ANONYMOUS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20110182210A1
• Filed: 07/31/2009
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kagawa, Natsuko, Minamizawa, Takeaki
• Application Number:
  US13/056,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20110182210A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/259
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Provided is an anonymous communication system that allows an originator to determine the anonymous characteristics of communicating parties when communication is established. Disclosed is an anonymous communication system and an anonymous communication establishing apparatus to be installed in an anonymous communication system that are characterized enabling a communication by anonymity, said anonymous communication system detecting anonymities of communication parties when establishing a communication session, and notifying them to a communication device of a caller. Disclosed is an anonymous communication method that is enabling a communication by anonymity, said anonymous communication method detecting anonymities of communication parties when establishing a communication session, and notifying them to a communication device of a caller.

Claims

1. An anonymous communication system enabling a communication by anonymity, said anonymous communication system detecting anonymities of communication parties when establishing a communication session, and notifying them to a communication device of a caller.

2. An anonymous communication system according to claim 1, comprising an anonymity managing means for retaining anonymity management information including a real address, an anonymous address and an anonymity of a communication device, and an anonymous communication establishing means for establishing a communication session between the communication devices, wherein said anonymous communication establishing means comprises:

an anonymity management information acquiring means for acquiring anonymity management information of a caller device and anonymity management information of a callee device from said anonymity managing means when having received a communication connection request designating the callee device from the caller device;

a notifying means for acquiring the anonymity of at least one of the caller device and the callee device from said acquired anonymity management information and notifying it to the caller device; and

a communication establishing means for, when establishing the communication session between the caller device and the callee device, deciding which address, out of the real address and the anonymous address, should be used as an address of the caller device to be notified to the callee device responding to the anonymity of the caller device to be included in said acquired anonymity management information.

3. An anonymous communication system according to claim 2:

wherein said anonymous communication establishing means comprises a response receiving means for receiving a response to the notification by said notifying means from said caller device; and

wherein said communication establishing means decides whether or not said communication session should be established based upon the response received by said response receiving means.

4. An anonymous communication system according to claim 3, wherein said communication establishing means establishes said communication session when the response received by said response receiving means is a permission response.

5. An anonymous communication system according to claim 3, wherein said communication establishing means does not establish said communication session when the response received by said response receiving means is a no-permission response.

6. An anonymous communication method enabling a communication by anonymity, said anonymous communication method detecting anonymities of communication parties when establishing a communication session, and notifying them to a communication device of a caller.

7. An anonymous communication method according to claim 6, comprising:

(a) an anonymity management information acquiring step in which an anonymous communication establishing means acquires anonymity management information of a caller device and anonymity management information of a callee device from an anonymity managing means retaining anonymity management information including a real address, an anonymous address, and an anonymity of a communication device when having received a communication connection request designating the callee device from the caller device;

(b) a notifying step in which said anonymous communication establishing means acquires the anonymity of at least one of the caller device and the callee device from said acquired anonymity management information and notifies it to the caller device; and

(c) a communication establishing step in which said anonymous communication establishing means decides which address, out of the real address and the anonymous address, should be used as an address of the caller device to be notified to the callee device responding to the anonymity of the caller device to be included in said acquired anonymity management information when establishing the communication session between the caller device and the callee device.

8. An anonymous communication establishing apparatus to be installed in an anonymous communication system enabling a communication by anonymity, said anonymous communication establishing apparatus detecting anonymities of communication parties when establishing a communication session, and notifying them to a communication device of a caller.

9. An anonymous communication establishing apparatus according to claim 8, comprising:

an anonymity management information acquiring means for acquiring anonymity management information of the caller device and anonymity management information of a callee device from an anonymity managing means retaining anonymity management information including a real address, an anonymous address, and an anonymity of the communication device when having received a communication connection request designating the callee device from the caller device;

a notifying means for acquiring the anonymity of at least one of the caller device and the callee device from said acquired anonymity management information and notifying it to the caller device; and

a communication establishing means for, when establishing the communication session between the caller device and the callee device, deciding which address, out of the real address and the anonymous address, should be used as an address of the caller device to be notified to the callee device responding to the anonymity of the caller device to be included in said acquired anonymity management information.

10. An anonymous communication establishing apparatus according to claim 9, comprising a response receiving means for receiving a response to the notification by said notifying means from said caller device, wherein said communication establishing means decides whether or not said communication session should be established based upon the response received by said response receiving means.

11. A communication device in an anonymous communication system comprising:

an anonymity managing means for retaining anonymity management information including a real address, an anonymous address, and an anonymity of a communication device; and

an anonymous communication establishing means for establishing a communication session between the communication devices, said anonymous communication establishing means comprising;

an anonymity management information acquiring means for acquiring anonymity management information of a caller device and anonymity management information of a callee device from said anonymity managing means when having received a communication connection request designating the callee device from said caller device;

a notifying means for acquiring the anonymity of at least one of the caller device and the callee device from said acquired anonymity management information and notifying it to the caller device; and

a communication establishing means for, when establishing the communication session between the caller device and the callee device, deciding which address, out of the real address and the anonymous address, should be used as an address of the caller device to be notified to the callee device responding to the anonymity of the caller device to be included in said acquired anonymity management information, said communication device comprising a means for receiving a notification from said notifying means, and outputting notification contents in one of a character output form, a voice output form, a vibration output form, or a plurality of output forms.

