Anonymous user system

Retail point of sale (RPOS) apparatus for internet merchandising

7003500

Abstract

The present invention is an apparatus for the money transactions required in the selling of merchandise or media content on the Internet and uses at least one in-person contact with the buyer. A predefined transaction originating at a real place of business authorizes access to web content or merchandise from a place off the web. Purchasers (end-users) must physically go to a retail location to choose the Internet media or merchandise shopping cart they wish to acquire where age can be verified if necessary and payment can be made with or without a credit card. Content security using a non-audible or invisible code signal sequence(s) can provide traceability as well as absolute anonymity for the purchaser. This apparatus can be used to conduct transactions off the web so that business can be done on the web.


Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A payment system for itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects, comprising:

a retail point of sale establishment;

a customer access point at said retail point of sale establishment;

URL information that is an Internet transaction location of said itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects;

means for accepting payment through an in person transaction with a customer wherein said payment is designated for purchase of said itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects;

means for storing and retrieving a record on or in a physical medium corresponding to said URL information that is an Internet transaction location of said itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects;

means for transfer of said physical medium from said retail point of sale establishment to said customer; and

means for Internet transaction authorization on, in, or actuated from said physical medium wherein ownership rights in said itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects are preselected and transferred to said customer through said transfer of said physical medium.

2. The payment system of claim 1, wherein the retail point of sale establishment further comprises:

a retail store, convenience store, vending machine, parking lot, hallway, lobby, or other physical place to conduct business.

3. The payment system of claim 1, wherein said customer access point at retail point of sale establishment, further comprises:

a checkout, kiosk, cashier's station, cash register, self-check out, self-service, or other means of customer interaction with said retail point of sale establishment.

4. The payment system of claim 1, wherein said means for storing and retrieving a record further comprises:

writing, inscribing, programming, or otherwise placing access information on a card, computer diskette, or other physical means of recordation without requiring access to a public computer network (Internet) during the recording process whether or not access is actually made.

5. The payment system of claim 1, wherein said means for Internet transaction authorization further comprises means to embed a public/private cryptographic key pair corresponding to said Internet transaction authorization on or in said itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects comprising:

means for embedding a first coded license, serial, or other identifying mark through content fingerprinting on or in said itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects that uses a code visible, audible, or otherwise noticeable only by machine on a first mark that is a private key of said public/private key pair; and

means for embedding a second coded license, serial, or other identifying mark through content fingerprinting on or in said itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects that uses a code visible, audible, or otherwise noticeable by human or machine on a second mark that is a public key of said public/private key pair.

6. The payment system of claim 1, wherein said means for Internet transaction authorization on, in, or actuated from said physical medium wherein ownership rights in said itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects is transferred, further comprises:

user access terminal on a computer network;

means for retrieval of said itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects by said user access terminal wherein retrieval is carried out without transmission of or use of cookies on said user access terminal or electronic disclosure, presently or previously, of user information other than IP address of said user access terminal.

7. The payment system of claim 1 wherein said payment further comprises a price wherein said price is at least zero comprising a free sample or any positive amount of payment from said customer to said retail point of sale establishment.

8. Anonymous Internet transaction authorization system or other secure purchase to facilitate the transfer of ownership rights in itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects, comprising:

itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects offered by a seller or other distributor on the Internet through an Internet connection;

user access terminal means connected to the Internet, said user access terminal having an IP address; and

means for payment or otherwise completing an Internet sale of said Internet merchandise or media from said seller or other distributor to the user of said user access terminal with no presently or previously required disclosures of user information from said user or said user access terminal other than said IP address.

9. The anonymous Internet transaction authorization system or other security to facilitate the transfer of ownership or rights in Internet merchandise or media of claim 8, wherein means for payment further comprises:

payment without transmission, reception, or use of cookies on said user access terminal; or without disclosure of user information from or to said seller or distributor other than said IP address; or without disclosure of user information from or to any third party or third party terminal other than said IP address; or without transfer of funds or promise for payment of funds presently from or to said seller or distributor; or without transfer of funds or promise for payment of funds presently from or to any third party or third party terminal.

10. A method of merchandise transfer on a computer network comprising at least one buyer computer on a network for operation by a user desiring to buy at least one product and at least one selling computer on said network operating for a purpose to sell said product, the method comprising the steps of:

creating specific information that is a transaction location of said product, said product comprising networked merchandise or downloadable media material objects represented on said selling computer;

specifying a price wherein said price is specific to said product on said selling computer;

receiving payment of said price through an in person transaction with said user at a retail point of sale location wherein said payment amount is associated to said product;

sending a payment message as a response to said in person transaction either directly or through other computers on said network to said selling computer on said network;

causing an authorization message to be created on said selling computer in or as a result of said payment message that comprises at least said specification of said product and authentication based on cryptographic key(s), said selling computer being programmed to receive said authorization message for verification of said authentication;

causing selling computer, as a result of said selling computer being programmed, to ensure that said authorization message was created using said cryptographic key(s); and

causing transfer of ownership rights in said product to said user desiring to buy said product by granting access or rights to said user on said buyer computer either directly or through other computers on said network, as a result of said authorization message on said selling computer.

11. The method of merchandise transfer on a computer network in claim 10, wherein said authentication further comprises a method of self authenticating merchandise wherein said method of self authenticating merchandise comprises:

recording a representation of said access message authenticator on or in said product, said representation comprising

a first coded license, serial number, or other identifying mark comprising a public key on or in said product that uses a code visible, audible, or otherwise noticeable by human or machine on a first mark that is a public key of said public/private key pair; and

a second coded license, serial number, or other identifying mark through content fingerprinting on or in said product comprising a private key that uses a code visible, audible, or otherwise noticeable only by machine on a second mark that is a private key of said public/private key pair.

