BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Surveys are a way for companies, other entities and indeed the public at large or the government to obtain information relating to an area of business or interest. Such information may at times be of immense value. It is also a way for entities to share mutually beneficial information.

Market surveys are traditionally carried out by an entity that requests a list of participants to provide it with business-related information such as sales, market share, lists of clients and so on. This entity then compiles the

information into a statistic that reflects the aggregate of the participants'survey information.

A problem with existing surveying methods, however, is that the entity that carries out the survey obtains confidential information from the participants. In many cases the entity carrying out the survey has an actual or potential alliance with one of the participants or their competitors, or is not entirely trusted by all the participants. For this reason entities often refuse to participate in market- related surveys for fear of their confidential information being disclosed. This may negate the function of such a survey.

A second problem with existing surveying methods is the high cost of undertaking such surveys, since each survey must be designed and implemented afresh.

It should be noted that the term"surveying"and"survey"when used in this specification should be read as including polling or voting such as, for example, when electing candidates for certain positions be they corporate or political.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the present invention to provide a surveying system that will at least partially alleviate some of the abovementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with this invention there is provided a surveying system including two separate entities, a participant processing entity and a data-processing entity, the participant processing entity configured to carry out the steps of registering a group of participants, assigning an identification token to each participant and sending each identification token to the data-processing entity,

each identification token serving to mask the identity of the participants to the data-processing entity.

There is also provided for the data-processing entity to grant participants with a valid identification token access to the data-processing entity; for the participants to submit information to the data-processing entity; and for the information submitted to be survey-related information, alternatively voting- related information.

There is further provided for the data-processing entity to send information, along with an identification token to which the information relates, to the participant processing entity and for the participant processing entity to record the information against the participant by matching the identification token to the correct participant. Alternatively there is provided for the participant processing entity to send a message received from the data-processing entity to a participant by matching the identification token to the correct participant.

Further features of the invention provide for the message transmitted by the data-processing entity to be a message relating to the correct submission, incorrect submission or non-submission of information by a participant.

There is also provided for the data-processing entity to compile a statistic based on an aggregate of the information received from the participants; and for the data-processing entity to make the statistic available to the participants, or to any other authorised party.

There is further provided for the data-processing entity to be a computer network-based entity; for the identification token to consist of a unique password; and for the submission of survey-related information to be effected by the completion of a computer network-based survey.

Further features of the invention provide for the computer network-based survey to consist of a list of compulsory fields to be completed; and for the data- processing entity to accept only submissions that have been properly completed.

There is also provided for the participant processing entity to be a computer network-based entity; and for the registering of a group of participants, the assigning of an identification token to each participant, the compiling of a list of such identification tokens and the sending of this list to the data-processing entity to be effected by means of computer network-based transactions.

The invention extends to a method of conducting a survey by the anonymous collection of information, comprising the steps of: a participant processing entity registering a group of participants; assigning an identification token to each participant; and sending each identification token to a data-processing entity; and for the data-processing entity to grant participants with a valid identification token access to the data-processing entity; and for the participants to submit survey-related information to the data-processing entity.

There is also provided for the method to include the step of the data-processing entity sending information, along with an identification token to which the information relates, to the participant processing entity and for the participant processing entity to record the information against the participant by matching the identification token to the correct participant; alternatively for the participant processing entity to send a message received from the data-processing entity to a participant by matching the identification token to the correct participant.

There is further provided for the method to include the step of the data- processing entity compiling a statistic based on an aggregate of the information received from the participants, and for the data-processing entity to make the statistic available to the participants, or to any other authorised parties.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a surveying system according to the invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a first step comprising the registration of participants; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a second step comprising the issuing of identification tokens; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a third step comprising the transfer of the identification tokens to the data-processing entity; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic representation of a fourth step comprising the completion of the survey; Figure 6 is a diagrammatic representation of a fifth step comprising a feedback mechanism for the data-processing entity to send information relating to the participants to the participant processing entity; and Figure 7 is a diagrammatic representation of a final step comprising the compilation and disclosure of a statistic of the survey-related information.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 represents a surveying system (1). The surveying system (1) includes two separate entities, a participant processing entity (3) and a data-processing entity (4). A group of participants that take part in the survey is indicated generally by reference numeral (2). It will be appreciated that where an

individual participant (5) is shown in detail, it is representative of all the participants (2).

