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

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.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       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.   
     
     
       2. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said address specifies a node on a circuit switched network. 
     
     
       3. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said address specifies a node on a packet switched network. 
     
     
       4. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said address specifies a node on a packet switched network, including Voice over IP. 
     
     
       5. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the transaction specification includes inputting said transaction specification through a packet data network. 
     
     
       6. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein there is a first party at the first station and a second party at the second station, and the step of providing the transaction specification includes the first party posting an inquiry, the second party posting a response, and the first party accepting or rejection the response. 
     
     
       7. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the transaction specification includes providing an interface that allows negotiation between parties at the first and second stations respectively regarding the transaction specification. 
     
     
       8. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the transaction specification includes inputting said transaction specification through a packet data network, including one of wired or wireless Internet. 
     
     
       9. A method according to  claim 1 , comprising generating a connection instruction based on the transaction specification. 
     
     
       10. A method according to  claim 1 , comprising generating the reference code based on a connection instruction. 
     
     
       11. A method according to  claim 1 , including storing a database of user profiles including said address. 
     
     
       12. A method according to  claim 1 , including supplying the reference code to the first station over a packet data network. 
     
     
       13. A method according to  claim 1 , including supplying the reference code to the first station over a circuit switched network. 
     
     
       14. A method according to  claim 1 , comprising storing the reference code until after the transaction has been completed and then erasing the reference code. 
     
     
       15. A method according to  claim 1 , comprising supplying the reference code to both the first station and the second station. 
     
     
       16. A method according to  claim 1 , comprising connecting the first station and second station for voice communication over a circuit switched network. 
     
     
       17. A method according to  claim 1 , comprising connecting the first station and second station for voice communication over a packet data network. 
     
     
       18. A method according to  claim 1 , comprising connecting the first station and second station for voice communication through voice over IP. 
     
     
       19. A method according to  claim 1 , comprising verifying the communication request against at least one criterion specified in the transaction specification before opening the channel for communication. 
     
     
       20. A method according to  claim 1 , comprising rejecting the communication request if at least one criterion specified in the transaction specification is not satisfied. 
     
     
       21. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein there is a party at the second station and the method comprises verifying the identity of the party at the second station before opening the channel for communication. 
     
     
       22. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises generating a communication record including data regarding the transaction, including at least one of start time, end time, reference code, duration of communication, fee information, and billing information. 
     
     
       23. A method according to  claim 22 , wherein first and second identities are associated with the first and second stations respectively and the communication record includes at least one of the first identity and the second identity. 
     
     
       24. A method according to  claim 1 , comprising issuing a to prompt to the first station to enter the reference code. 
     
     
       25. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein there is a first party at the first station and a second party at the second station, the first party is a purchaser of information and the second party is a seller of information, and the method comprises negotiating the transaction specification. 
     
     
       26. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein there is a first party at the first station and the method includes the first party initiating a request for communication. 
     
     
       27. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of supplying the transaction specification includes specifying a time or time interval for the communication request and the method includes determining whether the communication request is received from the first station at the specified time or time interval. 
     
     
       28. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of opening a communication channel includes attempting to establish a connection between the first and second stations, testing whether a connection is established, and, if not, scheduling a time for another attempt. 
     
     
       29. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises receiving from the second station specified times or time intervals at which a party is available at the second station for communication. 
     
     
       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:
 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.   
     
     
       31. A method according to  claim 30 , wherein the method comprises making the communication request automatically by the first station contacting the controller unit. 
     
     
       32. A method according to  claim 30 , wherein there is a first party at the first station, and the method comprises making the communication request by the first party contacting the controller. 
     
     
       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.   
     
     
       34. An apparatus according to  33 , wherein the means for opening a communication channel includes a means to test whether a connection is established. 
     
     
       35. An apparatus according to  33 , further comprising means to verify the communication request against at least one criterion specified in the transaction specification before opening a communication channel between the first party and said address. 
     
     
       36. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the anonymous communication is voice communication being one of telephone, cellular and voice-over Internet protocol communication. 
     
     
       37. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the anonymous communication is data communication being one of email, chat, messaging and web publishing. 
     
