Method, product, and apparatus for determining the availability of similar identifiers and registering these identifiers across multiple naming systems

• US 6,901,436 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2000
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• 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): Prieto, Beatriz
• Application Number:
  US09/650,827
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219, 707 1- 5, 707/10, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• 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 61/3005 Mechanisms for avoiding name conflicts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3025 Domain name generation or assignment

Abstract

A device, network access apparatus, servlet, applet, stand alone executable program having a text box object, or web browser receives a selected identifier and determines whether the selected identifier of a first naming system is available. A prompt may be displayed for a user to determine whether the available identifier is to be allocated. When there is no allocation of the selected identifier or when a selected identifier is not available, a user may be prompted to search for the availability of another identifier of the first naming system. When the selected identifier is allocated, the availability of an identifier in a second naming system that is similar or identical to the allocated identifier of the first naming system may be searched. When it is determined that a matching identifier in a second naming system is found, then it is further determined whether the matching identifier is to be registered at this time. If this is the case, then the identifier of the second naming system may be registered. If there is no search for a matching identifier, or no matching identifier of a search is found, or a found matching identifier is not registered at this time, then it may be determined whether the allocated identifier of the first naming system is to be registered at this time. If this is the case, then the identifier of the first naming system may be registered. After registration or when it is determined that any allocated identifiers of any naming system will not be registered at this time then all unregistered identifiers may be released from allocation.

Claims

1. An identifier registration method comprising:

selecting at least two registerable naming systems from a group of registerable naming systems including a domain name system, a top level domain alias naming system, a multilingual naming system, a fictitious identifier naming system, a trademark naming system, a keyword naming system, a telephone number naming system, a username naming system, an account name naming system, a product code naming system, a book number naming system, a catalog identifier naming system, a document identifier naming system, an intellectual property identifier naming system, a manufacturer identifier naming system, a merchant/reseller/affiliate code naming system, an image naming system, a geographic naming system, a classification naming system, and a license plate identifier naming system;

at least one of a receiving and generating one or more identifiers either, before, during or after said selecting said at least two registerable naming systems, said one or more identifiers having a capability of being registered in said at least two registerable naming systems; and

,

providing a user with an ability to determine whether said one or more identifiers is available for registration in said at least two registerable naming systems.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least one of a receiving and generating said one or more identifiers includes at least one of a receiving and generating a plurality of identifiers including at least a first identifier corresponding to a first naming system selected from said group of registerable naming systems and a second identifier corresponding to a second naming system selected from said group of registerable naming systems.

3. The method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first identifier and said second identifier are the same identifier or said first identifier and said second identifier are similar identifiers.

4. The method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said first identifier includes a portion of said second identifier or said second identifier includes a portion of said first identifier.

5. The method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said generating said one or more identifiers includes generating said one or more identifiers from said first identifier.

6. The method, as set forth in claim 2, further including at least one of a selecting at least one of a first identifier and second identifier from said one or more identifiers and selecting at least one of a first registerable naming system and second registerable naming system from said group of registerable naming systems.

7. The method, as set forth in claim 6, further including generating a second identifier in response to selecting said first identifier.

8. The method, as set forth in claim 6, further including at least one of a concurrently selecting from said first naming system and said second naming system, concurrently selecting from said first identifier and said second identifier, concurrently determining whether said first identifier and said second identifier is available for registration, and concurrently registering said first identifier and said second identifier.

9. The method, as set forth in claim 8, further including allocating said first identifier when it is determined that said first identifier is available for registration and determining whether said second identifier is available for registration further includes determining whether said second identifier is available for registration while said first identifier is allocated.

10. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said generating said one or more identifiers includes generating at least one identifier by consulting from at least one of a word generation method, dictionary, thesaurus, prefix, suffix, word root, word stem, set of heuristic naming rules, namespace syntax, identifier equivalent language translation, phonetic spelling, phonemes, identifier watch list, list of desirable descriptors, personal identifier portfolio, competitor identifier portfolio, mnemonic method, abbreviation, namespace mapping, identifier mapping, delimiter mapping, rhyming method, name-to-number conversion, number-to-name conversion, and identifier history.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 1, further including determining whether said one or more identifiers is available for registration in at least one naming system selected from said group of registerable naming systems.

