Privacy Ensured Polling

• US 20120022919A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Balinsky, Helen, Wiley, Anthony, Harrison, Keith, Banks, David, Battle, Steven
• Application Number:
  US13/259,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20120022919A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls

Abstract

A method for conducting a privacy ensured computerized poll includes, in a computerized anonymizing system (100), receiving a list (404) of invited participants (418) of said computerized poll, said list (404) comprising at least one address (202, 204) for each said participant (418). With said computerized anonymizing system (100), assigning each invited participant (418) in said poll at least one character string (410, 412) and transmitting to each invited participant (418) said at least one character string (410, 412) assigned to said participant (418) using said at least one address (202, 204). With said computerized anonymizing system (100), generating a list (408) comprising an entry for each said at least one character string (410, 412) assigned to one of said invited participants (418) and shuffling an order of said entries, and providing said shuffled list (408) to a poll initiator (402).

Claims

1. A method for conducting a privacy ensured computerized poll, the method comprising:

in a computerized anonymizing system (100), receiving a list (404) of invited participants (418) of said computerized poll, said list (404) of invited participants (418) comprising at least one address (202, 204) for each said invited participant (418);

with said computerized anonymizing system (100), assigning each said invited participant (418) in said computerized poll at least one character string (410, 412) and transmitting to each said invited participant (418) said at least one character string (410, 412) assigned to said invited participants (418) using said at least one address (202, 204);

with said computerized anonymizing system (100), generating a string list (408) comprising an entry for each said at least one character string (410, 412) assigned to one of said invited participants (418) and shuffling an order of said entries; and

providing said shuffled string list (408) to a poll initiator (402).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing said poll initiator (402) to create a plurality of participant accounts for said computerized poll, each said invited participant account being accessible using one of said at least one character strings (410, 412) comprising an entry in said shuffled string list (408).

3. The method of any preceding claim, in which said character strings (410, 412) are generated randomly by said computerized anonymizing system (100).

4. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising deleting data indicating which said at least one character string (410, 412) is assigned to which said invited participant (418).

5. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising, if said list (404) of participants (408) comprises more than one address for each said participant (418), assigning a said character string (410, 412) to each said participant (418) for each said address (202, 204) and transmitting each said character string (410, 412) assigned to said participant (418) to its corresponding address (202, 204).

6. The method of any preceding claim, in which a length of each said character string (410, 412) is dependent upon a level of security required for said computerized poll.

7. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising expanding said shuffled string list (408) by generating additional entries of character strings (410, 412) for said shuffled string list (408), said additional entries not corresponding to any of said invited participants (418).

8. The method according to any of claims 1-3 or 5-7, further comprising encrypting and storing data indicating which said at least one random character string (410, 412) is assigned to which participant (418).

9. A computerized anonymizing system (100), the system comprising:

at least one processor (108) configured to execute polling software (104) stored in computer readable memory communicatively coupled to said processor (108), such that said processor (108) is configured to, upon execution of said polling software (104);

receive a list (404) of invited participants (418) of a computerized poll, said list comprising at least one address (202, 204) for each said invited participant (418);

assign each said invited participant (418) in said poll at least one character string (410, 412) and transmit to each said invited participant (418) said at least one character string (410, 412) assigned to said participant (418) using said at least one address (202, 204);

generate a string list (408) comprising a plurality of entries, each entry comprising said at least one character string (410, 412) assigned to one of said invited participants (418) and randomize an order of said entries in said string list (408); and

provide said randomized string list (408) to a poll initiator (402).

10. The computerized anonymizing system (100) of claim 9, in which said processor (108) is communicatively coupled to a network, and said processor (108) is further configured to transmit to each said invited participant (418) said at least one character string (410, 412) assigned to said participant (418) through said network.

11. The computerized anonymizing system (100) according to any of claims 9 or 10, in which said processor (108) is further configured to allow said poll initiator (402) to create a plurality of participant accounts for said computerized poll, each said participant account being accessible using one of said at least one character strings (410, 412) comprising an entry in said randomized string list (408).

12. The computerized anonymizing system (100) according to any of claims 9-11, in which said processor (108) is further configured to generate additional entries for said string list (408), said additional entries not corresponding to any of said invited participants (418).

13. The computerized anonymizing system (100) according to any of claims 9-12, in which said processor (108) is further configured to encrypt and store data indicating which of said at least one random character strings (410, 412) is assigned to which of said invited participants (418).

14. A computer program product for conducting anonymous polls, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium (106) having computer readable code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to;

receive a list (404) of invited participants (418) of a computerized poll, said list (404) of invited participants (418) comprising at least one address (202, 204) for each said invited participant (418);

assign each invited participant (418) in said computerized poll at least one character string (410, 412) and transmit to each said invited participant (418) said at least one character string (410, 412) assigned to said invited participant (418) using said at least one address (202, 204);

generate a string list (408) comprising a plurality of entries, each entry comprising said at least one character string (410, 412) assigned to one of said invited participants (418) and randomize an order of said entries in said string list (408); and

provide said randomized string list (408) to a poll initiator (402).

15. The computer program product of claim 14, in which said computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to allow said poll initiator (402) to create a plurality of participant accounts for said computerized poll, each said participant (418) account being accessible using one of said at least one character strings (410, 412) comprising an entry in said randomized string list (408).