Source: http://patents.com/us-9886714.html
Timestamp: 2019-01-24 12:36:58
Document Index: 608228484

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 200810166520', 'Application No. 200810166520', 'Application No. 10184836', 'Application No. 0101821592', 'Application No. 200810166520', 'Application No. 200810166520', 'Application No. 200810166520', 'Application No. 200810166520']

US Patent # 9,886,714. Anonymous electronic transactions - Patents.com
United States Patent 9,886,714
Sullivan, Jr. , et al. February 6, 2018
Sullivan, Jr.; Robert R. (Camp Connel, CA), Aucsmith; David W. (Bellevue, WA)
Family ID: 1000003103531
13/858,548
US 20140136374 A1 May 15, 2014
11736427 Apr 17, 2007 8417216
09751322 Jul 10, 2007 7242921
Current CPC Class: G06Q 30/0635 (20130101); G06Q 20/02 (20130101); G06Q 20/04 (20130101); G06Q 20/045 (20130101); G06Q 30/06 (20130101); G06Q 20/24 (20130101); G06Q 20/32 (20130101); G06Q 20/3229 (20130101); G06Q 20/425 (20130101); G06Q 20/16 (20130101)
Current International Class: G06F 17/30 (20060101); G06Q 30/06 (20120101); G06Q 20/42 (20120101); G06Q 20/32 (20120101); G06Q 20/24 (20120101); G06Q 20/16 (20120101); G06Q 20/04 (20120101); G06Q 20/02 (20120101)
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Office Action Received for Chinese Patent Application No. 200810166520.4, dated Sep. 2, 2013, 7 pages of Chinese office action and 6 pages of English Translation. cited by applicant .
Office Action Received for Chinese Patent Application No. 200810166520.4, dated Jan. 28, 2014, 13 pages of Chinese office action and 1 page of English Translation only. cited by applicant .
Extended European Search Report received for European Patent Application No. 10184836.4 dated Apr. 20, 2011, 4 pages. cited by applicant .
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 09/751,322, dated Dec. 13, 2006, 7 pages. cited by applicant .
Notice of Allowance received for U.S. Appl. No. 11/736,427, dated Dec. 10, 2012, 7 pages. cited by applicant .
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Office Action Received for Chinese Patent Application No. 0101821592.0, dated Mar. 14, 2008, 7 pages of Chinese office action and 11 pages of English Translation. cited by applicant .
Office Action Received for Chinese Patent Application No. 200810166520.4, dated Nov. 9, 2010, 3 pages of Chinese office action and 5 pages of English Translation. cited by applicant .
Office Action Received for Chinese Patent Application No. 200810166520.4, dated Mar. 15, 2010, 4 pages of Chinese office action and 6 pages of English Translation. cited by applicant .
Office Action Received for Chinese Patent Application No. 200810166520.4, dated Mar. 15, 2011, 6 pages of English Translation only. cited by applicant .
Office Action Received for Chinese Patent Application No. 200810166520.4, dated Aug. 9, 2011, 5 pages of Chinese office action and 8 pages of English Translation. cited by applicant .
Office action received for U.S. Appl. No. 09/751,322, dated May 12, 2005, 10 pages of Office Action. cited by applicant .
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Non-Final Office action received for U.S. Appl. No. 11/736,427, dated Sep. 21, 2009, 19 pages of Office Action. cited by applicant.
This application is a continuation application of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/736,427, filed Apr. 17, 2007, entitled "Anonymous Electronic Transactions," which is a continuation application and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/751,322, filed Dec. 29, 2000, and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,242,921. The disclosures of the prior applications are considered part of (and herein incorporated by reference) the disclosure of this application.
