IP Library Granted Patent US 9,380,031
Granted Patent B1
US 9,380,031 · App. 14/493,047 · Granted Jun 28, 2016

Private anonymous electronic messaging

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,380,031
App. No.
14/493,047
Granted
Jun 28, 2016
Kind
B1
Abstract

Private anonymous electronic messaging between a message originator and a message recipient within an organization encourages open communication which can provide information to the organization that might otherwise be secreted from the organization, and can allow the message originator to obtain desired help (e.g., counseling). By profiling of the message originator based on current and previous electronic messaging within the system as well as external organizational information (e.g., behavioral or financial information), the system can assess concerns yet act as a gateway to protect the message originator's true identity through escalating levels of concern unless a genuine concern about the health, well-being, and/or safety of the message originator, others, or the organization is indicated, in which case the system can reveal the true identity of the message originator as appropriate.

Claims (28)

1. A method, comprising:

authenticating by a disinterested third-party computing system a message originator based on a known true identity;

generating by the computing system based on communication with a device of the message originator an electronic message about a topic;

generating by the computing system an alert based on an updated profile of the message originator based on the electronic message or the electronic message; and

sending by the computing system the electronic message and the alert to a device of a message recipient without revealing the known true identity of the message originator unless the alert exceeds a predefined threshold that triggers revealing the known true identity of the message originator or if the message recipient is authorized by the organization to receive the known true identity.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending by the computing system some or all of the updated profile to the device of the message recipient without revealing the known true identity of the message organization unless the alert exceeds a predefined threshold that triggers revealing the known true identity of the message originator or if the message recipient is authorized by the organization to receive the known true identity.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the electronic message, the alert, and the updated profile are sent in a single communication.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the electronic message, the alert, and the updated profile are not sent in a single communication.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the known true identity is the name of the message originator or an organizational identification number unique to the message originator.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the message originator selects the topic from a predefined list of topics.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending by the computing system the electronic message and the alert to a device of an organizational authority figure.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending by the computing system some or all of the updated profile, the known true identity of the message originator, or the updated profile and the known true identity of the message originator to a device of an organizational authority figure.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending by the computing device the electronic message and the alert to a device of a third-party responder.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending by the computing system some or all of the updated profile, the known true identity of the message originator, or the updated profile and the known true identity of the message originator to a device of a third-party responder.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereupon computing instructions comprising:

a code segment to authenticate by a disinterested third-party computing system a message originator of an organization based on a known true identity;

a code segment to generate by the computing system based on communication with a device of the message originator an electronic message about a topic;

a code segment to generate by the computing system an alert based on an updated profile of the message originator based on the electronic message or the electronic message; and

a code segment to send by the computing system the electronic message and the alert to a device of a message recipient of the same organization without revealing the known true identity of the message originator unless the alert exceeds a predefined threshold that triggers revealing the known true identity of the message originator or if the message recipient is authorized by the organization to receive the known true identity.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising computing instructions comprising a code segment to send by the computing system some or all of the updated profile to the device of the message recipient without revealing the known true identity of the message organization unless the alert exceeds a predefined threshold that triggers revealing the known true identity of the message originator or if the message recipient is authorized by the organization to receive the known true identity.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2 wherein the electronic message, the alert, and the updated profile are sent in a single communication.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2 wherein the electronic message, the alert, and the updated profile are not sent in a single communication.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the known true identity is the name of the message originator or an organizational identification number unique to the message originator.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the message originator selects the topic from a predefined list of topics.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising computing instructions comprising a code segment to send by the computing system the electronic message and the alert to a device of an organizational authority figure.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising computing instructions comprising a code segment to send by the computing system some or all of the updated profile, the known true identity of the message originator, or the updated profile and the known true identity of the message originator to a device of an organizational authority figure.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising computing instructions comprising a code segment to send by the computing device the electronic message and the alert to a device of a third-party responder.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising computing instructions comprising a code segment to send by the computing system some or all of the updated profile, the known true identity of the message originator, or the updated profile and the known true identity of the message originator to a device of a third-party responder.

Assignments (15)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 2, 2024
From: POWERSCHOOL GROUP LLC
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 068767/0887 →
MERGER Recorded Aug 28, 2024
From: SMESSENGER TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: POWERSCHOOL GROUP LLC
Reel/Frame 068419/0409 →
NOTICE OF RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (FIRST LIEN) RECORDED AT R/F 044170/0530 Recorded Oct 3, 2023
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SMESSENGER TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 065210/0155 →
NOTICE OF PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST (SECOND LIEN) Recorded Oct 3, 2023
From: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SMESSENGER TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 065212/0786 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 8, 2023
From: INTRADO INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION
To: SMESSENGER TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 064847/0357 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 3, 2023
From: WEST INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION
To: INTRADO INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063241/0203 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST (SECOND LIEN) IN PATENTS Recorded Jan 31, 2023
From: CX360, INC.; WEST TECHNOLOGY GROUP, LLC (FKA INTRADO CORPORATION, FKA WEST CORPORATION); INTRADO INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION (FKA WEST INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION, FKA COBALT ACQUISITION COMPANY)
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 062571/0018 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: WEST CORPORATION; WEST INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 045682/0403 →
MERGER Recorded Oct 17, 2017
From: RELIANCE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
To: WEST INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 043879/0739 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Oct 10, 2017
From: WEST INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION (F/K/A RELIANCE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC)
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044170/0530 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 040019, FRAME 0508 AND REEL 040019, FRAME 0761 Recorded Oct 10, 2017
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: WEST INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION; WEST CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044217/0284 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 034694, FRAME 0684 Recorded Oct 10, 2017
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: WEST CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044168/0967 →
SHORT FORM INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 13, 2016
From: WEST CORPORATION
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 040019/0508 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 22, 2016
From: WEST CORPORATION; WEST INTERACTIVE SERVICES CORPORATION
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 039500/0366 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 13, 2015
From: WEST CORPORATION
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 034694/0684 →