12. The method of merchandise transfer on a computer network in claim 10, wherein said specific information that is a transaction location of said product further comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

13. The method of merchandise transfer on a computer network in claim 10, wherein said specifying a price wherein said price is specific to said product on said selling computer, further comprises a price set to at least zero, comprising a price of free or any positive amount.

14. The method of merchandise transfer on a computer network in claim 10, wherein said in person transaction at a retail point of sale location further comprises selling a prepaid card wherein said prepaid card is also specific to said product.

15. The method of merchandise transfer on a computer network in claim 10, wherein said retail point of sale location further comprises a retail store, convenience store, vending machine, parking lot, hallway, lobby, or other physical place to conduct business.


Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority is claimed to provisional patent application submitted on Jun. 30, 2000 under same inventor's name, entitled Access Card for Internet Content (ACARD), provisional application No. 60/215,673.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The following drawings provide examples of different applications and construct specifications for the RPOS technology. They are not meant to be inclusive of all uses, they are merely examples.

FIG. 1 uses a flow chart to illustrate a use of the RPOS. The process begins with web content dealers who have content posted to a public computer network (Internet) and have chosen to use RPOS for distribution. The web content dealers may manufacture the card themselves or use a third party. The type of security system used for placing the access key on the card is only important as to the particular level of security that is desired. The web content dealer then distributes the CARD, directly or through distribution channels, to a retail establishment. The retail establishment sells the CARD over the counter to the customer. The dealer, distributor, and retail establishment may use whatever profit margins or price mark-ups as they choose or is agreed upon. The CARD is delivered to the customer like any other retail product. Continuing along the flow chart in FIG. 1 to the customer, the CARD is used to access only the web content that is predefined by the CARD. The purpose of the CARD in this transaction is only to ensure that the user is in possession of it. The transaction takes place through an over-the counter sale.

FIG. 2 uses a flow chart to illustrate an alternate use of the RPOS The process again begins with Web Content Dealers. In this application the Web Content Dealers may or may not subscribe to the RPOS system (i.e. make their own CARDs). To facilitate the creation of a CARD for the WEB Content Dealers, a retail establishment supplies a computer or terminal as a customer access point, which provides Internet access, and issues a CARD to a customer upon entering the retail establishment. The customer browses the web and looks for content to purchase. Whenever a Web Content Dealer requires some sort of payment and the customer agrees, the customer authorizes payment from the retail establishment and by default the retail establishment agrees to the purchase. The customer is not required to enter his or her own name, credit card payment information, address, or any other information that they do not choose. Upon leaving the establishment, the customer pays the retail establishment the amount required for content received or to be received. The purpose of the CARD in this transaction is only to ensure that the user is in possession of it. The actual transaction takes place through an over-the-counter sale.

The system described in FIG. 2 illustrates a subtle yet important difference from prior art used in Internet commerce, in that Internet access is only required for the customer to choose which media content to purchase and to later retrieve on whatever computer the customer chooses. Internet access is not required during the recording of specific media content locations (URLs); they can be simply written down, picked out from a written menu after having seen the web dealers preview pages, or retrieved as a menu item from the local computer at the check out. Internet access is also not required during the recording of the specific access information, or during the retail transaction. While Internet Access during these processes may be used to facilitate the RPOS processes, it is not required. While the CARD holds some intrinsic value it does not hold any dollar amount information, account information, or other means of payment; the transaction is completed in person at the checkout.

FIG. 3 uses a flow chart to illustrate an alternate use of the RPOS. The process again begins with Web Content Dealers. A Vending Machine Dealer purchases CARDs through normal product distribution channels. Customer purchases the CARD from the vending machine acquiring the ability to access the desired web content. This type of system is not capable of age verification as with over-thecounter sales. Again, the purpose of the CARD in this transaction is only to ensure that the user is in possession of it. The actual transaction takes place through a vending machine.

FIG. 4 illustrates how CARD is used as an age verification system (Adult Check). The process begins with dealers of adult materials on the Internet. A retail establishment (such as video rental store, convenience store, bookstore, adult merchandiser, or other type of store) obtains CARDs through typical distribution channels. Customers purchase the CARD over the counter provided they can prove they are of legal age to do so. Customer physically transports the CARD to a location where customer has access to a computer that is capable of receiving Web content. The customer uses the CARD to obtain access to those specific materials the seller of the CARD intended.

FIG. 5 shows some examples of recording devices that are used or could be modified for use as the media delivery method, access CARD, or to deliver a small cookie-free-cache-back application. Some of these examples have also been patented previously. All that is required for use with the CARD is the ability to deliver Personal Identification Number (PIN) information or other form of security used for access. For optional added anonymity, the CARD may also deliver a small amount of software code to run the mini-Application for Cookie Free Cache Back system. Reference 1 shows an example a of Low-level security access key. Reference 2 shows an example of how a mini-application (applet) can be delivered on floppy prior to accessing content. Reference 3 shows a better security system using a scratch off access key. Reference 4 shows a smart card which could be used to deliver both an access key and mini-application applet. In all of these examples the CARD is not used as money, credit, or cash.

FIG. 6 is an example of Font Fingerprinting where a font subset file must be delivered to the user.

FIG. 7 is an example of Hidden Pixelization for Content Fingerprinting. The hidden pixelization binary fingerprinting or encoded message can be divined using a scanning device capable of detecting the differences.

FIG. 8 illustrates the similarities between the New Courier font and the Courier 10BT font.

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Method for preventing fraudulent use of credit cards and credit card information, and for preventing unauthorized access to restricted physical and virtual sites Service activation by virtual prepaid card