Method of remotely monitoring an internet web site

• US 6,854,074 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2000
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Internetseer.com Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Internetseer.com Incorporated
• Inventors: McLellan, Mark F., Dever, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON, YOLANDA L
• Application Number:
  US09/727,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20020069378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 714/48, 714/57, 714/4, 714/27, 714/39, 709/224
• US Class Current: 714/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method of performing a service which remotely monitors a Web site includes the steps of monitoring the site for an error and notifying a site representative in the event an error is detected on the site. Advance permission is not obtained prior to sending the notification and a fee is not charged for the service. The appropriate e-mail address to which the notification is sent is identified based on one or more categories and a priority assigned to all e-mail addresses identified on the monitored site. The notification may be sent, alternatively, to the representative of a site linked to the site monitored or to some other interested third party. Subscribers to the monitoring service may be enrolled automatically upon submission of their site to a search engine service or to a domain name registry. The list of service recipients generated by the monitoring service is usable for other commercial purposes.

Claims

1. A method of identifying at least one appropriate electronic mail address to which a notification is sent upon an occurrence of an error in a site located on a global communications network, wherein said site is being monitored for the occurrence of errors, comprising the steps of:

(A) extracting at least one electronic mail address from said site;

(B) assigning each said electronic mail address one or more categories;

(C) assigning each said electronic mail address a priority; and

(D) identifying, based upon said priority, the at least one appropriate electronic mail address to which said electronic notification is sent upon said occurrence of said error in said site;

wherein said notification is at least initially performed without the advance permission of a representative of a proprietor of the site and wherein a fee is not charged for said monitoring, and wherein said assignment of priority step comprises;

(E) assigning a weight to each said category assigned to said electronic mail address; and

(F) assigning said priority based on said weights.

2. A method of identifying at least one appropriate electronic mail address to which a notification is sent upon an occurrence of an error in a site located on a global communications network, wherein said site is being monitored for the occurrence of errors, comprising the steps of:

(A) extracting at least one electronic mail address from said site;

(B) assigning each said electronic mail address one or more categories;

(C) assigning each said electronic mail address a priority;

(D) identifying, based upon said priority, the at least one appropriate electronic mail address to which said electronic notification is sent upon said occurrence of said error in said site; and

(E) ceasing to send said notification upon receipt of a predetermined response from a user associated with said appropriate electronic mail address,

wherein said notification is at least initially performed without the advance permission of a representative of a proprietor of the site and wherein a fee is not charged for said monitoring.

3. A method of enrolling a subscriber in a service, which service remotely monitors a site located on a global communications network for errors and which service sends a notification to an electronic mail address upon the occurrence of a site event, comprising the steps of:

(A) identifying one or more potential electronic location addresses associated with said site upon submission of an electronic location address to a domain name registry service for registration;

(B) identifying at least one proprietor electronic mail address associated with a representative of a proprietor of said site upon submission of said electronic mail address to said domain name registry service;

(C) automatically including said potential electronic location addresses in a database of electronic location addresses associated with one or more additional sites which are located on said global communications network and which are monitored by said monitoring service; and

(D) automatically identifying said at least one proprietor electronic mail address as the electronic mail address to which said notification is sent upon the occurrence of said site event, wherein said site event corresponds to registration of the electronic location address with said domain name registry service.

4. A method of enrolling a subscriber in a service, which service remotely monitors a site located on a global communications network for errors and which service sends a notification to an electronic mail address upon the occurrence of a site event, comprising the steps of:

(A) identifying one or more potential electronic location addresses associated with said site upon submission of an electronic location address to a domain name registry service for registration;

(B) identifying at least one proprietor electronic mail address associated with a representative of a proprietor of said site upon submission of said electronic mail address to said domain name registry service;

(C) automatically including said potential electronic location addresses in a database of electronic location addresses associated with one or more additional sites which are located on said global communications network and which are monitored by said monitoring service; and

(D) automatically identifying said at least one proprietor electronic mail address as the electronic mail address to which said notification is sent upon the occurrence of said site event, wherein said site event occurs when said site becomes accessible by users of said global communications network.

5. A method of generating a list of at least one recipient of a remote monitoring service, which monitoring service detects one or more events on a site located on a global communications network, wherein said list is usable for a plurality of commercial purposes in addition to said monitoring service, comprising the steps of:

(A) generating said list at least initially without advance permission from said at least one recipient;

(B) rendering said monitoring service by a service provider without payment by said at least one recipient; and

(C) rendering said service to said at least one recipient continually until the occurrence of a terminating event, wherein said terminating event is a failure of said service provider to receive a response from said at least one recipient.