Secure consumer data exchange method, apparatus, and system therfor

A system for providing targeted access to a user of a network connected appliance, comprising:

• a computer at a first entity, the computer being comprised of:
• a data storage unit;
• a processor unit;
• a network communications interface;
• and
• software stored on the data storage unit that control processes executed on the processor unit, wherein:
• the processor unit receives consumer data resulting from the user's use of the appliance linked with an appliance user anonymous identifier communicated to the processor unit through use of the network communications interface;
• the processor unit analyzes the consumer data by the use of one or more defined parameters;
• the processor unit aggregates in accordance with the results of the analysis the appliance user's anonymous identifier with a set of appliance user anonymous identifiers linked with the consumer data of other appliance users, and generates an aggregate set of appliance user anonymous identifiers, the aggregate set of appliance user anonymous identifiers comprised of appliance user anonymous identifiers that point to an appliance user whose collected consumer data corresponds to at least one defined parameter in common with the collected consumer data of the other appliance users whose anonymous identifiers are included in the aggregate set;
• the processor unit communicates the aggregate set to a second entity through use of the communication interface;
• and
• the processor unit provides the second entity with access to the appliance user through the first entity by use of the appliance user's anonymous identifier and the communications interface.

A network connected appliance for collecting and securely communicating appliance user consumer data resulting from the appliance user's use of the appliance comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory
• a network communications interface;
• and
• a computer program stored in said memory and executed on said processor wherein:
• the processor obtains authorization from the appliance user to collect and communicate the appliance user's consumer data to a first and a second entity;
• the processor generates an appliance user anonymous identifier;
• the processor collects appliance user's consumer data;
• the processor links the generated appliance user anonymous identifier with the collected consumer data;
• the processor communicates the consumer data and appliance user's anonymous identifier to the first entity by use of the network communications interface;
• and
• the processor receives a communication from the second entity by use of the network communication interface.