet environment to allow an online user to make purchases and receive mail anonymously.  
           [0002]    As use of the World Wide Web and Internet has increased, concern about personal data privacy has also increased. In conjunction, personal data collection by Internet service providers, and online vendors and other web sites has expanded. One problem is that an Internet user knowingly or unknowingly provides information over the Internet for one purpose and then that information is used for another purpose. Concerns for privacy and security are some of the reasons people do not shop online.  
           [0003]    The Internet is a global network connecting millions of computers. Access to the Internet is provided by Internet service providers (ISP), also called Internet access providers (IAP). One popular part to the Internet is the World Wide Web which consists of a collection of interlinked electronic documents hosted on web site servers that work together using a specific Internet protocol called hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). HTTP defines how messages are formatted and transmitted and what actions web servers and web browsers installed on user computers should take in response to various commands. These documents are created using a software language called hypertext markup language (HTML), which defines the structure and layout of a web document.  
           [0004]    HTML documents are generally static electronic documents. In order to manage user input, HTML documents may include links to executable programs such as Java applets, or control codes such as JavaScript may be integrated into the HTML document using special tags. Java is a programming language similar to C++ that is used to create stand alone executable application programs called applets. JavaScript is a scripting language that is interpreted by the web browser software running on the user&#39;s computer.  
           [0005]    A user may access the Internet using a personal computer equipped with a modem. Interface software is installed in the personal computer so that when the user wishes to access the Internet, the modem is automatically instructed to dial the telephone number associated with the user&#39;s ISP. The user can then browse the Internet to access online information using commercially available browser software such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. This online information is typically organized by web sites and web pages within a web site. Every web page is identified using a unique electronic address or uniform resource locator (URL). Generally, a web page is an electronic document, written in HTML, JavaScript and/or Java, which organizes the presentation of text, graphical images, audio, video, and links to other web pages into a desired display. An interactive web page manages user input in response to events such as a mouse click or keyboard entry to a web page from the user&#39;s personal computer. Web sites are accessed through a wide variety of commercial ISPs such as America Online, CompuServe or Microsoft Network.  
           [0006]    Commercial sites on the Internet (in particular on the World Wide Web) are known. Typically, web sites where merchandisers&#39; services may be purchased consist of a static description of the good or services being offered, the price at which such goods or services are being offered, and some type of order form for a customer to enter personal payment information. Similarly, online service systems, which allow users to receive information and purchase goods from a variety of different information providers and merchants over a distributed computer network such as the Internet, are also known.  
           [0007]    In an online commerce environment, a user can visit a merchant&#39;s electronic store or web site and interactively view merchandise or descriptions of services on the user&#39;s personal computer. A user may purchase goods or services from these electronic stores by selecting the desired good or service, providing a physical shipping or mailing address, and billing information to the online merchant. This type of system is similar to a mail-order catalog system, where the customer chooses the merchandise, fills out an order form, and mails it to the company for processing.  
           [0008]    One significant conflict concerning Internet privacy is what is more important to the user, personalization and convenient use of the Internet, or personal privacy? It has not always been possible to have it both ways. Generally, a user does not have any way of knowing what personal information a web site has collected regarding the user. By giving a web site a minimal amount of information, this information can be used to research other databases on the Internet to develop a more complete profile of the user, completely unknown to the user.  
           [0009]    Some companies, consortiums of companies and independent Internet groups have taken the initiative to ensure user privacy by promulgating voluntary guidelines for personal information use. However, to shop online, it has been necessary to disclose certain basic information which identifies the user, the user&#39;s physical address, and related information so that the products may be delivered to the user.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus which uses a distributed network, such as the Internet, for creating and recording a virtual name and address for a user to use to order goods anonymously.  
           [0011]    Another important object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus as aforesaid, which allows a user to receive email anonymously.  
           [0012]    Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus as aforesaid, which allows a user to receive prepaid postage labels which may be used to ship letters and packages anonymously.  
           [0013]    Yet another important object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus as aforesaid, which is integrated with mail and package handler systems to automatically ship a package or letter to the correct physical address based on the virtual name and address.  
           [0014]    These and other objects of the present invention are provided by creating and recording a virtual name, virtual privacy box and virtual address (collectively referred to as an e-box) which is selected by a user and is associated with the user&#39;s actual name and physical mailing address. This e-box may then be used to order goods over the Internet anonymously. Shippers associated with the e-box service may access the e-box web site to lookup the actual address and optionally, the actual name of the user, to deliver the goods to the user&#39;s physical address.  
           [0015]    Alternatively, the shipper may deliver the goods to an e-box relabeler, which has access to the e-box web site. The relabeler may then lookup the user&#39;s physical address and relabel the package for final delivery to the user by any shipper.  
           [0016]    The user may also purchase e-box labels with prepaid postage for applying directly to a package to be shipped. Upon receiving a package with a prepaid e-box label, the shipper or Post Office may access the e-box web site to debit the user&#39;s account.  
