Method and system for enabling anonymous communications between two or more interested parties

• US 9,021,032 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Postrel Richard
• Original Assignee: Postrel Richard
• Inventors: Richard, Postrel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US13/399,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20130218983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 455/411
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• 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: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• 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 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

A method and system for communicating anonymously between two parties until such time that the parties may wish to reveal their identities to each other. This is accomplished by using a portable device that enables anonymous communications between a sender (operating a sender device such as a smartphone) and a recipient (operating a recipient device such as a smartphone) via an anonymous communications server computer.

Claims

1. A method of communicating anonymously comprising:

storing on a portable device a sender identification tag that enables communication with a sender device;

providing the portable device to a recipient;

the recipient interconnecting the portable device with a recipient device;

the portable device providing the sender identification tag to the recipient device;

the recipient device initiating communications with an anonymous communications server computer;

the recipient device transmitting the sender identification tag to the anonymous communications server computer;

the anonymous communications server computer using sender device contact properties associated with the sender identification tag to initiate communication with the sender device; and

the anonymous communications server computer executing an anonymous communication session between the recipient device and the sender device;

further comprising executing an anonymous multi-party communication session in series by performing the additional steps of;

the recipient storing on the portable device a second sender identification tag that enables communication with the recipient device;

providing the portable device to a second recipient;

the second recipient interconnecting the portable device with a second recipient device;

the portable device providing the second sender identification tag to the second recipient device;

the second recipient device initiating communications with the anonymous communications server computer;

the second recipient device transmitting the second sender identification tag to the anonymous communications server computer;

the anonymous communications server computer using second sender device contact properties associated with the second sender identification tag to initiate communication with the recipient device; and

the anonymous communications server computer executing an anonymous communication session between the sender device, the recipient device, and the second recipient device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the recipient device initiates communications with an anonymous communications server computer by using anonymous communications server computer contact properties obtained from the portable device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the sender ID tag comprises the sender device contact properties enabling the anonymous communications server computer to initiate communication with the sender device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the anonymous communications server computer uses the sender ID tag to lookup in a sender database the sender device contact properties enabling the anonymous communications server computer to initiate communication with the sender device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the sender device contact properties comprise a sender device telephone number;

the anonymous communications server computer initiates communication with the sender device by calling the sender device using the sender device telephone number; and

the anonymous communication session is an anonymous telephone call between the recipient device and the seller device that is bridged through the anonymous communications server computer such that the sender device is unable to determine the telephone number of the recipient device and the recipient device is unable to determine the telephone number of the sender device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the sender device contact properties comprise a sender device telephone number;

the anonymous communications server computer initiates communication with the sender device by sending a recipient text message to the sender device using the sender device telephone number; and

the anonymous communication session is an anonymous text messaging session between the recipient device and the seller device that is bridged through the anonymous communications server computer such that the sender device is unable to determine the telephone number of the recipient device and the recipient device is unable to determine the telephone number of the sender device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the anonymous text messaging session between the recipient device and the sender device that is bridged through the anonymous communications server computer is executed by:

the sender device receiving the recipient text message from the anonymous communications server computer;

the sender device generating a response text message and sending the response text message to the anonymous communications server computer; and

the anonymous communications server computer receiving the response text message and sending the response text message to the recipient device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the sender device contact properties comprise a sender device email address;

the anonymous communications server computer initiates communication with the sender device by sending a recipient email message to the sender device using the sender device email address; and

the anonymous communication session is an anonymous email messaging session between the recipient device and the seller device that is bridged through the anonymous communications server computer such that the sender device is unable to determine the email address of the recipient device and the recipient device is unable to determine the email address of the sender device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the anonymous email messaging session between the recipient device and the sender device that is bridged through the anonymous communications server computer is executed by:

the sender device receiving the recipient email message from the anonymous communications server computer;

the sender device generating a response email message and sending the response email message to the anonymous communications server computer; and

the anonymous communications server computer receiving the response email message and sending the response email message to the recipient device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the recipient device is a smartphone comprising a dock connector and the portable device comprises a mating connector, and wherein the step of the recipient interconnecting the portable device with a recipient device comprises inserting the mating connector of the portable device into the dock connector of the smartphone.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the recipient device is a tablet computing device comprising a dock connector and the portable device comprises a mating connector, and wherein the step of the recipient interconnecting the portable device with a recipient device comprises inserting the mating connector of the portable device into the dock connector of the tablet computing device.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

storing on the portable device a sender information file, and

enabling the recipient device to access the sender information file when the recipient device is interconnected to the portable device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the sender information file comprises an image file, and wherein the image file is displayed on the recipient device.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the sender information file comprises a video file, and wherein the video file is played back on the recipient device.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the sender information file comprises an audio file, and wherein the audio file is played back on the recipient device.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the sender information file comprises a text file, and wherein the text file is displayed on the recipient device.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising the recipient device transmitting a recipient information file to the sender device via the anonymous communications server computer.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the recipient information file comprises an image file, and wherein the image file is displayed on the sender device.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the recipient information file comprises a video file, and wherein the video file is played back on the sender device.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the recipient information file comprises an audio file, and wherein the audio file is played back on the sender device.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the recipient information file comprises a text file, and wherein the text file is displayed on the sender device.