Anonymous communication

• US 20040215562A1
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul, Lapstun, Jacqueline Anne, Scott, Paul Quentin
• Granted Patent: US 7,703,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42

Abstract

A method of enabling anonymous communication between a user and an application server, via interaction of a sensing device with coded data disposed on a surface to generate interaction data, the method including the steps, performed in a computer system, of: identifying a first telecommunication address of the user from: an identity of the sensing device received or determined in the computer system; or the interaction data; associating a temporary telecommunication address with the first telecommunication address; sending the temporary telecommunication address and interaction data to an application; receiving information from the application addressed to said temporary telecommunication address; and forwarding the information from the application to the first telecommunication address.

Claims

1. A method of enabling anonymous communication between a user and an application, via interaction of a sensing device with coded data disposed on a surface to generate interaction data, the method including the steps, performed in a computer system, of:

identifying a first telecommunication address of the user from;

an identity of the sensing device received or determined in the computer system;

or the interaction data;

associating a temporary telecommunication address with the first telecommunication address;

sending the temporary telecommunication address and interaction data to an application;

receiving information from the application addressed to said temporary telecommunication address; and

forwarding the information from the application to the first telecommunication address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the first telecommunication address includes determining an identity of the sensing device, and identifying the first telecommunication address from the identity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction data includes a digital signature of the user and the step of identifying the first telecommunication address includes identifying the first telecommunication address recorded for a registered user identified by the digital signature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a first server, and the step of associating is performed at the first server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first server is a registration server.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of sending the temporary telecommunication address is performed by the first server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating is performed by encrypting the first telecommunication address of the user to form the temporary telecommunication address.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first telecommunication address of the user is derived from the temporary telecommunication address upon receipt of the first information from the applications server by decrypting the temporary telecommunication address to which the first information was sent.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the temporary telecommunication address is provided with a unique identifier.

10. The method according to claim 9, including the step, performed by the first server, of checking the unique identifier to determine whether the first server is permitted to forward the information from the application to the first telecommunication address of the user.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the association of the temporary telecommunication address with the first telecommunication address of the user is valid for a limited number of steps of said server forwarding the information from the application to the first telecommunication address of the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first telecommunication address of the user is selected from one of:

an email address, a web address, a facsimile number, a telephone number, a pager, a mobile phone number, or a PDA address.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporary telecommunication address is selected from one of:

an email address, a web address, a facsimile number, a telephone number, a pager, a mobile phone number, or a PDA address.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the temporary telecommunication address has the same form as the telecommunication address of the user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the coded data includes an identifier.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the identifier is a unique product item identifier.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the unique product item identifier is an electronic product code.

18. A system for enabling anonymous communication between a user and an application, via interaction of a sensing device with coded data disposed on a surface to generate interaction data, the system including a computer system configured and programmed to:

receive the interaction data from the sensing device;

identify a first telecommunication address of the user from;

an identity of the sensing device received or determined in the computer system;

or the interaction data;

associate a temporary telecommunication address with the first telecommunication address;

send the temporary telecommunication address and interaction data to an application;

receive information from the application, the information being addressed to said temporary telecommunication address; and

forward the information from the application to the first telecommunication address.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the computer system is configured and programmed to identify the first telecommunication address by determining an identity of the sensing device, and to identifying the first telecommunication address from the identity.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the interaction data includes a digital signature of the user and the step of identifying the first telecommunication address includes identifying the first telecommunication address recorded for a registered user identified by the digital signature.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the computer system includes a first server, and the step of associating is performed at the first server.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first server is a registration server.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the step of sending the temporary telecommunication address is performed by the first server.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the step of associating is performed by encrypting the first telecommunication address of the user to form the temporary telecommunication address.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first telecommunication address of the user is derived from the temporary telecommunication address upon receipt of the first information from the application by decrypting the temporary telecommunication address to which the first information was sent.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the temporary telecommunication address is provided with a unique identifier.

27. The system of claim 26, including the step, performed by the server, of checking the unique identifier to determine whether the server is permitted to forward the information from the application to the first telecommunication address of the user.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the association of the temporary telecommunication address with the first telecommunication address of the user is valid for a limited number of steps of said server forwarding the information from the application to the first telecommunication address of the user.

29. The system of claim 18, wherein the first telecommunication address of the user is selected from one of:

an email address, a web address, a facsimile number, a telephone number, a pager, a mobile phone number, or a PDA address.

30. The system of claim 18, wherein the temporary telecommunication address is selected from one of:

an email address, a web address, a facsimile number, a telephone number, a pager, a mobile phone number, or a PDA address.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the temporary telecommunication address has the same form as the telecommunication address of the user.

32. The system of claim 18, wherein at least some of the coded data includes an identifier.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the identifier is a unique product item identifier.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the unique product item identifier is an electronic product code.

35. A method in connection with transfer of information, including the steps, performed in a computer system, of:

associating a user telecommunication address with a temporary telecommunication address;

sending interaction data to an application, the interaction data having been generated following interaction, by means of a sensing device, with coded data on a surface, and, based on said interaction data, accompanying said interaction data with the temporary telecommunication address, wherein said interaction data comprises data generated by the sensing device following interaction of the sensing device with the coded data while the sensing device was used to write or draw on the surface;

receiving information from said application addressed to said temporary telecommunication address; and

forwarding, said application information to said user telecommunication address.

36. A method in connection with transfer of information, including the steps of:

associating a user telecommunication address with a temporary telecommunication address;

sending, to a service handler, following a marking, by means of a user unit, of an activation icon on a position coded surface, user unit information data and, based on said user unit information data, accompanying said user unit information data with the temporary telecommunication address, wherein said user unit information data comprise data resulting from what is written on the position coded surface and recorded by the user unit or data associated with a certain area of the position coded surface;

receiving, at a server, information from said service handler addressed to said temporary telecommunication address; and

forwarding, from said server, said service handler information to said user telecommunication address.