System, method and program product for determining if a user has received a redirected web page

• US 20060253454A1
• Filed: 05/05/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Coppola, Gregory Frank, Singer, Brian Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,467,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

System, method and program product for determining if a first web page returned to a web browser is a redirected web page. A dummy URL is created by appending one or more characters to a URL of the first web page. The one or more characters are chosen such that the dummy URL is likely to elicit a redirected web page. The request for the dummy URL is sent. A second web page is received in response to the request. The second web page is a redirected web page. The content of the second web page is compared to content of the first web page to determine if the first web page is a redirected web page. The request for the dummy URL is sent to a same application that returned the second web page. If the content of the second web page matches the content of the first web page, a record is made that the first web page is a redirected web page, and if the content of the second web page does not match the content of the first web page, a record is made that the first web page was not determined to be a redirected web page. Also, the content of the first web page is scanned for a text phrase indicative of a redirected web page. The text phrase can include “page not found” or the like.

Claims

1. A method for determining if a first web page returned to a web browser is a redirected web page, said method comprising the steps of:

creating a dummy URL by appending one or more characters to a URL of said first web page, said one or more characters are chosen such that said dummy URL is likely to elicit a redirected web page, and sending a request for said dummy URL; and

receiving a second web page in response to said request, said second web page being a redirected web page, and comparing content of said second web page to content of said first web page to determine if said first web page is a redirected web page.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

if the content of said second web page matches said content of said first web page, making a record that said first web page is a redirected web page, and if said content of said second web page does not match said content of said first web page, making a record that said first web page was not determined to be a redirected web page.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said one or more characters are chosen such that said dummy URL is not likely to match an application recognized by a same application that returned said second web page.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of sending said request for said dummy URL comprises the step of sending said request for said dummy URL to a same application that returned said second web page.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the comparing step comprises the step of comparing text of said second web page to text of said first web page.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the comparing step further comprises the step of comparing graphics of said second web page to graphics of said first web page.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the comparing step comprises the step of comparing graphics of said second web page to graphics of said first web page.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

scanning content of said first web page for a text phrase indicative of a redirected web page.

9. A method as set forth in claim 8 wherein said text phrase indicative of a redirected web page includes “

page not found”

or the like.

10. A system for determining if a first web page returned to a web browser is a redirected web page, said system comprising:

means for creating a dummy URL by appending one or more characters to a URL of said first web page, said one or more characters are chosen such that said dummy URL is likely to elicit a redirected web page, and sending a request for said dummy URL; and

means for receiving a second web page in response to said request, said second web page being a redirected web page, and comparing content of said second web page to content of said first web page to determine if said first web page is a redirected web page.

11. A system as set forth in claim 10 further comprising:

means, responsive to said content of said second web page matching said content of said first web page, for making a record that said first web page is a redirected web page, and means, responsive to said content of said second web page not matching said content of said first web page, for making a record that said first web page was not determined to be a redirected web page.

12. A system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said one or more characters are chosen such that said dummy URL is not likely to match an application recognized by a same application that returned said second web page.

13. A system as set forth in claim 10 wherein the means for sending said request for said dummy URL comprises means for sending said request for said dummy URL to a same application that returned said second web page.

14. A system as set forth in claim 10 wherein the comparing means compares text of said second web page to text of said first web page.

15. A system as set forth in claim 14 wherein the comparing means also compares graphics of said second web page to graphics of said first web page.

16. A system as set forth in claim 10 further comprising:

means for scanning content of said first web page for a text phrase indicative of a redirected web page.

17. A computer program product for determining if a first web page returned to a web browser is a redirected web page, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions to create a dummy URL by appending one or more characters to a URL of said first web page, said one or more characters are chosen such that said dummy URL is likely to elicit a redirected web page, and initiate sending of a request for said dummy URL; and

second program instructions to fetch a second web page received in response to said request, said second web page being a redirected web page, and compare content of said second web page to content of said first web page to determine if said first web page is a redirected web page; and

wherein

said first and second program instructions are stored on said medium

18. A computer program product as set forth in claim 17 further comprising:

third program instructions, responsive to said content of said second web page matching said content of said first web page, to make a record that said first web page is a redirected web page, and responsive to said content of said second web page not matching said content of said first web page, to make a record that said first web page was not determined to be a redirected web page.

19. A computer program product as set forth in claim 17 further comprising:

third program instructions to scan content of said first web page for a text phrase indicative of a redirected web page; and

wherein said third program instructions are stored on said medium.

20. A computer program product as set forth in claim 19 wherein said text phrase indicative of a redirected web page includes “

page not found”

or the like.