Patent Application
20050246419
The present invention relates in general to communication networks and more specifically to a communications network based method for providing a communications network subscriber with an anonymous temporary subscriber identity and to a dual anonymous communication system.
The background of the invention is discussed briefly in the following.
With dual anonymous communication is meant communication between two parties, where neither originating nor terminating party knows the other party's real subscriber identity.
Today, the most typical and popular form of dual anonymous communication is anonymous chatting. One can do anonymous chatting on the Internet in several forums, GSM chat, on the TV, over GSM and other forums (GSM, Global System for Mobile communication). By ‘anonymous’ in this context is meant that the people in the chat forum do not (necessarily) know the real identity (name, e-mail address, phone number, etc.) of each other.
The problem arises when two parties in the chat forum want to talk to each other on the phone while still wanting to keep their identity secret from the other party.
One may imagine two persons A and B who don't know each other chatting either in the TV using SMS (SMS, Short Message Service) or on the Internet using aliases. They would like to call each other to arrange e.g. a date but both of them are too shy to give their real phone number or don't want to give the real number in case the other person turns out to be a troublemaker. This is especially true when the chat is going on in TV—as then lots of other people might see the real phone number and start harassing.
Already today there exists services that enable anonymous calls to voice chat rooms. It is also possible for the originating party to suppress his subscriber identity. Anonymous e-mail has also been possible for years. The originating party can also use Calling Line Identity Restriction to suppress his phone number.
There also exist today certain known technologies for anonymous communication. However, these are limited to certain services and apply on circuit-switched networks that are gradually being phased out as all communication (speech, data) is moving to IP based networks.
Nevertheless, in the IP based networks, there does not exist services that would enable anonymous calls between two parties, where neither calling nor called subscriber knows the other party's real subscriber identity.
Furthermore, there does not exist services that would enable dual anonymous one-to-one communication using the same account for all types of communication (e.g. voice, data, e-mail, etc.).
There is a need for a communications network based method for providing a communications network subscriber with an anonymous temporary subscriber identity and for a dual anonymous communication system. This need exists both in present circuit-switched wireline and wireless networks as well as in IP based networks.
The European patent application EP 984 608 shows, as referred to as a prior art, one solution relating to a call broker for providing telephone communications using online communication. The disclosed solution presents a solution, where in an on-line text chat environment-one can establishm a telephone link to one of the, chat participants with the help of a call broker equipment.
The IETF SIP WG Internet draft “SIP Extensions for Caller Identity and Privacy” by Marshall et al. shows, as referred to as a prior art, extensions to SIP that enable parties in a SIP session to be identified by different types of party information, which are authenticated by a trusted entity. The specification draft shows solutions, where delivery of party information can be suppressed.
The prior art solutions do not present a solution for a communications network based method for providing a communications network subscriber with an anonymous temporary subscriber identity or a solution for a dual-anonymous communication system.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least mitigate the disadvantages of the prior art. The present invention realizes a communications network based method for providing a communications network subscriber with an anonymous temporary subscriber identity and a dual anonymous communication system.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is presented a method for providing a subscriber with an anonymous subscriber identity, for use in an IP communications network having an originating party A and a terminating party B connected to the network, in which the method comprises the steps of
Preferably, in the method according to present invention, the terminating party B requests the temporary SIP address via Internet. Alternatively, the terminating party B requests the temporary SIP address via an SMS-interface (SMS, Short Message Service). Alternatively, the terminating party B requests the temporary SIP address via a WAP-interface (WAP, Wireless Application Protocol). Alternatively, the terminating party B requests the temporary SIP address by dialing a number in the IP communications network. Alternatively, the terminating party B requests the temporary SIP address via an email-interface. Preferably, the terminating party B requests several temporary SIP addresses.
Preferably, in the method according to present invention, the terminating party B announces the received temporary SIP address in Television. Alternatively, the terminating party B announces the received temporary SIP address in a restricted open forum. More preferably, the restricted open forum is the service providing the temporary SIP address.
Preferably, in the method according to present invention, the terminating party B terminates the-temporary SIP address. Preferably, the the use of an temporary SIP address is disabled for a time period.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is presented an arrangement for providing a subscriber with an anonymous subscriber identity, for use in an IP communications network having an originating party A and a terminating party B connected to the network, in which arrangement
Preferably, in the arrangement according to present invention, the terminating party B has means for requesting the temporary SIP address via Internet. Alternatively, the terminating party B has means for requesting the temporary SIP address via an SMS-interface (SMS, Short Message Service). Alternatively, the terminating party B has means for requesting the temporary SIP address via a WAP-interface (WAP, Wireless Application Protocol). Alternatively, the terminating party B has means for requesting the temporary SIP address by dialing a number in the IP communications network. Alternatively, the terminating party B has means for requesting the temporary SIP address via an email-interface. Preferably, the terminating party B has means for requesting several temporary SIP addresses.
