Method and system for maintaining anonymity of a mobile radio terminal

• US 7,587,197 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kimbrell, Jacob W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US11/385,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20070224998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455/445, 455/410, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/417, 455/432.2, 455/432.3, 455/433, 455/406, 455/407
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• 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 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method and system to allowing a user to maintain the privacy of his or her telephone number. The method and system provide a way in which another party may transmit data to the mobile telephone of the user without knowing the phone number associated with the destination mobile telephone. In addition, the method and system provide a way for the user to transmit data from his or her mobile telephone without revealing the phone number associated with the mobile telephone.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting data from a data source to a mobile radio terminal while maintaining anonymity of a telephone number of the mobile radio terminal, comprising:

sending a request for connection data of the mobile radio terminal to a trusted intermediary, the request identifying the mobile radio terminal by an alias registered with the trusted intermediary by a user of the mobile radio terminal;

receiving connection data transmitted from the trusted intermediary to the data source, the connection data including a telephone number of the mobile radio terminal;

maintaining the telephone number of the mobile radio terminal in the data source and in a form that is inaccessible to the user of the data source; and

transmitting the data using the telephone number to indicate the mobile radio terminal as a destination of the data to a communications network, wherein the data source is an initiator of a call, a message or a file transfer to the mobile radio terminal to transmit the data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone number is received by the data source in an encrypted format and is decrypted to transmit the data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection data received by the data source includes one or more permissions and the method further includes validating that the data source satisfies the one or more permissions before transmitting the data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the connection data with the data source as a contact for which the alias is viewable and the telephone number is not viewable.

5. A method of facilitating a transmission of data from a data source to a mobile radio terminal having a telephone number while maintaining anonymity of the telephone number to a user of the data source, comprising:

registering an alias for the mobile radio terminal with a trusted intermediary;

receiving a request from the data source with the trusted intermediary for connection data of the mobile radio terminal, the request identifying the mobile radio terminal by the alias; and

transmitting the connection data for the mobile radio terminal to the data source, the connection data including the telephone number of the mobile radio terminal in a format that is inaccessible by the user of the data source, wherein the data source is an initiator of a call, a message or a file transfer to the mobile radio terminal to transmit the data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the registering associates one or more permissions with the alias for which the data source must satisfy before the trusted intermediary transmits the connection data.

7. A trusted intermediary that forms part of a communications network for supporting communications with a mobile radio terminal, comprising a trusted intermediary function that:

registers an alias for the mobile radio terminal;

receives a request from the data source for connection data of the mobile radio terminal, the request identifying the mobile radio terminal by the alias; and

transmits the connection data for the mobile radio terminal to the data source, the connection data including the telephone number of the mobile radio terminal in a format that is inaccessible by the user of the data source, wherein the data source is an initiator of a call, a message or a file transfer to the mobile radio terminal to transmit the data.

8. A computer readable medium storing a program, the program including a trusted intermediary function executable by a trusted intermediary that forms part of a communications network for supporting communications with a mobile radio terminal, the program comprising executable logic to:

register an alias for the mobile radio terminal;

receive a request from the data source for connection data of the mobile radio terminal, the request identifying the mobile radio terminal by the alias; and

transmit the connection data for the mobile radio terminal to the data source, the connection data including the telephone number of the mobile radio terminal in a format that is inaccessible by the user of the data source, wherein the data source is an initiator of a call, a message or a file transfer to the mobile radio terminal to transmit the data.