METHOD, PRODUCT, AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCING RESOLUTION SERVICES, REGISTRATION SERVICES, AND SEARCH SERVICES

• US 20080005342A1
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MEC Management, LLC (Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota)
• Original Assignee: ESDR Network Solutions LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Schneider, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3015 Name registration, generation or assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A WHOIS record of a domain name is retrieved at a first time, the WHOIS record including an expiry date of a second time, a time difference value can be calculated between the first time and the second time, and the time difference value provided to a user. Time difference value can be determined to satisfy at least one condition including a threshold value. An indication can be provided to the user that the at least one condition has been satisfied such as notifying the user of domain name expiration status, storing the domain name in a user expiration watch list, monitoring the domain name for expiration upon or after the second time, and attempting to register the domain name with a selected domain name registration provider after the second time or upon determining that either the domain name may soon be available for registration or available for registration. The WHOIS record can be retrieved in response to receiving or obtaining a request such as a resource location request, domain name resolution request, search engine request, WHOIS request, domain name availability request, and domain name registration request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving a WHOIS record of a domain name at a first time, said WHOIS record including an expiry date of a second time;

calculating a time difference value between said first time and said second time; and

,

providing said time difference value to a user.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said providing said time difference value to the user includes determining that said time difference value satisfies at least one condition.

3. The method, as set forth in claim 2, further including providing an indication to a user that said at least one condition has been satisfied.

4. The method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said at least one condition includes at least one threshold value.

5. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further including retrieving said WHOIS record in response to one of a receiving and obtaining a request.

6. The method, as set forth in claim 5, wherein the request is one of a resource location request, domain name resolution request, search engine request, WHOIS request, domain name availability request, and domain name registration request.

7. The method, as set forth in claim 5, further including a user sending said request, said request including said domain name.

8. The method, as set forth in claim 5, further including inputting one or more identifiers from a user interface element, wherein the one or more identifiers are used as part of said request.

9. The method, as set forth in claim 8, wherein said inputting the one or more identifiers from said user interface element includes inputting the one or more identifiers into one of a browser location field, text box, command line, and speech to text interface.

10. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said providing said indication to the user includes at least one of a notifying the user of said domain name expiration status, storing said domain name in a user expiration watch list, and monitoring said domain name for expiration upon or after said second time.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 10, further including attempting to register said domain name with a domain name registration provider after said second time or upon determining that either said domain name may soon be available for registration or said domain name is available for registration.

12. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further including determining before said second time that said domain name is not available for registration.

13. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said domain name is one of a valid domain name and fictitious domain name.

14. A method for providing content to a user comprising:

retrieving said content for said user;

determining that said content includes at least one domain name;

providing said content to said user; and

,

providing said user with one of a domain name aftermarket status and capability of determining aftermarket status of said at least one domain name at any time upon or after said determining that said content includes said at least one domain name.

15. The method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein said retrieving said content for said user includes retrieving said content from at least one of a WHOIS record and search engine results in response to one of a receiving and obtaining a request.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the request is one of a resource location request, domain name resolution request, search engine request, WHOIS request, domain name availability request, and domain name registration request.

17. The method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein said domain name is one of a valid domain name and fictitious domain name.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein said determining said aftermarket status of said at least one domain name includes consulting a domain name status database indicating whether the domain name is soon to be available for registration, sale, license, or lease by one of a registrant, domain name broker, auction service, and listing service.

19. A method for presenting enhanced search results from a request to search internet content comprising:

retrieving at least one search result from said request to search said internet content wherein said at least one search result includes an uniform resource identifier (URI) having a domain name, said URI corresponding to said internet content;

generating at least one hyperlink corresponding to each said URI having said domain name, each said hyperlink capable of accessing additional information relating to one of an URI and domain name wherein said additional information is selected from a group consisting of domain name after market status information, sitemap information when said URI does not correspond to said sitemap information, and homepage information when said URI does not correspond to said homepage information;

generating said enhanced search results by combining each said search result having said URI with each said hyperlink corresponding to each said URI; and

,

presenting said enhanced search results.

20. A method for processing input comprising:

receiving input including at least one identifier prefix and at least one identifier from one of a internet search engine user interface and location field user interface wherein said at least one identifier is one of a keyword, valid domain name, fictitious domain name, telephone number, IP address, international standard book number, universal price code, trademark, patent number, social security number, screen name, username, alias, phrase, and slogan and said at least one identifier prefix is one of a Edit prefix for editing, Handle prefix for aliasing, List prefix for listing, Status prefix for obtaining status, History prefix for listing a history, Watch prefix for adding to a watch list, Renew prefix for renewing, Transfer prefix for transferring, Escrow prefix for escrowing, Consolidate prefix for consolidating, Auction prefix for auctioning, Bid prefix for bidding, Value prefix for valuating, Buy prefix for buying, Sell prefix for selling, Lease prefix for leasing, Generate prefix for generating, WHOIS prefix for obtaining contact information, Expire prefix for determining an expiry date, Registrar prefix for listing a corresponding domain name registration provider, Tools prefix for accessing technical information, Redirect prefix for redirecting, Lock prefix for locking, Email prefix for accessing e-mail services, WebHost prefix for accessing hosting services, Incorporate prefix for accessing business formation services, Trademark prefix for accessing trademark information, Geo prefix for accessing location information, and Dial prefix for accessing dialing services from said at least one identifier; and

,

performing an operative function upon said at least one identifier in accordance with said at least one identifier prefix.