           [0017]    Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, a now preferred embodiment of this invention.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a product distribution network according to one preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the layout of a login web page according to one preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of the layout of an account set-up web page according to one preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of the layout of an account information and prepaid postage web page according to one preferred embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]    The virtual privacy box (e-box) or privacy box (P-Box) is a method and apparatus for protecting the privacy of online shoppers and other Internet users. The e-box provides an interactive computer implemented system, such as a web site on the World Wide Web, where a user may create an alternative name or alias and address which may be used to make purchases and receive mail anonymously. Additionally, the user may purchase prepaid postage mailing labels from the system.  
         [0023]    Turning more particularly to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a computer network  10  for connecting client computers  12  at a physical location  14 , such as a house or apartment, to web site servers. Access to the Internet  10  is provided by Internet service provider (ISP)  16 . Interlinked electronic documents stored on web site servers may be accessed by a user of computer  12  using an Internet protocol called hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). HTTP defines how messages are formatted and transmitted and what actions the web servers and web browser software loaded on computers  12  should take in response to various commands. These electronic documents stored on a web site server may be created using high-level software languages such as HTML, Java, and JavaScript, which define the structure, layout, and response to the user input of a web document.  
         [0024]    A user may access the Internet using personal computer  12  equipped with a modem or other access device. Conventional interface software is installed in personal computer  12  so that when the user wishes to access the Internet, the modem is automatically instructed to dial the telephone number associated with ISP  16 . The user can then browse the Internet to access online information stored on computers connected to the Internet.  
         [0025]    Online information is typically organized by web sites and web pages within a web site. The first page accessed on a web site is typically referred to as the home page, or login page  20  (see FIG. 2). Login page  20  provides access or links to other related web pages within the web site. Every web page is identified using a unique electronic address or uniform resource locator (URL).  
         [0026]    The web site of the preferred embodiment includes login page  20  which is linked to registration page  30  (FIG. 3), a privacy policy page (not shown), an account information page  120  (FIG. 4), and a confirmation page (not shown). The web pages shown in FIGS.  2 - 4  are for illustrative purposes only, and it should be understood that other pages or links between pages may be implemented.  
         [0027]    In the preferred embodiment, a person utilizing personal computer  12  may search the Internet for information relating to privacy mail boxes, personal privacy, virtual e-boxes, or related information using the searching capabilities of the browser software to find a link to login page  20 .  
         [0028]    If the user knows the URL of a login screen  20 , he or she may go directly to this web site by entering the web site address or URL.  
         [0029]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a login screen is illustrated which may be implemented as a web site  18  accessible on the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web is one popular part of the Internet which displays graphical and textual information. Computers which provide information on the World Wide Web are typically called “web sites.” A web site is defined by an Internet address which has an associated electronic page, often called a “home page.” Generally, a web page is an electronic document which organizes the presentation of text, graphically images, audio and video into a desired display. These web sites are operated by a wide variety of entities which are typically called content providers.  
         [0030]    A user may access the Internet using a personal computer equipped with a conventional modem. Special interface software is installed in the personal computer so that when the user wishes to access the Internet, the modem is automatically instructed to dial the telephone number associated with the Internet host server. The user can then access information at any address accessible over the Internet.  
         [0031]    Information exchanged over the World Wide Web is typically encoded in hypertext markup language (HTML) format. The HTML is a scripting language which is used to generate the web pages for different content providers. In this setting, a content provider is an individual or company that places information or content on the World Wide Web so that it may be accessed by others. As is well know in the art, the HTML format is a set of conventions for displaying an electronic document and for marking different portions of an electronic document so that each portion refers to an embedded function or tag and appears in a distinctive format. For example, the HTML format identifies or tags portions of a document to identify different categories of text. When a web browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, accesses an HTML document, the web browser interprets the imbedded tags in the document so that the text appears formatted in the specified manner.  
