Managing anonymous communications between users based on short-range wireless connection identifiers

• US 8,666,315 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Martini, Giovanni, Grasso, Ennio, Perrucci, Alessandro, Bosco, Piergiorgio, Benenti, Claudio
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/990,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20090209202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,119 Days
• Field of Search: 455/39, 455/435.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/500, 455/502, 455/507, 455/67.11, 455/68
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• 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: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method for managing in network equipment of a communication network anonymous communications between a first and a second mobile user apparatus includes: a) receiving from the first mobile user apparatus, through a first network connection, data indicating that a short-range wireless connection between the first mobile user apparatus and the second mobile user apparatus has been established, the data including a second unique short-range wireless connection identifier associated with the second mobile user apparatus and a message for the second mobile user apparatus; b) by using the second unique short-range wireless connection identifier, obtaining a network address associated with the second mobile user apparatus; and c) by using the network address obtained in b), sending data to the second mobile user apparatus through a second network connection, the data including the message received in a) from the first mobile user apparatus and a first anonymous identifying code univocally associated with the first mobile user apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for managing in network equipment of a communication network anonymous communications between a first user and a second user, said communications comprising exchange of at least one message through an anonymous short-range wireless connection between a first mobile user apparatus associated with the first user and a second mobile user apparatus associated with the second user, when the short-range wireless connection fails, the method comprising:

a) receiving from the first mobile user apparatus, through a first network connection, data comprising a second unique short-range wireless connection identifier associated with the second mobile user apparatus and the message for the second user;

b) by using said second unique short-range wireless connection identifier, obtaining a network address associated with the second mobile user apparatus; and

c) by using the network address obtained in b), sending data to the second mobile user apparatus through a second network connection, said data comprising the message received in a) from the first mobile user apparatus and a first anonymous identifying code univocally associated with the first mobile user apparatus.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

d) receiving data from the second mobile user apparatus through the second network connection, said data comprising the first anonymous identifying code associated with the first mobile user apparatus and a message for the first mobile user apparatus.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

e) obtaining a network address associated with the first mobile user apparatus by using the first anonymous identifying code.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

f) sending data to the first mobile user apparatus through the first network connection using the network address obtained in e), said data comprising the message received in d) from the second mobile user apparatus and a second anonymous identifying code univocally associated with the second mobile user apparatus.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a) comprises receiving from the first mobile user apparatus a notification that the short-range wireless connection failed.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first network connection in a) is a packet data network connection.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein in a) the data further comprise a first unique short-range wireless connection identifier associated with the first mobile user apparatus.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein b) comprises checking whether a packet data network connection is established with the second mobile user apparatus and, if a packet data network connection is established, in c) the data are sent to the second mobile user apparatus through the established packet data network connection.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein in c) the first anonymous identifying code is a first unique short-range wireless connection identifier.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network address obtained in b) is a second mobile subscriber ISDN number subscriber identifier associated with the second mobile user apparatus, and in c) the data are sent to the second mobile user apparatus through a messaging system connection by using said second mobile subscriber ISDN number subscriber identifier.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein in c) the first anonymous identifying code is a first messaging system connection identifier.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

h) receiving from the first mobile user apparatus, through the first network connection, a request for a search for other mobile user apparatuses.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

i) searching for other mobile user apparatuses in a user information database and l) sending through the first network connection the result of the search performed in i) to the first mobile user apparatus.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein in i) the search is performed based upon geographical position information stored in said user information database for said other mobile user apparatuses.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

m) receiving data from the first mobile user apparatus through the first network connection, said data comprising an anonymous search identifying code univocally associated with a mobile user apparatus selected from those sent in l) and a message for such selected mobile user apparatus.