     
       38. A method of connecting a first party with a second party over the Internet based, at least in part, on data mining user information, the first party and the second party operating respectively a first station and a second station, each station being enabled for transmitting and receiving packet data, and each station being connected directly to a packet data network, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by a controller, one or more transaction specifications over the Internet associated with the second party, the one or more transaction specifications specifying one or more of product information, service information, intellectual property information, content information, interest information, qualification information, or characteristic information, individually or in any combination, related to one or more transactions associated with the second party over the Internet;   data mining information on the first party, by the controller, based, at least in part, on data collected by the controller from a history of transactions involving one or more transactions associated with the first party over the Internet;   verifying, by the controller, identity of the first party or the first station;   creating, by the controller, a proposed first party transaction specification, the proposed first party transaction specification specifying at least a proposed transaction between the first party and the second party, the creating of the proposed first party transaction specification employing, at least in part, the data mining information on the first party collected by the controller;   generating, by the controller, a reference code for supplying to the first party at the first station, the reference code being associated with the proposed first party transaction specification, and the reference code having a relationship with the one or more transaction specifications associated with the second party and obtained by the controller;   supplying, by the controller, the reference code to the first party at the first station over the packet data network, the supplying of the reference code being based on the controller having verified the identity of the first party or the first station; and   receiving, by the controller, a connection request, over the packet data network, from the first party for connecting to the second party, the connection request from the first party employing, at least in part, the reference code previously supplied to the first party at the first station by the controller; and   opening, by the controller, a channel for communication, between the first party and the second party over the packet data network, the opening of the channel is based on the controller having received the connection request from the first party; and   wherein, the channel for communication between the first party and the second party over the packet data network is made without requiring the first party at the first station to provide a transaction specification to the controller specifying a transaction between the first party and the second party prior to the controller creating the proposed first party transaction specification, and wherein the proposed first party transaction specification that is created by the controller is not created by the first party at the first station and is not created by the second party at the second station.   
     
     
       39. The method according to claim 38, in which the controller has access to at least one data storage unit storing an address or security information associated with the second party, the method further comprising:
 recovering, by the controller, the address or the security information from the at least one data storage unit in response to the connection request received from the first party over the packet data network;   verifying, by the controller, identity of the second party or the second station; and   opening, by the controller, a communication channel between the first party and the second party, over the packet data network, without providing the address or the security information, associated with the second party, to the first party; and   wherein the opening of the communication channel between the first party and the second party is subsequent to having verified, by the controller, the identity of the second party or the second station.   
     
     
       40. The method according to claim 38, in which the reference code includes one or more letters, numbers, or symbols, individually or in any combination, and the reference code further includes one or more of an image, a graphic, or a video, individually or in any combination, for displaying at a visual screen display at the first station; and
 wherein the channel for communication between the first party and the second party is made between the first station and the second station over the packet data network; and   wherein the creating of the proposed first party transaction specification is subsequent to the controller having obtained the one or more transaction specifications associated with the second party at the second station over the Internet.   
     
     
       41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the proposed first party transaction specification created by the controller is supplied, at least partly, to the first party at the first station, the proposed first party transaction specification is to facilitate the first party placing one or more transactions with the second party, and the proposed first party transaction specification including one or more of product information, service information, intellectual property information, content information, address information, security information, qualification information, interest information, or characteristic information, individually or in any combination, related to the second party. 
     
     
       42. The method according to claim 41, in which the one or more transaction specifications associated with the second party include information related to the second party on web pages posted by the second party, the posted information on the web pages being related to one or more of qualification information, characteristic information, product information, service information, intellectual property information, interest information, or content information, individually or in any combination, related to the second party. 
     
     
       43. The method according to claim 38, further comprising sending, by the controller, at least part of the created proposed first party transaction specification to the first party, the created proposed first party transaction specification containing at least one of contact information, an address, or security information related to the second party. 
     
     
       44. The method according to claim 42, further comprising:
 obtaining, by the controller, one or more transaction specifications over the Internet associated with the first party, the one or more transaction specifications specifying one or more of product information, service information, intellectual property information, content information, qualification information, or characteristic information, individually or in any combination, related to one or more transactions associated with the first party over the Internet;   data mining information on the first party, by the controller, based, at least in part, on data collected by the controller from a history of transactions involving the one or more transactions associated with the first party over the Internet; and   charging, by the controller, a fee from at least one of the first party or the second party for providing, by the controller, services associated with facilitating communication links, transactions, or interactions, over the Internet, between the first party and the second party.   
     
