Anonymous communication

• US 7,703,693 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul, Lapstun, Jacqueline Anne, Scott, Paul Quentin
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert; Ella
• Application Number:
  US10/815,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/21, 705/35, 705/39, 705/40, 705/23, 705/33, 705/34, 705/53, 705/56, 705/58, 705/62, 705/67, 705/72, 705/73, 705/70, 705/75, 705/77, 705/79, 235/454, 235/462.08, 235/462.31, 235/379, 235/179, 235/487, 235/492, 235/494, 382/187, 382/188, 382/306, 382/314
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42

Abstract

A method of enabling anonymous communication between a user and an application server, via interaction of a sensing device with coded data disposed on a surface to generate interaction data, the method including the steps, performed in a computer system, of: identifying a first telecommunication address of the user from: an identity of the sensing device received or determined in the computer system; or the interaction data; associating a temporary telecommunication address with the first telecommunication address; sending the temporary telecommunication address and interaction data to an application; receiving information from the application addressed to said temporary telecommunication address; and forwarding the information from the application to the first telecommunication address.

Claims

1. A system for anonymous communication between a user and a software application, via interaction of an optical imaging pen with coded data identifying the application printed on an interactive surface to generate interaction data, the pen being assigned with a unique identity which is associated with an identity of the user, the interaction data including data on the application identity and the pen identity, the system including a computer system configured and programmed to:

receive the interaction data generated by the pen via said interaction with the printed interactive surface;

identify the application and the pen from the identity data included in the received interaction data;

translate the identified application and pen identities into an alias identity;

send the alias identity and interaction data to the identified application;

receive information from the identified application, the information being addressed to said alias identity; and

forward the information from the application to the user via the alias identity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interaction data includes a digital signature of the user, the computer system identifying the user identified by the digital signature.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a first server which performs said translation.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first server is a registration server.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the first server performs said sending.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the coded data includes an identifier.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the identifier is a unique product item identifier.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the unique product item identifier is an electronic product code.