Method for transmitting an anonymous request from a consumer to a content or service provider through a telecommunication network

• US 7,590,547 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Lagadec, Roger, Durand, Didier, Taddei, Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): Ouellette; Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US10/704,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20040098625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,136 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/307
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0615 Anonymizing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• 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

Abstract

A method and associated arrangement allows a content or service provider to establish an anonymous profile of a consumer using at least one request sent by the consumer through a communication network. The request sent by the consumer includes identification data of the consumer. The identification data is substituted in the network with an alias so as to anonymize the request. The identification data is not accessible to the content or service provider and there is a one-to-one and immutable correspondence between the identification data and the alias.

Claims

1. A method allowing a content or service provider to own an anonymous profile of a consumer comprising the steps of:

using at least one request sent by the consumer through a communication network,

including in the request sent by the consumer identification data of the consumer,

automatically substituting, by a processor, the identification data in the network with an alias so as to anonymize the request vis-à

-vis said content or service provider, and

at least one step during which the consumer defines his preferences with the content or service provider through an Internet web session or with said mobile station and by identifying himself by sending a registration request through the communication network, said registration request being valid during a limited period of time, wherein

the identification data is not accessible to the content or service provider and there is a one-to-one and immutable correspondence between the identification data and the alias, and wherein

said profile is established by said content or service provider, and in that said profile is updated each time a request is received from said consumer wherein the content or service provider sends a single or multiple-part response that includes the alias to the consumer, within the communication network the alias being substituted with the identification data, and the response being then forwarded to the consumer, wherein

the consumer or the service provider on behalf of its customer can define preferences for the response, the possible options including choices among mobile networks messages, USSD, synthesized voice message, fax, e-mail, a link to an Internet or WAP site, or postal delivery.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein said preferences include said consumer'"'"'s language.

3. A method allowing a content or service provider to own an anonymous profile of a consumer comprising the steps of:

using at least one request sent by the consumer through a communication network,

including in the request sent by the consumer identification data of the consumer, and

automatically substituting, by a processor, the identification data in the network with an alias so as to anonymize the request vis-à

-vis said content or service provider, wherein

the identification data is not accessible to the content or service provider and there is a one-to-one and immutable correspondence between the identification data and the alias, and wherein

said profile is established by said content or service provider, and in that said profile is updated each time a request is received from said consumer, wherein

the content or service provider authenticates the anonymous consumer in order to verify whether the real identity of the anonymous consumer from which the content and service provider only receives an alias is always the same during subsequent interaction, comprising the following steps;

the content or service provider communicates a registration label to the consumer,

the consumer prepares a registration request including the registration label and transmits it to a logic unit,

the logic unit identifies the consumer and substitutes identification data of the consumer with the alias, and

the alias and the registration label are checked.

4. Method allowing a mobile consumer to define or adapt via the Internet his preferences for an anonymous service in a mobile telecommunication network by sending instructions to a service provider, including the following steps:

communicating a registration label by the provider of said service to said mobile consumer via Internet,

the mobile consumer using his mobile station for preparing a registration request containing this registration label;

transmitting said registration request through a mobile communication network to an anonymizer, wherein the registration request is anonymized by said anonymizer using an alias to anonymize the registration request vis-à

-vis said provider, said alias corresponding one-to-one with said mobile consumer;

forwarding said anonymized registration request with said alias to said provider;

the consumer sending instructions with said alias, via the Internet, for setting preferences to said service provider; and

the provider determining with said alias which set of preferences said provider must define or adapt according to the instructions received via Internet.

5. Method according to claim 4, further comprising a step of sending a message over a mobile network to said provider in order to further define said preferences.

6. Method according to claim 4, wherein said preferences include the e-mail address of said consumer.