Virtual Address Obfuscation for Secure E-Commerce Shipping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Customers face risks when providing personally identifying information for remote transactions, as it can lead to data breaches, fraud, and de-anonymization of shipping information, which existing techniques do not adequately mitigate.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for anonymizing shipping information by generating an identifier and reference address, applying shipping rate rules, and performing an anonymizing process to obfuscate user addresses, ensuring that only anonymous shipping rate information is transmitted, and authenticating deliveries securely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If customer provides personally identifying information for remote transactions, then delivery can be enabled, but customer privacy and security are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a shipping address service as an intermediary between the customer and the merchant. The service generates virtual shipping addresses that act as mediators - the merchant sees only the virtual address while the actual customer address remains protected. This intermediary layer enables delivery functionality while preventing direct exposure of personally identifying information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual copies of shipping addresses that can be used in place of real addresses. These virtual addresses are generated on-demand and can be configured to route deliveries to the customer's actual location without revealing the actual address to the merchant. The virtual address copy fulfills the merchant's need for a delivery destination while protecting the customer's privacy.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If virtual shipping addresses are used to protect privacy, then customer anonymity is improved, but accurate delivery routing may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary configuration of virtual addresses with embedded routing instructions before transactions occur. The virtual address is pre-configured with information about the customer's actual location, delivery preferences, and routing rules. This preliminary setup ensures that when a merchant uses the virtual address, the package can be accurately routed to the customer without requiring the merchant to know the actual address.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where delivery information flows back through the anonymization service. The virtual address service receives delivery status information and uses it to update routing instructions and improve future deliveries. This feedback mechanism ensures that even with virtual addresses, the system learns and adapts to maintain accurate delivery routing.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for anonymizing online transaction details may include performing a process to generate an identifier (ID) and reference address for a user, and receiving a request for transaction processing from an e-commerce server. The request may include first data including: information associated with a purchase of a product to be delivered to the user; the identifier; and the reference address. The method may further include: in response to the request, determining whether the ID and reference address are included in the request, and if so, obtaining the accurate address and shipping rate rules; applying, based on the first data and the accurate address, the shipping rate rules to determine accurate shipping rate cost information associated with delivering the product to the accurate address; performing an anonymizing process on the accurate information to obtain anonymous shipping rate information, and transmitting the anonymous shipping rate information to the e-commerce server.