System and method for filtering of web-based content stored on a proxy cache server

• US 20050021796A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: McClain, Carolyn B., Thatcher, Jim E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

A system and method for filtering of web-based content in a proxy cache server environment provides a local network having a client, a directory server and a proxy cache server that caches predetermined Internet-derived web content within the network. When content is requested, it is vended to the client only if it meets predefined user policies for acceptability. These policies are implemented based upon one or more ratings lists provided by content rating vendors. The lists are downloaded to the network in whole or part, and cached for use in determining acceptability of content by a filter application. Ratings can be particularly based upon predetermined content categories. Caching occurs in a host or object cache for rapid access. Only if current ratings are not found in the host or object caches are ratings caches or vendors accessed for ratings. Ratings on requested content are then placed in the host or object cache for subsequent use. Object parsing or other techniques can be used to screen returned content that is unrated or otherwise allowed to pass to ensure that it is appropriate.

Claims

1-12. -12. (Canceled)

13. A method to filter content, comprising:

automatically acquiring from a ratings vendor a rating associated with content;

comparing the rating to policies associated with a client;

permitting the client to acquire the content if permitted by the policies; and

denying the client access to the content if the polices do not permit.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

pre-acquiring the content on a proxy; and

applying the policies for the client on the proxy.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving, from the client, a request for the content before automatically acquiring the rating.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein automatically acquiring further includes acquiring the rating for the content from a list of ratings provided by the ratings vendor, wherein a number of other ratings for other content of a content vendor is provided in the list.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising housing the rating for the content in a cache of a proxy for subsequent use when the content is requested by the client again or requested by other clients.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising identifying the content as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) sent from the client and intercepted by a proxy, wherein the URL is directed to a content provider and the ratings vendor provides the rating for the content to the proxy.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein automatically acquiring the rating further includes dynamically inspecting, by the ratings vendor, information in the content and dynamically producing the rating based on the dynamic inspection.

20. A method to filter content, comprising:

intercepting a client request for content;

acquiring one or more policies for the client with respect to receiving the content;

searching cache for a rating for the content;

acquiring the rating from a ratings vendor if the rating is not in the cache; and

enforcing the one or more policies against the rating to determine whether the client is permitted to receive the content or is denied access to the content.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising pre-acquiring the content and storing the content in cache after intercepting the client request.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising retaining the rating and the content in the cache for subsequent requests of the client for the content or for new requests for the content from other clients.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein acquiring the rating from the ratings vendor further includes receiving the rating as a category and searching a predefined list of categories to determine if the category is acceptable or unacceptable.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein intercepting the client request further includes identifying the request for the content as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with a content provider and determining an identity of the ratings vendor based on an identity of the content provider.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein enforcing the one or more policies further includes:

determining that the rating acquired from the ratings vendor is not rated by the ratings vendor;

acquiring the content from a content provider; and

inspecting the content to determine the rating based on predefined words, phrases, or Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) embedded within the content.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein enforcing the one or more policies further includes:

determining that the rating acquired from the ratings vendor is deficient for purposes of enforcing the one or more policies;

acquiring the content from a content provider; and

acquiring from a ratings supplier a modified rating for the rating based on the content that is supplied to the ratings supplier.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein acquiring the rating from the ratings vendor further includes receiving a list of ratings for provided content distributed by a content provider, wherein the rating is acquired from the list based on the content associated with the client request.

28. A system to filter content, comprising:

policies for clients that request content from content providers; and

a proxy that intercepts requests from the clients, inspects cache for ratings associated with content that satisfies the requests, contacts ratings vendors for a number of the ratings not in the cache, and applies the policies against the ratings to determine whether the clients are to receive the content or be denied access to the content.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the proxy is a directory service.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the proxy dynamically determines a number of the ratings in instances where some ratings are not in the cache and not adequately described by the ratings vendors by inspecting the content associated with the requests.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the proxy dynamically submits the content to a ratings supplier when a corresponding rating is not in the cache and not adequately described by the ratings vendors.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the clients include World-Wide Web (WWW) browser applications that interface with the proxy over a network and the requests are Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) issued from the browser applications for the content providers, and wherein the URLs are intercepted by the proxy.