Preferably, in the arrangement according to present invention, the terminating party B has means for announcing the received temporary SIP address in Television. Alternatively, the terminating party B has means-for announcing the received temporary SIP address in a restricted open forum. More preferably, the restricted open forum is the service providing the temporary SIP address.
Preferably, in the arrangement according to present invention, the terminating party B has means to terminate the temporary SIP address. Preferably, the use of an temporary SIP address is disabled for a time period.
For a better understanding of the present invention and in order to show how the same may be carried into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present invention describes a generic solution for all types of dual anonymous communication in IP based networks (IP, Internet protocol) where communication paths are established with SIP signalling (SIP, Session Initiation Protocol). The present invention also describes how a dual anonymous communication service can be implemented in an IP based network by using anonymous temporary SIP addresses to provide anonymity for subscribers.
The solution according to the present invention presents a new communications network based method for providing a communications network subscriber with an anonymous temporary subscriber identity and a new dual anonymous communication system.
Dual anonymous communication is enabled by reserving a pool of SIP-addresses (SIP, Session Initiation Protocol) for the Dual Anonymous Communication service in the DAC-server 5. These addresses are used as temporary network identification for dual anonymous communication. A subscriber can reserve a anonymous temporary SIP address in a DAC server 5 with a PC 4 over e.g. an IP connection. When a subscriber with an anonymous temporary SIP address connects to the IP based network, he/she associates the real subscriber identity (e.g. a regular SIP address) with the anonymous temporary SIP address in the DAC server 5 using SIP message REGISTER.
A dual anonymous connection is set up in the following way using SIP signalling. The originating subscriber A 1 contacts the DAC server 5 with INVITE message using a anonymous temporary SIP address associated to the terminating subscriber B 2. The DAC server 5 replaces the anonymous temporary SIP address with subscriber B's 2 original network identity and sends INVITE message towards the subscriber B 2.
As an alternative, the DAC server can suppress or remove the A-subscriber's network identity in/from the INVITE message sent by DAC server. Likewise, the DAC server 5 can replace the A-subscriber's original network identity with a generic DAC server identity or with a temporary network identity in case subscriber B 2 has subscribed to a anonymous temporary SIP address in the DAC server 5.
The solution according to the present invention is applicable to all types of bearers available for communication between two parties in an IP based network, for example email, voice calls, chat and real time video.
The anonymous temporary SIP address can be used for communication path set up as long as the originating and terminating subscriber want to be anonymous to each other, enabling the service provider to generate additional revenue. Usage of the service can be indicated using charging data collected for anonymous communication in the network.
Considering the popularity of anonymous chatting on the Internet, TV and over GSM, this invention has big several implementation applications. The service is easy to implement and can be deployed in existing GSM/UMTS network in a very short timeframe. Also implementation cost in IP networks is low. This type of service could be advertised for example in Internet chat rooms and TV chat.
In the solution according to the present invention a subscriber can reserve a temporary subscriber identity or even several temporary subscriber identities using web access or SMS. The temporary subscriber identity will be associated to the person's regular subscriber identity in the SCP or in the IP Network.
B gives the temporary subscriber identity to A. Person A can then call the temporary subscriber identity reserved by B without actually knowing A's real subscriber identity. B on the other hand will not know A's identity if Calling Line Identity Restriction is applied for A. This is optional. If B doesn't want to have anything to do with A anymore, B can easily get rid of the temporary subscriber identity and possibly reserve a new temporary subscriber identity instead. This way, A has no way of calling B anymore. The pool of temporary subscriber identities has to be relatively big so that the time interval when the same temporary subscriber identity is reserved again is big enough.
Compared to using a calling card, the threshold to start using this kind of service is much lower. The service can be used with an ordinary subscription from anywhere. Chatting on TV and Internet is nowadays extremely popular. The service according to the present invention could be implemented on TV and Internet in chat forums.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20020818 | Apr 2002 | FI | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/FI03/00147 | 2/28/2003 | WO | 11/17/2004 |
