Internet Profile Service

• US 20100274836A1
• Filed: 04/22/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Jimenez, Eduardo, Kosters, Mark Alan, Simpson, Andrew, Orentas, Leonard Linas, Holmes, Alex, Moston, Dave, Pattapu, Phani, Shyamsunder, Karthik, Sunkara, Srinivas
• Granted Patent: US 9,292,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles

Abstract

Systems and methods for creating and using a domain profile include identifying a status of a first page associated with a domain. The first page is retrieved and additional pages from the domain are identified based on hyperlinks from the first page. The status of the additional pages is identified and the hyperlinks are prioritized based on the status and/or a comparison with predetermined data. Content is extracted from the first page and selected pages from among the additional pages. The specific additional pages may be selected based on the prioritization. The retrieved content may be processed through a signature marker set to determine a contextual match. A purpose of the domain is determined according to the status of the first page, the status of the additional pages and results of the processing of the content. The domain profile can be displayed, stored, sent and/or searched to identify web sites or attributes of interest.

Claims

1. An automated method of determining a domain name profile, comprising:

(a) identifying a status of a first web page associated with the domain name by attempting to resolve the first web page;

(b) if the attempt to resolve the first web page results in an error, determining a purpose of the domain name based on the status of the first web page;

(c) only if the attempt to resolve the first web page is successful, proceeding with steps (d)-(j);

(d) retrieving the first web page of the domain name via a computer communication network;

(e) identifying a plurality of additional web pages associated with the domain name based on hyperlinks that are retrieved from the first web page;

(f) identifying a status of the additional pages by attempting to resolve the additional web page;

(g) prioritizing the hyperlinks retrieved from the first web page based on a comparison with predetermined data;

(h) extracting content from the first page and at least one page of the plurality of additional pages via the computer communication network, the at least one page of the plurality of additional pages selected based on the prioritization;

(i) processing the content through a table of predetermined associated data elements to determine contextual matches that exist in the content;

(j) determining the purpose of the domain name based on the status of the first web page, the status of the additional web pages and contextual matches that are identified by processing the content; and

(k) at least one of displaying, storing and sending the determined purpose of the domain.

2. An automated method of analyzing a domain, comprising:

identifying a status of a first page associated with a domain;

retrieving the first page;

identifying a plurality of additional pages from the domain based on hyperlinks from the first page;

identifying a status of the additional pages;

prioritizing the hyperlinks based on a comparison with predetermined data;

extracting content from the first page and at least one page of the plurality of additional pages, the at least one page of the plurality of additional pages selected based on the prioritization;

processing the content through a signature marker set to determine a contextual match;

determining a purpose of the domain according to the status of the first page, the status of the additional pages and results of the processing the content; and

at least one of displaying, storing and sending the determined purpose of the domain.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the purpose of the domain is further based on at least one of a determined domain name, a registrar reseller marker, an absence of a specified data type, an alternate publisher of the pages, a social community identifier, and a data type, in the content.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying one or more domains based on the purpose; and

determining categories of the identified domains, the respective category of a domain distinct from the respective purpose of that domain.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising identifying and retrieving related domains based on the determined category and primary purpose of the domain.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising identifying and retrieving related domains based on the determined status and purpose of the domain.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the content includes executable code embedded in the first page or the additional pages, and the signature marker set is configured to determine a contextual match within the executable code.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the content includes image, video and audio information embedded in the first page or the additional pages, and the signature marker set is configured to determine a contextual match within the image, video and audio information.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein following hyperlinks from the first page comprises traversing redirects to an https version of the web page.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an input set of domains from a user;

identifying attributes that are common amongst the input domains from among the contextually matched content; and

outputting the identified attributes to the user.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an input set of purposes from a user;

identifying domains that correspond to the input set of purposes; and

outputting the identified domains to the user.

12. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an input set of purposes and categories from a user;

identifying domains that correspond to the input set of purposes and categories; and

outputting the identified domains to the user.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein:

identifying a status of the first page comprises;

attempting to resolve a domain name of the first page;

if the domain name fails to resolve, identifying the status of the domain as non-functional; and

if the domain name resolves, but content is not accessible, identifying the status as non-accessible, and

identifying a status of the additional pages comprises;

attempting to resolve a domain name or network address of a first additional page;

if the domain name or network address fails to resolve, identifying the status of the first additional page as non-functional; and

if the domain name resolves, but content is not accessible, identifying the status of the first additional page as non-accessible.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a computer to perform steps including:

identifying a status of a first page associated with a domain;

retrieving the first page;

identifying a plurality of additional pages from the domain based on hyperlinks from the first page;

identifying a status of the additional pages;

prioritizing the hyperlinks based on a comparison with predetermined data;

extracting content from the first page and at least one page of the plurality of additional pages, the at least one page of the plurality of additional pages selected based on the prioritization;

processing the content through a signature marker set to determine a contextual match;

determining a purpose of the domain according to the status of the first page, the status of the additional pages and results of the processing the content; and

at least one of displaying, storing and sending the determined purpose of the domain.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein determining the purpose of the domain is further based on at least one of a determined domain name, a registrar reseller marker, an absence of a specified data type, an alternate publisher of the pages, a social community identifier, and a data type, in the content.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, the instructions further comprising:

identifying one or more domains based on the purpose; and

determining categories of the identified domains, the respective categories of a domain distinct from the respective purpose of that domain.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the content includes executable code embedded in the first page or the additional pages, and the signature marker set is configured to determine a contextual match within the executable code.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the content includes image, video and audio information embedded in the first page or the additional pages, and the signature marker set is configured to determine a contextual match within the image, video and audio information.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the instructions further comprising:

receiving an input set of purposes and categories from a user;

identifying domains that correspond to the input set of purposes and categories; and

outputting the identified domains to the user.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein:

identifying a status of the first page comprises;

attempting to resolve a domain name of the first page;

if the domain name fails to resolve, identifying the status of the domain as non-functional; and

if the domain name resolves, but content is not accessible, identifying the status as non-accessible, and

identifying a status of the additional pages comprises;

attempting to resolve a domain name or network address of a first additional page;

if the domain name or network address fails to resolve, identifying the status of the first additional page as non-functional; and

if the domain name resolves, but content is not accessible, identifying the status of the first additional page as non-accessible.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronic communication unit configured to exchange data over an electronic network;

means for identifying a status of a first page associated with a domain;

means for retrieving the first page;

means for identifying a plurality of additional pages from the domain based on hyperlinks from the first page;

means for identifying a status of the additional pages;

means for prioritizing the hyperlinks based on a comparison with predetermined data;

means for extracting content from the first page and at least one page of the plurality of additional pages, the at least one page of the plurality of additional pages selected based on the prioritization;

means for processing the content through a signature marker set to determine a contextual match;

means for determining a purpose of the domain according to the status of the first page, the status of the additional pages and results of the processing the content; and

at least one of a display and a storage that displays or stores the determined purpose of the domain, respectively.