Locality-related internet services

• US 20020087726A1
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Davies, Philip, Macpherson, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 6,845,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and software for accessing location based Internet services by automatically populating DNS tables with subscriber location information. The DNS tables are updated responsive to information provided on subscriber call set-up. The location may be derived directly for the content of the call set-up, or may be derived in conjunction with one or more pre-existing databases. Ideally the DNS entry is a mapping from IP address (or subnet address) to location, though a mapping from domain name to location will also be effective. When a location based service is requested by a subscriber, the requested service may interrogate the DNS table to retrieve the requesting user'"'"'s location without requiring further subscriber intervention.

Claims

1. A method of providing internet access comprising the steps of:

receiving from a subscriber a connection request comprising an entity identification;

deriving a location indication associated with the subscriber responsive to the entity identification; and

causing an association between the location indication and a name associated with the connection to be created in a DNS table.

2. A method according to claim 1 additionally comprising the step of:

making available the location indication responsive to a DNS request.

3. A method according to claim 1 in which the name is an Internet protocol address.

4. A method according to claim 3 in which the Internet protocol address is a subnet address.

5. A method according to claim 1 in which the entity identification comprises at least one of:

a calling number identification, a called number identification, an exchange modem identification, an incoming trunk group identification, a mobile handset location identification, a subscriber location identification, and a subscriber account identification.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of deriving comprises:

where the request comprises a subscriber location identification, translating the subscriber location identification to a location indication in a predetermined format;

where the request comprises a calling line identification, translating the calling line identification to a location indication in a pre-determined format by means of at least one database containing pre-determined translation information; and

where the request comprises an exchange modem identification, translating the exchange modem identification to a location indication in a pre-determined format by means of at least one database containing pre-determined translation information.

7. A method of providing Internet content comprising the steps of:

receiving a content request from a subscriber;

requesting, from a DNS, a location indication associated with the content request; and

providing content to the subscriber responsive to the location indication and the content request.

8. A method according to claim 7 in which the content request comprises a requesting address and in which the step of requesting comprises requesting, from the DNS, a location indication associated with the requesting address.

9. A method according to claim 7 additionally comprising the step of:

where the DNS contains no location indication associated with the content request, providing default content to the subscriber responsive to the content request.

10. An Internet service provider apparatus comprising:

a port for receiving from a subscriber a connection request comprising an entity identification;

a component for arranged for deriving a location indication associated with the subscriber responsive to the entity identification; and

a component for causing an association between the location indication and a name associated with the connection to be created in a DNS table.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 additionally comprising:

a component for making available the location responsive to a DNS request.

12. An Internet service provider network comprising apparatus according to claim 10.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 additionally comprising:

a component for, where the DNS contains no location indication associated with the subscriber, providing default content to the subscriber responsive to the content request.

13. Internet content provider apparatus comprising:

a component for receiving a content request from a subscriber;

a component for requesting from a DNS an location indication associated with the subscriber;

a component for providing content to the subscriber responsive to the location indication and the content request.

15. A program for a computer on a machine-readable medium arranged to provide internet access and comprising:

code for receiving from a subscriber a connection request comprising an entity identification;

code for deriving a location indication associated with the subscriber responsive to the entity identification; and

code for causing an association between the location indication and a name associated with the connection to be created in a DNS table.

16. A program for a computer on a machine-readable medium arranged to providing Internet content and comprising:

code for receiving a content request from a subscriber;

code for requesting, from a DNS, a location indication associated with the content request; and

code for providing content to the subscriber responsive to the location indication and the content request.