Proxy-based profile management to deliver personalized services

A computer server, comprising:

• a processor and operational instructions that are executable by the processor;
• a profile configuration interface to receive profile preferences and policies for a user associated with a mobile device, including policies to prevent release of information usable to determine an identity of the user;
• a profile database that stores the profile preferences and policies received via the profile configuration interface;
• and
• a mobile profile agent that mediates an exchange of web services and information between a service provider for a merchant and the mobile device according to the profile preferences and policies, wherein the user does not have a pre-existing relationship with the merchant, and wherein the mobile profile agent provides anonymity for the user according to the profile preferences and policies;
• wherein the service provider receives an opaque identification token generated by a source other than the mobile device when the mobile device enters a service environment associated with the merchant;
• wherein the service provider requests profile information for the user from the mobile profile agent;
• wherein the service provider provides a personalized offer from the merchant to the mobile profile agent based on the profile information;
• and
• wherein the mobile profile agent determines whether to send the personalized offer to the mobile device based on the profile preferences and policies.

A computer-readable storage device comprising operational instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• providing a profile configuration interface to configure user profile policies and preferences for users associated with mobile devices, the user profile policies including security policies to prevent release of information usable to personally identify the users;
• storing the user profile policies and preferences in a database;
• directing a profile request associated with a particular mobile device and received from a service provider to a Uniform Resource Locator, wherein the Uniform Resource Locator is associated with a user profile agent that provides anonymity to a particular user associated with the particular mobile device by restricting disclosure of information usable to identify the particular user;
• and
• executing the user profile agent, wherein the user profile agent, when executed:
• accepts profile requests and personalized offers from a merchant associated with the service provider, where the merchant does not have a pre-existing relationship with the particular user,
• applies the user profile policies and preferences of the particular user to filter the personalized offers,
• provides information permitted by the user profile policies and preferences to the service provider, and
• sends, to the particular mobile device, personalized offers that satisfy the user profile policies and preferences based on filtering the personalized offers.

A computer-readable storage device comprising operational instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• accepting profile configuration input comprising profile policies and preferences associated with a user of a mobile device;
• storing the profile policies and preferences in a database for use by a profile agent associated with the user, wherein the profile agent is distinct from the mobile device;
• and
• in response to detection of the mobile device by a service provider associated with a merchant, using the profile agent to accept profile queries for the mobile device from the service provider, to apply the profile policies and preferences to filter queries from the service provider, to send information permitted by the profile policies and preferences to the service provider, to receive a personalized offer for the user from the merchant, where the merchant does not have a pre-existing relationship with the user, to determine whether the personalized offer satisfies the profile policies and preferences, and to forward the personalized offer to the mobile device only if the personalized offer satisfies the profile policies and preferences.