Method and apparatus for providing pre-screened content
First Claim
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1. A method of providing only pre-screened content comprising:
- maintaining a database on a server including a database of a plurality of pre-screened sites;
when a universal resource locator (URL) is received from a user;
determining if the URL is in a history database of allowed sites for the user;
if the URL is not in the history database, determining whether the URL is in the database as one of the plurality of pre-screened sites; and
if the URL represents one of the plurality of prescreened sites, displaying data associated with the URL, otherwise, not displaying the data.
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Abstract
A method of providing only pre-screened content is described. The method includes maintaining a database on a server including a plurality of pre-screened sites. When a universal resource locator (URL) is received, the method verifies that the URL represents one of the plurality of pre-screened sites. If the URL represents one of the plurality of prescreened sites, displaying data associated with the URL, otherwise, not displaying the data.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of providing only pre-screened content comprising:
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maintaining a database on a server including a database of a plurality of pre-screened sites;
when a universal resource locator (URL) is received from a user;
determining if the URL is in a history database of allowed sites for the user;
if the URL is not in the history database, determining whether the URL is in the database as one of the plurality of pre-screened sites; and
if the URL represents one of the plurality of prescreened sites, displaying data associated with the URL, otherwise, not displaying the data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
adding the URL to a history database if the URL was not in the history database, including an indication of whether the site was allowed or not allowed.
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3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
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maintaining an account database of excluded and included sites for a specific user on the server;
determining if the URL is specifically excluded or included by the user by testing if the site is in the database of excluded sites; and
not displaying the site if the site is in the account database as an excluded site.
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4. The method of claim 2, wherein the database comprises:
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a domain database; and
a directory database.
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5. The method of claim 4, wherein the domain database further includes a flag, indicating a type of verification needed for the site.
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6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether the URL is in the database comprises:
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determining if the URL is in the domain database; and
if the URL is in the domain database, determining the flag associated with the domain; and
performing further verification based on the flag, to determine if the site should be displayed.
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7. The method of claim 6, wherein the further verification comprises:
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if the flag indicates that all directories within the domain are allowable, displaying the site; and
if the flag indicates that only-certain directories within the domain are allowable, determining if the directory is in the directory database, and displaying the site only if the directory is in the directory database.
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8. The method of claim 7, wherein the flag further indicates whether any of the directories in the domain are in an exclusion database, which contains specific exclusions, on a user-by-user bases.
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9. The method of claim 1, wherein the database comprises a plurality of database accessed through a network.
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10. The method of claim 1, wherein the history database is on a local client computer.
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11. The method of claim 1, wherein the history database is purged periodically.
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12. The method of claim 1, wherein the history database is purged after each session.
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13. The method of claim 1, wherein the history database is on a server.
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14. A method of providing content comprising:
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receiving a URL;
connecting to a server;
determining if the URL is in a database on the server as an approved site, comprising;
determining if a domain of the URL is in a domain database;
if the domain is in the domain database, determining a flag associated with the domain indicates that all directories within the domain are acceptable, or whether a directory database should further be tested; and
based on the flag, allowing the site, if appropriate. connecting to the site associated with the URL if the URL is an approved site. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A method of providing content comprising:
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receiving a URL from a user;
determining if the URL is in a historical list of URLs for the user, to which permission to connect has been granted; and
connecting to the URL if the URL is in the historical list as a pre-screened site. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
determining if the URL is in a list of approved URLs; and
connecting to the URL if the URL is in the list of approved URLs.
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19. The method of claim 18, wherein the list of approved URLs comprises a database on the server.
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20. The method of claim 18, wherein determining if the URL is the list of approved URLs comprises:
determining if URL is excluded for an account associated with the current user.
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21. An apparatus for providing pre-screened content comprising:
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a client comprising;
a user interface for receiving an address selection from a user;
a history database of allowed sites for the user;
a server interface for providing the address selection for verification to a server if the address selection is not in the history database;
the server comprising;
a database listing a plurality of URLs of pre-screened allowable sites;
domain validation logic for determining whether the address selection is in a database, and thus may be displayed to the user; and
the client for displaying a site associated with the address selection if the history database includes the address selection or if server determined that the site may be displayed to the user. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
a domain database including a plurality of acceptable domains.
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23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the domain database includes a flag for each domain of the plurality of acceptable domains.
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24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:
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a directory database including a plurality of directories;
wherein the flag indicates whether all directories in the domain are acceptable, or the directory database should be queried for the directory of the requested URL.
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25. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:
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an exclusion database including a plurality of excluded directories, the exclusion database being user-specific;
wherein the flag indicates whether all directories in the domain are acceptable, or the exclusion database should be queried for the directory of the requested URL.
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26. A server comprising:
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a database listing a plurality of pre-screened allowable sites;
a domain validation logic for receiving a universal resource locator (URL) from a user and for determining whether the URL is in the database, and thus may be displayed to the user, the domain validation logic including a flag associated with a domain to indicate whether all directories within the domain are acceptable or whether a directory database should be further tested; and
if the URL is an allowable site, the server sending an indication to the client.
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Specification