Method, product, and apparatus for processing a data request

• US 6,760,746 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US09/653,100
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/221, 709/226, 709/229, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/30 Types of network names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3005 Mechanisms for avoiding name conflicts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

When a first data request having a first identifier and a first request type is received, it may be determined whether the first data request can be processed. The first data request may be processed upon determining that the first data request can be processed. The correspondence between identifiers and request types may be one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, or many-to-many relationship. When the first data request can not be processed, a response type having a response method may be selected that may generate a second identifier and/or select a second request type. A second request type may correspond to the first identifier and the second identifier may correspond to the first request type. When a response type is selected, a second data request corresponding to the selected response type may be generated. The second data request may then be processed. A response type may employ a plurality of response methods to access multiple network resources corresponding to any generated and/or selected identifiers and/or request types.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing a first data request having a first identifier and a first request type comprising:

determining whether the first data request can be processed from the first identifier and the first request type;

processing the first data request in response to determining that the first data request can be processed;

automatically selecting a response type having one of a first response method including the first identifier and a second request type, and a second response method including a second identifier and the first request type in response to determining that the first data request cannot be processed;

generating a second data request that can be processed from said response type; and

,

processing said second data request.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second data request corresponds to the first data request.

3. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first response method includes selecting said second request type, said second request type corresponding to the first identifier so that said second data request can be generated and processed from said first response method.

4. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second response method includes generating said second identifier, said second identifier corresponding to the first request type so that said second data request can be generated and processed from said second response method.

5. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first request type and said second request type is one of a prefix request, suffix request, command request, resolution request, redirection request, search request, identifier registration request, commerce request, subscription request, navigation request, dialing request, messaging request, conferencing request, vendor request, service request, login request, status request, authorization request, and reference request.

6. The method, as set forth in claim 5, wherein the first request type is any request other than that of said identifier registration request and said second request type is said identifier registration request.

7. The method, as set forth in claim 5, wherein the first data request includes said resolution request and the first identifier, and said processing the first data request includes locating at least one network resource from the first identifier.

8. The method, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said locating said network resource from the first identifier further includes determining whether the first identifier includes a domain name or Internet Protocol (IP) address, generating said second data request from said selected response type in response to determining that the first identifier does not include said domain name or said IP address, and processing said second data request.

9. The method, as set forth in claim 8, wherein said generating said second data request includes determining whether the first identifier includes a prefix, processing said prefix request in response to determining that the first identifier does include said prefix.

10. The method, as set forth in claim 8, wherein said generating said second data request includes determining whether the first identifier includes multiple identifiers, processing said multiple identifiers in response to determining that the first identifier does include multiple identifiers, and processing said search request in response to determining that the first identifier does not include multiple identifiers.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 10, wherein said multiple identifiers include one of a at least one identifier and at least one identifier having one of a prefix and suffix.

12. The method, as set forth in claim 7, wherein the first identifier includes a domain name and said locating said network resource from the first identifier includes determining whether said domain name is one of a fictitious domain name (FDN), valid domain name, multilingual domain name (MDN), resolvable domain name, and domain name available for registration.

13. The method, as set forth in claim 12, further including comparing the first identifier to one of a MDN registry, FDN registry, spell checker, input history, and generator history.

14. The method, as set forth in claim 12, wherein said locating said network resource from the first identifier includes determining whether said domain name is fictitious, generating a second identifier corresponding to an accessible network resource in response to determining that said domain name is fictitious, accessing said network resource corresponding to said second identifier.

15. The method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein said domain name includes a highest level domain (HLD) and said determining whether said domain name is fictitious includes determining whether said HLD is resolvable.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 15, wherein said determining whether said HLD is resolvable includes comparing said HLD to a table of resolvable top level domains (TLDs).

17. The method, as set forth in claim 15, wherein said HLD that is determined resolvable is a TLD and said HLD that is determined not resolvable is a top level domain alias (TLDA).

18. The method, as set forth in claim 12, wherein said locating said network resource from the first identifier includes determining whether said domain name is valid, generating a third identifier in response to determining that said domain name is not valid, accessing said network resource corresponding to said third identifier.

19. The method, as set forth in claim 12, wherein said locating said network resource from the first identifier includes determining whether said domain name is resolvable, determining whether said domain name is available for registration in response to determining that said domain name is not resolvable, providing a registration interface in response to determining that said domain name is available for registration, and providing registrant information in response to determining that said domain name is not available for registration.