12. A communication device in an anonymous communication system comprising:

an anonymity managing means for retaining anonymity management information including a real address, an anonymous address, and an anonymity of a communication device; and

an anonymous communication establishing means for establishing a communication session between the communication devices, said anonymous communication establishing means comprising;

an anonymity management information acquiring means for acquiring anonymity management information of a caller device and anonymity management information of a callee device from said anonymity managing means when having received a communication connection request designating the callee device from said caller device;

a notifying means for acquiring the anonymity of at least one of the caller device and the callee device from said acquired anonymity management information and notifying it to the caller device;

a response receiving means for receiving a response to the notification by the above notifying means from the caller device; and

a communication establishing means for deciding whether the communication session between the caller device and the callee device should be established based upon the response received by the above response receiving means, and when establishing the communication session, deciding which address, out of the real address and the anonymous address, should be used as an address of the caller device to be notified to the callee device responding to the anonymity of the caller device to be included in said acquired anonymity management information, said communication device comprising;

a means for receiving a notification from said notifying means, and outputting notification contents in one of a character output form, a voice output form, and a vibration output form, or a plurality of output forms; and

a means for transmitting the response corresponding to said notification to said response receiving means.

13. A program for causing a computer to function as:

an anonymity management information acquiring means for acquiring anonymity management information of a caller device and anonymity management information of a callee device from an anonymity managing means for retaining anonymity management information including a real address, an anonymous address, and an anonymity of a communication device when having received a communication connection request designating the callee device from the caller device;

a notifying means for acquiring the anonymity of at least one of the caller device and the callee device from said acquired anonymity management information and notifying it to the caller device; and

a communication establishing means for, when establishing a communication session between the caller device and the callee device, deciding which address, out of the real address and the anonymous address, should be used as an address of the caller device to be notified to the callee device responding to the anonymity of the caller device to be included in said acquired anonymity management information.

14. A program for causing a computer to function as:

an anonymity management information acquiring means for acquiring anonymity management information of a caller device and anonymity management information of a callee device from an anonymity managing means for retaining anonymity management information including a real address, an anonymous address, and an anonymity of a communication device when having received a communication connection request designating the callee device from the caller device;

a notifying means for acquiring the anonymity of at least one of the caller device and the callee device from said acquired anonymity management information and notifying it to the caller device;

a response receiving means for receiving a response to the notification by the above notifying means from said caller device; and

a communication establishing means for deciding whether a communication session between the caller device and the callee device should be established based upon the response received by the above response receiving means, and when establishing the communication session, deciding which address, out of the real address and the anonymous address, should be used as an address of the caller device to be notified to the callee device responding to the anonymity of the caller device to be included in said acquired anonymity management information.

15. A program for causing a computer constituting a communication device in an anonymous communication system comprising:

an anonymity managing means for retaining anonymity management information including a real address, an anonymous address, and an anonymity of a communication device; and

an anonymous communication establishing means for establishing a communication session between the communication devices, said anonymous communication establishing means comprising;

an anonymity management information acquiring means for acquiring anonymity management information of a caller device and anonymity management information of a callee device from said anonymity managing means when having received a communication connection request designating the callee device from the caller device;

a notifying means for acquiring the anonymity of at least one of the caller device and the callee device from said acquired anonymity management information and notifying it to the caller device; and

a communication establishing means for, when establishing a communication session between the caller device and the callee device, deciding which address, out of the real address and the anonymous address, should be used as an address of the caller device to be notified to the callee device responding to the anonymity of the caller device to be included in said acquired anonymity management information, to function as a means for receiving a notification from said notifying means, and outputting notification contents in one of a character output form, a voice output form, and a vibration output form, or a plurality of output forms.

16. A program for causing a computer constituting a communication device in an anonymous communication system comprising:

an anonymity managing means for retaining anonymity management information including a real address, an anonymous address, and an anonymity of a communication device; and

an anonymous communication establishing means for establishing a communication session between the communication devices, said anonymous communication establishing means comprising;

an anonymity management information acquiring means for acquiring anonymity management information of a caller device and anonymity management information of a callee device from said anonymity managing means when having received a communication connection request designating the callee device from the caller device;

a notifying means for acquiring the anonymity of at least one of the caller device and the callee device from said acquired anonymity management information and notifying it to the caller device;

a response receiving means for receiving a response to the notification by the above notifying means from the caller device; and

a communication establishing means for deciding whether the communication session between the caller device and the callee device should be established based upon the response received by the above response receiving means, and when establishing the communication session, deciding which address, out of the real address and the anonymous address, should be used as an address of the caller device to be notified to the callee device responding to the anonymity of the caller device to be included in said acquired anonymity management information, to function as;

a means for receiving a notification from said notifying means, and outputting notification contents in one of a character output form, a voice output form, and a vibration output form, or a plurality of output forms; and

a means for transmitting the response corresponding to said notification to said response receiving means.