1. A system comprising: a processor communicatively coupled to a communication network; and a database communicatively coupled to the processor to store information about a subscriber and directives describing anonymizing information about the subscriber to be transmitted to a payee with whom an electronic order is placed, wherein the processor is to receive information about the subscriber, the subscriber connected to the communication network, wherein the processor is to receive a first electronic transactional order from the subscriber over the communication network, the first transactional order including payee information comprising an identity of the payee with whom the electronic order is placed, order information describing an item or a service ordered, and identity information regarding the subscriber placing the electronic order, wherein the processor is to transmit a second electronic transactional order to the payee based on the first electronic transactional order, the second electronic transactional order specifying payment from a third party, and wherein the database includes information about the subscriber and directives describing the information about the subscriber to be transmitted to the payee, and wherein the processor is to remove information from the identity information received about the subscriber based on the identity of the payee with whom the electronic order is placed included in the payee information of the first electronic transactional order, resulting in anonymized information, before transmitting the anonymized information to the payee in the second electronic transactional order.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a wireless cellular network.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the subscriber comprises a mobile device associated with a wireless cellular subscriber, the mobile device comprising a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the directives cause the processor to remove a name of the subscriber.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the directives cause the processor to remove a location of the subscriber.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the directives cause the processor to remove an address of the subscriber.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the directives cause the processor to remove identification of equipment of the subscriber.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the directives comprises directives associated with different degrees of anonymity.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber specifies the directives.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to transmit a confirmation from the payee to the subscriber.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to receive electronic payment authorization from the subscriber.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to cause the subscriber to be billed.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is to cause the subscriber to be billed by a wireless cellular provider.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to negotiate anonymity with the payee.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is to reduce anonymity of the subscriber based on a negotiation with the payee.
FIG. 2 shows a communications network 50 that includes a GSM system 52. Unlike network 10 of FIG. 1, network 50 of FIG. 2 includes an element 54 to be called herein an "anonymizer," because it provides anonymity service. In FIG. 2, anonymizer 54 provides anonymity service to GSM subscribers using network 50. Network 50 of FIG. 2 also includes a payee 56, which may be an automated subscriber like automated subscriber 34 in FIG. 1. A GSM user 58 who subscribes to the anonymity service provided by anonymizer 54 interfaces with network 50 via an interface such as mobile device 12. Payee 56 interfaces with network by way of an interface such as a connection to PSTN 30.
Several degrees of privacy may be offered, providing a range of anonymity. One degree of anonymity is total anonymity. A payee receives no personal information about a subscriber having total anonymity. The subscriber may specify a lesser degree of anonymity by allowing anonymizer 54 to relay to payee 56, for example, information about the subscriber's name but not information about the subscriber's address, telephone number or calling patterns. The subscriber may also specify that information about him be kept from payee 56, but that demographic information about him be disclosed. A subscriber may permit payee 56 to know the town where subscriber lives, for example, without disclosing the subscriber's name or address. A subscriber may also provide payee 56 with a pseudonym or a frequent-purchaser identification code. Another form of anonymity may vary on the basis of the identity of the payee. The subscriber may authorize disclosure of more personal data when ordering airplane tickets, for example, than when ordering flowers. A further form of anonymity involves "negotiated anonymity," which will be explained in more detail below.
As described above, anonymizer 54 may provide a range of anonymity. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a variable anonymity technique. In this technique, the degree of anonymity may become part of the transaction, and is automatically "negotiated" by anonymizer 54 on behalf of subscriber 58 and payee 56. Anonymizer 54 relays an anonymous order for a product or service to payee 56 (100), and includes an offer to provide additional information about subscriber 58 in exchange for consideration from payee 56, such as a discount. The offer is pre-authorized by subscriber 58. If payee 56 accepts (104), anonymizer 54 provides the additional information to payee 56 (110) and the transaction proceeds (112). Payee 56 may reject the offer and put forth a counteroffer (106). Payee's counteroffer may, for example, propose a smaller discount or request more information. Anonymizer 54 evaluates the counteroffer according to parameters previously authorized by subscriber 58, which are stored in database 86. If the counteroffer is not within the parameters, the counteroffer is rejected (114) and the transaction proceeds (112). If the counteroffer is accepted, anonymizer 54 provides the additional information to payee 56 (110) and the transaction proceeds (112).
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