ANONYMOUS COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20120231767A1
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kagawa, Natsuko
• Application Number:
  US13/510,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20120231767A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80

Abstract

An anonymous communication establishing device establishes a communication session between a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal if the anonymity level of a calling party terminal, designated in a communication connection request received from the first communication terminal, is allowable for a communication from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal. Then, when the anonymous communication establishing device receives, from the second communication terminal, a communication transfer request designating the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal and designating a third communication terminal as a transfer destination communication terminal, the anonymous communication establishing device determines whether or not the anonymity level of the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal, designated in the communication transfer request, is allowable for a communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal. If the anonymity level is not allowable, the anonymous communication establishing device determines an anonymity level of the first communication terminal allowable for the communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, and performs transfer control of the communication session with use of the determined anonymity level.

Claims

1. An anonymous communication method to be performed by an anonymous communication establishing device connected with a plurality of communication terminals over a network, the method comprising:

by the anonymous communication establishing device, receiving, from a first communication terminal, a first communication connection request designating a communication address specifying the first communication terminal as a calling party terminal, an anonymity level of the calling party terminal, and a communication address specifying a second communication terminal as a communication counter party;

by the anonymous communication establishing device, determining whether or not the anonymity level of the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal, designated in the received first communication connection request, is allowable for a communication from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal, and if the anonymity level is not allowable, rejecting the first communication connection request, while if the anonymity level is allowable, establishing a communication session between the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal;

by the anonymous communication establishing device, receiving, from the second communication terminal, a first communication transfer request designating the communication address specifying the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal and a communication address specifying a third communication terminal as a transfer destination communication terminal; and

by the anonymous communication establishing device, determining whether or not the anonymity level of the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal, designated in the received first communication transfer request, is allowable for a communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, and if the anonymity level is not allowable, determining an anonymity level of the first communication terminal allowable for the communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, and performing transfer control of the communication session with use of the determined anonymity level of the first communication terminal.

2. The anonymous communication method according to claim 1, wherein the transfer control of the communication session includes:

by the anonymous communication establishing device, transmitting, to the first communication terminal, a second communication transfer request designating the determined anonymity level of the first communication terminal and the communication address specifying the third communication terminal;

by the anonymous communication establishing device, receiving, from the first communication terminal, a second communication connection request designating the communication address specifying the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal, the anonymity level of the calling party terminal, and the communication address specifying the third communication terminal as a communication counter party; and

by the anonymous communication establishing device, determining whether or not the anonymity level of the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal, designated in the received second communication connection request, is allowable for a communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, and if the anonymity level is not allowable, rejecting the second communication connection request, while if the anonymity level is allowable, establishing a communication session between the first communication terminal and the third communication terminal.

3. The anonymous communication method according to claim 1, wherein

the anonymous communication establishing device determines whether or not the anonymity level of the first communication terminal is allowable for the communication from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal and whether or not the anonymity level of the first communication terminal is allowable for the communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, based on anonymity level regulation conditions including a condition of the calling party terminal to be regulated and a condition of the anonymity level to be regulated.

4. The anonymous communication method according to claim 1, wherein

the anonymous communication establishing device determines the anonymity level of the first communication terminal allowable for the communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, based on anonymity level regulation conditions including a condition of the calling party terminal to be regulated and a condition of the anonymity level to be regulated, and anonymity management information including a real address of the first communication terminal, at least one anonymous address of the first communication terminal, and information regarding an anonymity level of the anonymous address.

5. The anonymous communication method according to claim 3, wherein

the condition of the calling party terminal to be regulated includes at least one communication address of the communication address specifying the calling party terminal and a communication address specifying a called party terminal.

6. The anonymous communication method according to claim 5, wherein

the condition of the calling party terminal to be regulated includes a condition regarding the number of communication times.

7. The anonymous communication method according to claim 5, wherein

the condition of the calling party terminal to be regulated includes a condition regarding a position of the terminal.

8. The anonymous communication method according to claim 5, wherein

the condition of the calling party terminal to be regulated includes a condition that a call is a callback.

9. The anonymous communication method according to claim 5, wherein

the conditions of the calling party terminal and the anonymity level to be regulated include information regarding a time zone to be regulated.

10. The anonymous communication method according to claim 5, wherein

if there is no anonymity level regulation condition regulating the anonymity level of the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal to be used for the communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, the anonymous communication establishing device generates a new anonymity level regulation condition which regulates an anonymity level higher than the anonymity level of the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal designated in the received second communication connection request.

11. The anonymous communication method according to claim 1, wherein

if the anonymous communication establishing device transmits the determined anonymity level of the first communication terminal to the first communication terminal and receives an allowance response from the first communication terminal, the anonymous communication establishing device performs transfer control of the communication session with use of the determined anonymity level of the first communication terminal.

12. An anonymous communication establishing device comprising:

an anonymity level regulation condition determination unit that determines whether or not an anonymity level of a calling party terminal, designated in a communication connection request and a communication transfer request, is allowable;

an anonymity level change unit that determines an allowable anonymity level if the anonymity level of the calling party terminal designated in the communication transfer request is not allowable; and

a communication establishing unit, wherein

when the communication establishing unit receives, from a first communication terminal, a first communication connection request designating a communication address specifying the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal, an anonymity level of the calling party terminal, and a communication address specifying a second communication terminal as a communication counter party, the communication establishing unit determines, by using the anonymity level regulation condition determination unit, whether or not the anonymity level of the the calling party terminal designated in the first communication connection request is allowable, and if the anonymity level is not allowable, rejects the first communication connection request, while if the anonymity level is allowable, establishes a communication session between the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal, and

when the communication establishing unit receives, from the second communication terminal, a first communication transfer request designating the communication address specifying the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal and a communication address specifying a third communication terminal as a transfer destination communication terminal, the communication establishing unit determines, by using the anonymity level regulation condition determination unit, whether or not the anonymity level of the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal designated in the first communication transfer request is allowable for a communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, and if the anonymity level is not allowable, determines, by using the anonymity level change unit, an anonymity level of the first communication terminal allowable for the communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, and performs transfer control of the communication session with use of the determined anonymity level of the first communication terminal.

