System and method for controlling transmission of data packets over an information network

• US 7,716,330 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2001
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Global Velocity, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Global Velocity, