Mobile phone number anonymizer

• US 8,676,181 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2009
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pratt, James, Sullivan, Marc, Everett, Sarah Peterson
• Primary Examiner(s): ZEWDU, MELESS NMN
• Application Number:
  US12/647,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20110159861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,542 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/414.4, 455/415, 455417-419, 455/458, 455460-463, 455/517, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 455/561, 455/564, 455410-411, 4554561-4566, 37920111-20112, 379/210.02, 37921101-21102, 379/216.01, 379/218.01, 379/201.02, 705/64, 705/74, 705/78
• US Class Current: 455/417
• 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: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/75 Temporary identity

Abstract

A method, computer readable media and apparatus for temporarily mapping an anonymous number to a mobile endpoint device are disclosed. For example, the method assigns a first temporary anonymous number to a mobile endpoint device having a mobile number, and receives a call request to reach the mobile endpoint device in accordance with the first temporary anonymous number. The method forwards the call request to the mobile endpoint device if the first temporary anonymous number has not expired.

Claims

1. A method for using an anonymous number associated with a mobile endpoint device in a communication network, comprising:

establishing, by at least one processor in the communication network, a temporary anonymous number service for a vendor;

receiving, by the at least one processor, a request from the mobile endpoint device having a mobile number, for a first temporary anonymous number, wherein the request is directed to the temporary anonymous number service, wherein the vendor bears a cost for the temporary anonymous number service;

assigning, by the at least one processor, the first temporary anonymous number to the mobile endpoint device, wherein the assigning is in response to the request for the first temporary anonymous number from the mobile endpoint device to the temporary anonymous number service;

receiving, by the at least one processor, a request from the vendor for location information for the mobile endpoint device in accordance with the first temporary anonymous number;

providing, by the at least one processor, the location information for the mobile endpoint device to the vendor when the first temporary anonymous number has not expired;

receiving, by the at least one processor, a call request from the vendor to reach the mobile endpoint device in accordance with the first temporary anonymous number, wherein the vendor is not provided with the mobile number; and

forwarding, by the at least one processor, the call request to the mobile endpoint device when the first temporary anonymous number has not expired, wherein the forwarding the call request comprises mapping the first temporary anonymous number to the mobile number in a database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises an internet protocol multimedia subsystem network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the communication network further comprises a wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding the call request further comprises substituting the mobile number for the first temporary anonymous number in a call setup signaling message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temporary anonymous number expires after a predefined number of uses.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the first temporary anonymous number to the mobile endpoint device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

sending a second temporary anonymous number to the mobile endpoint device when the first temporary anonymous number has expired.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temporary anonymous number expires after a predefined time period.

9. A method for using an anonymous number associated with a mobile endpoint device in a communication network, comprising:

assigning, by at least one processor, a first temporary anonymous number to a mobile endpoint device having a mobile number, wherein the first temporary anonymous number is assigned in response to a request directed to a temporary anonymous number service provided by the at least one processor for a vendor, wherein the mobile endpoint device is a device of a customer of the vendor;

receiving, by the at least one processor, a request from the vendor for location information for the mobile endpoint device in accordance with the first temporary anonymous number; and

providing, by the at least one processor to the vendor, the location information for the mobile endpoint device when the first temporary anonymous number has not expired, wherein the first temporary anonymous number expires after a predefined time period, wherein the providing the location information comprises mapping the first temporary anonymous number to the mobile number in a database.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication network comprises an internet protocol multimedia subsystem network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication network further comprises a wireless network.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first temporary anonymous number further expires after a predefined number of uses.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending the first temporary anonymous number to the mobile endpoint device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending a second temporary anonymous number to the mobile endpoint device when the first temporary anonymous number has expired.

15. A method for using an anonymous number associated with a mobile endpoint device in a communication network, comprising:

requesting, by the mobile endpoint device, a first temporary anonymous number from a temporary anonymous number service of the communication network provided to a vendor, wherein the temporary anonymous number service is previously established by the communication network for the vendor, wherein the vendor bears a cost for the temporary anonymous number service;

receiving the first temporary anonymous number by the mobile endpoint device from the communication network, wherein the mobile endpoint device has a mobile number; and

sending the first temporary anonymous number by the mobile endpoint device wirelessly to a device of the vendor, wherein the vendor is not provided with the mobile number.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a call from the device of the vendor in accordance with first temporary anonymous number.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the device of the vendor comprises a point of sale device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first temporary anonymous number expires after a predefined number of uses.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

sending a second temporary anonymous number to the mobile endpoint device when the first temporary anonymous number has expired.