Apparatus, methods and systems for anonymous communication

A method of facilitating anonymous communication between a first station and a second station, the second station having an address for communication, the address relating to the second station or the party at the second station and being stored in memory and accessible by a controller, and each station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being connected directly to a packet data network, the method comprising:nproviding a transaction specification from at least one of the first and second stations, generating a reference code by the controller in response to the transaction specification, 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, receiving a communication request by the controller from the first station for communication with at least the second station, receiving the reference code by the controller from the first station, the reference code having been previously supplied from the controller to the first station,using the reference code by the controller to recover said address from memory, and opening a channel for communication between said first and second stations, without requiring said address to be provided to the first station, the channel for communication including at least the packet data network that is connected directly to the first station.whereby anonymous communication can be established between the first and second stations without providing said address to the first station.

A method of establishing anonymous communication between a first station and a second station, the second station having an address for communication, the address relating to the second station or the party at the second station and being stored in memory and accessible by a controller, and each station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being ,connected directly to a packet data network, the method comprising:nsupplying 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 for communication with at least the second station, supplying the reference code from the first station to the controller, the reference code having been previously supplied from the controller to the first station,using the controller to recover said address from the reference code, and opening a channel for communication between said first and second stations, without requiring the address to be provided to the first station, the channel for communication including at least the packet data network that is connected directly to the first station.

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, and the address being stored in memory and accessible by a controller, the apparatus including:na 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, the communication request being to communicate with at least the second party, and for receiving the reference code from at least the first party, the reference code having been previously supplied to 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, the communication channel including the packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations.

A storage device containing a software program executable by a processor for facilitating anonymous voice communication between a first station and a second station, the second station having an address for communication, the address relating to the second station or the party at the second station and being stored in memory, and each station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being connected directly to a packet data network, the software program being executable by a processor to:nprovide a transaction specification from at least one of the first and second stations, provide negotiation of the transaction specification over the packet data network; generate a reference code in response to the transaction specification, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and said address, supply the reference code to the first station, receive a communication request from the first station to communicate with at least the second station, receive the reference code from the first station, the reference code having been previously supplied to the first station, use the reference code to recover said address from memory, and open a channel providing voice communication between said first and second stations using said address without requiring said address to be provided to the first station, the channel of communication including at least voice over Internet protocol and the packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations.

A method for facilitating anonymous communication between a first station and a second station, wherein the first station and second station are associated with a first party and a second party operating the first and the second stations respectively, the second station or second party having an address for communication, the address relating to the second station or the second party, the first station and the second station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being connected directly to a packet data network, the method comprising:nproviding a transaction specification from at least one of the first station and second station, generating a connection instruction by the controller, the connection instruction including said address, storing the connection instruction in memory, generating a reference code by the controller, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and said connection instruction, supplying the reference code to at least the first station, receiving a communication request by the controller from the first station, the communication request including the reference code previously supplied to the first station, and opening a channel providing communication between said first and second stations in accordance to the connection instruction without requiring said address to be provided to the first party, the channel for communication including the packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations.

An apparatus facilitating anonymous communication between a first station and a second station, wherein the first station and second station are associated with a first party and a second party operating the first and the second stations respectively, the second station being associated with a connection instruction for communication, the connection instruction including an address associated with the second station or the second party, the first station and the second station being enabled to transmit and receive packet data and being connected directly to a packet data network, the apparatus comprising:na memory, and a processor for receiving and storing in the memory a transaction specification from at least one of the first station and the second station, generating the connection instruction, storing in memory the connection instruction, generating and storing in the memory a reference code, there being a defined relationship between the reference code and said connection instruction, supplying the reference code to at least the first station, receiving a communication request from the first station, the communication request employing at least in part the reference code, previously supplied to at least the first station, and opening a channel for communication between said first and second stations in accordance to the connection instruction without requiring said address to be provided to the first party, the channel for communication including the packet data network that is connected directly to at least one of the first and second stations.