Managing content resources

• US 20020066033A1
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Published: 05/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ellacoya Networks, LLC (NetScout Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ellacoya Networks, Inc. (NetScout Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dobbins, Kurt A., Cullerot, David L., Poirier, Jason P., Weiss, Wouter Johan, Cheetham, Christopher Lawrence, Ruffen, David, Lederman, Adam Michael, Haddad, Justin William, Delahunty, Stephen G., Sexton, Mark Thomas, Boutin, Andre C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,370,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Content resources are managed. A request is received from a user for access to a source of content resources. It is determined that the user is authorized for access to the source. A portal Web page is generated based on a set of content element data applicable to the subscriber. The portal Web page is returned to the user. A system for use in managing content resources has a switch for receiving requests from Web browsers, a content resource management engine in communication with the switch, and a billing system in communication with the content resource management engine.

Claims

1. A method for use in managing content resources, comprising:

receiving a request from a user for access to a source of content resources;

determining that the user is authorized for access to the source;

generating content access rules for the user;

processing the content access rules together with general content access to generate a portal Web page based on a set of content element data applicable to the subscriber; and

returning the portal Web page to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining whether the user has subscribed to content resources available from the source.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

by a switch, determining whether the user is an authorized user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the portal Web page includes links to content resources to which the user has subscribed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising

using the user'"'"'s IP address in the authorization determination.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of content element data specifies content type.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of content element data specifies content billing information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of content element data specifies content location information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising

allowing the user to make a subscription change affecting the user'"'"'s access to the content resources.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising

by a switch, blocking access by another user to the source based on authorization information residing external to the switch.

11. A method for use in managing content resources, comprising:

generating a first portal Web page for a first user based on content resource subscription information for the first user; and

generating a second portal Web page for a second user based on content resource subscription information for the second user.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising

a content resource access control system in communication with the content resource management engine.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the content access rule belongs to a hierarchically organized group of content access rules that apply to the category of content resources.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the content access rule belongs to a hierarchically organized group of content access rules that apply to the user.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the content access rule is related to other content access rules in a hierarchically organized directory structure.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the content access rule is related to other content access rules in a relational database structure.

12. The method of 11, further comprising

basing the generation of at least one of the first and second portal Web pages on rule information governing access to content resources.

13. A system for use in managing content resources, comprising

a switch for selectively processing resource requests;

a content resource management engine in communication with the switch; and

a billing system in communication with the content resource management engine.

15. A method for use in managing content resources, comprising:

receiving a request from a user for access to an instance of content resources on a network;

determining that the user belongs to a user category;

determining that the instance of content resources belongs to a category of content resources on the network;

determining a contact access rule that applies to the user category and to the category of content resources; and

applying the rule to the request.

20. A method for use in controlling access to content resources, comprising:

receiving a first request for user access information, the first request originating at a first network switch;

receiving a second request for user access information, the second request originating at a second network switch; and

deriving responses to the requests from a serving entity that includes content access rules categorized by user characteristic.