The surveying method can be divided into 6 consecutive steps as illustrated in Figures 2 to 7. It will be understood that where an entity or a communication channel is represented with dotted lines, that entity or communication channel is not involved in the consecutive step represented by that Figure.

The first step is the registering of a group of participants and is represented by Figure 2. A participant (5) agrees to take part in the survey and registers with the participant processing entity (3). The participant (5) communicates its willingness to participate in the survey through a first communication channel (6).

The second step is the assigning of an identification token to each participant and is represented by Figure 3. Once the group of participants (2) has been finalised, the participant processing entity (3) generates a list of identification tokens (not shown) and assigns an identification token (not shown) to each participant (5) by means of a second communication channel (7).

The third step is the compiling of a list of identification tokens and the sending of this list to the data-processing entity and is represented by Figure 4. The participant processing entity (3) compiles a list of identification tokens (not shown) and transmits these identification tokens (not shown) to the data- processing entity (4) by means of a third communication channel (8).

The fourth step is the completion of the survey and is represented by Figure 5.

During this step the data-processing entity (4) grants participants (5) with a valid identification token (not shown) access to the data-processing entity (4), and participants (5) submit survey-related information to the data-processing entity (4) by means of a fourth communication channel (10).

The fifth step comprises a feedback mechanism for the data-processing entity (4) to send information relating to the participants (5) to the participant processing entity (3), and is represented by Figure 6. When a participant successfully completes the survey, fails to complete the survey within the specified time or provides incorrect or incomplete information, it becomes necessary to send information to the participant processing entity (3). The participant processing entity (3) may then be required to send this information to the participant (5). The data-processing entity (4) sends information, along with an identification token to which the information relates, to the participant processing entity (3) by means of a fifth communication channel (9). The participant processing entity (3) then records this information against the relevant participant in its internal records by matching the identification token to the correct participant (5). Alternatively the participant processing entity (3) sends a message received from the data-processing entity (4) to a participant (5) through a second communication channel (7) by matching the identification token to the correct participant (5). Such a message is used to communicate, for example, with all the participants (5) who have failed to submit or incorrectly submitted information to the data-processing entity (4).

It will be appreciated that the messages sent to the participant processing entity (3) will not include the content of the survey information submitted to the data- processing entity (4), but will merely relate to the correct or incorrect submission of information. The integrity of the surveying system (1) will therefore not be compromised.

The final step is the compilation and disclosure of a statistic of the survey- related information and is represented by Figure 7. Once all the participants (2) have correctly completed the survey, the data-processing entity (4) compiles the information into a statistic based on an aggregate of the information received from the participants. This statistic is made available to each

participant (5) through a sixth communication channel (11). The statistic may also be made available to any other authorised party (not shown).

It will be appreciated that many other embodiments of a surveying system (1) exist which fall within the scope of the invention. The communication channels (6 to 11) may be an electronic medium, a written medium, oral medium or any other method of communication or combination of the aforegoing. The participants (2), participant processing entity (3) and data-processing entity (4) may be individuals, groups of individuals, companies, groups of companies or any other corporate entities, legal persons or combinations of such entities. A surveying system (1) may be implemented that makes use of more than one participant processing entity (3) and more than one data-processing entity (4).

It will be appreciated that the advantage of the surveying system (1) over the prior art is that there is complete separation of the identity of the participants (2) and the information supplied by the participants (2). A single entity is not entrusted with both the identity of the participants (2) and the content of the survey information, but this responsibility is split over two entities, the participant processing entity (3) and the data-processing entity (4). Confidential information relating to a particular participant (5) can therefore only be obtained by an unauthorised party if both the participant processing entity (3) and the data-processing entity (4) agree to make such information available. This increases the security of the surveying system (1) over the prior art surveying systems.

In addition, the system does not rely on encryption for any of the communication channels (6 to 11). Interception of information that is kept by either the participant processing entity (3) or data-processing entity (4) will not provide any information that links survey information provided by a participant (5) with the identity of that participant (5). Finally, the surveying system (1) allows the participants (2), participant processing entity (3) and data-processing entity (4) to discuss openly before the survey begins which parties will be involved in the survey without compromising the confidentiality of the information of any of the participants (2).