Method and apparatus for providing an anonymous communication session

• US 9,674,698 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2014
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Rainisto, Roope Aleksi
• Primary Examiner(s): CASCA, FRED A
• Application Number:
  US14/337,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20160029210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 455411, 4554563, 455519, 705319, 705 2642
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events

Abstract

An approach is provided for generating and/or sharing of at least one key upon registering communication identifiers associated with one or more devices for an anonymous communication session. The approach involves causing, at least in part, a generation of at least one key associated with at least one anonymous communication session. The approach also involves causing, at least in part, a transmission of the at least one key to one or more devices. The approach further involves causing, at least in part, a registration of one or more actual communication identifiers associated with the one or more devices to the at least one anonymous communication session based, at least in part, on receiving the at least one key from the one or more devices, wherein the registration does not expose the one or more actual communication identifiers to the one or more devices of the at least one anonymous communication session.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a user device, one or more other user devices located in proximity to the user device using near field communication;

retrieving, by the user device, at least one key for establishing at least one anonymous communication session among the user device and the one or more other user devices;

transmitting, by the user device, the at least one key to the one or more other user devices;

transmitting, by the user device, a request for establishing the at least one anonymous communication session to a server, wherein the request specifies an actual communication identifier of the user device and the at least one key, and the server registers the actual communication identifier of the user device and at least one actual communication identifier of at least one of the other user devices that receives the at least one key and accepts the at least one anonymous communication session; and

transmitting, by the user device, content to the at least one of the other user devices via the at least one anonymous communication session facilitated by the server, wherein the server does not expose the at least one actual communication identifier to the user device or the actual communication identifier to the at least one of the other user devices.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the at least one key is transmitted to the one or more other user devices using the near field communication.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the actual communication identifiers include, at least in part, one or more email addresses, one or more phone numbers, one or more social media user identifiers, or a combination thereof associated with the user device and the at least one of the other user devices.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein the server matches the at least one of the other user devices further based on contextual information, activity information, or a combination thereof, for transmitting the content thereto.

5. A method of claim 4, further comprising:

initiating a presentation of the at least one key, the at least one anonymous communication session, or a combination thereof in at least one timeline user interface of the user device,

wherein the timeline user interface is categorized by physical proximity, temporal proximity, the contextual information, the activity information, or a combination thereof.

6. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that one or more additional user devices newly enter within a physical proximity, a temporal proximity, or a combination thereof of the at least one of the other user devices during the at least one anonymous communication session; and

initiating a transmission of the at least one key to the one or more additional user devices.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a generation or a pre-caching of the at least one key at the user device.

8. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a specification of one or more participation parameters, one or more expiration parameters, or a combination thereof for the at least one anonymous communication session.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the server determines the one or more actual communication identifiers from one or more registered profiles associated with the user device and the at least one of the other user devices.

10. A method of claim 1, wherein the at least one anonymous communication session is an anonymous email communication session, the method further comprising:

initiating a creation of at least one anonymous email associated with the at least one anonymous communication session for routing one or more messages among the one or more devices,

wherein the at least one anonymous email is a group email address set for the user device and the at least one of the other user devices, and the group email address specifies the at least one key.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus embedded in a user device to perform at least the following,

initiate a detection of one or more other user devices located in proximity to the user device using near field communication;

retrieve at least one key for establishing at least one anonymous communication session among the user device and the one or more other user devices;

initiate a transmission of the at least one key to the one or more other user devices;

initiate a transmission of a request for establishing the at least one anonymous communication session to a server, wherein the request specifies an actual communication identifier of the user device and the at least one key, and the server registers the actual communication identifier of the user device and at least one actual communication identifier of at least one of the other user devices that receives the at least one key and accepts the at least one anonymous communication session; and

initiate a transmission of content to the at least one of the other user devices via the at least one anonymous communication session facilitated by the server, wherein the server does not expose the at least one actual communication identifier to the user device or the actual communication identifier to the at least one of the other user devices.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one key is transmitted to the one or more other user devices using the near field communication.

13. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the actual communication identifiers include, at least in part, one or more email addresses, one or more phone numbers, one or more social media user identifiers, or a combination thereof associated with the user device and the at least one of the other user devices.

14. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the server matches the at least one of the other user devices further based on contextual information, activity information, or a combination thereof, for transmitting the content thereto.

15. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

initiate a presentation of the at least one key, the at least one anonymous communication session, or a combination thereof in at least one timeline user interface of the user device,

wherein the timeline user interface is categorized by physical proximity, temporal proximity, the contextual information, the activity information, or a combination thereof.

16. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine that one or more additional user devices newly enter within a physical proximity, a temporal proximity, or a combination thereof of the at least one of the other user devices during the at least one anonymous communication session; and

initiate a transmission of the at least one key to the one or more additional user devices.

17. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

initiate a generation or a pre-caching of the at least one key at the user device.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus embedded in a user device to at least perform the following steps:

initiating a detection of one or more other user devices located in proximity to the user device using near field communication;

retrieving at least one key for establishing at least one anonymous communication session among the user device and the one or more other user devices;

initiating a transmission of the at least one key to the one or more other user devices;

initiating a transmission of a request for establishing the at least one anonymous communication session to a server, wherein the request specifies an actual communication identifier of the user device and the at least one key, and the server registers the actual communication identifier of the user device and at least one actual communication identifier of at least one of the other user devices that receives the at least one key and accepts the at least one anonymous communication session; and

initiating a transmission of content to the at least one of the other user devices via the at least one anonymous communication session facilitated by the server, wherein the server does not expose the at least one actual communication identifier to the user device or the actual communication identifier to the at least one of the other user devices.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the at least one key is transmitted to the one or more other user devices using the near field communication.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the actual communication identifiers include, at least in part, one or more email addresses, one or more phone numbers, one or more social media user identifiers, or a combination thereof associated with the user device and the at least one of the other user devices.