Patents Portfolio

U.S. Patent: RE48,066

Patent Title

Services that are provided, at least partly, over the internet for data mining user information

Meta Information

Issued Date: June 23, 2020
Inventor: Christina Ying Liu, William Ho Chang
External Links: UPSTO, Google Patents

Technical Fields

Internet Communication, Data Mining

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. An Internet-based service system for data mining user information is herein disclosed and enabled. The disclosed service may facilitate users posting information, advertising products or services, connecting to other users, and making transactions over the Internet. Data obtained from each transaction submitted through the service are data mined. The collected data may include personal information, private data, interests, intellectual property, and the like. To create transactions, the service system may create a proposed transaction specifying a transaction between a first and a second parties based, at least in part, on data mining the first party's history of transactions. The service system may transmit a reference code to the first party related to the proposed transaction, and wait to receive a communication request from the first party employing the reference code. The reference code may include text, image(s), video(s), audio, or communication link(s), and the proposed transaction may be an advertisement.

Sample 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.