     
       45. The method according to claim 44, in which the connection over the packet data network between the first party at the first station and the second party at the second station is facilitated by one or more of chat, messaging, image communication, video communication, voice communication, web publishing, visual screen display, or e-mail, individually or in any combination. 
     
     
       46. The method according to claim 44, in which prior to creating, by the controller, the proposed first party transaction specification specifying at least the proposed transaction between the first party and the second party, the method further comprises obtaining, by the controller and from the first party or the second party, an initial transaction specification specifying at least one parameter associated with the proposed transaction; and wherein the proposed first party transaction specification, created by the controller, further matches, at least partly, the at least one parameter specified in the initial transaction specification obtained from the first party or the second party; and wherein the creating of the proposed first party transaction specification is further based, at least in part, on matching the data mined information related to the first party with the initial transaction specification. 
     
     
       47. An apparatus for connecting a first party with a second party over the Internet based on data mining user information, the first party and the second party operating respectively a first station and a second station, each station being an Internet-enabled device, the apparatus including:
 one or more data storage units;   one or more processors operating at a network node over the Internet, and software executable, at least in part, by the one or more processors of the apparatus to:
 obtain, by the apparatus over the Internet and from the second station, a second party transaction specification related to the second party; 
 verify, by the apparatus over the Internet, identity of the first party or the first station; 
 obtain, by the apparatus over the Internet, one or more transaction specifications over the Internet associated with the first party, the one or more transaction specifications specifying one or more of product information, service information, intellectual property information, content information, qualification information, characteristic information, or interest information, individually or in any combination, related to one or more transactions associated with the first party; 
 data mine information on the first party based, at least in part, on data collected by the apparatus from a history of transactions involving the one or more transactions associated with the first party over the Internet; 
 create a proposed first party transaction specification, the proposed first party transaction specification specifying at least a proposed transaction between the first party and the second party, the creating of the proposed first party transaction specification being based, at least in part, on the data mining information collected on the first party by the apparatus; 
 generate a reference code for supplying to the first party, the reference code being associated with the proposed first party transaction specification, and the reference code having a relationship with the second party transaction specification obtained from the second station; 
 supply the reference code to the first party at the first station over the Internet, the supplying of the reference code being subsequent to having verified the identity of the first party or the first station; and 
 receive a connection request from the first party at the first station over the Internet for connecting to the second party, the connection request from the first party employing, at least in part, the reference code previously supplied to the first party at the first station over the Internet; and 
   wherein the one or more data storage units are accessible by the software and the software is executable by the one or more processors for storing at least part of the user information that includes information related to the first party and the second party; and   wherein a connection between the first party and the second party over the Internet is made without requiring the first party at the first station to provide a transaction specification that specifies a transaction between the first party and the second party to the apparatus, prior to the apparatus supplying the reference code to the first party at the first station.   
     
     
       48. The apparatus according to claim 47, in which the reference code includes a video or an audio, and wherein the Internet includes a packet data network; and wherein each station is an Internet-enabled device that is further connected directly to the packet data network for sending and receiving packet data. 
     
     
       49. The apparatus according to claim 47, wherein the software is further executable, at least in part, by the one or more processors to store, by the one or more processors, one or more transaction histories associated with one or more users in a database that is accessible by the apparatus, and data mining, by the apparatus, the one or more transaction histories of the one or more users; and
 wherein the software is further executable, at least in part, by the one or more processors to open a channel for communication between the first party and the second party over the Internet, the opening of the channel for communication is subsequent to the apparatus having received the connection request from the first party at the first station.   
     
     
       50. The apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the software is further executable, at least in part, by the one or more processors to send the created proposed first party transaction specification to the first party over the Internet, the proposed first party transaction specification further including at least one of contact information, an address, or security information related to the second party, individually or in any combination, and wherein each station is an Internet-enabled device that is further connected directly to a packet data network for sending and receiving packet data; and wherein the creating of the proposed first party transaction specification is based, at least in part, on matching the data mined information on the first party with the second party transaction specification associated with the second party. 
     
