Method and system for internationalizing domain names

• US 6,182,148 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IDN Technologies LLC (General Patent Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Walid, Inc.
• Inventors: Tout, Walid R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B.
• Application Number:
  US09/358,043
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245, 709/200, 709/228, 709/249
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/32 containing non-Latin characters, e.g. Chinese domain names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• 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 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]

Abstract

A method and system for internationalizing domain names is provided which allows domain names to be entered in any language without having to modify the existing Internet domain name servers. When an user enters a domain name including non-English characters into an internet program, a domain name transformer intercepts the domain name prior to reaching the resolver. The domain name is converted to a standard format which can represent all language character sets, such as UNICODE. The UNICODE string is then transformed to be in RFC1035 compliant format. Redirector information is then appended to the compliant string which identifies the delegation of authoritative root servers and/or domain name servers responsible for the domain name. The compliant domain string is then resolved by the authoritative domain name server just as any English domain name.

Claims

1. A method of converting an internet international domain name to an RFC1035 compliant format, where the international domain name includes non-English characters which are RFC1035 non-compliant, the method comprising:

intercepting the international domain name, where the intercepting is transparent to the user;

transforming the international domain name to an RFC1035 compliant domain name;

automatically generating a redirector string which includes information for resolving the RFC1035 compliant domain name; and

appending the redirector string to the RFC1035 compliant do main name.

2. The method of converting as set forth in claim 1 further including obtaining the international domain name on a user system and, the intercepting occuring at a network layer in the user system.

3. The method of converting as set forth in claim 2 wherein the intercepting occurs in a Windows socket layer where, if the Windows socket layer is Winsock 1.1, the converting includes shifting the Windows socket layer and adding a new winsock layer which performs the intercepting and transforming.

4. The method of converting as set forth in claim 3 wherein if the Windows socket layer includes a name space provider, the converting includes replacing the name space provider with another name space provider which performs the intercepting and transforming.

5. The method of converting as set forth in claim 3 wherein if the Windows socket layer includes a name space provider, the converting includes adding a new name space provider layer which performs the intercepting and transforming.

6. The method of converting as set forth in claim 1 further including, after the intercepting, converting the international domain name to a UNICODE string if the international domain name is not in a UNICODE format, and wherein the transforming includes transforming the UNICODE string to the RFC1035 compliant domain name.

7. The method of converting as set forth in claim 6 wherein the UNICODE string is a sixteen bit string and the transforming includes transforming the sixteen bit UNICODE string to a five bit string, the five bit string being in an RFC1035 compliant format.

8. The method of converting as set forth in claim 1 wherein the automatically generating of the redirector string being based on the international domain name.

9. The method of converting as set forth in claim 1 wherein the redirector string includes a plurality of domain levels.

10. The method of converting as set forth in claim 1 wherein the redirector string is automatically generated from a predetermined string.

11. In a system for accessing the internet from a user computer by obtaining a domain name where a domain name server requires the domain name to be in a first format, a method of accessing the internet with an international domain name comprising the steps of:

obtaining the international domain name being in a second format;

transforming the international domain name from the second format to the first format which is acceptable by the domain name server;

automatically generating a redirector string based on the international domain name and appending the redirector string to the transformed international domain name, transmitting the transformed international domain name to the domain name server;

resolving the transformed international domain name by the domain name server to obtain an IP number corresponding to the international domain name; and

accessing the internet by the user computer using the IP number.

12. The method of accessing the internet as set forth in claim 11 further including, after the obtaining:

transparently intercepting the international domain name on the user computer, and;

analyzing the international domain name to determine the second format.

13. The method of accessing the internet as set forth in claim 12 further including converting the second format into UNICODE before transforming into the first format.

14. The method of accessing the internet as set forth in claim 13 wherein the first format is an RFC1035 compliant format and the second format is an RFC1035 non-compliant format.

15. The method of accessing the internet as set forth in claim 11 wherein the redirector string identifying an authoritative server which is responsible for the international domain name such that the domain name server communicates with the authoritative server to obtain the IP number.

16. The method of accessing the internet as set forth in claim 15 wherein the redirector string includes a plurality of domain levels.