20. The method, as set forth in claim 19, further including generating a plurality of identifiers available for registration across a plurality of naming systems wherein at least one naming system of said plurality of naming systems is any naming system other than that of a domain name system (DNS) in response to providing said registration interface.

21. The method, as set forth in claim 20, wherein said registration interface includes a universal identifier registration form having a registration user interface element for selecting from said plurality of identifiers available for registration and said plurality of naming systems.

22. The method, as set forth in claim 21, further including contemporaneously registering said selection from said plurality of identifiers available for registration across said plurality of naming systems.

23. The method, as set forth in claim 21, further including contemporaneously registering from one of a subscriber profile and identifier watch list with said selection.

24. The method, as set forth in claim 5, wherein processing one of a first data request and second data request includes processing said search request with the first identifier, the first identifier including at least one keyword or phrase.

25. The method, as set forth in claim 24, wherein said processing said search request includes processing said search request with an automatic search function having one of a search template, identifier generation template, and registration template.

26. The method, as set forth in claim 24, wherein said processing said search request includes determining whether said keyword or phrase is a registered keyword or phrase, locating at least one network resource corresponding to the keyword or phrase in response to determining that said keyword or phrase is registered, determining whether to process a registration request for registering said keyword or phrase in response to determining that said keyword or phrase is not registered, and processing said registration request in response to determining that said keyword or phrase is to be registered.

27. The method, as set forth in claim 24, wherein said processing said search request includes generating at least one identifier other than that of a keyword from the first identifier, determining status for each said generated identifier, processing said search request having search results including access to said status of each said generated identifier.

28. The method, as set forth in claim 27, wherein said status of each said generated identifier is an available for registration status of a generated domain name.

29. The method, as set forth in claim 24, wherein one of a first identifier and second identifier is a domain name and said processing said search request includes determining whether said search request includes an identifier prefix, processing said prefix request in response to determining that said search request includes said identifier prefix.

30. The method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein said at least one identifier prefix is one of a Edit prefix for editing, Handle prefix for aliasing, List prefix for listing, Status prefix for obtaining status, History prefix for listing a history, Watch prefix for adding to a watch list, Renew prefix for renewing, Transfer prefix for transferring, Escrow prefix for escrowing, Consolidate prefix for consolidating, Auction prefix for auctioning, Bid prefix for bidding, Value prefix for valuating, Buy prefix for buying, Sell prefix for selling, Lease prefix for leasing, Generate prefix for generating, WHOIS prefix for obtaining contact information, Expire prefix for determining an expiry date, Registrar prefix for listing a corresponding domain name registration provider, Tools prefix for accessing technical information, Redirect prefix for redirecting, Lock prefix for locking, Email prefix for accessing e-mail services, WebHost prefix for accessing hosting services, Incorporate prefix for accessing business formation services, Trademark prefix for accessing trademark information, Geo prefix for accessing location information, and Dial prefix for accessing dialing services from said at least one identifier.

31. The method, as set forth in claim 5, wherein the first data request includes said search request, said registration request, and the first identifier and said processing one of a first data request and second data request includes processing said search request and said registration request from one of a first identifier and second identifier.

32. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further including inputting one of a first identifier, second identifier, first request type, and second request type from a user interface element.

33. The method, as set forth in claim 32, wherein said inputting said one of a first identifier, second identifier, first request type, and second request type from said user interface element includes inputting said one of a first identifier, second identifier, first request type, and second request type into one of a browser location field, text box, command line, and speech to text interface.

34. A device for processing a first data request having a first identifier and a first request type comprising:

a processor;

a memory in operative association with said processor;

means for retrieving content from a computer network;

means for determining whether the first data request can be processed from the first identifier and the first request type;

means for processing the first data request in response to determining that the first data request can be processed;

means for automatically selecting a response type having one of a first response method including the first identifier and a second request type, and a second response method including a second identifier and the first request type in response to determining that the first data request cannot be processed;

means for generating a second data request that can be processed from said response type; and

,

means for processing said second data request.

35. A computer program product comprising computer readable program code stored on a computer readable medium, the program code adapted to execute a method for processing a first data request having a first identifier and a first request type including determining whether the first data request can be processed from the first identifier and the first request type, processing the first data request in response to determining that the first data request can be processed, automatically selecting a response type having one of a first response method including the first identifier and a second request type, and a second response method including a second identifier and the first request type in response to determining that the first data request cannot be processed, generating a second data request that can be processed from said response type, and processing said second data request.