# US 2013/0159836 A1 · Anonymous reporting system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0159836 A1 - Document ID: US20130159836A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/588,740 - Filed: 2012-08-17 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2002-11-05 - Assignees: Convercent, Inc. - Inventors: Eugene F. Ferraro; Steven Foster; Kimberly L. Pfaff; Mary Eileen Persichetti; Briggin A. Palmer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130159836A1 ## CPC - G06F 16/335: Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles (filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536) - G06F 40/14: Tree-structured documents (parsing G06F40/205; validation G06F40/226) - G06F 21/6254: {by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification} - G06Q 10/00: Administration; Management - G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An anonymous reporting system for use in reporting and following up on incidents, accidents, and the like. The system may be accessed via an Internet website. A reporting individual may select a type of incident to report. In one example, the reporting individual may select a level on anonymity and some, none or all of the individual's personal identification is displayed to the organization according to the selected level. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer implemented method of providing a reporting system for the exchange of confidential data between a reporting party and an organization, the method comprising: providing a report with a plurality of data fields configured for receiving confidential data input by a reporting party; receiving the confidential data from the reporting party into the plurality of data fields; receiving a level of anonymity of the reporting party; associating the confidential data with the plurality of data fields in the report; storing the confidential data, the report and the level of anonymity in a database; providing a reporting party interface for the reporting party to retrieve and view the report, the reporting party interface comprising a graphical user interface for use with a browser on a computer connected to a network; providing an organization interface for the organization to retrieve and view the report, the organization interface comprising a graphical user interface for use with a browser on a computer connected to a network; displaying the report to the reporting party using the reporting party interface; and displaying the report to the organization using the organization interface, the report populated with confidential data based upon the level of anonymity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data fields are configured for receiving information relating to an incident revealed by the reporting party. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of fields is configured for receiving the level of anonymity of the reporting party. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the level of anonymity is chosen from a group consisting of remain completely anonymous, remain anonymous to organization and do not care about anonymity. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the level of anonymity of remain anonymous to organization comprises the reporting party providing personal identification information to an intermediary without providing the personal identification information to the organization. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the personal identification information comprises a name of the reporting party and a phone number for the reporting party. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the reporting party selecting a level of anonymity, wherein the level of anonymity is chosen from a group consisting of remain completely anonymous, remain anonymous to organization and do not care about anonymity. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the database is a relational database. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface for use with a browser is a secure website having data encryption configured for encrypting confidential data transmitted over the network and the network is the Internet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the reporting party interface is a first portal and the organization interface is a second portal, the first portal having an interface configured to transmit and receive data between the reporting party and an intermediary and the second portal having an interface configured to transmit and receive data between the organization and the intermediary. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the associations between the plurality of data fields and the confidential data in the database. ### Claim 12 A method for navigating a plurality of linked web pages on the Internet using a graphical user interface, the method comprising: accessing a first web page capable of being displayed on a browser of a computer; displaying the first web page, the first web page having embedded therein, a first plurality of data fields configured for receiving confidential incident data to be entered into a report, a second plurality of data fields configured for receiving confidential contact data relating to the reporting party, an anonymity data field configured for receiving a level of anonymity from the reporting party, a first plurality of graphical user interface controls configured for entering data into the first and second plurality of data fields and the anonymity data field, and a second plurality of graphical use controls configured for navigating from the first web page to a plurality of linked web pages, a database interface configured for receiving the confidential incident data in the first plurality of data fields, the confidential contact data in the second plurality of data fields and the level of anonymity in the anonymity data field and causing a storing operation of the confidential incident data, the confidential contact data, the level of anonymity and the report in a database; a control interface configured for both detecting user operation of the first plurality of graphical user interface controls by the reporting party and, in response, entering data into the first and second plurality of data fields and the anonymity data field and configured for detecting user operation of the second plurality of graphical user interface controls by the reporting party and, in response, navigating the plurality of linked web pages. ### Claim 13 A graphical user interface for use with a browser on a computer connected to a network, the graphical user interface configured for facilitating the exchange of confidential information between a reporting party and an organization through an intermediary, the graphical user interface comprising: a web page capable of being displayed on the browser of the computer, the web page having embedded therein, a first plurality of data fields configured for receiving confidential incident data to be entered into a report, a second plurality of data fields configured for receiving confidential contact data relating to the reporting party, an anonymity data field configured for receiving a level of anonymity from the reporting party, a first plurality of graphical user interface controls configured for entering data into the first and second plurality of data fields and the anonymity data field, and a second plurality of graphical use controls configured for navigating from the web page to a plurality of linked web pages, a database interface configured for receiving the confidential incident data in the first plurality of data fields, the confidential contact data in the second plurality of data fields and the level of anonymity in the anonymity data field and causing a storing operation of the confidential incident data, the confidential contact data, the level of anonymity and the report in a database; and a control interface configured for both detecting user operation of the first plurality of graphical user interface controls by the reporting party and, in response, entering data into the first and second plurality of data fields and the anonymity data field and configured for detecting user operation of the second plurality of graphical user interface controls by the reporting party and, in response, navigating the plurality of linked web pages. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The graphical user interface of claim 13, further comprising a display interface for detecting the level of anonymity from the reporting party and, in response, displaying a first portion of the confidential contact data to the organization. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The graphical user interface of claim 14, wherein the level of anonymity is chosen from a group consisting of remain completely anonymous, remain anonymous to organization and do not care about anonymity. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The graphical user interface of claim 15, wherein the first portion of the confidential contact data is all of the confidential contact data for a level of do not care about anonymity. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The graphical user interface of claim 15, wherein the first portion of the confidential contact data is none of the confidential contact data for a level of remain completely anonymous. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The graphical user interface of claim 15, wherein the first portion of the confidential contact data is none of the confidential contact data for a level of remain anonymous to organization, wherein the confidential contact data is displayed to the intermediary. ### Claim 19 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the personal identification information comprises a personal e-mail address for the reporting party.