         [0032]    An HTML document can also include a hypertext reference (HREF) links which allow a user to move from one document to another document on the Internet. The HREF link is a portion of the document which, when selected by using an input device such as a mouse, activates a software connection module which allows a user to move between documents. Referring to FIG. 2, a login screen  20  for the virtual e-box is illustrated. If a user has previously created an account on the e-box system, the user may enter his or her P-Box name in input field  22  and the associated password input field  24 . The user may then select HREF link  26  to Login and to view and/or modify the user&#39;s account information. A sample of the HTML code to generate screen  10  is included below.  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       TABLE 1                       HTML Code for Screen 20                                &lt;HTML&gt;       &lt;HEAD&gt;                &lt;TITLE&gt;Virtual E-Box Login&lt;/TITLE&gt;            &lt;/HEAD&gt;       &lt;BODY LEFTMARGIN=0 TOPMARGIN=0 MARGINWIDTH=0       MARGINHEIGHT=0 BGCOLOR=“#FFFFFF”       onload=document.form1.pboxusername.focus()&gt;       &lt;TABLE BORDER=“0” CELLSPACING=“0” CELLPADDING=“0”       WIDTH=600&gt;                &lt;TR VALIGN=“TOP” ALIGN=“LEFT”&gt;                &lt;TD&gt;                &lt;TABLE BORDER=“0” CELLSPACING=“0”            CELLPADDING= “0” WIDTH=134&gt;                &lt;TR&gt;                &lt;TD &gt;&lt;/TD&gt;                &lt;/TR&gt;            &lt;/TABLE&gt;                &lt;/TD&gt;           &lt;TD&gt;           &lt;TABLE BORDER=“0” CELLSPACING=“0”            CELLPADDING=“0”&gt;                &lt;TR&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;           &lt;TR&gt;                &lt;TD ALIGN=“LEFT” BGCOLOR=“#FFFFFF”            CLASS=“plainlg”&gt;                &lt;br&gt;            &lt;TABLE border=“0” width=“469”&gt;                &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;FONT SIZE=“5”&gt; Welcome to Virtual P.O. Box!&lt;br&gt;                &lt;FONT SIZE=“4”&gt; Please login below:                &lt;/td&gt;           &lt;td align=“right”&gt;                &lt;a href=javascript:need_account_click() class=“bluelink”            align=“right”&gt;                Need an account?&lt;/a&gt;                &lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;            &lt;/TABLE&gt;       &lt;p&gt;       &lt;form action=“./validate.asp” method=“post” id=“form1”       name=“form1” onSubmit=“return       login_click()”&gt;                &lt;input type=“hidden” name=“TargetURL”            value=“https://www.virtualebox.com/userlogin/form2.htm”&gt;                &lt;TABLE border=“0” width=“600”&gt;                &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td width=“40”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;           &lt;td&gt;                &lt;TABLE&gt;                &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt; P-Box User Name: &lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;                &lt;input maxlength=20 id=“pboxusername”            name=“pboxusername” onFocus=this.select ()&gt;                &lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;                &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt; P-Box Password: &lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;                &lt;input maxlength=20 type=“pboxpassword”            id=“pboxpassword” name=“pboxpassword”       onFocus=this.select ()&gt;&lt;br&gt;                &lt;td align=“right”&gt;           &lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=javascript:forgot_click()            class=“bluelink” align=“right”&gt;                &lt;FONT FACE=“ARIAL, HELVETICA” SIZE=“1”&gt;            Forgot your password? &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;br&gt;                &lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;                &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&lt;&gt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;/td&lt;&gt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;                &lt;a href=javascript:login_click()            class=“bluelink” border=“0”&gt;                &lt;FONT SIZE=“4”&gt;LOGIN &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;                &lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;                &lt;/TABLE&gt;                 &lt;/td&gt;           &lt;/td&gt;                 &lt;/td&gt;           &lt;/TABLE&gt;            &lt;/form&gt;       &lt;SCRIPT LANGUAGE=javascript&gt;       // Username and password are required       function login_click() {                if (document.form1.pboxusername.value ==“ ”)           {                alert(“Please enter your P-Box user name.”);           document.form1.pboxusername.focus();           return false;                }           else if ((document.form1.pboxusername.value != “ ”) &amp;&amp;            (document.form1.pboxpassword.value ==       “ ”))                {                alert(“Please enter your P-Box password.”);           document.form1.pboxpassword.focus();           return false;                }           return true;            }       function processEnter(keypressed) {                var key;           if (document.all) {                key = window.event.keyCode;                }           else {                key = keypressed.which;                }           if (key == 13)           {                if (login_onclick()) {           document.form1.submit();                }           }            }       function forgot_click() {                document.form1.action = “./forgot.asp”;           document.form1.method = “post”;           document.form2.submit();            }       function need_account_click() {                document.form1.action = “./acctsetup.asp”;           document.form1.method = “post”;           document.form1.submit();            }       if (navigator.userAgent.indexOf(“MSIE 5”) == −1) {                document.form1.pboxpassword.onkeypress=processEnter;           document.form1.pboxusername.onkeypress=processEnter;            }       &lt;/SCRIPT&gt;                &lt;/TD&gt;                &lt;/TR&gt;           &lt;TR&gt;           &lt;/TR&gt;           &lt;TR&gt;           &lt;/TR&gt;                &lt;/TABLE&gt;                &lt;TABLE BORDER=“0” CELLSPACING=“0”           &lt;TR&gt;            CELLPADDING=“0”&gt;                &lt;TR&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;TR&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;TR&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;TR&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;           &lt;TD&gt;&lt;font size=“2”&gt; Copyright &amp;copy; 2000 Virtual E-Box            Corporation |                &lt;A HREF=“http://www.virtualebox.com/privacy.htm”            CLASS=“plainsmlink”&gt;Privacy Policy&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;                &lt;/TR&gt;            &lt;/TABLE&gt;                &lt;/TD&gt;           &lt;/TR&gt;            &lt;/TABLE&gt;       &lt;/BODY&gt;       &lt;/HTML&gt;                  
 
         [0033]    If the user does not have an account and wishes to create one, the user may select HREF link  28  which then displays registration screen  30  as illustrated in FIG. 3. Registration screen  30  is divided into five sections, namely, personal information  32 , P-Box name  34 , P-Box address  36 , P-Box password  38 , and credit card information  40 . Personal information section  32  may include input fields for e-mail address  42 , first name  44 , last name  46 , street address  48 , city  50 , a select field for state  52 , zip code input field  54  and telephone number  56 . The personal information section  32  contains the user&#39;s actual name and shipping address, phone number and e-mail address which will be used to send products and/or information ordered or requested by the user to the user through the virtual e-box system  18 .  
