Methods and devices for responding to request for unregistered domain name to indicate a predefined type of service

• US 7,337,910 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2001
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Cartmell, Brian, Frakes, Jothan
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/971,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20020138649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,343 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/4, 709/203, 709/245
• US Class Current: 209/245
• 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 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method, system, and computer-readable medium is described that provides one or more types of services and/or information in response to an information request or other message that specifies a unique identifier of a defined type. The information requests can include requests for resources corresponding to specified URLs with domain names that include a unique identifier, and if so the service or information provided can be based on the defined type of the identifier and/or on an item corresponding to the unique identifier. Additional information included in header fields of HTTP messages used for such URL requests can also be used to determine services or information to be provided, either instead of or in addition to the specified domain name identifier. In addition, services and information can be provided for a requested URL that includes a domain name that has not been explicitly registered with the DNS name server computers.

Claims

1. A method for responding to received messages that identify domain names that are not registered as part of Domain Name System (DNS), the method comprising:

receiving a message that identifies a domain name that is not registered as part of DNS;

detecting an identifier that is part of the identified domain name;

determining that the detected identifier is one of a predefined type from among a plurality of predefined types, the predefined type that corresponds to a group of items, the detected identifier specifying at least one of the items of the group;

determining a service and/or a type of information that is related to the predefined type;

identifying a user preference for processing the predefined type of identifier; and

based on the user preference, responding to the received message by providing the determined type of information or performing the determined service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the responding to the received message includes providing the determined type of information by identifying a document to provide and by transforming a copy of the identified document before the providing to adapt the copy to an intended recipient.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the transforming of the copy includes translating content of the copy from one language to another language.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the transforming of the copy includes modifying a format in which the copy of the document is stored.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the transforming of the copy includes modifying the copy based on display capabilities of a device on which the copy will be presented.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the identified domain name is part of a URL indicated by the received message, and wherein the determining of the service and/or of the type of information includes using information other than the identifier that is specified as part of the URL.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the other specified information is part of a path portion of the URL.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the identifier is a lower-level portion of the domain name, and wherein the other specified information is part of a distinct lower-level domain name portion of the domain name.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the received message is an HTTP message, and wherein the determining of the service and/or of the type of information includes using information other than the detected identifier that is included with the HTTP message.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the other information is values of at least one of multiple HTTP header fields of the HTTP message.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the other information is part of a cookie included with the HTTP message.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining that the detected identifier is of the predefined type includes determining if the detected identifier is a member of a previously specified group of identifiers each of the predefined type, and including, before the receiving of the message, receiving a request to specify the group of identifiers.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the request to specify the group of identifiers is received from a third-party entity, and including obtaining payment from the third-party entity for the specifying of the group.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein multiple groups of identifiers each of a distinct predefined type have previously been specified, and wherein the determining that the detected identifier is of the predefined type includes determining if the detected identifier is a member of each of the previously specified groups of identifiers.

15. The method of claim 1 including, before the receiving of the message:

receiving a request to provide an IP address that is associated with the domain name;

determining that the domain name is a member of a previously specified domain name group that includes multiple domain name members each corresponding to identifiers of the predefined type; and

responding to the received request to provide the IP address with an IP address that is associated with the domain name group.

16. The method of claim 15 including, after the specifying of the previously specified domain name group:

receiving a request to register an indicated domain name;

determining that the indicated domain name is a member of the domain name group; and

preventing the registering of the indicated domain name based on the determining.

17. The method of claim 15 including:

receiving a request to specify another domain name group;

determining that at least one member domain name of the another domain name group is a registered domain name; and

preventing the specifying of the another domain name group based on the determining.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the responding to the received message includes providing the determined type of information by identifying a Web page provided by a Web server computer that includes information of the determined type and by an providing an indication of the identified Web page.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the identifying of the Web page includes identifying multiple Web pages that each include information of the determined type and by selecting one of the multiple Web page based on a characteristic indicated by the detected identifier.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is received from a user, and wherein the determining of the service and/or of the type of information includes using preference information associated with the user.

21. The method of claim 20 including obtaining the preference information by sending a query to the user that indicates multiple type of information choices or multiple service choices that are each related to the predefined type and by receiving a response from the user that includes preference information related to at least one of the multiple indicated choices.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the determined service and/or the determined type of information is based on the predefined type of the detected identifier and on the items of the group specified by the detected identifier.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the items of the group include products.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the items of the group include services.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the items of the group include locations.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the items of the group include accessible devices.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein the items of the group include people.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined type of identifiers are identifiers of a specified length.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined type of identifiers are identifiers of a specified format.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein the detected identifier is the second-level domain name portion of the identified domain name.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the detected identifier is multiple lower-level domain name portions of the identified domain name.

32. The method of claim 1 including:

receiving a second message that identifies a second domain name;

detecting a second identifier that is part of the second domain name;

determining that the second identifier is of a second predefined type that corresponds to a second group of items, the second predefined type distinct from the predefined type;

determining a second service or a second type of information that is related to the second predefined type, the second service distinct from the determined service and the second type of information distinct from the type of information; and

responding to the received second message by providing the second type of information or performing the second service.

33. The method of claim 1 wherein the responding to the received message includes providing the determined type of information by identifying multiple Web pages that each include information of the determined type and by generating a Web page that includes information about at least some of the identified Web pages.

34. The method of claim 6 including receiving multiple messages that identify domain names having multiple top-level domain name portions, and wherein the other specified information is the top-level domain name portion of the domain name.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein the responding to the received message includes performing the determined service by identifying an accessible server that performs functionality related to the determined service and by requesting the accessible server to perform the related functionality.