16. Network equipment adapted to carry out the method according to claim 1.

17. A method for managing in a first mobile user apparatus anonymous communications with a second mobile user apparatus within a communication network comprising network equipment, the first and second mobile user apparatus each having associated therewith a first and a second unique short-range wireless connection identifier, respectively, comprising:

1) establishing a short-range wireless connection with the second mobile user apparatus; and

2) when the short-range wireless connection fails, sending to the network equipment, through a network connection, data comprising the second unique short-range wireless connection identifier and a message for the second mobile user apparatus, the message including text data, multimedia data or voice packet data from the first mobile user apparatus for display on the second mobile user apparatus.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

3) receiving from said network equipment, through said network connection, data comprising an anonymous identifying code univocally associated with the second mobile user apparatus and a message from the second mobile user apparatus.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

4) sending to said network equipment, through said network connection, data comprising the anonymous identifying code univocally associated with the second mobile user apparatus as received in

     3), and a message for the second mobile user apparatus.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising sending to the network equipment, through said network connection, a request for a search for other mobile user apparatuses.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising receiving from the network equipment, through said network connection, the result of said search.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein in 2) the network connection is a packet data network connection.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein step 2) further comprises sending to the network equipment the first unique short-range wireless connection identifier.

24. A mobile user apparatus adapted to carry out the method according to claim 17.

25. A communication network comprising:

network equipment;

a first mobile user apparatus and a second mobile user apparatus each having associated therewith a first and a second unique short-range wireless connection identifier, respectively, the first mobile user apparatus being adapted to carry out a method comprising;

1) establishing an anonymous short-range wireless connection with the second mobile user apparatus;

2) when the anonymous short-range wireless connection with the second mobile user apparatus fails, sending to the network equipment, through a first network connection, data comprising the second unique short-range wireless connection identifier and a message for the second mobile user apparatus, the message including text data, multimedia data or voice packet data from the first mobile user apparatus for display on the second mobile user apparatus;

the network equipment being adapted to carry out a method for managing anonymous communications between the first and the second mobile user apparatus when the anonymous short-range wireless connection between the first and the second mobile user apparatus fails, the method comprising;

a) receiving from the first mobile user apparatus, through the first network connection, the data comprising the second unique short-range wireless connection identifier associated with the second mobile user apparatus and the message for the second mobile user apparatus;

b) by using said second unique short-range wireless connection identifier, obtaining a network address associated with the second mobile user apparatus; and

c) by using the network address obtained in b), sending data to the second mobile user apparatus through a second network connection, said data comprising the message received in a) from the first mobile user apparatus and a first anonymous identifying code univocally associated with the first mobile user apparatus; and

a mobile network,

wherein the first mobile user apparatus and the second mobile user apparatus are each adapted to communicate with the network equipment through a respective network connection via the mobile network.

26. A method for managing in a communication network anonymous communications between a first user and a second user, said communications comprising exchange of at least one message through an anonymous short-range wireless connection between a first mobile user apparatus associated with the first user and a second mobile user apparatus associated with the second user, the first and second mobile user apparatus each having associated a first and a second unique short-range wireless connection identifier, respectively, the first mobile user apparatus and the second mobile user apparatus establishing the anonymous short-range wireless connection with each other using the first and the second unique short-range wireless connection identifiers, the method comprising:

a step of coping with a failure of the anonymous short-range wireless connection, including;

when the short-range wireless connection fails, the first mobile user apparatus sending to a network equipment, through a first network connection, data comprising the second unique short-range wireless connection identifier and the message for the second user; and

at the receipt of said data, the network equipment enabling the first mobile user apparatus to continue the anonymous communication with the second mobile user apparatus by;

obtaining a network address of the second mobile user apparatus; and

by using the network address thus obtained, sending data to the second mobile user apparatus through a second network connection, said data comprising the message received from the first mobile user apparatus and a unique first anonymous identifying code of the first mobile user apparatus.

27. The method according to claims 26, wherein, when the short-range wireless connection is no longer preferred,

the first mobile user apparatus sends to the network equipment, through the first network connection, data comprising the second unique short-range wireless connection identifier and a message to be sent to the second mobile user apparatus, and

at the receipt of said data, the network equipment enables the first mobile user apparatus to continue the anonymous communication with the second mobile user apparatus by:

obtaining the network address of the second mobile user apparatus; and

by using the obtained network address, sending data to the second mobile user apparatus through the second network connection, said data comprising the message received from the first mobile user apparatus and a unique first anonymous identifying code of the first mobile user apparatus.