         [0034]    P-Box section name  34  allows a user to create a new P-Box first name  58 , last name  60  and P-Box number or name  62 . If the user wishes to use his or her real name, the user selects box  64 , and the first name entered in box  64  is copied into box  58  and last name entered into box  46  is copied into box  60 . In this way, the user will not have to remember a new first name and last name when ordering products over the Internet but only a P-Box number  62 .  
         [0035]    Similarly, P-Box address section  36  is used by the user to create a P-Box city  68 , select a P-Box state  70 , and a P-Box zip code  72 . As with P-Box name section  34 , the user may wish to use his or her actual or real city, state and zip code by selecting box  66 . If box  66  is selected, city  50  is copied into P-Box city  68 , state  52  is copies into P-Box state  70  and zip code  54  is copies into P-Box zip code  72 . This feature is useful to minimize the different information a user will have to remember when ordering online. If a user has a common name such as John Smith, for example, and lives in a large city such as New York City, only a P-Box number  62  may be necessary to insure the user&#39;s online privacy.  
         [0036]    P-Box password section  38  is used to enter a password  74 , confirming the password by entering the same password in box  76 , and entering a hint in box  78  to remind the user of the selected password. Hint  78  is displayed if the user selects the “Forgot your password?” HTML link  80  shown in FIG. 2. If after receiving the hint  78 , the user still cannot remember his or her password  74 , the password may be e-mailed to the user&#39;s e-mail address  42 .  
         [0037]    Credit card information section  40  is used by the user to select a credit card from selection box  82  enter his or her credit card number  84  along with the expiration month  86  and year  88 . As explained in more detail below, the user&#39;s credit card may be charged for handling fees, shipping costs, and indirectly for ordering products online. When the user has completed form  30 , the user may select the “submit” the HTML link  92  to submit all the entered information to be verified and recorded. Various verification steps may be taken such as insuring that there are no duplicate e-mail addresses on file, no duplicate P-Box numbers or P-Box names, to name a few. Additionally, the credit card number will be verified to ensure that the number is valid and matches the name provided in the personal information section  32 . A sample of the HTML code to generate screen  30  is included below.  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               TABLE 2                       HTML Code for Screen 30                                &lt;HTML&gt;       &lt;HEAD&gt;                &lt;TITLE&gt;Virtual E-Box Registration&lt;/TITLE&gt;            &lt;/HEAD&gt;       &lt;BODY LEFTMARGIN=0 TOPMARGIN=0 MARGINWIDTH=0        MARGINHEIGHT=0 BGCOLOR=“#FFFFFF”&gt;       &lt;TABLE BORDER=“0” CELLSPACING=“0” CELLPADDING=“0”       WIDTH=750&gt;                &lt;TR VALIGN=“TOP” ALIGN=“LEFT”&gt;                &lt;TD&gt;                &lt;TABLE BORDER=“0” CELLSPACING=“0”            CELLPADDING=“0” WIDTH=150&gt;                &lt;TR&gt;                &lt;TD&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;                &lt;/TR&gt;            &lt;/TABLE&gt;                &lt;/TD&gt;           &lt;TD&gt;           &lt;TABLE BORDER=“0” CELLSPACING=“0”            CELLPADDING=“0”&gt;                &lt;TR&gt;           &lt;/TR&gt;           &lt;TR&gt;                &lt;TD ALIGN=“LEFT” BGCOLOR=“#FFFFFF”            CLASS=“plainlg”&gt;       &lt;br&gt;&lt;font class=“plain”&gt;       The information on this page is required to obtain a Virtual       E-Box.       &lt;p&gt;Please read our &lt;a href=javascript:open_privacy()&gt; Privacy       Policy &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt; before applying.&lt;p&gt;       &lt;form action=“./mts_acctsetup.asp” method=“post” name=“form1”&gt;                &lt;table border=“0” width=“350” class=“plain”&gt;                &lt;tr bgcolor=“#cccccc”&gt;                &lt;td colspan=3 class=“plainlgbold”&gt;Personal            Information&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;E-Mail Address&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strMyEmail maxlength=50            onFocus=this.select() value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;First Name&lt;/td&gt;           &lt;td&gt;Last Name&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;.tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strMyFirstName width=30            maxlength=30 onFocus=this.select()       value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strMyLastName maxlength=50            onFocus=this select()       value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;Street Address&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strMyAddress maxlength=50            onFocus=this.select()       onChange=‘new_values()’ value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;City &lt;/td&gt;           &lt;td&gt;State&lt;/td&gt;           &lt;td&gt;Zip &lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strMyCity            onChange=‘new_values()’ onFocus=this.select()       maxlength=50 value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;td&gt;            &lt;select name=“strMyState” onChange=‘new_values()’&gt;            &lt;option   SELECTED VALUE=“ ”&gt;--Select a State--       &lt;option   VALUE=“AL”&gt;Alabama       &lt;option   VALUE=“AK”&gt;Alaska       &lt;option   VALUE=“AZ”&gt;Arizona       &lt;option   VALUE=“AR”&gt;Arkansas       &lt;option   VALUE=“CA”&gt;California       &lt;option   VALUE=“CO”&gt;Colorado       &lt;option   VALUE=“CT”&gt;Connecticut       &lt;option   VALUE=“DE”&gt;Delaware       &lt;option   VALUE=“DC”&gt;D.C.       &lt;option   VALUE=“FL”&gt;Florida       &lt;option   VALUE=“GA”&gt;Georgia       &lt;option   VALUE=“HI”&gt;Hawaii       &lt;option   VALUE=“ID”&gt;Idaho       &lt;option   VALUE=“IL”&gt;Illinois       &lt;option   VALUE=“IN”&gt;Indiana       &lt;option   VALUE=“IA”&gt;Iowa       &lt;option   VALUE=“KS”&gt;Kansas       &lt;option   VALUE=“KY”&gt;Kentucky       &lt;option   VALUE=“LA”&gt;Louisiana       &lt;option   VALUE=“ME”&gt;Maine       &lt;option   VALUE=“MD”&gt;Maryland       &lt;option   VALUE=“MH”&gt;Marshall Islands       &lt;option   VALUE=“MA”&gt;Massachusetts       &lt;option   VALUE=“MI”&gt;Michigan       &lt;option   VALUE=“MN”&gt;Minnesota       &lt;option   VALUE=“MS”&gt;Mississippi       &lt;option   VALUE=“MO”&gt;Missouri       &lt;option   VALUE=“MT”&gt;Montana       &lt;option   VALUE=“NE”&gt;Nebraska       &lt;option   VALUE=“NV”&gt;Nevad.a       &lt;option   VALUE=“NH”&gt;New Hampshire       &lt;option   VALUE=“NJ”&gt;New Jersey       &lt;option   VALUE=“NM”&gt;New Mexico       &lt;option   VALUE=“NY”&gt;New York       &lt;option   VALUE=“NC”&gt;North Carolina       &lt;option   VALUE=“ND”&gt;North Dakota       &lt;option   VALUE=“OH”&gt;Ohio       &lt;option   VALUE=“OK”&gt;Oklahoma       &lt;option   VALUE=“OR”&gt;Oregon       &lt;option   VALUE=“PA”&gt;Pennsylvania       &lt;option   VALUE=“RI”&gt;Rhode Island       &lt;option   VALUE=“SC”&gt;South Carolina       &lt;option   VALUE=“SD”&gt;South Dakota       &lt;option   VALUE=“TN”&gt;Tennessee       &lt;option   VALUE=“TX”&gt;Texas       &lt;option   VALUE=“UT”&gt;Utah       &lt;option   VALUE=“VA”&gt;Virginia       &lt;option   VALUE=“VT”&gt;Vermont       &lt;option   VALUE=“WA”&gt;Washington       &lt;option   VALUE=“WV”&gt;West Virginia       &lt;option   VALUE=“WI”&gt;Wisconsin       &lt;option   VALUE=“WY”&gt;Wyoming&lt;/select&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strMyZip            onChange=‘new_values ()’ onFocus=this.select()       maxlength=20 value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;Phone&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strMyPhone maxlength=20            onFocus=this.select()       value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;                &lt;/table&gt;            &lt;p&gt;                &lt;table border=0 width=350 class=plain cellspacing=0&gt;                &lt;tr bgcolor=#cccccc&gt;                &lt;td class=plainlgbold&gt;P-Box Name&lt;/td&gt;           &lt;td colspan=3 class=plainsm&gt;&lt;input type=checkbox            name=SameName       onClick=‘samename_click()’checked&gt;                Use my real name as my P-Box user name.                &lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;P-Box First Name&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;P-Box Last Name&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;P-            Box Number (Name) &lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strPBoxFirstName            onFocus=this.select() maxlength=50 value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;       &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strPBoxLastName       onFocus=this.select() maxlength=50 value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strPBoxNumber maxlength=50            onFocus=this.select() value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;                &lt;/table&gt;            &lt;p&gt;                &lt;table border=0 width=350 class=plain cellspacing=0&gt;                &lt;tr bgcolor=#cccccc&gt;                &lt;td class=plainlgbold&gt;P-Box Address&lt;/td&gt;           &lt;td colspan=3  class=plainsm&gt;&lt;input type=checkbox            name=SameAddr       onClick=‘sameaddr_click()’checked&gt;                Use my real city/state/zip.                &lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;P-Box City&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;P-Box State&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;P-Box            Zip&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strMyCity            onChange=‘new_values()’ onFocus=this.select() maxlength=50       value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;       &lt;td&gt;&lt;select name=“strPBoxState”&gt;            &lt;option   SELECTED VALUE=“ ”&gt;--Select a State--       &lt;option   VALUE=“AL”&gt;Alabama       &lt;option   VALUE=“AK”&gt;Alaska       &lt;option   VALUE=“AZ”&gt;Arizona       &lt;option   VALUE=“AR”&gt;Arkansas       &lt;option   VALUE=“CA”&gt;California       &lt;option   VALUE=“CO”&gt;Colorado       &lt;option   VALUE=“CT”&gt;Connecticut       &lt;option   VALUE=“DE”&gt;Delaware       &lt;option   VALUE=“DC”&gt;D.C.       &lt;option   VALUE=“FL”&gt;Florida       &lt;option   VALUE=“GA”&gt;Georgia       &lt;option   VALUE=“HI”&gt;Hawaii       &lt;option   VALUE=“ID”&gt;Idaho       &lt;option   VALUE=“IL”&gt;Illinois       &lt;option   VALUE=“IN”&gt;Indiana       &lt;option   VALUE=“IA”&gt;Iowa       &lt;option   VALUE=“KS”&gt;Kansas       &lt;option   VALUE=“KY”&gt;Kentucky       &lt;option   VALUE=“LA”&gt;Louisiana       &lt;option   VALUE=“ME”&gt;Maine       &lt;option   VALUE=“MD”&gt;Maryland       &lt;option   VALUE=“MA”&gt;Massachusetts       &lt;option   VALUE=“MI”&gt;Michigan       &lt;option   VALUE=“MN”&gt;Minnesota       &lt;option   VALUE=“MS”&gt;Mississippi       &lt;option   VALUE=“MO”&gt;Missouri       &lt;option   VALUE=“MT”&gt;Montana       &lt;option   VALUE=“NE”&gt;Nebraska       &lt;option   VALUE=“NV”&gt;Nevada       &lt;option   VALUE=“NH”&gt;New Hampshire       &lt;option   VALUE=“NJ”&gt;New Jersey       &lt;option   VALUE=“NM”&gt;New Mexico       &lt;option   VALUE=“NY”&gt;New York       &lt;option   VALUE=“NC”&gt;North Carolina       &lt;option   VALUE=“ND”&gt;North Dakaota       &lt;option   VALUE=“OH”&gt;Ohio       &lt;option   VALUE=“OK”&gt;Oklahoma       &lt;option   VALUE=“OR”&gt;Oregon       &lt;option   VALUE=“PA”&gt;Pennsylvania       &lt;option   VALUE=“RI”&gt;Rhode Island       &lt;option   VALUE=“SC”&gt;South Carolina       &lt;option   VALUE=“SD”&gt;South Dakota       &lt;option   VALUE=“TN”&gt;Tennessee       &lt;option   VALUE=“TX”&gt;Texas       &lt;option   VALUE=“UT”&gt;Utah       &lt;option   VALUE=“VA”&gt;Virginia       &lt;option   VALUE=“VT”&gt;Vermont       &lt;option   VALUE=“WA”&gt;Washington       &lt;option   VALUE=“WV”&gt;West Virginia       &lt;option   VALUE=“WI”&gt;Wisconsin       &lt;option   VALUE=“WY”&gt;Wyoming&lt;/select&gt;            &lt;/td&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strPBoxZip maxlength=20            onFocus=this.select() value=“ ”&lt;&gt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td colspan=3&gt;           &lt;font class=plainsm&gt;*The P-Box address is the address            appearing on your mail. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;br&gt;                &lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;                &lt;/table&gt;            &lt;p&gt;                &lt;table border=0 width=350 class=plain cellspacing=0&gt;                &lt;tr bgcolor=#cccccc&gt;                &lt;td colspan=3 class=plainlgbold&gt;P-Box Password&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;Password&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;Confirm Password&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td&gt;Hint&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strPBoxPassword            onFocus=this.select() maxlength=50 value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strPBoxConfirmPassword            maxlength=50 onFocus=this.select() value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;       &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strPBoxPasswordHint maxlength=50       onFocus=this.select() value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;/table&gt;            &lt;p&gt;                &lt;table border=0 width=350 class=plain cellspacing=0&gt;                &lt;tr bgcolor=#cccccc&gt;                &lt;td colspan=3 class=plainlgbold&gt;Credit Card            Information&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;Credit Card&lt;/td&gt;           &lt;td&gt;Credit Card Number&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;            &lt;td&gt;       &lt;select name=“strCreditCard” onChange=‘new_values()’&gt;       &lt;option SELECTED VALUE=“ ”&gt;Select Credit Card       &lt;option VALUE=“Visa”&gt;Visa       &lt;option VALUE=“Mastercard”&gt;Mastercard       &lt;option VALUE=“Discover”&gt;Discover       &lt;option VALUE=“American Express”&gt;American Express&lt;/select&gt;       &lt;/td&gt;       &lt;td&gt;&lt;input type=text name=strCreditCard       onChange=‘new_values()’ onFocus=this.select() maxlength=50       value=“ ”&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;Expiration Month&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;td&gt;Expiration Year&lt;/td&gt;           &lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;            &lt;td&gt;            &lt;select   name=“strExpireMonth”&gt;       &lt;option   SELECTED VALUE=“ ”&gt;Select Month       &lt;option   VALUE=“01”&gt;January       &lt;option   VALUE=“02”&gt;February       &lt;option   VALUE=“03”&gt;March       &lt;option   VALUE=“04”&gt;April       &lt;option   VALUE=“05”&gt;May       &lt;option   VALUE=“06”&gt;June       &lt;option   VALUE=“07”&gt;July       &lt;option   VALUE=“08”&gt;August       &lt;option   VALUE=“09”&gt;September       &lt;option   VALUE=“10”&gt;October       &lt;option   VALUE=“11”&gt;November       &lt;option   VALUE=“12”&gt;December            &lt;/select&gt;       &lt;/td&gt;       &lt;td&gt;            &lt;select   name=“strExpireYear”&gt;       &lt;option   SELECTED VALUE=“ ”&gt;Select Year       &lt;option   VALUE=“2000”&gt;2000       &lt;option   VALUE=“2001”&gt;2001       &lt;option   VALUE=“2002”&gt;2002       &lt;option   VALUE=“2003”&gt;2003       &lt;option   VALUE=“2004”&gt;2004       &lt;option   VALUE=“2005”&gt;2005       &lt;option   VALUE=“2006”&gt;2006       &lt;option   VALUE=“2007”&gt;2007       &lt;option   