Anonymous voice communication using on-line controls
First Claim
1. A call broker comprisingmeans for receiving first messages from on-line users, said users including text chat session users, each said first message including a request to identify a telephone call session maintaining the anonymity of chat participants, means for sending a second message in response to each said first message, each said second message identifying a telephone call session, means for receiving third messages from on-line text chat sessions, each said message including callback information allowing the establishment of a telephone link to one of said chat participants, and means for sending control messages to a telephone network identifying callback information associated with at least two chat participants and authorization to complete connections between said at least two chat participants.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for providing anonymous voice communications using the telephone network under the direction of an on-line data network. A call broker receives call setup information from on-line session participants, such as chat room participants, after providing callback telephone numbers and, as appropriate, billing information. In one illustrative embodiment, a user (the call initiator) present in a chat room session establishes a data connection to a telephone company site using, e.g., an Internet web browser to establish a Call Broker session. The Call Broker then provides session information (such as a telephone company URL) and a Participant Authorization Code (PAC), which information is passed to a selected chat participant in the current chat room. When the chosen participant uses the received URL to access the telephone company site, and enters the received participant code and a call-back number, the telephone company completes voice links to the initiator and the selected participant and bridges these links together. Other embodiments permit adding additional parties, and engaging the chat server to negotiates with the Call Broker to establish a PAC that is made available to all chat participants. These and other embodiments of the present invention permit participants in an on-line chat or similar text-based session to retain their anonymity while extending their communications to voice calls.
414 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A call broker comprising
means for receiving first messages from on-line users, said users including text chat session users, each said first message including a request to identify a telephone call session maintaining the anonymity of chat participants, means for sending a second message in response to each said first message, each said second message identifying a telephone call session, means for receiving third messages from on-line text chat sessions, each said message including callback information allowing the establishment of a telephone link to one of said chat participants, and means for sending control messages to a telephone network identifying callback information associated with at least two chat participants and authorization to complete connections between said at least two chat participants.
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8. A method for establishing an anonymous telephone call involving participants in an on-line text chat session comprising the steps of
receiving a request from one of said participants to set up a telephone call connecting said one of said participants and at least one selected participant from among others of said participants, sending a message to said one participant, said message comprising a telephone call session identifier and at least one Participant Authorization Code (PAC), receiving PAC and callback information from at least one of said selected other participants, and sending control information to a telephone network to establish telephone links to said initiating participant and each of said selected other participants from whom said PAC and callback information was received, and to bridge said telephone links together.
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15. A method for establishing an anonymous telephone call involving participants in an on-line text chat session comprising a server chat session hosting a plurality of remote client chat sessions, said server chat session being enhanced by a Call Broker session, said method comprising the steps of
receiving requests at said server chat session from each of a plurality of said client chat sessions to set up a telephone call connecting participants associated with each of said client chat sessions, sending a message to each of said participants from whom a request is received, said message comprising a telephone call session identifier and at least one Participant Authorization Code (PAC), receiving at said Call Broker session from each of a plurality of said client chat sessions said PAC and callback information for the telephone associated with respective client chat sessions, and sending control information to a telephone network to establish telephone links to said initiating participant and each of said selected other participants from whom said PAC and callback information was received, and to bridge said telephone links together.
Specification