Anonymous reporting system

• US 8,250,025 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OneTrust LLC
• Original Assignee: Business Controls Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Ferraro, Eugene F., Foster, Steven, Pfaff, Kimberly L., Persichetti, Mary Eileen, Palmer, Briggin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pulliam, Christyann
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khoshnoodi, Fariborz
• Application Number:
  US12/317,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20090235084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 707/758, 707/999.003, 707/999.005, 707/999.01, 707/999.107, 707/999.104, 707/999.102, 707/803
• US Class Current: 707/602
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An anonymous reporting system for use in reporting and following up on incidents, accidents, and the like. The system may be accessed via an Internet website. A reporting individual may select a type of incident to report. In one example, the reporting individual may select a level on anonymity and some, none or all of the individual'"'"'s personal identification is displayed to the organization according to the selected level.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of providing a reporting system for the exchange of confidential data between a reporting party and an organization, the method comprising:

providing a report with a plurality of data fields configured for receiving confidential data input by a reporting party;

receiving the confidential data from the reporting party into the plurality of data fields;

receiving a level of anonymity of the reporting party;

associating the confidential data with the plurality of data fields in the report;

storing the confidential data, the report and the level of anonymity in a database;

providing a reporting party interface for the reporting party to retrieve and view the report, the reporting party interface comprising a graphical user interface for use with a browser on a computer connected to a network;

providing an organization interface for the organization to retrieve and view the report, the organization interface comprising a graphical user interface for use with a browser on a computer connected to a network;

displaying the report to the reporting party using the reporting party interface; and

displaying the report to the organization using the organization interface, the report populated with confidential data based upon the level of anonymity;

wherein at least one of the plurality of data fields is configured for receiving the level of anonymity of the reporting party;

wherein the level of anonymity is chosen from a group consisting of remain completely anonymous, remain anonymous to organization, and do not care about anonymity; and

wherein the level of anonymity of remains anonymous to organization comprises the reporting party providing personal identification information to an intermediary without providing the personal identification information to the organization.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data fields are configured for receiving information relating to an incident revealed by the reporting party.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal identification information comprises a name of the reporting party and a phone number for the reporting party.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the reporting party selecting a level of anonymity, wherein the level of anonymity is chosen from a group consisting of remain completely anonymous, remain anonymous to organization and do not care about anonymity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is a relational database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface for use with a browser is a secure website having data encryption configured for encrypting confidential data transmitted over the network and the network is the Internet.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the reporting party interface is a first portal and the organization interface is a second portal, the first portal having an interface configured to transmit and receive data between the reporting party and an intermediary and the second portal having an interface configured to transmit and receive data between the organization and the intermediary.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the associations between the plurality of data fields and the confidential data in the database.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal identification information comprises a personal e-mail address for the reporting party.

9. A method for navigating a plurality of linked web pages on the Internet using a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

accessing a first web page capable of being displayed on a browser of a computer;

displaying the first web page, the first web page having embedded therein,

a first plurality of data fields configured for receiving confidential incident data entered into a report,

a second plurality of data fields configured for receiving confidential contact data relating to the reporting party,

an anonymity data field configured for receiving a level of anonymity from the reporting party, wherein the level of anonymity includes selectable choices of a level of remain completely anonymous, a level of remain anonymous to organization, and a level of do not care about anonymity, wherein the level of remain anonymous to organization comprises the reporting party providing personal identification information to an intermediary without providing the personal identification information to the organization,

a first plurality of graphical user interface controls configured for entering data into the first and second plurality of data fields and the anonymity data field, and

a second plurality of graphical user controls configured for navigating from the first web page to a plurality of linked web pages,

a database interface configured for receiving the confidential incident data in the first plurality of data fields, the confidential contact data in the second plurality of data fields and the level of anonymity in the anonymity data field and causing a storing operation of the confidential incident data, the confidential contact data, the level of anonymity and the report in a database;

a control interface configured for both detecting user operation of the first plurality of graphical user interface controls by the reporting party and, in response, entering data into the first and second plurality of data fields and the anonymity data field and configured for detecting user operation of the second plurality of graphical user interface controls by the reporting party and, in response, navigating the plurality of linked web pages.

10. A graphical user interface for use with a browser on a computer connected to a network, the graphical user interface configured for facilitating the exchange of confidential information between a reporting party and an organization through an intermediary, the graphical user interface comprising:

a web page capable of being displayed on the browser of the computer, the web page having embedded therein,

a first plurality of data fields configured for receiving confidential incident data entered into a report,

a second plurality of data fields configured for receiving confidential contact data relating to the reporting party,

an anonymity data field configured for receiving a level of anonymity from the reporting party, wherein the level of anonymity includes at least selectable choices of remain completely anonymous and remain anonymous to organization, and wherein the level of remain anonymous to organization is adapted to provide personal identification information of the reporting party to the intermediary without providing said personal identification information to the organization,

a first plurality of graphical user interface controls configured for entering data into the first and second plurality of data fields and the anonymity data field, and

a second plurality of graphical user controls configured for navigating from the web page to a plurality of linked web pages,

a database interface configured for receiving the confidential incident data in the first plurality of data fields, the confidential contact data in the second plurality of data fields and the level of anonymity in the anonymity data field and causing a storing operation of the confidential incident data, the confidential contact data, the level of anonymity and the report in a database; and

a control interface configured for both detecting user operation of the first plurality of graphical user interface controls by the reporting party and, in response, entering data into the first and second plurality of data fields and the anonymity data field and configured for detecting user operation of the second plurality of graphical user interface controls by the reporting party and, in response, navigating the plurality of linked web pages.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 10, further comprising a display interface for detecting the level of anonymity from the reporting party and, in response, displaying a first portion of the confidential contact data to the organization.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the confidential contact data is all of the confidential contact data for a level of do not care about anonymity.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the confidential contact data is none of the confidential contact data for a level of remain completely anonymous.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the confidential contact data is none of the confidential contact data for a level of remain anonymous to organization, wherein the confidential contact data is displayed to the intermediary.