Have you checked pair Networks, the web provider that hosts this site? They just celebrated their 11th birthday, which would put them opening their doors in 1996. They've had the Account Control Centre (ACC) for a while, but I don't know if it was around before May 1999. However, there are some members here who work at pair .. perhaps mattr is one?

If not, I'm sure that the gods can contact someone suitable at pair and you can find out that way.

And it goes without saying, but those patents sound ridiculous. Not novel at all.