17. The method of accessing the internet as set forth in claim 15 wherein the redirector string is generated from a predetermined identifier.

18. The method of accessing the internet as set forth in claim 12 wherein the intercepting is performed in a Windows socket layer.

19. The method of accessing the internet as set forth in claim 18 wherein if the Windows socket layer is Winsock 1.1, the method further includes adding an additional winsock layer which performs the intercepting and transforming before the Windows socket layer.

20. The method of accessing the internet as set forth in claim 18 wherein if the Windows socket layer includes a name space provider, the converting includes replacing the name space provider with a new name space provider which performs the intercepting and transforming.

21. The method of accessing the internet as set forth in claim 18 wherein if the Windows socket layer includes a name space provider, the converting includes adding a new name space provider layer which performs the intercepting and transforming.

22. A system for requesting international domain names with a user machine in communication with an internet where the internet includes a domain name server which resolves a domain name request by retrieving an IP number corresponding to the domain name, the domain name server requiring the domain name to be in a first character format, the system comprising:

an internet program for providing communication between the user machine and the internet, the internet program allowing a user to request communication to an internet location by obtaining a domain name of the internet location, the domain name being an international domain name having a second character format different than the first character format;

a domain name transformer for transforming the international domain name to a compliant domain name having the first character format, the domain name transformer automatically generating a redirector string based on the international domain name and appending the redirector string to the compliant domain name, the domain name transformer being installed on the user machine, the transforming being performed transparent to both the user and the domain name server; and

a resolver for receiving and resolving the compliant domain name from the domain name transformer into an IP number of the internet location, the resolver transmitting the compliant domain name to a domain name server, the domain name server returning the IP number of the internet location corresponding to the international domain name to allow communication between the user machine and the internet location.

23. The system as set forth in claim 22 wherein the domain name transformer converts the international domain name to a UNICODE string if the international domain name includes a non-UNICODE format, and the UNICODE string being transformed to the first character format.

24. The system as set forth in claim 22 further including an international root server which communicates with the domain name server, the international root server identifying a location of a domain name server responsible for the international domain name and maintains a corresponding IP number.

25. The system as set forth in claim 23 wherein the domain name transformer generates the redirector string based on the UNICODE string.

26. The system as set forth in claim 23 wherein the domain name transformer generates the redirector string based on a predetermined string.

27. The system as set forth in claim 22 wherein the domain name transformer includes a redirector generator for generating the redirector string including at least one domain level, the redirector string being appended to the compliant domain name for providing delegation instructions for resolving the complaint domain name.

28. A software program for enabling a user device to be connected to the Internet wherein domain name requests in the user device are obtained having a non-compliant format;

said program comprising;

instructions for modifying a domain name resolving process in the user device;

wherein said instructions for modifying include instructions for performing the following steps;

transforming a non-compliant domain name request to a compliant format;

automatically generating a redirector string which includes information for resolving the domain name request; and

appending the redirector string to the domain name request.

29. The software program of claim 28 wherein said instructions for transforming include instructions for appending a redirector string to said transformed compliant domain name to produce a fully qualified domain name.

30. The software program as set forth in claim 29 further including instructions for automatically generating the redirector string where the redirector string identifies a domain name server for resolving the transformed compliant domain name.

31. A method of modifying a user device which communicates to the Internet wherein the user device processes a compliant domain name according to a resolving procedure, and further wherein a domain name request may be in a non-compliant format, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a program to the user device for modifying the resolving procedure so that the modified resolving procedure performs the following steps;

transforming a non-compliant domain name to a compliant domain string;

automatically generating a redirector string which includes information for resolving the transformed compliant domain string; and

appending the redirector string to the compliant domain string.

32. The method as set forth claim 31 wherein the generating a redirector string is performed automatically and the transforming is transparent to a user.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein said step of appending said redirector string to said compliant domain string produces a fully qualified domain name.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said redirector string includes a plurality of domain levels.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said redirector string is automatically generated from a predetermined identifier.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said redirector string is automatically generated based on information in a UNICODE string.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein said transforming step comprises the step of converting a UNICODE string to said compliant domain string.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein said transforming step comprises the step of converting the non-compliant domain name to a UNICODE string.