System and method for filtering of web-based content stored on a proxy cache server

• US 7,506,055 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Thatcher, Jim E., McClain, Carolyn B.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THANH T
• Application Number:
  US10/878,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/217, 709/219, 709/225, 705/12, 725/28
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

A system and method for filtering of web-based content in a proxy cache server environment provides a local network having a client, a directory server and a proxy cache server that caches predetermined Internet-derived web content within the network. When content is requested, it is vended to the client only if it meets predefined user policies for acceptability. These policies are implemented based upon one or more ratings lists provided by content rating vendors. The lists are downloaded to the network in whole or part, and cached for use in determining acceptability of content by a filter application. Ratings can be particularly based upon predetermined content categories. Caching occurs in a host or object cache for rapid access. Only if current ratings are not found in the host or object caches are ratings caches or vendors accessed for ratings. Ratings on requested content are then placed in the host or object cache for subsequent use. Object parsing or other techniques can be used to screen returned content that is unrated or otherwise allowed to pass to ensure that it is appropriate.

Claims

1. A method to filter content, comprising:

automatically acquiring from an online ratings vendor a rating associated with content, the rating is acquired from the online ratings vendor remotely and over a public Internet communication network, the ratings is acquired in a list that is acquired from the vendor over the Internet and when the rating is permissible the content is scanned for words or phrases that are not permissible and when found an additional rating generated, and wherein the rating in the list is in a Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) format and the vendor supplies a software module to implement the rating on a client, and the rating is a content rating for the content assigned from categories and sub-categories in response to criteria applied by the vendor to the content;

comparing the rating and the additional rating when present to policies associated with the client;

permitting the client to acquired the content if permitted by the policies; and

denying the client access to the content if the policies do not permit;

wherein automatically acquiring the rating further includes dynamically inspecting, by the ratings vendors, information in the content and dynamically producing the rating based on the dynamic inspection; and

wherein enforcing the one or more policies further includes;

determining that the rating acquired from the ratings vendor is deficient for purpose of enforcing the one or more policies;

acquiring the content from a content provider; and

acquiring from a rating supplier a modified rating for the rating based on the content that is supplied to the ratings supplier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

pre-acquiring the content on a gateway proxy server; and

applying the policies for the client on the gateway proxy server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the client, a request for the content before automatically acquiring the rating.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically acquiring further includes acquiring the rating for the content from the list of ratings provided by the ratings vendor, wherein a number of other ratings for other content of a content vendor is provided in the list.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising housing the rating and additional rating when present for the content in a cache of a gateway proxy server for subsequent use when the content is requested by the client again or requested by other clients.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the content as a Uniform Resource Location (URL) sent from the client and intercepted by a gateway proxy server, wherein the URE is directed to a content provider and the ratings vendor provides the rating for the content the gateway proxy server.

7. A method to filter content, comprising:

intercepting a client request for content;

acquiring one or more policies for the client with respect to receiving the content;

searching cache for a rating for the content;

acquiring the rating from an online ratings vendor when the rating is not in the cache, the rating is acquired from the online ratings vendor within a list and the list acquired remotely over the Internet, and the online ratings vendor supplying a software module to implement the rating on the client and when the rating is permissible further scanning the content for words or phrases that are not permissible and when present in the content generating an additional rating, and the rating is not content rating for the content assigned from categories and sub-categories in response to criteria applied by the online ratings vendor to the content wherein the rating in the list is in a Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS); and

enforcing the one or more policies against the rating and the additional rating when present to determine whether the client is permitted to receive to receive the content or is denied access to the content;

wherein automatically acquiring the rating further includes dynamically inspecting, by the ratings vendors, information in the content and dynamically producing the rating based on the dynamic inspection; and

wherein enforcing the one or more policies further includes;

determining that the rating acquired from the ratings vendor is deficient for purpose of enforcing the one or more policies;

acquiring the content from a content provider; and

acquiring from a rating supplier a modified rating for the rating based on the content that is supplied to the ratings supplier.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising pre-acquiring the content and storing the content in cache after intercepting the client request.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising retaining the rating and the content in the cache for subsequent requests of the client for the content or for new requests for the content from other clients.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein acquiring the rating from the ratings vendor further includes receiving the rating as a category and searching a predefined list of categories to determine if the category is acceptable or unacceptable.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein intercepting the client request further includes identifying the request for the content as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with a content provider and determining an identity of the rating vendor based on an identity of the content provider.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein enforcing the one or more policies further includes:

determining that the rating acquired from the ratings vendor is not rated by the ratings vendor;

acquiring the content from a content provider; and

inspecting the content to determine the rating based on predefined words, phrases, or Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) embedded within the content.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein acquiring the rating from the ratings vendor further includes receiving the list of rating for provided content distributed by a content provider, wherein the ratings is acquired from the list based on the content associated with the client request.

14. A system filter content, comprising:

clients that request content from content provider for policies; and

a gateway proxy server that intercepts requests from the clients, automatic inspects cache for ratings associated with content that satisfies the requests, remotely contacts online rating vendors for a number of the ratings not in the cache over a public Internet communication network, and applies the policies against the ratings to determine whether the clients are to receive the content or be denied access to the content, the ratings are acquired from the online ratings vendor within lists over the Internet and a software module is acquired from the online ratings vendor to implement the rating on the clients, and when ratings are permissible for viewing the content, the content is further scanned for words or phrases that are not permissible and additional ratings are generated, and the ratings are content ratings for the content assigned form categories and sub-categories in response to criteria applied by the online ratings vendor to the content wherein the ratings in the list are in a Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) format;

wherein automatically acquiring the rating further includes dynamically inspecting, by the ratings vendors, information in the content and dynamically producing the rating based on the dynamic inspection; and

wherein enforcing the one or more policies further includes;

determining that the rating acquired from the ratings vendor is deficient for purpose of enforcing the one or more policies;

acquiring the content from a content provider; and

acquiring from a rating supplier a modified rating for the rating based on the content that is supplied to the ratings supplier.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the Gateway proxy server is a directory service.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the gateway proxy server dynamically determines a number of the ratings in instances where some ratings are not in the cache and no adequately described by the ratings vendors by inspecting the content associated with the requests.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the the gateway proxy server dynamically submits the content to a ratings supplier when a corresponding rating is not in the cache and not adequately described by the ratings vendors.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the clients include World-Wide Web (WWW) browser applications that interface with the gateway proxy server over a network and the requests are Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) issued from the browser applications for the content providers, and wherein the URLs are intercepted by the proxy.