VALUE=“2008”&gt;2008       &lt;option   VALUE=“2009”&gt;2009       &lt;option   VALUE=“2010”&gt;2010&lt;/select&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;                &lt;/table&gt;                &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;           &lt;tr&gt;                &lt;td&gt;&lt;a href=javascript:history.back() class=“bluelink”            border=0&gt;&lt;font size=“4”&gt; BACK &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;td colspan=2 align=right&gt;&lt;a            href=“http://www.virtualebox.com/form2” class=“bluelink”       border=0&gt;                &lt;font size=“4~&gt;SUBMIT\/NEXT &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;                &lt;/tr&gt;                &lt;/table&gt;            &lt;input type=hidden name=NextPage value=“2”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=TargetURL       value=“https://www.virtualebox.com//login.htm”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strBEmail value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strBFirstName value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strBLastName value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strBAddress value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strBCity value=“ ”.       &lt;input type=hidden name=strBState value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strBZip value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strBPhone value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strSEmail value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strSFirstName value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strSLastName value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strSAddress value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strSCity value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strSState value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strSZip value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;input type=hidden name=strSPhone value=“ ”&gt;       &lt;/form&gt;       &lt;script language=javascript&gt;       function open_privacy() {                window.open(‘./privacy.htm’, ‘privacy’,            ‘directories=0, personalbar=0, toolbar=0, scrollbars=1, height=400,       width=800’);       }       function samename_click() {                if (document.form1.SameName.checked == true) {                document.form1.strPBoxFirstName.value =            document.form1.strMyFirstName.value;                document.form1.strPBoxLastName.value            document.form1.strMyLastName.value;                } else {                document.form1.strPBoxFirstName.value = ‘ ’;           document.form1.strPBoxLastName.value = ‘ ’;                }           return true;            }       function sameaddr_click() {                if (document.form1.SameAddr.checked == true) {                document.form1.strPBoxAddress.value =            document.form1.strMyAddress.value;                document.form1.strPBoxCity.value =            document.form1.strMyCity.value;                document.form1.strPBoxState.value =            document.form1.strMyState.value;                document.form1.strPBoxZip.value =            document.form1.strMyZip.value;                } else {                document.form1.strPBoxAddress.value = ‘ ’;           document.form1.strPBoxCity.value = ‘ ’;           document.form1.strPBoxState.value = ‘ ’;           document.form1.strPBoxZip.value = ‘ ’;                }           return true;            }       function new_values() {                if (document.form1.SameName.checked == true) {                document.form1.strPBoxAddress.value =            document.form1.strMyAddress.value;                document.form1.strPBoxCity.value =            document.form1.strMyCity.value;                document.form1.strPBoxState.value =            document form1.strMyState.value;                document.form1.strPBoxZip.value =            document.form1.strMyZip.value;                }           return true;            }       &lt;/script&gt;       &lt;/td&gt;       &lt;/TABLE&gt;       &lt;/tr&gt;       &lt;!TABLE BORDER=“0” CELLSPACING=“0” CELLPADDING=“0”&gt;       &lt;table border=“0” width=“750” class=“plain”&gt;                &lt;TD COLSPAN=“2” VALIGN=“MIDDLE” ALIGN =“CENTER”            BGCOLOR=“#FFFFFF” CLASS=“plainsm”&gt;                &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size=“2”&gt;Copyright &amp;copy; 2000 Virtual E-Box            Corporation                |           &lt;A HREF=“http://www.virtualebox.com/privacy.htm”            CLASS=“plainsmlink”&gt;Privacy Policy&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;                &lt;/TR&gt;            &lt;/TABLE                &lt;/TR&gt;            &lt;/TABLE&gt;       &lt;/BODY&gt;       &lt;/HTML&gt;                  
 
         [0038]    After selecting “submit” link  92  and all the entered information from page  30  is verified, a confirmation page (not shown) may be displayed for the user to verify the data entered on page  30 . When this information is finally accepted and submitted by the user, an information page  120  (FIG. 4) may be displayed which includes the user&#39;s P-Box name, P-Box number, P-Box e-mail account name, and verified credit card number as further discussed below.  
