System and Method For Promoting Messages To A Plurality of Websites From A Centralized Authority in Response to A Disaster or Emergency Event

• US 20090164665A1
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fast Health Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fast Health Corporation
• Inventors: Carr, Robert Allen, Foote, Kevin Avon
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• 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 61/302 Administrative registration, e.g. for domain names at internet corporation for assigned names and numbers [ICANN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A system and method for broadcasting messages to selected websites in order to provide emergency information to the U.S. populace, or zone applicable populace, from a central authority. This is achieved by implementing a “partial deflection” of a website altering the applicable zone file on a DNS server having authority over a website. Depending up which authority makes a request for broadcasting an emergency message, an emergency website is created and a partial deflection of the original entity'"'"'s page is deflected to a main frame accompanying a header frame displaying the emergency alert message the emergency alert webpage. The requesting authority retains control over the content of the emergency message and can trigger the implementation of the broadcast from a variety of signal interfaces.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting an emergency message from a central authority to a selected group of websites, comprising:

a. a plurality of webservers each configured for delivering an original content html page;

b. an emergency alert webserver configured to deliver a second html page, said emergency alert webserver further configured to deliver said second html page with a header frame portion relating information about an emergency event and a main frame portion relating said plurality of original content html pages;

c. an administration computer server having an administration DNS zone file, said administration DNS zone file including a plurality of A NAME records pointing to each of the IP address of said plurality of original content html pages;

d. each said plurality of webservers including an authority DNS computer server having a authority DNS zone file, each said authority DNS zone file including a CNAME record pointing to an A NAME record in said administration DNS zone file; and

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e. means running on said administration computer server for automatically altering said administration DNS zone file such that said A NAME record points to the IP address of said second html page on said an emergency alert webserver upon the request of said central authority.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said automatic altering means includes:

a. means for locating said administration DNS zone file;

b. means for reading said administration DNS zone file into a memory array;

c. means for parsing said administration DNS zone file and locating each said A NAME record;

d. means for updating each said A NAME record to point to said second html page;

e. means for updating the serial number of said administration DNS zone file;

f. means for writing and reloading said administration DNS zone file on said administration server; and

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g. means for propagating information in said altered administration DNS zone file to any extant slave servers.

3. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein said administration computer server includes means for initiating and validating said central authority request, comprising:

a. means for writing a drop-off file into a predefined directory on said administration server;

b. database means for writing central authority data into said drop-off file corresponding to the identity of said central authority and information about said webservers affected by such request, and,

c. means for validating the content of said drop-off file and initiating an emergency alert processing request.

4. A system as recited in claim 3, wherein said emergency alert webserver and said administration computer server reside on the same computer system.

5. A system as recited in claim 3, further including means for presenting a selectable menu to said central authority to trigger said automatic altering means.

6. A system as recited in claim 3, wherein said header frame portion is pre-stored on said emergency alert webserver.

7. A system as recited in claim 3, wherein said header frame portion includes one or more multimedia file links.

8. A method for transmitting an emergency message from a central authority to selected group of websites, comprising the steps of:

a. receiving an emergency alert request from a central authority on a DNS administration server;

b. validating the request;

c. retrieving pre-stored information correlating the emergency alert request to stored alert state settings;

d. retrieving emergency alert message content;

e. creating an emergency message webpage header frame;

f. creating a list of websites affected by said alert request;

g. altering all zone files containing A NAME records pointing to said affected websites in said website list to re-associate the A NAME record IP address to the address of an alternate website holding said header frame; and

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h. verifying that the alteration to said zone file has been successfully propagated to all servers within the authority of said administration DNS server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of creating said list of affected websites comprises receiving a file generated by a remote computer, and wherein said list creation comprises the steps of using a graphical user interface to select a geographical region associated with websites related to said selected geographical region, creating a file listing said websites, and transmitting said file to said administration server.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of applying hierarchical rules to alter said step of creating said list of affected websites in response to the receipt of overlapping emergency alert requests from multiple central authorities.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of altering said zone file comprises the steps of:

a. locating said zone file;

b. reading said zone file into a memory array;

c. parsing said zone file and locating said A NAME record;

d. changing the IP address associated with said A NAME record to point to said second webserver;

e. changing the serial number of said zone file;

f. writing and re-loading said zone file onto said administration server; and

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g. propagating said altered zone file to any existent slave servers.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of obtaining emergency alert information from a remote webserver under the control of said central authority.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of promoting said DNS administration server to become the authoritative DNS server for each said website affected by said alert request.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said promotion step occurs upon the unavailability of all of the authoritative DNS servers for any said websites affected by said alert request.

15. The method of claim 14, further including the step of demoting said DNS administration server upon the availability of one or more of said authoritative DNS servers for any said websites affected by said alert request.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of receiving an emergency alert request from a central authority occurs in response to the activation of the emergency alert system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of receiving an emergency alert request from a central authority in response to the activation of the emergency alert system further comprises the further step of transmitting a request signal from a TV broadcast transmission tower.

18. A system for transmitting an emergency message from a central authority to a selected group of websites, comprising:

a. a plurality of webservers each configured for delivering at least one webpage;

b. an emergency alert webserver configured to deliver an emergency alert webpage;

c. an administration computer server having at least one DNS zone file, said at least one administration DNS zone files including a plurality of A NAME records;

d. wherein each said plurality of webservers includes a zone file having a CNAME record pointing to at least one of said plurality of A NAME records listed in said at least one administration DNS zone file;

e. wherein each of said A NAME records to which each said CNAME record points back to each of the respective IP addresses of the webserver listing the CNAME record in said plurality of webservers; and

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f. means running on said administration computer server for automatically altering each said A NAME record to which each CNAME record points in said at least one administration DNS zone file such that said A NAME record points to the IP address of said emergency alert webpage upon the request of said central authority.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said emergency alert webserver further comprises means for presenting said emergency message in a header frame web page content from said plurality of webservers in a main body frame.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a remote computer server for providing said emergency message to said emergency alert webserver.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for receiving multiple requests for transmitting emergency messages from a plurality of central authorities.

22. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for promoting said administration computing system to become a DNS authoritative computer server for each said original content website.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein said system includes means for initiating said emergency alert requests in response to activation of the emergency alert system.

24. A system for a central authority to transmit an emergency message to selected group of Internet websites, comprising:

a. an administration computing system, said administration computing system including a DNS administration application and a webserver application, said administration computing system further including at least one computer system;

b. said administration computing system including at least one DNS zone file, said at least one zone file including a plurality of A NAME records pointing to the IP addresses of a plurality of original content websites, wherein each said original content website is controlled by a DNS computer server having a DNS zone file that includes a CNAME record pointing to said corresponding A NAME record on said administration computer system zone file;

c. means running on said administration computing system for receiving requests from a central authority for submitting emergency alert message deployment requests;

d. responsive to said request receiving means, means running on said administration computing system for altering said at least one zone file on said administration computing system altering each said A NAME record IP address corresponding to each original content website to an IP address for an emergency alert website; and

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e. wherein said webserver includes means for serving said emergency alert website, and wherein said webserver means further includes means for providing said original content for any remote computing device requesting said original content over the Internet and an emergency alert message together in a single webpage.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said means for serving said emergency alert website further comprises means for presenting said emergency alert message in a header frame and said original content in a main body frame.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a remote computer server for providing said emergency alert message to said webserver means.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein said system includes means for initiating said emergency alert requests in response to activation of the emergency alert system.

28. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for receiving multiple requests for transmitting emergency messages from a plurality of central authorities.

29. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for promoting said administration computing system to become a DNS authoritative computer server for each said original content website.