URL shortening and authentication with reverse hash lookup

• US 20070136279A1
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhou, Min, Temkin, Michael, Jiang, Zhaowei
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,269 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A shortened identifier, such as a shortened URL, is used to access data, a service, and/or another resource that is associated with a full identifier, such as a full URL. In an exemplary embodiment, a hash key is generated from the full URL and included with a domain identifier to form a shortened URL. Other codes can also be included in the shortened URL. The shortened URL can be included in a message, page, and/or other data element that is generally too small for the full URL. When received from a client, a property code, a user ID, and/or other data is used to locate one or more full URLs. A selected hash function is applied to the full URLs to generate a table of hash keys. If a match exists with the hash key from the shortened URL, the resource is accessed at the corresponding full URL.

Claims

1. A method for enabling access to a resource, comprising:

applying a hash operation to at least a portion of a full identifier of the resource, producing a hash key;

comparing the hash key to a portion of a shortened identifier; and

determining that the shortened identifier identifies the resource if the hash key matches the portion of the shortened identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating the shortened identifier based at least in part on a domain associated with the resource and on the hash key; and

communicating the shortened identifier to a network node.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the shortened identifier from a network node; and

directing the network node to the resource based on the full identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the full identifier comprises a uniform resource locator (URL).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the full identifier based at least in part on one of the following;

a service identifier and a user identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the hash operation is selected from a plurality of hash operations, each hash operation being associated at least in part with a particular service.

7. A server device for enabling access to a resource, comprising:

a memory for storing instructions and data; and

a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor performs actions based at least in part on the stored instructions, including;

applying a hash operation to at least a portion of a full identifier of the resource, producing a hash key;

comparing the hash key to a portion of a shortened identifier; and

determining that the shortened identifier identifies the resource if the hash key matches the portion of the shortened identifier.

8. The server device of claim 7, further comprising a communication interface in communication with the processor and with a client, and

wherein the processor further performs the actions of:

creating the shortened identifier based at least in part on a domain associated with the resource and on the hash key; and

communicating the shortened identifier to a network node.

9. The server device of claim 7, further comprising a communication interface in communication with the processor and with a client, and

wherein the processor further performs the actions of:

receiving the shortened identifier from a network node; and

directing the network node to the resource based on the full identifier.

10. The server device of claim 7, wherein the full identifier comprises a uniform resource locator (URL).

11. The server device of claim 7, wherein the processor further performs the action of accessing the full identifier based at least in part on at least one of the following;

a service identifier and a user identifier.

12. The server device of claim 7, wherein the hash operation is selected from a plurality of hash operations, each hash operation being associated at least in part with a particular service.

13. A method for accessing a resource, comprising:

enabling a user to indicate a shortened identifier, wherein a portion of the shortened identifier includes a hash key;

communicating the shortened identifier to a communication director for comparing the hash key to a result of a hash operation applied to a full identifier of the resource; and

accessing the resource if the hash key matches the result of the hash operation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing the shortened identifier within a data element that is sized smaller than a storage size of the full identifier.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising communicating to the communication director a code for use at least in part to locate the full identifier.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the shortened identifier includes a code for identifying one of a plurality of hash operations to apply to the full identifier of the resource.

17. A client device for accessing a resource comprising:

a communication interface in communication with a client communication director;

a memory for storing instructions and data; and

a processor in communication with the communication interface and with the memory, wherein the processor performs actions based at least in part on the stored instructions, including;

enabling a user to indicate a shortened identifier, wherein a portion of the shortened identifier includes a hash key;

communicating the shortened identifier to a communication director for comparing the hash key to a result of a hash operation applied to a full identifier of the resource; and

accessing the resource if the hash key matches the result of the hash operation.

18. The client device of claim 17, wherein the processor further performs the action of storing the shortened identifier within a data element that is sized smaller than a storage size of the full identifier.

19. The client device of claim 17, wherein the processor further performs the action of communicating to the communication director a code for use at least in part to locate the full identifier.

20. The client device of claim 17, wherein the client device comprises a mobile device.