Internet communication system

• US 6,581,090 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1999
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mirror Image Internet Incorporated (Xcelera Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mirror Image Internet Incorporated (Xcelera Inc.)
• Inventors: Lindbo, Sverker, Vixie, Paul, Löthberg, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): VOELTZ, EMANUEL T
• Application Number:
  US09/284,353
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention relates to the transferring of information on the Internet, comprising: means (40) for storing information, corresponding to information provided at an Internet content provider (60), at respective alternative addresses of said storing means; means (20) for intercepting an information request from an Internet user directed to an Internet content provider; means for determining whether or not the intercepted request is directed to an information content provider having an associated alternative address on said storing means (40); and means for directing the request to said alternative address if such an alternative address exists.

Claims

1. A method for transferring information via the Internet, comprising the steps of:

intercepting a message from an Internet user directed to a content provider address;

determining whether or not the message is an information request;

sending the message to the Internet without being affected if the message is not an information request;

determining whether or not said information request relates to a content provider address having a corresponding alternative address, said alternative address providing at least part of the information provided at said content provider address; and

directing said information request to said corresponding alternative address, if existing, or sending said information request to the Internet without being affected, if not.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising providing at least part of the information provided at one or more content provider addresses at respective corresponding alternative addresses.

3. Method as claimed in claim 2, comprising passing on information sent from either said content provider address or said alternative address, as a result of said request, to said Internet user.

4. Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising passing on information sent from either said content provider address or said alternative address, as a result of said request, to said Internet user.

5. Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

providing a first list of information content provider addresses having respective corresponding alternative addresses; and

accessing said first list for determining whether or not it includes the content provider address which said request is referring to, thereby determining Whether or not said request relates to a content provider address having a corresponding alternative address.

6. Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

providing a second list of said corresponding alternative addresses;

accessing said second list for, having determined that a corresponding alternative address for the requested information exists, obtaining said corresponding alternative address in order to direct said request thereto.

7. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said steps comprises:

determining which part of said information provided at said content provider address that is provided, or is not provided, at said alternative address;

directing said request to said content provider address if said request refers to the the part of the information provided by said content provided adress which is not provided at said alternative address; and

directing said request to said alternative address if said request refers to the the part of the information provided by said content provided adress which is provided at said alternative address.

8. Method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

providing a third list which includes information indicating if all the information at a content provider address is provided at a corresponding alternative address or, if not, which part of said information that is provided, or is not provided, at said corresponding alternative address;

acessing said third list for determining if said request refers to the part of said information which is provided at said alternative address; and

directing said request to said alternative address only if said alternative address provides the part of the information which refers to said information request.

9. Method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said third list comprises URL-addresser or address patterns which are or are not provided at said corresponding alternative addresses.

10. A Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising intercepting said request before or at an Internet first, with respect to said user, switching point, said first switching point preferably being arranged at an Internet Service Provider.

11. Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising updating the information at said alternative addresses according to a predefined scheme.

12. Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising updating the information at said alternative addresses at specific time intervals.

13. Method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising providing an updating signal from said information content provider address to said corresponding alternative address for updating the information at the alternative address when requested.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of updating the information at the alternative addresses upon a change in corresponding information at the content provider address.

15. A system for transferring information via the Internet, comprising:

first means for intercepting a message from an Internet user directed to a content provider address;

second means for determining whether or not the message is an information request;

third means for sending the message to the Internet without being affected if the message is not an information request;

fourth means for determining whether or not said information request relates to a content provider address having a corresponding alternative address, said alternative address providing at least part of the information provided at said content provider address; and

fifth means for directing said information request to said corresponding alternative address, if such a corresponding alternative address exists, or sending said information request to the Internet without being affected, if not.

16. System as claimed in claim 15, comprising means (40) for storing said information, corresponding to at least part of the information provided at one or more content provider addresses (60), at respective associated alternative addresses of said storing means (40).

17. System as claimed in claim 16, wherein said storing means (40) comprises one or more servers (41-45).

18. System as claimed in claim 16, wherein said intercepting means (20) is arranged to pass on information sent from either said content provider address (60) or said alternative address (40), as a result of said request, to said Internet user.

19. System as claimed in claim 16, wherein said determining and directing means constitute a part of said intercepting means (20).

20. System as claimed in claim 16, wherein said interception means (20) is arranged between said user and an Internet first switching point (30), said first switching point preferably being arranged at an Internet Service Provider.

21. System as claimed in claim 15, wherein said intercepting means (20) is arranged to pass on information sent from either said content provider address (60) or said alternative address (40), as a result of said request, to said Internet user.

22. System as claimed in claim 21, wherein said determining and directing means constitute a part of said intercepting means (20).

23. System as claimed in claim 21, wherein said interception means (20) is arranged between said user and an Internet first switching point (30), said first switching point preferably being arranged at an Internet Service Provider.

24. System as claimed in claim 15, wherein said determining and directing means constitute part of said intercepting means (20).

25. System as claimed in claim 24, wherein said interception means (20) is arranged between said user and an Internet first switching point (30), said first switching point preferably being arranged at an Internet Service Provider.

26. System as claimed in claim 15, wherein said interception means (20) is arranged between said user and an Interned first switching point (30), said first switching point preferably being arranged at an Internet Service Provider.

27. System as claimed in claim 15, wherein said determining means comprises a first list (A) of content provider addresses having respective corresponding alternative addresses on said storing means (40), said determining means being arranged to access said first list (A) for determining whether or not the request relates to information provided at an alternative address on said storing means.

28. System as claimed in claim 27, a comprising a second list (B), associated with said first list (A), of the corresponding alternative addresses which are associated with said information content provider addresses, said directing means being arranged to access said second list (B) for obtaining said alternative address corresponding to the requested information.

29. System as claimed in claim 15, comprising a third list (C) storing information as to which part of said information, provided at the respective information content provider addresses (60), that is, or is not, provided at the associated corresponding alternative addresses (40), wherein said determining and directing means is arranged to directed said information request to said information content provider address (60), if said alternative address does not provide the part of the information which refers to said information request, or to said alternative adress, if it does.

30. System as claimed in claim 15, further comprising means for updating the information at said alternative addresses.

31. System as claimed in claim 30, wherein said updating means being arranged to update the information at said alternative addresses at specific time intervals.

32. System as claimed in claim 31, wherein said updating means is arranged to provide an updating signal from said information content provider address to said storing means for updating the information at the alternative address when requested.

33. System as claimed in claim 30, wherein said updating means is arranged to provide an updating signal from said information content provider address to said storing means for updating the information at the alternative address when requested.

34. System as claimed in claim 15, wherein said intercepting means comprises two or more interceptors (20, 20′

) arranged to serve respective user groups (USR1-USRN, USR1′

-USRN′

).

35. System as claimed in claim 15, wherein said intercepting means (20;

20, 20′

) communicates with said storing means (40;

41-45) by means of high speed switching means (70).

36. A method for efficiently delivering cached information to Internet users, comprising the steps of:

intercepting a message from an Internet user directed to a content provider, the message requesting specific information;

determining whether or not the message relates to a content provider address having a corresponding alternative address, the corresponding alternative address providing at least part of the information provided at the content provider address;

determining whether or not the specific information is within the at least part of the information provided at the corresponding alternative address; and

providing the at least part of the information to the Internet user, if the specific information is within the at least part of the information, or sending the message to the Internet, if not.