Network Appliance for Monitoring Network Requests for Multimedia Content

• US 20130232251A1
• Filed: 03/01/2012
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Justin Pauley
• Original Assignee: Justin Pauley
• Inventors: Pauley, Justin
• Granted Patent: US 8,832,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/028 by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/306 intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A network appliance that monitors multimedia content requested by at least one networked computer coupled to a local area network and the Internet. The appliance includes a database, at least one interface processing packetized data encapsulating TCP/IP packet data generated by the network computer(s) and communicated over the local area network, routing logic for the TCP/IP packet data, and processing means processing the TCP/IP packet data to identify whether it specifies a URL representing at least one particular type of multimedia content, and if so, adds the specified URL and an associated date and time to the database. It can include a first mechanism monitoring physical connections/disconnections to the local area network over time, and a second mechanism monitoring Internet connectivity over time. It can also provide access to information stored in the database and/or provide upload of stored information to a remote system for remote access to such information.

Claims

1. A network appliance for monitoring content requested by at least one networked device operably coupled to a local area network and the Internet, the network appliance comprising:

a database stored on the network appliance;

at least one interface for receiving and processing packetized data, the packetized data including packetized data that encapsulates TCP/IP packet data generated by the at least one network device and communicated over the local area network;

routing logic that forwards the TCP/IP packet data as part of packetized data for downstream data communication to the Internet; and

processing means that processes the TCP/IP packet data to identify whether it specifies a URL representing at least one particular type of multimedia content, and if so, adds the specified URL and an associated date and time to the database.

2. A network appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

the processing means includes a first processing means and a second processing means,

wherein the first processing means processes the TCP/IP packet data to identify whether it matches at least one predetermined profile and, if so, adds a particular object corresponding to the TCP/IP packet data to a queue of objects, wherein each object in the queue of objects includes data representing a URL specified by the TCP/IP packet data, a date, and a time; and

wherein the second processing means processes the queue of objects to automatically determine whether the URL represented by a given object represents at least one particular type of multimedia content, and if so, adds the URL, date and time represented by the given object to the database.

3. A network appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:

access means for providing access to information stored in the database to at least one authorized user in order to allow the at least one authorized user to review the multimedia content corresponding to URLs specified by TCP/IP data communicated over the local area network.

4. A network appliance according to claim 3, wherein:

the access means comprises web server logic that is part of the network appliance.

5. A network appliance according to claim 3, further comprising:

means for uploading information stored in the database to a remote computer system, wherein the remote computer system provides access to information stored in the database to at least one authorized user in order to allow the at least one authorized user to review the multimedia content corresponding to URLs specified by TCP/IP data communicated over the local area network.

6. A network appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first mechanism that monitors physical connections and disconnections of the network appliance to a network over time to identify interruptions in network connectivity, and that stores in said database data representing identified interruptions in network connectivity.

7. A network appliance according to claim 6, further comprising:

a second mechanism that monitors Internet connectivity of the network appliance over time to identify interruptions in such Internet connectivity, and that stores in said database data representing identified interruptions in Internet connectivity.

8. A network appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

the routing logic employs network address translation on the TCP/IP packet data before encapsulating the TCP/IP packet data for downstream communication.

9. A network appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first interface that provides for data communication between the network appliance and a single networked device; and

a second interface that provides for data communication between the network appliance and a gateway router.

10. A network appliance according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first interface that provides for data communication between the network appliance and a gateway router; and

a second interface that provides for data communication between the network appliance and an Internet access unit.

11. A network appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

the network appliance is a gateway router that provides for monitoring content requested by a plurality of networked computers operably coupled to the gateway router in addition to other router functions.

12. A network appliance according to claim 11, wherein:

the other router functions are selected from the group consisting of DNS proxy server services, firewall services, routing with network address translation, port forwarding services, DHCP server services for dynamically assigning IP addresses to the networked devices of the local area network, local area network configuration, VPN services, VPN pass thru functionality, Dynamic DNS services, content filtering of DNS requests, blocking certain types of network traffic for certain time periods and/or certain computers, TOR packet filtering, and other parental/business control services.

13. A network appliance according to claim 11, wherein:

the gateway router incorporates wireless LAN functionality.

14. A network appliance according to claim 2, wherein:

the predetermined profile corresponds to common methods for accessing multimedia content on the Web.

15. A network appliance according to claim 14, wherein:

the common methods specify a URL and involve predetermined transport protocols and predetermined network ports.

16. A network appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one particular type of multimedia content includes common image file types.

17. A network appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one particular type of multimedia content includes common video file types.

18. A network appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least one particular type of multimedia content includes common streaming media file types.

19. A network appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

the database stores thumbnail images for media content referenced in the database.

20. A network appliance according to claim 1, wherein:

the database stores a copy of the media content referenced in the database.