13. The anonymous communication establishing device according to claim 12, wherein

the communication establishing unit transmits, to the first communication terminal, a second communication transfer request designating the determined anonymity level of the first communication terminal and the communication address specifying the third communication terminal, and

when the communication establishing unit receives, from the first communication terminal, a second communication connection request designating the communication address specifying the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal, the anonymity level of the calling party terminal, and the communication address specifying the third communication terminal as a communication counter party, the communication establishing unit determines, by using the anonymity level regulation condition determination unit, whether or not the anonymity level of the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal designated in the second communication connection request is allowable for a communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, and if the anonymity level is not allowable, rejects the second communication connection request, while if the anonymity level is allowable, establishes a communication session between the first communication terminal and the third communication terminal.

14. The anonymous communication establishing device according to claim 12, wherein

the anonymous level regulation condition determination unit determines whether or not the anonymity level of the calling party terminal designated in the communication connection request and the communication transfer request is allowable, based on anonymity level regulation conditions including a condition of the calling party terminal to be regulated and a condition of the anonymity level to be regulated.

15. The anonymous communication establishing device according to claim 12, wherein

the anonymity level change unit determines the allowable anonymity level, based on anonymity level regulation conditions including a condition of the calling party terminal to be regulated and a condition of the anonymity level to be regulated, and anonymity management information including a real address of the communication terminal, at least one anonymous address of the communication terminal, and information regarding an anonymity level of the anonymous address.

16. The anonymous communication establishing device according to claim 14, wherein

the condition of the calling party terminal to be regulated includes at least one communication address of the communication address specifying the calling party terminal and a communication address specifying a called party terminal.

17. The anonymous communication establishing device according to claim 16, wherein

the condition of the calling party terminal to be regulated includes a condition regarding the number of communication times.

18. The anonymous communication establishing device according to claim 16, wherein

the condition of the calling party terminal to be regulated includes a condition regarding a position of the terminal.

19. The anonymous communication establishing device according to claim 16, wherein

the condition of the calling party terminal to be regulated includes a condition that a call is a callback.

20. The anonymous communication establishing device according to claim 16, wherein

the conditions of the calling party terminal and the anonymity level to be regulated include information regarding a time zone to be regulated.

21. The anonymous communication establishing device according to claim 16, further comprising an anonymity level regulation condition registration unit that, if there is no anonymity level regulation condition regulating the anonymity level of the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal to be used for the communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, generates a new anonymity level regulation condition which regulates an anonymity level higher than the anonymity level of the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal designated in the received second communication connection request.

22. The anonymous communication establishing device according to claim 12, wherein

if the communication establishing unit transmits the determined anonymity level of the first communication terminal to the first communication terminal and receives an allowance response from the first communication terminal, the communication establishing unit performs transfer control of the communication session with use of the determined anonymity level of the first communication terminal.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program comprising instructions for causing a computer to function as:

an anonymity level regulation condition determination unit that determines whether or not an anonymity level of a calling party terminal, designated in a communication connection request and a communication transfer request, is allowable;

an anonymity level change unit that determines an allowable anonymity level if the anonymity level of the calling party terminal designated in the communication transfer request is not allowable; and

a communication establishing unit that,

when receiving, from a first communication terminal, a first communication connection request designating a communication address specifying the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal, an anonymity level of the calling party terminal, and a communication address specifying a second communication terminal as a communication counter party, determines, by using the anonymity level regulation condition determination unit, whether or not the anonymity level of the calling party terminal designated in the first communication connection request is allowable, and if the anonymity level is not allowable, rejects the first communication connection request, while if the anonymity level is allowable, establishes a communication session between the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal, and

when receiving, from the second communication terminal, a first communication transfer request designating the communication address specifying the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal and a communication address specifying a third communication terminal as a transfer destination communication terminal, determines, by using the anonymity level regulation condition determination unit, whether or not the anonymity level of the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal designated in the first communication transfer request is allowable for a communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, and if the anonymity level is not allowable, determines, by using the anonymity level change unit, an anonymity level of the first communication terminal allowable for the communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, and performs transfer control of the communication session with use of the determined anonymity level of the first communication terminal.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 23, wherein

the communication establishing unit transmits, to the first communication terminal, a second communication transfer request designating the determined anonymity level of the first communication terminal and the communication address specifying the third communication terminal, and

when the communication establishing unit receives, from the first communication terminal, a second communication connection request designating the communication address specifying the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal, the anonymity level of the calling party terminal, and the communication address specifying the third communication terminal as a communication counter party, the communication establishing unit determines, by using the anonymity level regulation condition determination unit, whether or not the anonymity level of the first communication terminal as the calling party terminal designated in the second communication connection request is allowable for a communication from the first communication terminal to the third communication terminal, and if the anonymity level is not allowable, rejects the second communication connection request, while if the anonymity level is allowable, establishes a communication session between the first communication terminal and the third communication terminal.