Apparatus, methods and systems for anonymous communication
First Claim
1. A method of facilitating anonymous communication between a first station and a second station, the second station having an address for communication, and each station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being connected directly to a packet data network, the method comprising:
- providing a transaction specification from at least one of the first and second stations, generating a reference code in response to the transaction specification, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and said address, supplying the reference code to at least the first station, receiving a communication request from the first station, receiving the reference code from the first station, using the reference code to recover said address, and opening a channel for communication between said first and second stations, whereby anonymous communication can be established between the first and second stations without providing said address to the first station.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Anonymous voice communication between a first station and a second station is facilitated by providing an interface that allows input of a transaction specification from at least one of the first and second stations. A reference code associated with the transaction is generated, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and the address of the second station for voice communication. The reference code is supplied to the first station, and a voice communication request and the reference code are received from the first station. The reference code is used to recover said address and a channel for voice communication is opened between said first and second stations. Voice communication can thereby be established between the first and second stations without providing the address of the second station to the first station.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1. A method of facilitating anonymous communication between a first station and a second station, the second station having an address for communication, and each station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being connected directly to a packet data network, the method comprising:
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providing a transaction specification from at least one of the first and second stations, generating a reference code in response to the transaction specification, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and said address, supplying the reference code to at least the first station, receiving a communication request from the first station, receiving the reference code from the first station, using the reference code to recover said address, and opening a channel for communication between said first and second stations, whereby anonymous communication can be established between the first and second stations without providing said address to the first station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 36, 37)
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30. A method of establishing anonymous communication between a first station and a second station, the second station having an address for communication, and each station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being connected directly to a packet data network, the method comprising:
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supplying a transaction specification as packet data over the packet data network from at least one of the first and second stations to a controller, generating a reference code in response to the transaction specification at the controller, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and said address, supplying the reference code from the controller to at least the first station, making a communication request from the first station to the controller, supplying the reference code from the first station to the controller, using the controller to recover said address from the reference code, and opening a channel for communication between said first and second stations. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. An apparatus for facilitating anonymous communication between a first party and a second party employing first and second stations respectively, each station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being connected directly to a packet data network, the second party having an address for communication, including
a means for enabling negotiation of a transaction specification over the packet data network, a means for generating a reference code, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and said address, and for supplying the reference code to at least the first party, a means for receiving a communication request from at least the first party and for receiving the reference code from at least the first party, a means for using the reference code to recover said address, and a means for opening a communication channel between said first party and said address without supplying said address to the first party.
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38. A method of facilitating voice communication between a first station and a second station over a packet data network and each station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being connected directly to a packet data network, the first and second stations being operated by a first party and a second party, respectively, the method comprising:
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receiving at least part of a connection instruction by a controller from the first station, the connection instruction identifying the second station or the second party, supplying a reference code by the controller to the first station, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and the second station or the second party, receiving a communication request by the controller from the first station for voice communication between the first and second stations, the communication request employing at least in part the reference code, the reference code having been previously supplied by the controller to the first station, opening a channel for voice communication by the controller between the first and second stations, the channel for voice communication including the packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations, monitoring the duration of time that the channel for voice communication is open by the controller, and when the channel for voice communication is closed, storing in memory by the controller the duration of the time that the channel for voice communication was open. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An apparatus facilitating voice communication between a first station and a second station over a packet data network and each station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being connected directly to a packet data network, the packet data network including a wireless network, the first and second stations being operated by a first party and a second party, respectively, the apparatus comprising:
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one or more network interfaces for receiving a communication request from the first station for voice communication between the first and second stations, one or more memory, and one or more processors coupled to the network interface for receiving at least part of a connection instruction from the first station, the connection instruction identifying the second station or the second party, supplying a reference code to the first station, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and the second station or the second party, receiving a communication request from the first station for voice communication between the first and second stations, the communication request employing at least in part the reference code, the reference code having been previously supplied to the first station, opening a channel for voice communication between the first and second stations, the channel for voice communication including the packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations, identifying the starting time that the channel for voice communication is opened, and storing in the memory the starting time that the channel for voice communication was opened. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of facilitating voice communication between a first station and a second station over a packet data network and each station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being connected directly to a packet data network, the first and second stations being operated by a first party and a second party, respectively, the method comprising:
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receiving at least part of a connection instruction by a controller from the first station, the connection instruction identifying the second station or the second party, supplying a reference code by the controller to the first station, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and the second station or the second party, receiving a communication request by the controller from the first station for voice communication between the first and second stations, the communication request employing at least in part the reference code, the reference code having been previously supplied by the controller to the first station, opening a channel for voice communication by the controller between the first and second stations, the channel for voice communication including the packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations, monitoring by the controller the duration of time that the channel for voice communication is open, and when the channel for voice communication is closed, charging one of the first party and second party by the controller a fee based on a fixed sum or by the duration of the time that the channel for voice communication was open. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. An apparatus facilitating voice communication between a first station and a second station over a packet data network and each station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being connected directly to a packet data network, the first and second stations being operated by a first party and a second party, respectively, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one memory, and at least one processor coupled to the network interface for receiving at least part of a connection instruction from the first station, the connection instruction identifying the second station or the second party, supplying a reference code to the first station, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and the second station or the second party, receiving a communication request from the first station for voice communication between the first and second stations, the communication request employing at least in part the reference code, the reference code having been previously supplied to the first station, opening a channel for voice communication between the first and second stations, the channel for voice communication including =the packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations, monitoring the duration of time that the channel for voice communication is open, when the channel for voice communication is closed, storing in the memory the duration of time that the channel for voice communication was open and charging one of the first party and the second party a fee based on a fixed sum or the duration of the time that the channel for voice communication was open. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification