Method, system, and software for correcting uniform resource locators

• US 20060112094A1
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Kortum, Philip T., Sullivan, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links

Abstract

A uniform resource locator (URL) entered into a browser may be altered to correct misspellings or other errors in the URL. The prefix, the domain name and the domain extension may all be spell checked, compared with lists of homophones, compared with commonly misspelled URLs, and compared with similar URLs that have been previously successfully resolved. The erroneous URL, or portions thereof, may be automatically corrected so that the correction is transparent to the user, or a list of possible substitutions may be presented to the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a uniform resource locator (URL) as erroneous;

correcting a prefix of the URL if the prefix is erroneous;

correcting a first portion of a domain name specified by the URL based on a comparison of the first portion of the domain name with entries included in a list comprising misspelled words; and

correcting a domain extension if the domain extension is erroneous.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the URL is entered by a user of a local information handling system; and

the local information handling system performs one or more of correcting the prefix, correcting the first portion of the domain name, or correcting the domain extension.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising correcting the first portion of the domain name based on previously resolved URLs.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising correcting the first portion of the domain name based on homophones of the first portion.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a request for permission to correct the URL prior to correcting an erroneous portion of the URL.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a URL as erroneous comprises receiving an indication from a domain name server that the URL does not resolve.

7. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

memory operably associated with said processor; and

a program of instructions storable in said memory and executable by said processor, said program of instructions comprising;

at least one instruction to identify a uniform resource locator (URL) as erroneous; and

at least one instruction to correct a first portion of a domain name specified by the URL based on a comparison of the first portion of the domain name with entries included in a list comprising misspelled words.

8. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein said program of instructions further comprises:

at least one instructions to correct a prefix of the URL if the prefix is erroneous; and

at least one instruction to correct a domain extension if the domain extension is erroneous.

9. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein said program of instructions further comprises at least one instruction to correct the first portion of the domain name based on previously resolved URLs.

10. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein said program of instructions further comprises at least one instruction to correct the first portion of the domain name based on homophones of the first portion.

11. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein said program of instructions further comprises at least one instruction to generate a request for permission to correct the URL prior to correcting an erroneous portion of the URL.

12. The information handling system of claim 11, wherein said program of instructions further comprises:

at least one instruction to correct a prefix of the URL independent of a response to the request; and

at least one instruction to correct the first portion of the domain name consistent with a response to the request.

13. A computer readable medium tangibly embodying a program of executable instructions, said program of instructions comprising:

at least one instruction to identify a uniform resource locator (URL) as erroneous; and

at least one instructions to correct a prefix of the URL if the prefix is erroneous;

at least one instruction to correct a domain extension if the domain extension is erroneous; and

at least one instruction to correct a first portion of a domain name specified by the URL.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising at least one instruction to correct the first portion of the domain name based on a comparison of the first portion of the domain name with entries included in a list comprising misspelled words

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising at least one instruction to correct the first portion of the domain name based on previously resolved URLs.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising at least one instruction to correct the first portion of the domain name based on homophones of the first portion.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising at least one instruction to generate a request for permission to correct an erroneous portion of the URL prior to correcting the erroneous portion.