Anonymous interactive telephone system having direct connect feature

A method of enabling anonymous communication between a caller and a subscriber over public telephone lines, said method allowing said caller to communicate with said subscriber without said caller knowing the identity of the subscriber prior to establishing communication with said subscriber, but knowing a particular subscriber with whom communication is desired, and allowing the identity of the particular subscriber and the caller to be kept anonymous during communication between said particular subscriber and said caller unless voluntarily revealed by either said particular subscriber or said caller, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a published telephone number of a system controller;
• storing in said system controller telephone numbers of a plurality of subscribers and subscriber reference number corresponding to the telephone number of each subscriber;
• publishing an advertisement for each subscriber including the subscriber reference number together with the telephone number of said system controller;
• receiving a call from a caller at said system controller through the means of said published telephone number of said system controller and a particular reference number of a particular subscriber at a particular subscriber station included with said published telephone number;
• and
• routing the call from said caller to said particular subscriber by indexing the received subscriber reference number to the corresponding telephone number of said particular subscriber station and calling said telephone number of said particular subscriber station.

A method of enabling communication between a caller and a subscriber over public telephone lines, said method allowing said caller to communicate with said subscriber without said caller knowing the identity of the subscriber prior to establishing communication with said subscriber, but knowing a particular subscriber with whom communication is desired, and allowing the identity of the particular subscriber and the caller to be kept anonymous during communication between said particular subscriber and said caller unless voluntarily revealed by either said particular subscriber or said caller, said method comprising the steps of:

• publishing a telephone number of a system controller station;
• storing telephone numbers of subscribers and indexing said telephone numbers to corresponding published subscriber identifiers, each of said published subscriber identifiers being a part of and embedded in the telephone number of said system controller station;
• receiving a call at said system controller station through the means of said published telephone number;
• and
• transferring the call to a particular subscriber by indexing a received particular published subscriber identifier corresponding to said particular subscriber to the telephone number of said particular subscriber and calling said telephone number of said particular subscriber.

A network for anonymously connecting a caller to a subscriber over public telephone lines, the network comprising:

• system controller means having a plurality of published telephone numbers, each such number including an embedded subscriber reference number of a particular subscriber;
• memory means for indexing said subscriber reference numbers to telephone numbers of corresponding subscribers;
• means for communicating with said system controller means by way of said published telephone numbers;
• means for transferring a call from a caller station received at said system controller means to a particular subscriber station upon receiving one of said published telephone numbers together with an embedded particular subscriber reference number corresponding to said particular subscriber, matching said particular subscriber reference number to the corresponding telephone number of said particular subscriber and connecting the call from said caller station by calling the telephone number of said particular subscriber so that the identity of said particular subscriber at said particular subscriber station can be unknown to a caller at said caller station prior to establishing communication between said caller and said particular subscriber, and the identity of said particular subscriber and said caller being kept anonymous during communication between said particular subscriber and said caller unless voluntarily revealed by either said particular subscriber or said caller.

A telephone communication method for anonymously connecting a subscriber having an unpublished telephone number with a caller, said method including the steps of:

• storing data at a system controller station that is received from a plurality of subscribers at a plurality of subscriber stations, such data including the telephone number of each subscriber station;
• publishing the telephone number of said system controller station in advertisements;
• receiving a call from a caller at a caller station to said system controller station, and receiving identifier information for identifying a particular subscriber at a particular subscriber station for which communication is desired;
• recording a message from said caller, said message including information such as name, purpose for the call, and the telephone number of said caller;
• matching said identifier information with the telephone number of said particular subscriber at said particular subscriber station;
• calling said particular subscriber at said particular subscriber station;
• playing said recorded message to said particular subscriber;
• and
• connecting said caller to said particular subscriber upon authorization of said particular subscriber.

A telephone communication network for providing a service for connecting callers to subscribers having unpublished telephone numbers, said network comprising:

• system controller means having a published telephone number;
• memory means for storing unpublished telephone numbers of said subscribers and identifier information corresponding to said unpublished telephone numbers;
• indexing means for indexing said unpublished telephone numbers to the corresponding identifier information;
• means for communicating with said system controller means by way of said published telephone number;
• prompting/recording means for recording a message from a caller, said message including particular identifier information for a particular subscriber and prompting the caller to supply to the network at least the telephone number of said caller;
• means for calling said particular subscriber based on said particular identifier information and playing said message to said particular subscriber, if available;
• and
• means for connecting said caller and said particular subscriber upon the authorization of said particular subscriber.