36. The method of claim 1 including, before the receiving of the message:

receiving a request to provide an IP address that is associated with the domain name;

determining that the domain name does not match any entries associated with registered domain names; and

responding to the received request to provide the IP address with an IP address of a server computer capable of responding to received requests for URLs that include domain names that are not registered as part of DNS.

37. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a client to provide an IP address that is associated with a domain name not registered in a Domain Name System (DNS), the domain name including a product information code;

determining that the domain name is not registered within DNS;

identifying multiple domain name groups associated with a top-level domain of the domain name, a first of the domain name groups corresponding to product information codes of a first type, such that each member of the first group has a second-level domain name portion that is a unique product information code of the first type;

determining that the domain name is a member of the first domain name group; and

responding to the received request with an IP address that is associated with the first domain name group, the IP address identifying a server computer capable of providing information and performing services for products identified by product information codes of the first type.

38. The method of claim 37 including receiving a request to specify a new domain name group associated with the top-level domain or to specify a new identifier group associated with the server, and associating the specified new domain name group with the top-level domain or the specified new identifier group with the server.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the request to specify the new group is received from a third-party entity, and including obtaining payment information from the third-party entity for the associating of the specified new group with the top-level domain or the server.

40. The method of claim 37 further comprising:

identifying Web pages provided by multiple Web server computers that each include information related to products identified by product information codes of the first type, and

providing information about the Web pages to the requesting client.

41. The method of claim 37 wherein the providing includes identifying a Web page provided by a Web server computer that includes information related to products identified by product information codes of the first type, and wherein the provided information is an indication of the identified Web page.

42. The method of claim 37 wherein the providing includes identifying a Web page provided by a Web server computer that includes information related to products identified by product information codes of the first type, wherein the information includes a copy of the identified Web page.

43. The method of claim 37 further comprising identifying another server computer that provides functionality related to the determined service and instructing the another server computer to provide the functionality.

44. The method of claim 37 wherein the URL includes additional specified information related to a service to be performed and a type of information to be provided, and wherein responding to the received request to provide the resource includes using the additional specified information.

45. The method of claim 37 wherein the received request is an HTTP message that includes additional information related to a service to be performed and a type of information to be provided, and wherein the responding to the received request to provide the resource includes using the additional specified information.

46. The method of claim 37 wherein the product information codes are a defined specification for a class of physical items, and wherein the identifier indicates a specific one of the physical items.

47. The method of claim 37 wherein multiple types of information and multiple services are associated with the first type of product information code, further comprising sending a query to the client that indicates the multiple types of information and the multiple services and receiving a response from the client that includes information used to select the determined service and the determined type of information.

48. A computer-readable storage medium embodying contents to cause a computing device to respond to received messages that identify domain names, by performing a method comprising:

receiving a message that identifies a domain name;

detecting an identifier that is part of the identified domain name;

determining that the detected identifier is one of a predefined type from among a plurality of predefined types, the predefined type that corresponds to a group of items;

determining a service or a type of information that is related to the predefined type;

determining a user preference defining a method of processing the predefined type of identifier;

responding to the received message by providing the determined type of information or performing the determined service using a resource specified by the user preference.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 48 wherein the detected identifier specifies at least one of the items of the group, and wherein the determined service or the determined type of information is based on the predefined type of the detected identifier and on the items of the group specified by the detected identifier.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 48 wherein the responding to the received message includes providing the determined type of information by identifying a document to provide and by transforming a copy of the identified document before the providing to adapt the copy to an intended recipient.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 48 wherein the message is received from a user, and wherein the determining of the service or of the type of information includes using preference information associated with the user.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 48 wherein the contents further cause the computing device to respond to received messages that identify domain names by, before the receiving of the message, performing a method comprising:

receiving a request to provide an IP address that is associated with the domain name;

determining that the domain name is a member of a previously specified domain name group that includes multiple domain name members each corresponding to identifiers of the predefined type; and

responding to the received request to provide the IP address with an IP address that is associated with the domain name group.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 48 wherein the computer-readable medium is a memory of a computer system.

54. A method for responding to received requests for URLs that identify domain names, the method comprising:

receiving from a client a request corresponding to a URL that identifies a domain name that is not registered as part of DNS;

if the URL corresponds to an available resource, providing access to the resource to the client;

if the URL does not correspond to an available resource, determining if the domain name includes an identifier of a predefined type from among a plurality of predefined types; and

if the domain name includes an identifier of a predefined type, determining a service or a type of information that is related to the predefined type; and

responding to the received request by providing the determined type of information or performing the determined service.

55. A method for responding to received messages that identify domain names that include numeric identifiers that are members of a predefined group of numeric identifiers, the method comprising:

responding to a received first message from a first client that identifies a first domain name that is not registered as part of DNS by,

detecting a first numeric identifier included in the first identified domain name that is a member of a predefined group of numeric identifiers;

determining a first type of service or a first type of information from among a plurality of types of services or types of information that is related to the predefined group; and

providing the first type of information to the first client or performing the first type of service for the first client; and

responding to a received second message from a second client that identifies a second domain name by,

detecting a second numeric identifier included in the second identified domain name that is also a member of the predefined group of numeric identifiers, the second numeric identifier distinct from the first numeric identifier; and

providing the first type of information to the second client or performing the first type of service for the second client.

56. A method for responding to received requests that indicate URLs with domain names that include identifiers of a predefined type, the method comprising:

receiving a request that indicates a URL with a domain name that is not registered as part of DNS and includes an identifier of the predefined type from among a plurality of predefined types;

determining that the included identifier is one of the predefined types;

determining a service or a type of information that is related to the predefined type; and

responding to the received request by providing the determined type of information or performing the determined service.