System for protecting anonymity of parties involved in a person-to-person electronic commerce transaction
US6748366B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 11, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jun 8, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 11, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q20/367
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A person-to-person electronic commerce system that protects the anonymity of buyers and sellers. Embodiments of the present invention interpose a trusted intermediary between the buyer and seller during the transaction fulfillment process. Buyer and seller may disclose their personal information to the trusted intermediary. The trusted intermediary then arranges payment and shipping on behalf of the parties. In this way, neither buyer nor seller need know anything about the other in order to fulfill the transaction. The system may include an auction web site for holding an electronic auction of goods resulting in a transaction between a buyer and a seller, and a trusted intermediary, coupled to the auction web site, to obtain transaction, buyer, and seller information from the auction web site, to arrange for shipment of the goods with a selected shipper, to generate an encrypted mailing label, at least part of the transaction, buyer, and seller information being included as part of the encrypted mailing label, to send the encrypted mailing label to the seller, to receive notification of acceptance by the buyer once buyer receives the goods from the seller via the shipper, and to s…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.