Method, product, and apparatus for requesting a network resource

• US 6,678,717 B1
• Filed: 01/03/2002
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MEC Management, LLC (Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota)
• Original Assignee: Eric Schneider
• Inventors: Schneider, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/683,465
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/221, 709/224, 709/226, 709/227, 709/229, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 61/3015 Name registration, generation or assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories

Abstract

When a network resource request having a domain name is received, it is determined whether the network resource can be located including determining whether the domain name is resolvable. Rather than, or in addition to, displaying an error message or processing a search request in response to determining that a network resource can not be located or of an unresolvable domain name, the domain name can instead be redirected to a registration service where the domain name may automatically be used to perform a registration request and determine domain name availability. When the domain name is not available for registration, domain name registrant information is provided. However, when the domain name is determined available, a registration form is provided. For example, such a domain name in question may be redirected from the autosearch feature of a web browser to a service, which determines that the domain name is available for registration enabling a potential registrant to register the available domain name by selecting a domain name registration provider from a list of domain name registration providers.

Claims

1. A method for a requestor requesting a network resource from an identifier having a domain name comprising:

determining that one of a network resource corresponding to the identifier can not be accessed from a resource location request and domain name can not be resolved from a domain name resolution request; and

,

providing the requester with an ability to access a domain name registration service.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said determining that the network resource corresponding to the identifier can not be accessed from said resource location request includes determining whether the domain name is resolvable.

3. The method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said determining whether the domain name is resolvable includes attempting to translate the domain name into a corresponding IP address.

4. The method, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said attempting to translate the domain name into said corresponding IP address includes accessing one of a zone file, cache, and DNS server.

5. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said providing the requestor with the ability to access said domain name registration service includes accessing said domain name registration service in response to said determining that one of a network resource corresponding to the identifier can not be accessed from said resource location request and domain name can not be resolved from said domain name resolution request.

6. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further including determining which domain name registration service of a plurality of domain name registration services will be accessed.

7. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further including performing a domain name registration request from said domain name registration service.

8. The method, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said performing said domain name registration request includes determining whether the domain name is available for registration.

9. The method, as set forth in claim 8, wherein said determining whether the domain name is available for registration includes performing a WHOIS request.

10. The method, as set forth in claim 8, further including presenting a registration form when the domain name is determined available for registration, and presenting registrant contact information when the domain name is determined not available for registration.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 8, further including determining which registrar of a plurality of registrars will determine whether the domain name is available for registration.

12. The method, as set forth in claim 11, wherein said determining which registrar of a plurality of registrars will determine whether the domain name is available for registration includes retrieving one of a default named registrar and method of selecting a registrar.

13. The method, as set forth in claim 12, wherein said retrieving one of a default named registrar and method of selecting a registrar retrieves said method of selecting a registrar from one of a template, operating system registry, and modifiable configuration settings.

14. The method, as set forth in claim 13, further including accessing said template from an automatic search.

15. The method, as set forth in claim 13, wherein said method of selecting a registrar is chosen from a least cost registrar, a preselected list of registrars, and a random choice of registrar.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 15, wherein said method of selecting said least cost registrar includes consulting a table of registration cost information updated in real time.

17. The method, as set forth in claim 7, further including determining whether to process a search request either before, during, or after performing said domain name registration request.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 17, wherein said determining whether to process said search request includes determining if a search may be constructed from said at least a portion of the identifier.

19. The method, as set forth in claim 18, further including constructing a search from said at least a portion of the identifier determined to allow a search, processing said search constructed from said at least a portion of the identifier, and presenting the results of said search constructed from said at least a portion of the identifier.

20. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further including inputting the identifier from a user interface element.

21. The method, as set forth in claim 20, wherein said inputting the identifier from a user interface element includes inputting the identifier into one of a one of a browser location field, text box object, command line, speech to text interface, optical recognition interface, and magnetic recognition interface.

22. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said providing the requestor with the ability to access said domain name registration service includes performing an automatic search adapted to access said domain name registration service.

23. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the identifier is a uniform resource locator.

24. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the identifier is the domain name.

25. An apparatus for a requestor requesting a network resource from an identifier having a domain name comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to said processor;

means for accessing a network;

means for determining that one of a network resource corresponding to the identifier can not be accessed from a resource location request and domain name can not be resolved from a domain name resolution request; and

,

means for providing the requestor with an ability to access a domain name registration service.

26. A computer program product for a requestor requesting a network resource from an identifier having a domain name comprising computer readable program code stored on a computer readable medium, the program code adapted to execute the method for determining that one of a network resource corresponding to the identifier can not be accessed from a resource location request and domain name can not be resolved from a domain name resolution request, and providing the requestor with an ability to access a domain name registration service.