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
89 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 plurality of stations with 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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receiving a plurality of transaction specifications from at least a first one of the plurality of stations by a controller, each transaction specification specifying parameters of an individual transaction involving voice communication between the first station and at least a second station, at least one of the parameters identifying at least the second station, generating a reference code by the controller in response to each transaction specification, there being a unique reference code for each transaction, supplying the reference code from the controller to at least the first station, receiving a voice communication request by the controller from the first station, receiving the reference code by the controller from the first station, and in response to receiving the voice communication request from the first station, opening a channel for voice communication between the first station and at least the second station without first receiving a request for voice communication with the first station from the second station by the controller, the channel for voice communication including a packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. An apparatus facilitating voice communication between a plurality of stations with each station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being connected directly to a packet data network, the apparatus comprising:
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a memory, and a processor connected to the packet data network for receiving and storing in the memory a plurality of transaction specifications from at least a first one of the stations, each transaction specification specifying parameters of an individual transaction involving voice communication between the first station and another station, at least one of the parameters identifying at least the other station, generating a reference code in response, to each transaction specification, there being a unique reference code for each transaction, storing the reference code in the memory, supplying the reference code to the first station, receiving a voice communication request from the first station, receiving the reference code from the first station, and in response to receiving the voice communication request from the first station, opening a channel for voice communication between the first station and at least the second station without first receiving a request for voice communication with the first station from the second station, the channel for voice communication including a packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method of facilitating voice communication between a plurality of stations connected to a voice communication network, the method comprising:
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receiving a first transaction specification by a controller from a first station, the first transaction specification specifying parameters of a first transaction involving voice communication between the first station and a second station, at least one of the parameters of the first transaction specification identifying at least the second station, receiving a second transaction specification by the controller from the first station, the second transaction specification specifying parameters of a second transaction involving voice communication between the first and second stations, at least one of the parameters of the second transaction specification identifying at least the second station, receiving a request for voice communication in association with the first transaction specification by the controller from the first station, and in response to receiving the request for voice communication from the first station, opening a channel for voice communication between the first and second stations in accordance with the first transaction specification without first receiving a request for voice communication with the first station from the second station by the controller, the channel for voice communication including a packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. An apparatus facilitating voice communication between a plurality of stations connected to a voice communication network, the apparatus comprising:
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a memory, and a processor receiving and storing in the memory a first transaction specification from a first one of the plurality of stations, the first transaction specification specifying parameters of a first transaction involving voice communication between the first station and a second one of the plurality of stations, at least one of the parameters identifying at least the second station, receiving and storing in the memory a second transaction specification from the first station, the second transaction specification specifying parameters of a second transaction involving voice communication between the first and second stations, receiving a request for voice communication in association with the first transaction from the first station, and in response to receiving the request for voice communication from the first station, opening a channel for voice communication between the first and second stations in accordance with the first transaction specification without first receiving a request for voice communication with the first station from the second station by the controller, the channel for voice communication including a packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. A method of facilitating voice communication between a first station and an identified second station, the first and second stations being connected to a voice communication network, the method comprising:
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receiving at least a first transaction specification by a controller from at least one of the first and second stations, the transaction specification specifying parameters of a transaction involving voice communication between the first and second stations, the parameters specifying a future designated time for the transaction and identifying at least the second station, receiving a request for voice communication in association with the transaction specification by the controller from the first station, and in response to receiving the request for voice communication from the first station, opening a channel for voice communication between the first and second stations without first receiving a request for voice communication with the first station from the second station, the channel for voice communication including a packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. An apparatus facilitating voice communication between a first station and an identified second station, the first and second stations being connected to a voice communication network, the apparatus comprising:
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a memory, and a processor for receiving and storing in the first memory at least a first transaction specification from the first station, the transaction specification specifying parameters of a transaction involving voice communication between the first and second stations, the parameters specifying a future designated time for the transaction and identifying at least the second station, receiving a request for voice communication in association with the transaction specification from the first station, and in response to receiving the request for voice communication from the first station, opening a channel for voice communication between the first and second stations without first receiving a request for voice communication from the second station, the channel for voice communication including a packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85, 86, 87)
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88. A method of facilitating voice communication between a plurality of stations connected to a voice communication network, each station having an address for communication and enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being directly connected to a packet data network, the method comprising:
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receiving a transaction specification by a controller from at least one of the plurality of stations, generating a reference code by the controller in response to the transaction specification, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and the address of the one station, supplying the reference code by the controller to an other station, receiving a communication request by the controller from the other station for voice communication with the one station, the communication request from the other station employing at least partly the reference code supplied by the controller to the other station, notifying the one station by the controller of the communication request received from the other station, and receiving a request by the controller from the one station to refuse communication with the other station, the request received from the one station having been sent over a packet data network that is directly connected to the one station.
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89. An apparatus facilitating voice communication between a plurality of stations connected to a voice communication network, each station having an address for communication and enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being directly connected to a packet data network, the apparatus comprising:
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a memory, and a processor for receiving and storing in the memory a transaction specification from at least one of the plurality of stations, generating and storing in the memory a reference code in response to the transaction specification, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and the address of the one station, supplying the reference code to at least an other station, receiving a communication request from the other station for voice communication with the one station, the communication request from the other station employing at least partly the reference code supplied by the controller to the other station, notifying the one station of the communication request received from the other station, and receiving a request from the one station to refuse communication with the other station, the request received from the one station having been sent over a packet data network that is directly connected to the one station.
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Specification