NOTIFICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DOMAIN NAME OPTIONS

• US 20090177549A1
• Filed: 03/12/2009
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Go Daddy Group Incorporated (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruiz, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.190
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• 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 61/3015 Name registration, generation or assignment

Abstract

A system and method of the present invention allow communication via electronic messages between a Customer and a domain name Registrar, avoiding traditional electronic mail (email) communication. Email messages may not be delivered to the Customer for various reasons including the situations where the Customer employs anti-SPAM protective technologies. The system and method of the present invention establish a Communication Link between a Customer'"'"'s Computer and Registrar'"'"'s Server, which avoids anti-SPAM protective technologies and email messaging altogether. Information relating to the communication may be stored on a database and the system may present the Customer with various options relating to a domain service. The implementation of this invention would result in a higher rate of delivered messages to the Customer.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a) a Registrar'"'"'s Server operated by a Registrar;

b) a Database residing on said Registrar'"'"'s Server holding information about an account owned by a Customer;

c) a message to said Customer stored in said Database relating to renewing a recurring domain service;

d) information stored in said Database relating to an additional recurring service purchased by said Customer;

wherein said additional recurring service comprises hosting, website promotion, virus protection or SPAM protection;

e) an expiration date of said recurring domain service or said additional recurring service stored in said Database; and

f) billing and payment information stored in said Database relating to said recurring domain service or said additional recurring service.

2. A method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a Customer means to select or deselect a type of domain related message that said Customer wants to receive from a Registrar'"'"'s Server;

b) displaying said means to select or deselect as a displayed list on an options screen accessible to said Customer through a Communication Software; and

c) accepting a selection by said Customer of said type of domain related message;

wherein said type of domain related message relates to pending domain name transfers, domain name renewal notices, additional products and services renewal notices or notices of new products and services from a Registrar or its affiliates.

3. A method comprising the steps of:

a) allowing a Customer to view online a domain related message on a Registrar'"'"'s Server;

b) allowing said Customer to download said domain related message from said Registrar'"'"'s Server to a Computer operated by said Customer;

c) allowing said domain related message to be viewed or downloaded after said Customer clicks on said domain related message, on a provided link or on a provided button;

d) causing an Internet browser application to open after said Customer clicks on said domain related message, on said provided link or on said provided button, wherein said Internet browser application displays a Registrar'"'"'s web page appropriate to information provided in said domain related message; and

e) allowing said Customer to manually delete said domain related message after it has been read by said Customer.

4. A method comprising the steps of:

a) allowing a Customer of a Registrar to archive a domain related message by marking said domain related message as complete, and moving said domain related message into an appropriate folder;

b) causing said domain related message or a related header stored on a Customer'"'"'s Computer to be deleted after a Registrar'"'"'s Server operated by said Registrar sends a delete message, wherein said delete messages is treated by a Communication Software on said Customer'"'"'s Computer as an instruction to remove said domain related message or said related header specified by said delete message, wherein said domain related message or said related header comprises a unique identifying number or alphanumeric string which said Communication Software recognizes when it deletes said domain related message or said related header;

c) providing means for said domain related message to be removed from a list of available messages on said Registrar'"'"'s Server;

d) causing said domain related message with an assigned expiration date or a set time interval capable of being changed by a Customer to be deleted after said assigned expiration date or after said set time interval; and

e) causing said domain related message to be deleted from a Registrar'"'"'s Server after a determination that said domain related message is no longer needed.