     
       51. The apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the software is further executable, at least in part, by the one or more processors to:
 verify, by the apparatus over the Internet, identity of the second party at the second station or identity of the second station;   obtain, by the apparatus, one or more transaction specifications over the Internet associated with the second party, the one or more transaction specifications specifying one or more of product information, service information, intellectual property information, content information, qualification information, or characteristic information, individually or in any combination, related to one or more transactions associated with the second party over the Internet; and   charge, at least one of the first party or the second party, a fee by the apparatus for facilitating transactions or interactions over the Internet; and   wherein the reference code supplied to the first party at the first station over the Internet is based, at least in part, on the one or more transaction specifications associated with the second party obtained by the apparatus; and   wherein the proposed first party transaction specification, that is created by the apparatus, is not created by the first party at the first station and is not created by the second party at the second station.   
     
     
       52. The apparatus according to claim 51, in which supplying the reference code to the first party at the first station is facilitated by one or more of chat, messaging, video communication, voice communication, web publishing, visual display, or e-mail, individually or in any combination, over the Internet, and wherein each station is an Internet-enabled device that is further connected directly to a packet data network for sending and receiving packet data. 
     
     
       53. A non-transitory storage medium containing a software program executable by at least one processor of a service system for data mining user information associated with the service system operating at least partly over the Internet, for connecting a first party with a second party over the Internet, the first party and the second party operating respectively a first station and a second station, each station being Internet-enabled for accessing the service system operating at least partly over the Internet, the software program, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the following:
 obtain one or more transaction specifications associated with the second party, the one or more transaction specifications specifying one or more of product information, service information, intellectual property information, content information, qualification information, interest information, or characteristic information, individually or in any combination, related to one or more transactions associated with the second party over the Internet;   collect information on the first party based on one or more transactions associated with the first party over the Internet;   data mine the information collected on the first party, the data mining being based, at least in part, on data collected by the at least one processor from a history of transactions involving the one or more transactions associated with the first party over the Internet;   generate a reference code for supplying to the first party at the first station, the reference code specifying at least a proposed transaction between the first party and the second party, and the generating of the reference code employing, at least in part, the data mined information collected, by the at least one processor, from the first party, and the reference code having a relationship with the one or more transaction specifications associated with the second party;   supply, at least part of, the reference code to the first party at the first station over the Internet;   receive a connection request from the first party at the first station over the Internet for connecting to the second party, the connection request from the first party employing, at least in part, the reference code previously supplied to the first party at the first station; and   establish, in response to having received the connection request from the first party, a connection between the first party and the second party over the Internet without requiring the first party at the first station to create a proposed first party transaction specification specifying at least a proposed transaction between the first party and the second party.   
     
     
       54. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 53, further comprising a software program executable by the at least one processor to:
 store one or more transaction histories, associated with one or more second parties, in a database;   data mine, using the at least one processor, the one or more transaction histories associated with the one or more second parties; and   create one or more proposed first party transaction specifications specifying at least a proposed transaction between the first party and the one or more second parties, the creating of the one or more proposed first party transaction specifications being based, at least in part, on having data mined the one or more transaction histories associated with the one or more second parties; and   wherein the reference code has a relationship with the one or more proposed first party transaction specifications.   
     
     
       55. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 53, further comprising a software program executable by the at least one processor to generate the reference code that includes an image, and the reference code further includes at least one of a video, an audio, a communication link, or graphics, individually or in any combination, and the reference code is supplied to the first party visually via a screen display at the first station; and
 wherein the establishing of the connection between the first party and the second party over the Internet is made without providing, to the first party, a phone number, a physical address, an IP address, or security information, associated with the second party.   
     
     
       56. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 53, further comprising a software program executable by the at least one processor to:
 verify, by the service system over the Internet, identity of the first party or identity of the first station;   verify, by the service system over the Internet, identity of the second party or identity of the second station;   receive an initial transaction specification from the first party or the second party specifying at least one parameter associated with a proposed transaction; and   subsequent to receiving the initial transaction specification from the first party or the second party, create a proposed first party transaction specification, wherein the proposed first party transaction specification matches, at least partly, with the at least one parameter specified in the initial transaction specification.   
     
     
       57. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 56, further comprising a software program executable by the at least one processor to send the created proposed first party transaction specification to the first party, the created proposed first party transaction specification further including at least one of contact information, an address, or security information, individually or in any combination, related to the second party, and wherein each station is further enabled to transmit and receive packet data and is connected directly to a packet data network. 
     
     
       58. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 55, further comprising a software program executable by the at least one processor to:
 store address or security information associated with the second party in a database;   recover the address or the security information in response to the connection request received from the first party over the Internet; and   open a communication channel between the first party and the second party without providing the address or the security information associated with the second party to the first party.