Private anonymous electronic messaging

• US 9,380,031 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PowerSchool Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Reliance Communications Incorporated (West Corporation)
• Inventors: Hencke, Benjamin Paul, Quinn, Kerry Patrick, Arnberg, Alf Martin Wolter, Wood, Howard Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US14/493,047
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles

Abstract

Private anonymous electronic messaging between a message originator and a message recipient within an organization encourages open communication which can provide information to the organization that might otherwise be secreted from the organization, and can allow the message originator to obtain desired help (e.g., counseling). By profiling of the message originator based on current and previous electronic messaging within the system as well as external organizational information (e.g., behavioral or financial information), the system can assess concerns yet act as a gateway to protect the message originator'"'"'s true identity through escalating levels of concern unless a genuine concern about the health, well-being, and/or safety of the message originator, others, or the organization is indicated, in which case the system can reveal the true identity of the message originator as appropriate.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

authenticating by a disinterested third-party computing system a message originator based on a known true identity;

generating by the computing system based on communication with a device of the message originator an electronic message about a topic;

generating by the computing system an alert based on an updated profile of the message originator based on the electronic message or the electronic message; and

sending by the computing system the electronic message and the alert to a device of a message recipient without revealing the known true identity of the message originator unless the alert exceeds a predefined threshold that triggers revealing the known true identity of the message originator or if the message recipient is authorized by the organization to receive the known true identity.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending by the computing system some or all of the updated profile to the device of the message recipient without revealing the known true identity of the message organization unless the alert exceeds a predefined threshold that triggers revealing the known true identity of the message originator or if the message recipient is authorized by the organization to receive the known true identity.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the electronic message, the alert, and the updated profile are sent in a single communication.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the electronic message, the alert, and the updated profile are not sent in a single communication.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the known true identity is the name of the message originator or an organizational identification number unique to the message originator.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the message originator selects the topic from a predefined list of topics.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending by the computing system the electronic message and the alert to a device of an organizational authority figure.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending by the computing system some or all of the updated profile, the known true identity of the message originator, or the updated profile and the known true identity of the message originator to a device of an organizational authority figure.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending by the computing device the electronic message and the alert to a device of a third-party responder.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending by the computing system some or all of the updated profile, the known true identity of the message originator, or the updated profile and the known true identity of the message originator to a device of a third-party responder.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising computing instructions comprising a code segment to send by the computing system some or all of the updated profile to the device of the message recipient without revealing the known true identity of the message organization unless the alert exceeds a predefined threshold that triggers revealing the known true identity of the message originator or if the message recipient is authorized by the organization to receive the known true identity.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2 wherein the electronic message, the alert, and the updated profile are sent in a single communication.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2 wherein the electronic message, the alert, and the updated profile are not sent in a single communication.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the known true identity is the name of the message originator or an organizational identification number unique to the message originator.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the message originator selects the topic from a predefined list of topics.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising computing instructions comprising a code segment to send by the computing system the electronic message and the alert to a device of an organizational authority figure.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising computing instructions comprising a code segment to send by the computing system some or all of the updated profile, the known true identity of the message originator, or the updated profile and the known true identity of the message originator to a device of an organizational authority figure.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising computing instructions comprising a code segment to send by the computing device the electronic message and the alert to a device of a third-party responder.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising computing instructions comprising a code segment to send by the computing system some or all of the updated profile, the known true identity of the message originator, or the updated profile and the known true identity of the message originator to a device of a third-party responder.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereupon computing instructions comprising:

a code segment to authenticate by a disinterested third-party computing system a message originator of an organization based on a known true identity;

a code segment to generate by the computing system based on communication with a device of the message originator an electronic message about a topic;

a code segment to generate by the computing system an alert based on an updated profile of the message originator based on the electronic message or the electronic message; and

a code segment to send by the computing system the electronic message and the alert to a device of a message recipient of the same organization without revealing the known true identity of the message originator unless the alert exceeds a predefined threshold that triggers revealing the known true identity of the message originator or if the message recipient is authorized by the organization to receive the known true identity.