A telephone communication method for anonymously connecting a subscriber having an unpublished telephone number with a caller via public telephone lines controlled by a public telephone company having a central switching station with the capability of connecting together select ones of the public telephone lines, the method including the steps of:

• storing data at a system controller station that is received from a plurality of subscribers at subscriber stations, such data including the telephone number of each subscriber station;
• publishing the telephone number of said system controller station in advertisements;
• receiving a call from a caller at a caller station to said system controller station and identifier information for identifying a particular subscriber at a particular subscriber station with whom communication is desired;
• recording a message from said caller, said message including information such as name, purpose for the call, and the telephone number of said caller;
• matching said identifier information with the telephone number of said particular subscriber at said particular subscriber station;
• calling said particular subscriber at said particular subscriber station;
• playing said recorded message to said particular subscriber;
• connecting said caller to said particular subscriber upon authorization of said particular subscriber, said connecting being accomplished at said public telephone company central switching station, under control of said system controller station;
• and
• disconnecting said system controller station from the caller station, the particular subscriber station, and the public telephone company central switching station, so that after said caller station and said particular subscriber station are connected together on their respective telephone lines, said public telephone company central switching station maintains the connection between the caller and the particular subscriber.

A telephone communication method for anonymously connecting a subscriber station and a caller station via public telephone lines controlled by a public telephone company central switching station having the capability of connecting together select ones of public telephone lines, the method including the steps of:

• storing data at a system controller station that is received from a plurality of subscribers at a plurality of subscriber stations, such data including the telephone number of each of said subscriber stations and a corresponding reference number for each subscriber station;
• publishing the telephone number of said system controller station and said reference numbers for each of said subscriber stations;
• receiving a call from a caller station to said system controller station and particular reference number corresponding to said particular subscriber at a particular subscriber station included within said published telephone number;
• matching said particular reference number with the corresponding telephone number of said particular subscriber station;
• and
• automatically connecting the telephone call received from said caller station at the system controller station to said particular subscriber station, said connecting being accomplished at said public telephone company central switching station, under the control of said system controller station;
• and
• disconnecting said system controller station from the caller station, the particular subscriber station, and the public telephone company central switching station, so that after said caller station and said particular subscriber station are connected together on their respective public telephone lines, the public telephone company central switching station maintains the connection between the caller station and particular subscriber station.

A telephone communication method for anonymously enabling a subscriber at a subscriber station to communicate with a caller at a caller station, said method allowing said caller to communicate with said subscriber without said caller knowing the identity of the subscriber prior to establishing communication with said subscriber, but knowing a particular subscriber with whom communication is desired, and allowing the identity of the particular subscriber and the caller to be kept anonymous during communication between said particular subscriber and said caller unless voluntarily revealed by either said particular subscriber or said caller, said method including the steps of:

• storing data at a system controller station that is received from a plurality of subscribers at a plurality of subscriber stations, such data including the telephone number of each of said subscriber stations and a corresponding reference number for each of said subscriber stations;
• publishing the telephone number of said system controller station and said reference numbers for each of said subscriber stations;
• receiving a call from a caller station to said system controller station and a particular reference number corresponding to said particular subscriber at a particular subscriber station included within said published telephone number;
• matching said particular reference number with the corresponding telephone number of said particular subscriber station;
• and
• automatically transferring said call received from said caller station at said system controller station to said particular subscriber station if said particular reference number is an active and valid number by calling said telephone number of said particular subscriber station.

A method of enabling anonymous communication between a caller and a subscriber over public telephone lines, said method allowing said caller to communicate with said subscriber without said caller knowing the identity of the subscriber prior to establishing communication with said subscriber, but knowing a particular subscriber with whom communication is desired, and allowing the identity of the particular subscriber and the caller to be kept anonymous during communication between said particular subscriber and said caller unless voluntarily revealed by either said particular subscriber or said caller, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a published telephone number of a system controller;
• storing in said system controller telephone numbers of a plurality of subscribers and a subscriber reference number corresponding to the telephone number of each subscriber;
• publishing an advertisement for each subscriber including the subscriber reference number together with the telephone number of said system controller;
• receiving a call from a caller at said system controller through the means of said published telephone number of said system controller and a particular reference number of a particular subscriber at a particular subscriber station included with said published telephone number;
• routing the call from said caller to said particular subscriber if the particular subscriber is available by indexing the received subscriber reference number to the corresponding telephone number of said particular subscriber station and calling said telephone number of said particular subscriber station;
• recording a message and a call-back reference number if said particular subscriber is unavailable;
• providing the message and said call-back reference number to said particular subscriber;
• and
• enabling communication of said particular subscriber with said caller upon the subscriber providing the call-back reference number of said caller.

A telephone communication method for anonymously connecting a subscriber having an unpublished telephone number with a caller, said method including the steps of:

• storing data at a system controller station that is received from a plurality of subscribers at a plurality of subscriber stations, such data including the telephone number of each subscriber station;
• publishing the telephone number of said system controller station in advertisements;
• receiving a call from a caller at a caller station to said system controller station, and receiving identifier information for identifying a particular subscriber at a particular subscriber station included for which communication is desired;
• recording a message from said caller, said message including information such as name, purpose for the call, and the telephone number of said caller;
• matching said identifier information with the telephone number of said particular subscriber at said particular subscriber station;
• calling said particular subscriber at said particular subscriber station;
• playing said recorded message to said particular subscriber if said particular subscriber is available;
• connecting said caller to said particular subscriber upon authorization of said particular subscriber;
• and
• announcing to said caller that said particular subscriber is unavailable to communicate with the caller if the subscriber is unavailable.

