Method, system, and program for verifying network addresses included in a file

• US 20020133514A1
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Day, Paul Reuben, Bates, Cary Lee, Santosuosso, John Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 7,219,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/501.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/221 Parsing markup language streams streaming G06F40/149
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/268 Morphological analysis

Abstract

Provided is a method, system, and program for verifying a network address. A network address included within a file is accessed. At least one context term is provided. Content is accessed at the network address in the file and a determination is made as to whether the accessed content satisfies a qualifying threshold with respect to the at least one context term.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for verifying a network address, comprising:

accessing a network address included within a file;

providing at least one context term;

accessing content at the accessed network address; and

determining whether the accessed content satisfies a qualifying threshold with respect to the at least one context term.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the at least one context term comprises:

locating context terms in the file within a predetermined vicinity of the network address location in the file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the file comprises a text document and wherein the predetermined vicinity comprises a section of the document including the network address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the context term comprises receiving user entered context terms.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network address comprises a Universal Resource Locator (URL), and wherein accessing the content at the network addresses comprises downloading a file addressed by the URL over the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network address is embedded in a hypertext link in the file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the accessed content satisfies the qualifying threshold comprises:

determining whether the accessed content includes a preset number of instances of the context terms, wherein the qualifying threshold is satisfied if the accessed content includes at least the preset number of instances of context terms.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the accessed content satisfies the qualifying threshold comprises:

accessing metadata associated with the accessed content, wherein the metadata describes attributes of the content; and

determining whether the accessed metadata includes a preset number of instances of the context terms, wherein the qualifying threshold is satisfied if the accessed metadata includes at least the preset number of instances of context terms.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the context terms comprises a negative context term and wherein determining whether the accessed content satisfies the qualifying threshold further comprises:

determining whether the accessed content includes a preset number of instances of the negative context terms, wherein the qualifying threshold is not satisfied if the accessed content includes at least the present number of instances of context terms.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the accessed content satisfies the qualifying threshold, then searching for additional network addresses in the file to determine if the additional network addresses satisfy the qualifying threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the network address is comprised of a string, and wherein if the accessed content does not satisfy the qualifying threshold, then performing:

determining at least one variation of the string, wherein a determined variation of the string is capable of comprising a network address at which content is located;

for each determined string variation, performing;

(i) submitting a request to access content at the network address comprising the string variation; and

(ii) if content is accessed in response to the submitted request, then determining whether the accessed content at the network address comprising the string variation satisfies the qualifying threshold with respect to the at least one context term.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein if the content accessed from the network address comprising the string variation satisfies the qualifying threshold, then adding the network address comprising the string variation to a list of network addresses.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving user selection of one of the network addresses on the list to substitute for the network address in the file addressing content that did not satisfy the qualifying threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) listing the network addresses on the list, wherein the user selection of one of the network addresses on the list is performed in the GUI.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein determining at least one string variation comprises:

performing a spell check operation on the network address to generate possible correct spellings for the network address string, wherein the string variations include the generated possible correct spellings.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the network address comprises a Universal Resource Locator (URL) and wherein the string variation includes a different top level domain than the top level domain of the URL in the file

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the string variations are generated from a stemming algorithm applied to the network address string in the file.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed content is a member of the set of content comprising:

video;

audio;

three-dimensional graphics, images;

text;

a hypertext markup language (HTML) document;

an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for providing the at least one context term performs:

locating context terms in the file within a predetermined vicinity of the network address location in the file.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the file comprises a text document and wherein the predetermined vicinity comprises a section of the document including the network address.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for providing the context term receives user entered context terms.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the network address comprises a Universal Resource Locator (URL), and wherein the means for accessing the content at the network addresses downloads a file addressed by the URL over the Internet.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the network address is embedded in a hypertext link in the file.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for determining whether the accessed content satisfies the qualifying threshold performs:

determining whether the accessed content includes a preset number of instances of the context terms, wherein the qualifying threshold is satisfied if the accessed content includes at least the preset number of instances of context terms.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for determining whether the accessed content satisfies the qualifying threshold performs:

accessing metadata associated with the accessed content, wherein the metadata describes attributes of the content; and

determining whether the accessed metadata includes a preset number of instances of the context terms, wherein the qualifying threshold is satisfied if the accessed metadata includes at least the preset number of instances of context terms.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the context terms comprises a negative context term and wherein the means for determining whether the accessed content satisfies the quality threshold further performs:

determining whether the accessed content includes a preset number of instances of the negative context terms, wherein the qualifying threshold is not satisfied if the accessed content includes at least the present number of instances of context terms.

28. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for searching for additional network addresses in the file to determine if the additional network addresses satisfy the qualifying threshold if the accessed content satisfies the quality threshold.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the network address is comprised of a string, further comprising:

means for determining at least one variation of the string if the accessed content does not satisfy the qualifying threshold, wherein a determined variation of the string is capable of comprising a network address at which content is located;

for each determined string variation, performing;

(i) submitting a request to access content at the network address comprising the string variation; and

(ii) if content is accessed in response to the submitted request, then determining whether the accessed content at the network address comprising the string variation satisfies the qualifying threshold with respect to the at least one context term.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising means for adding the network address comprising the string variation to a list of network addresses if the content accessed from the network address comprising the string variation satisfies the qualifying threshold.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

means for receiving user selection of one of the network addresses on the list to substitute for the network address in the file addressing content that did not satisfy the qualifying threshold.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

means for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) listing the network addresses on the list, wherein the user selection of one of the network addresses on the list is performed in the GUI.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the means for determining at least one string variation performs:

spell checking the network address to generate possible correct spellings for the network address string, wherein the string variations include the generated possible correct spellings.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the network address comprises a Universal Resource Locator (URL) and wherein the string variation includes a different top level domain than the top level domain of the URL in the file

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the string variations are generated from a stemming algorithm applied to the network address sting in the file.

36. The system of claim 19, wherein the accessed content is a member of the set of content comprising:

video;

audio;

three-dimensional graphics, images;

text;

a hypertext markup language (HTML) document;

an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein providing the at least one context term comprises:

locating context terms in the file within a predetermined vicinity of the network address location in the file.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 38, wherein the file comprises a text document and wherein the predetermined vicinity comprises a section of the document including the network address.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein providing the context term comprises receiving user entered context terms.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the network address comprises a Universal Resource Locator (URL), and wherein accessing the content at the network addresses comprises downloading a file addressed by the URL over the Internet.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the network address is embedded in a hypertext link in the file.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein determining whether the accessed content satisfies the qualifying threshold comprises:

determining whether the accessed content includes a preset number of instances of the context terms, wherein the qualifying threshold is satisfied if the accessed content includes at least the preset number of instances of context terms.

44. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein determining whether the accessed content satisfies the qualifying threshold comprises:

accessing metadata associated with the accessed content, wherein the metadata describes attributes of the content; and

determining whether the accessed metadata includes a preset number of instances of the context terms, wherein the qualifying threshold is satisfied if the accessed metadata includes at least the preset number of instances of context terms.

45. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein at least one of the context terms comprises a negative context term and wherein determining whether the accessed content satisfies the qualifying threshold further comprises:

determining whether the accessed content includes a preset number of instances of the negative context terms, wherein the qualifying threshold is not satisfied if the accessed content includes at least the present number of instances of context terms.

46. The article of manufacture of claim 37, further comprising:

if the accessed content satisfies the qualifying threshold, then searching for additional network addresses in the file to determine if the additional network addresses satisfy the qualifying threshold.

47. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the network address is comprised of a string, and wherein if the accessed content does not satisfy the qualifying threshold, then performing:

determining at least one variation of the string, wherein a determined variation of the string is capable of comprising a network address at which content is located;

for each determined string variation, performing;

(i) submitting a request to access content at the network address comprising the string variation; and

(ii) if content is accessed in response to the submitted request, then determining whether the accessed content at the network address comprising the string variation satisfies the qualifying threshold with respect to the at least one context term.

48. The article of manufacture of claim 47, wherein if the content accessed from the network address comprising the string variation satisfies the qualifying threshold, then adding the network address comprising the string variation to a list of network addresses.

49. The article of manufacture of claim 48, further comprising:

receiving user selection of one of the network addresses on the list to substitute for the network address in the file addressing content that did not satisfy the qualifying threshold.

50. The article of manufacture of claim 49, further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) listing the network addresses on the list, wherein the user selection of one of the network addresses on the list is performed in the GUI.

51. The article of manufacture of claim 47, wherein determining at least one string variation comprises:

performing a spell check operation on the network address to generate possible correct spellings for the network address string, wherein the string variations include the generated possible correct spellings.

52. The article of manufacture of claim 47, wherein the network address comprises a Universal Resource Locator (URL) and wherein the string variation includes a different top level domain than the top level domain of the URL in the file

53. The article of manufacture of claim 47, wherein the string variations are generated from a stemming algorithm applied to the network address string in the file.

54. The article of manufacture of claim 47, wherein the accessed content is a member of the set of content comprising:

video;

audio;

three-dimensional graphics, images;

text;

a hypertext markup language (HTML) document;

an Extensible Markup Language (XML) document.

19. A system for verifying a network address, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

a file stored in the computer readable medium, wherein the file includes at least one network address;

means for accessing one network address included within a file;

means for providing at least one context term;

means for accessing content at the accessed network address; and

means for determining whether the accessed content satisfies a qualifying threshold with respect to the at least one context term.

37. An article of manufacture including code for use in verifying a network address by:

accessing a network address included within a file;

providing at least one context term;

accessing content at the accessed network address; and

determining whether the accessed content satisfies a qualifying threshold with respect to the at least one context term.