For readers, since it was missing from the reply... The main patent of relavence as requested, and subsequently relegated via reply to 2) above...
6266704 Onion Routing Network For Securely Moving Data Through Communication Networks http://pimg-fpiw.uspto.gov/fdd/04/667/062/0.pdf http://www.google.com/patents/US6266704 http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6266704.PN.&OS=PN/6266704&RS=PN/6266704 Many interesting references... https://www.google.com/search?q=patent+6266704 http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&TERM1=6266704&FIELD1=&co1=AND&TERM2=&FIELD2=&d=PTXT