Transmission of Anonymous Information Through a Communication Network

• US 20080294559A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Genactis SAS (Genactis Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Genactis SAS (Genactis Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wield, Gary, Malkani, Karan
• Application Number:
  US11/630,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20080294559A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00

Abstract

A system that enables anonymous data collection from Respondents, such as over the Internet using public key technologies, where the anonymity and authenticity of Respondents is provided by a trusted mediation service. The invention provides a simple and secure solution that allows authentication of research Respondents while maintaining their anonymity. The Collector cannot link Respondent'"'"'s real identification and their responses, and a Mediator provides a communication service but has no access to the content of information exchanged between the Respondents and the Collector. According to one aspect of the invention, a Collector requests a list of anonymous Ids from the Mediator. The Mediator then generates a list of anonymous tokens which can then be used by the Respondents when they communicate with the Collector through the Mediator.

Claims

1. A method for anonymously collecting response data from Respondent computer nodes connected to a wide area computer network by providing such data to a Collector computer node via a Mediator computer node, the method comprising the steps of:

at the Respondent,

originating response data to ultimately be sent to the Collector;

encrypting the response data so that it cannot be read by the Mediator;

forwarding the encrypted response data to the Mediator as an anonymous response message;

at the Mediator,

receiving the response message;

authenticating the source of the response message as being a member of a group of authorized Respondents, without compromising the anonymous identity of the Respondent;

forwarding the response message to the Collector as an authenticated response;

at the Collector;

receiving the authenticated message; and

decrypting the response data so that it can be read.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the Respondent'"'"'s identity is not included in the Response message.

3. A method as in claim 2 additionally comprising determining an anonymous identifier (ID) to be used by the Respondent to indicate itself as a source of the response message.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein the anonymous ID is generated by the Collector.

5. A method as in claim 1 additionally comprising the steps of:

at the Collector,

determining a list of multiple authorized Respondents;

at the Mediator,

generating a corresponding list of anonymous tokens, with at least one token associated with each authorized Respondent.

6. A method as in claim 5 additionally comprising the steps of:

at the Respondent,

originating a registration request message;

forwarding the registration request message to the Mediator;

at the Mediator,

receiving the registration request message;

assigning an anonymous token to the Respondent that originated the request message; and

forwarding the anonymous token to the Respondent.

7. A method as in claim 6 additionally comprising the step of:

at the Respondent,

originating a response message including the anonymous token;

at the Mediator,

receiving the response message;

forwarding the response message to the Collector.

8. A method as in claim 7 wherein the Collector additionally validates the token upon receipt of the response message from the Mediator.

9. A method for collecting data from Respondents over a wide area computer network and providing such data to a Collector via a Mediator, the method comprising the steps of:

at the Collector,

requesting a list of anonymous identifiers (IDs) from a Mediator;

at the Mediator,

generating a list of anonymous IDs; and

delivering an anonymous ID to research Respondents to use when contacting a Collector;

then, back at the Collector,

providing a Respondent with an anonymous ID to use to send data to the Collector via the Mediator, but in a manner which prevents the Mediator from associating the anonymous ID with the Respondent'"'"'s real identity.

10. A method as in claim 9 additionally comprising:

at a Respondent,

originating a request to participate in a survey,

at a Mediator,

receiving the survey request from the Respondent;

validating the Respondent using data provided by a Collector, including at least the anonymous ID to identify communication sessions between the Respondent and the Collector; and

controlling access to a Collector service on behalf of the the Respondent using the anonymous ID.

11. A method as in claim 10 additionally comprising the steps of:

at the Respondent,

originating a message containing survey data;

receiving the Collector'"'"'s public key;

generating a public key for the Respondent; and

securely communicating the Respondent'"'"'s public key to the Collector using the Collector'"'"'s public key.