Anonymous Physical Delivery System with Unique Response IDs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for anonymously sending physical items do not allow for the recipient to respond to the sender without revealing personal data or require registration and payment solutions that compromise anonymity.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses an anonymity service to generate unique delivery IDs for anonymous physical deliveries, enabling responses without retaining sender or recipient data, utilizing a delivery network that can include postal, logistic, or electronic channels, and supports anonymous payment options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional payment solutions (credit card payments) are used for anonymous shipping, then the shipping process can be completed with payment capability, but the sender's anonymity is compromised because personal data and physical address are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary payment system that acts as a mediator between the sender and the shipping service. Instead of directly using personal credit cards, the sender uses prepaid anonymous vouchers or tokens that can be purchased offline or through anonymous channels. This intermediary instrument enables payment functionality while preventing the shipping service from obtaining the sender's personal identification information, thus resolving the contradiction between payment capability and anonymity preservation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the payment process into two distinct phases: (1) anonymous acquisition of payment credentials through prepaid vouchers or cryptographic tokens, and (2) use of these credentials for shipping payments. This segmentation allows the payment function to be separated from personal identity information, enabling the shipping service to receive payment without accessing the sender's personal data, thereby maintaining anonymity while ensuring payment capability
2Reliability
If registration and personal data provision are required for anonymous shipping, then the system can track and deliver items, but the sender's anonymity is reduced because personal data could lead to identification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs cryptographic token generation and verification systems that create digital copies or representations of payment credentials without storing or transmitting personal information. The system uses hash functions and cryptographic protocols to verify payment authenticity while maintaining the untraceability of the original sender identity. This allows reliable tracking and verification of transactions without compromising sender anonymity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces anonymous tokens or vouchers as intermediary carriers that mediate between the sender's payment intent and the shipping service's delivery execution. These tokens contain encrypted or pseudonymized information that enables tracking and verification without revealing personal identity. The intermediary token system allows the shipping service to reliably track deliveries while the sender's personal data remains protected from exposure
3Loss of information
If no data is retained in the system, then sender anonymity is maximized, but the ability to enable responding from recipient to sender becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary generation and attachment of unique anonymous reference identifiers to each shipping item before dispatch. These identifiers are created in advance using cryptographic methods that do not require storage of personal data. The pre-generated identifiers enable the recipient to respond anonymously by referencing these identifiers, while the system maintains no personal information. This preliminary action simplifies the overall complexity by establishing the anonymous communication channel before the shipping process begins
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes an anonymous feedback mechanism where recipients can send responses referenced by the anonymous identifiers attached to shipping items. The feedback system uses cryptographic verification to ensure that responses are linked to the correct anonymous sender without requiring the system to store personal data. This feedback mechanism achieves anonymous two-way communication while maintaining the no-data-retention principle, balancing anonymity with functional complexity
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method and a system that enable a sender to send one or more physical items to a recipient in an anonymous way, allowing the recipient to respond to the sender after receiving the one or more physical items. No data related to the sender and the recipient are retained in the system.