Granted Patent B2

US 6,879,960 · App. 09/729,129 · Granted Apr 12, 2005

Assignee: Claritas, Inc.

Abstract

Claims (48)

1. A method of utilizing transaction relevant customer information relating to a customer for facilitating a transaction between a merchant and the customer, comprising:

(a) obtaining, from a customer computer, customer postal identification information sufficient to identify a customer segment but insufficient to identify the customer;

(b) generating a memory sector identifying code based on the postal identification information;

(c) sending the sector code to a merchant computer;

(d) creating an anonymous customer identification tag;

(e) storing the tag on the customer computer;

(f) creating an anonymous customer identification tag based on the postal identification information to identity the customer segment but insufficient to identity the customer, and storing the tag on a customer computer, said tag providing an address to a segment of the geodemographic database of transaction relevant customer information that is relevant to the group of people of which the customer is a member

(g) retrieving the anonymous identification tag from the customer computer by the merchant computer when the customer computer accesses the merchant computer for the purpose of entering into a transaction;

(h) in response to the retrieved anonymous identification tag from the customer computer, retrieving relevant customer information from a segment of a geodemographic memory database identified by the tag for the group of people of which the customer is a member, the geodemographic database including transaction relevant customer information arranged in customer segments comprising groups of people without identifying particular individuals; and

(i) using the retrieved transaction relevant customer information to customize communication between the merchant computer and the customer computer, whereby transaction relevant customer information relating to a group of people, of which the customer is a member, is provided and used between a merchant and the customer.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said transaction relevant information is based solely on the postal address of the customer.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said transaction relevant information includes buying preferences and lifestyles of the customer.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said transaction relevant information comprises buying preferences of individuals other than the customer.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said buying preferences of individuals other than the customer are linked to a geographic location.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said postal information is a unit of census or a ZIP code.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1 , further including deleting said postal identification information after creating the anonymous identification tag.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said communication between the merchant computer and the customer computer is a web page.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said memory for storing a geodemographic database of transaction relevant customer information is part of a stand alone merchant server computer.

10. A method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said merchant computer is a member of a syndicate, said syndicate comprising at least two merchant sewer computers, and wherein said memory for storing a geodemographic database of transaction relevant customer information is provided by a marketing information service provider server computer that is shared by merchants of the syndicate.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10 , wherein said stored identification tag is accessible only by merchant computers of the syndicate.

12. A system for utilizing transaction relevant customer information relating to a customer for facilitating a transaction between a merchant computer and the customer computer, comprising:

(a) means responsive to the customer computer for obtaining customer postal identification information sufficient to identify the customer segment but insufficient to identify the customer;

(b) means for generating a memory sector identifying code based on the postal identification information;

(c) means for sending the sector code to the merchant computer;

(d) means for creating an anonymous customer identification tag;

(e) means for storing the tag on the customer computer;

(f) means for retrieving the anonymous identification tag from the customer computer by the merchant computer when the customer computer accesses the merchant computer for the purpose of entering into a transaction;

(g) means responsive to the retrieved anonymous identification tag from the customer computer, for retrieving relevant customer information from a segment of the geodemographic memory database identified by the tag for the group of people of which the customer is a member, the geodemographic database including transaction relevant customer information arranged in customer segments comprising groups of people without identifying particular individuals; and

(h) means for using the retrieved transaction relevant customer information to customize communication between the merchant computer and the customer computer, whereby transaction relevant customer information relating to a group of people, of which the customer is a member, is provided and used between a merchant and the customer.

13. A system as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said transaction relevant information is based solely on the geographic location of the customer's household.

14. A system as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said transaction relevant information includes buying preferences and lifestyle of the customer.

15. A system as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said transaction relevant information includes buying preferences of individuals other than the customer.

16. A system as set forth in claim 15 , wherein said buying preferences of individuals other than the customer is linked to a geographic location.

17. A system as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said postal information is a unit of census or a ZIP codes.

18. A system as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said communication between the merchant computer and the customer computer is a web page.

19. A system as set forth in claim 12 , further including means for deleting said postal identification information.

20. A system as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said memory for storing a geodemographic database of transaction relevant customer information is part of a stand alone merchant server computer.

21. A system as set forth in claim 12 , wherein said merchant computer is a member of a syndicate, said syndicate comprising at least two merchant server computers, and wherein said memory for storing a database of transaction relevant customer information is provided by a marketing information service provider server computer that is shared by merchants of the syndicate.

22. A system as set forth in claim 20 , wherein said stored identification tag is accessible only by merchant computers of the syndicate.

23. A method of utilizing transaction relevant customer information for facilitating a transaction between a merchant and the customer, comprising:

(a) using a merchant server computer;

(b) using a memory storing a geodemographic database of transaction relevant customer information;

(c) obtaining customer postal identification information from a customer computer which accesses via a network said merchant serve computer;

(d) sending the postal identification information to the memory;

(e) generating a memory sector identifying code based on the postal identification information

(f) sending the sector code to the merchant computer;

(g) creating an anonymous customer identification tag; and

(h) storing the tag on the computer.

Assignments (10)

Continuity (1)