A telephone communication method for anonymously connecting a subscriber station and a caller station via public telephone lines controlled by a public telephone company central switching station having the capability of connecting together select ones of public telephone lines, the method including the steps of:

• storing data at a system controller station that is received from a plurality of subscribers at a plurality of subscriber stations, such data including the telephone number of each of said subscriber stations and a corresponding reference number for each subscriber station;
• publishing the telephone number of said system controller station and said reference numbers for each of said subscriber stations;
• receiving a call from a caller station to said system controller station and particular reference number corresponding to a particular subscriber at a particular subscriber station included within said published telephone number;
• placing the caller station on hold at the central switching station;
• matching said particular reference number with the corresponding telephone number of said particular subscriber station and calling the corresponding telephone number;
• connecting the caller station to said particular subscriber station at said public telephone company central switching station;
• and
• disconnecting said system controller station from the central switching station.

A telephone communication method for anonymously enabling a subscriber at a subscriber station to communicate with a caller at a caller station, said method allowing said caller to communicate with said subscriber without said caller knowing the identity of the subscriber prior to establishing communication with said subscriber, but knowing a particular subscriber with whom communication is desired, and allowing the identity of the particular subscriber and the caller to be kept anonymous during communication between said particular subscriber and said caller unless voluntarily revealed by either said particular subscriber or said caller, said method including the steps of:

• storing data at a system controller station that is received from a plurality of subscribers at a plurality of subscriber stations, such data including the telephone number of each of said subscriber stations and a corresponding reference number for each of said subscriber stations;
• publishing the telephone number of said system controller station and said reference numbers for each of said subscriber stations;
• receiving a call from a caller station to said system controller station and a particular reference number corresponding to said particular subscriber at a particular subscriber station included within said published telephone number;
• matching said particular reference number with the corresponding telephone number of said particular subscriber station;
• and
• automatically transferring said call received from said caller station at said system controller station to said particular subscriber station depending upon the availability of said particular subscriber station by calling said telephone number of said particular subscriber station;
• and
• recording a message from said caller station in communication with said system controller station if said particular subscriber station is unavailable to receive a call, such recorded message including a call-back reference number of said caller station that is indexed to a stored telephone number of said caller station.

A telephone communication method for anonymously connecting a subscriber having an unpublished telephone number with a caller, said method including the steps of:

• storing data at a system controller station that is received from a plurality of subscribers at a plurality of subscriber stations, such data including the telephone number of each subscriber station;
• publishing the telephone number of said system controller station in advertisements;
• receiving a call from a caller at a caller station to said system controller station, and receiving identifier information for identifying a particular subscriber at a particular subscriber station for which communication is desired;
• recording a message from said caller, said message including information such as name, purpose for the call, and the telephone number of said caller;
• matching said identifier information with the telephone number of said particular subscriber at said particular subscriber station;
• calling said particular subscriber at said particular subscriber station;
• playing said recorded message to said particular subscriber if said particular subscriber is available;
• and
• periodically calling said particular subscriber until the particular subscriber is available and playing said message when said subscriber is available to receive said message.

A telephone communication method for anonymously connecting a subscriber having an unpublished telephone number with a caller, said method including the steps of:

• storing data at a system controller station that is received from a plurality of subscribers at a plurality of subscriber stations, such data including the telephone number of each subscriber station;
• publishing the telephone number of said system controller station in advertisements;
• receiving a call from a caller at a caller station to said system controller station, and receiving identifier information for identifying a particular subscriber at a particular subscriber station included for which communication is desired;
• recording a message from said caller, said message including information such as name, purpose for the call, and the telephone number of said caller;
• matching said identifier information with the telephone number of said particular subscriber at said particular subscriber station;
• calling said particular subscriber at said particular subscriber station;
• playing said recorded message to said particular subscriber if said particular subscriber is available;
• and
• playing the recorded message to said particular subscriber who calls the system to obtain messages attempted to be conveyed to the particular subscriber when the particular subscriber was unavailable.

A telephone communication network for providing a service for connecting callers to subscribers having unpublished telephone numbers, said network comprising:

• system controller means having a published telephone number;
• memory means for storing unpublished telephone numbers of said subscribers and identifier information corresponding to said unpublished telephone numbers, said memory means indexing said unpublished telephone numbers to the corresponding identifier information;
• means for communicating with said system controller means by way of said published telephone number;
• prompting/recording and control means for recording a message from a caller, said message including particular identifier information for a particular subscriber and prompting the caller to supply to the network at least the telephone number of said caller, said prompting/recording and control means for calling said particular subscriber based on said particular identifier information and playing said message to said particular subscriber, if available, and for connecting said caller and said particular subscriber upon the authorization of said particular subscriber.