Methods, systems and computer program products for registration of and anonymous communications related to tagged objects

A computer-implemented method of registration of an anonymous tag at a location service, wherein the tag is configured to transmit a self identification over a defined distance using a short range wireless protocol, the method comprising:

• registering a tag sensor associated with an owner with the location service;
• receiving a request to register the tag from the tag sensor at the location service, wherein the request to register includes the self identification of the tag and an identification of the tag sensor;
• determining based on the self identification of the tag if the tag is already registered;
• transmitting a notification to the tag sensor that the tag is already registered when it is determined that the tag is already registered;
• and
• determining the owner of the tag based on the received identification of the tag sensor and registering the tag as belonging to the owner at the location service when it is determined that the tag is not yet registered.

A mobile terminal for registering anonymous tags, wherein the mobile terminal is registered with a location service as being associated with an owner, the mobile terminal comprising:

• a processor;
• a communication interface coupled to the processor that is configured to communicate over a wide area network with a remote location service and to receive transmissions from a tag in the vicinity of the mobile terminal using a short range wireless protocol;
• and
• a detected tag registration module that is configured to receive, using the communication interface, a transmitted self identification to detect one of the anonymous tags as a detected tag when the detected tag is activated in the vicinity of the mobile terminal and to determine that the detected tag is not yet registered with the location service and to transmit, using the communication interface, an identification of the tag and the owner to the location service to register the tag as belonging to the owner at the location service to limit registration of the tag at the location service.

A location server for providing information associated anonymous tags, the location server comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor that includes:
• a registered tag database that includes, for each of a plurality of registered ones of the anonymous tags, a self identification and an owner associated with each of the registered ones of the anonymous tags;
• and
• an owner database that includes, for each of a plurality of registered owners, a tag sensor associated with each of the registered owners;
• a communication interface coupled to the processor that is configured to receive a registration request, that includes identification of one of the anonymous tags, from one of the tag sensors of one of the registered owners;
• and
• a registration module executing on the processor that is configured to determine if the one of the anonymous tags identified in a received registration request is already registered using the registered tag database and to update the registered tag database to include an entry for the one of the anonymous tags identified in the received registration request to register the one of the anonymous tags identified in the received registration request as associated with the registered owner associated the one of the tag sensors that the request was received from using the owner database.

A computer-implemented method of providing communications related to detection of an anonymous tag, the method comprising:

• receiving a tag identification (ID) information report from a tag sensor;
• identifying an object associated with the ID information report received from the tag sensor;
• determining an owner associated with the identified object;
• and
• routing a communication between a user associated with the tag sensor and the owner responsive to the received tag identification without identifying the user to the owner or the owner to the user.

An anonymous communication server for providing communications related to detection of anonymous tags, comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor that includes:
• a registered tag database that includes, for each of a plurality of registered ones of the anonymous tags, a self identification and an owner associated with each of the registered ones of the anonymous tags;
• and
• an owner database that includes, for each of a plurality of registered owners, a mobile terminal associated with each of the registered owners;
• a communication interface coupled to the processor that is configured to receive a tag identification (ID) information report from a mobile terminal and to route a communication between mobile terminals;
• and
• a routing module that is configured to identifying an object associated with the ID information report received from the mobile terminal, to determine an owner associated with the identified object using the registered tag database and to route a communication, using the communication interface, between the mobile terminal and the mobile terminal associated with the owner using the owner database responsive to the received tag identification without identifying the mobile terminal to the owner or the owner to the mobile terminal.