12. The method, as set forth in claim 11, wherein said determining whether said one or more identifiers is available for registration includes comparing said one or more identifiers to a metaregistry.

13. The method, as set forth in claim 11, further including registering at least one identifier that is determined available for registration.

14. The method, as set forth in claim 13, wherein said registering said at least one identifier that is determined available for registration includes registering said at least one available identifier through an identifier registration interface.

15. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each identifier of said one or more identifiers is one of a valid domain name, fictitious domain name, TLDA name, multilingual domain name, phone number, keyword, search term, RealName, Netword, Internet keyword, AOL keyword, Publisher Item Identifier (PII), Digital Object Identifier (DOI), Inter Deposit Digital Number (IDDN), International Standard Book Number (ISBN), International Standard Technical Report Number (ISRN), International Standard Serial Number (ISSN), Serial Item and Contribution Identifier (SICI), Book Item and Component Identifier (BICI), European Article Number (EAN), Universal Product Code (UPC), Standard Address Number (SAN), International Standard Audiovisual Number (ISAN), International Standard Work Code (ISWC), International Standard Music Number (ISMN), International Standard Recording Code (ISRC), Intellectual Property Identification (IPI), Uniform File Identifier (UFI), Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), Persistent Uniform Resource Locator (PURL), Universally Unique Identifier (UUID), Globally Unique Identifier (GUID), Namespace Identifier (NID), Bank Identification Number (BIN), Personal Identification Number (PIN), Mod 10 Number, credit card number, Electronic Serial Number (ESN), Mobile Identification Number (MIN), Automatic Number Identification (ANI), Social Security Number (SSN), Employer Identification Number (EIN), Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), World manufacturer identifier (WMI), Manufacturer Identification Number (MIN), Market Identifier Code (MIC), Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), Stock Keeping Unit number (SKU), International Business Entity Identifier (IBEI), Institution Identification Code (IIC), National Provider Identifier (NPI), Dunn and Bradstreet Number (DUNS), SEC file number, patent number, trademark number, serial number, charter number, policy number, certification number, document identifier, reference number, invoice number, transaction identifier, validation code, account number, merchant code, reseller code, affiliate code, authorization code, network identifier, user identifier, PGP key, digital certificate, driver license number, license plate number, trademark, servicemark, tradename, fictitious name, company name, DBA, AKA, stock symbol, station identifier, broadcast station call letters, ham radio call letters, broadcast frequency number, street name, street address, ZIP code, IP address, host, e-mail address, ICQ number, nickname, screen name, username, alias, handle, document title, book title, song title, movie title, phrase, slogan, machine readable code, glyph, image, icon, animation, sequence of musical notes, date, time, name, abbreviation, mnemonic, moniker, label, alphanumeric, string, character, symbol, token, integer, and number.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said providing the user with the ability to determine whether each said generated identifier is available for registration includes one of a providing at least one hyperlink adapted to access an identifier registration service and automatically determining whether each said generated identifier is available for registration.

17. An identifier registration method comprising:

a user logging in to an account with a first identifier, said first identifier corresponding to account information;

generating one or more identifiers corresponding to at least one of a first identifier and account information in response to the user said logging in, said one or more identifiers having a capability of being registered in one or more registerable naming systems; and

,

providing the user with an ability to determine whether at least one said generated identifier is available for registration in at least one said one or more registerable naming systems.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 17, wherein said at least one of a first identifier and account information includes at least one of a username, screen name, handle, login ID, uniform resource identifier, first name, last name, street address, domain name, e-mail address, and telephone number.

19. The method, as set forth in claim 17, wherein said providing the user with the ability to determine whether said at least one said generated identifier is available for registration includes one of a providing at least one hyperlink adapted to access an identifier registration service and automatically determining whether said at least one said generated identifier is available for registration.

20. An identifier registration method comprising:

identifying one of a caller and callee from a first identifier, said first identifier corresponding to account information;

generating one or more identifiers corresponding to at least one of a first identifier and account information in response to said identifying said one of a caller and callee, said one or more identifiers having a capability of being registered in one or more registerable naming systems; and

,

providing said one of a caller and callee with an ability to determine whether at least one said generated identifier is available for registration in at least one said one or more registerable naming systems.