         [0039]    If the user wishes to change or update his or her account, the user may select HTML link  122  to return to page  30  (FIG. 3). When going from page  120  to page  30 , all data fields are filled in automatically for the user to edit and then resubmit the changes.  
         [0040]    From page  120  the user may also wish to receive mailing labels and purchase prepaid postage  124 . The labels may include a bar code to enable the post office or shipper to process the package automatically and debit the user&#39;s account as further described herein below. The user may pay by selecting to have his or her credit card charged each time a label is used by selecting box  126 , or the user may pay by selecting box  128  to debit his or her credit card the amount entered in box  130 . Selecting the NEXT link  132 , a confirmation screen is displayed showing the user&#39;s account status (not shown).  
         [0041]    Referring to FIG. 1, a user at a physical location  14  may use personal computer  12  to access the virtual e-box system  18  through ISP  16  over phone lines  96  or other connection means to the Internet  97 . Virtual e-box web pages  98  are displayed on personal computer  12 . Web pages  98  consist of log in screen  30 , registration screen  30  and other information screens. After the user has created an account as described above for FIG. 3, this information is stored in one or more databases  100  on web site server  94 . Once the user&#39;s account is set up, the user is free to order merchandise or other information over the Internet using his or her e-box. For example, using personal computer  12  connected to the Internet  97 , the user may access web site  102  which displays graphics and information regarding electronic products  104  such as CD players, for example. If the user wishes to purchase one of these products, the user will fill out a form on web site  102  by entering name, address, phone number, and credit card information on web page  106 . Instead of using his or her real name and physical address, the user may use his or her virtual e-box name and address. Web site  102  notifies warehouse  108  of the user&#39;s order and sends warehouse  108  the user&#39;s information from page  106 . Warehouse  108  packages the merchandise and labels the package for shipping.  
         [0042]    In one embodiment, the product may be shipped via the U.S. postal service or a commercial shipper, such as United Parcel Service (UPS) or Federal Express (FedEx)  110 , to a virtual e-box re-mailer location  112  as indicated on the mailing label in this embodiment, the P-Box address  36  would be assigned to the user by the virtual e-box system to be the physical address of the e-box re-mailer location  112 . The package is then automatically scanned and the user&#39;s physical mailing address is retrieved from database  100  and a new label printed using the user&#39;s real name and address and applied to the package. The re-labeled package is then shipped using shipper  110  delivered to the user at location  14 . Alternatively, shipper  110  may access database  100  directly using a secure line  116  or other secure means over the Internet to match the P-Box name and number to the actual user and address. Shipper  110  may then directly re-label the package and deliver it to the user. Shipper  110  may charge the user a re-labeling fee using the user&#39;s credit card number. The web page accessed by shipper  110  (not shown) includes only the data the user wishes to be viewed. For example, the user may only want the shipper to know his or her physical address, but not his or her real name.  
         [0043]    In another embodiment, the virtual e-box system may assign the user a virtual credit card number that is owned by the virtual e-box system. The virtual credit card number may then be used by the user to purchase goods over the Internet or other network anonymously. In this way, no identifying information is provided on the Internet to an online merchant by the user. The only location where the e-box information is linked to the actual user is controlled by the virtual e-box system  18  which may only be viewed by the user and authorized shippers  110  or law enforcement personnel.  
         [0044]    E-box users wishing to use prepaid services may request mailing labels from the virtual e-box system which can be used as stamps. The mailing labels may include the user&#39;s P-Box name, P-Box address, and P-Box number along with a bar code, machine readable indicia for automatic processing. In the preferred embodiment, the bar code includes such information as the web site address and P-Box number and an authentication number. Upon receiving the letter/package, the Post Office shipper  110  may scan the bar code to charge the e-box owner the necessary amount of postage. Alternatively, the shipper may enter the P-Box name along with an authorization password provided to the shipper over the Internet link to charge the P-Box owner for shipping.  
         [0045]    It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto, except in so far as such limitations are included in the following claims.