Anonymous Messaging Proxy for Privacy-Preserving Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems do not effectively facilitate anonymous messaging between parties, particularly in scenarios where users want to maintain privacy and control over their interactions, such as in selling items, without revealing their actual addresses.
Innovation Solution
An anonymous messaging (AM) system that employs proxy servers to create channels with proxy addresses, allowing parties to communicate anonymously by mapping actual addresses to proxy addresses, enabling bi-directional privacy and control over communications, and allowing users to manage their interactions within these channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If direct communication between parties is used, then communication efficiency is improved, but privacy protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a proxy server as an intermediary between communicating parties. The proxy server receives messages from one party and forwards them to the intended recipient without revealing the actual identities or addresses of either party. This mediator approach maintains communication efficiency while protecting privacy by decoupling the communication channel from identity information.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system is segmented into distinct functional components: the proxy server infrastructure, the message transmission layer, and the identity protection layer. By separating the communication function from the identity revelation function, the system achieves both efficient messaging and privacy protection simultaneously.
2Loss of information
If proxy addresses are introduced for anonymous communication, then privacy protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy server is designed as a universal infrastructure that handles multiple communication channels and parties simultaneously. Rather than creating complex individual solutions for each communication pair, a single multi-functional proxy system serves all anonymous communication needs, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining privacy protection.
Data Source
AI summary
An example embodiment includes a method of employing an anonymous message (AM) proxy to facilitate anonymous communication between parties. The method includes creating a channel associated with a first actual address of a first party. The method also includes assigning a channel address to the channel. The method further includes receiving a channel access request at the channel address from a second actual address of a second party. The method also includes assigning a first proxy address to the first actual address and a second proxy address to the second actual address. The method further includes mapping a first address pair to a second address pair for the channel. The first address pair includes the first proxy address and the first actual address. The second address pair includes the second proxy address and the second actual address. The method also includes sending the second proxy address to the second actual address.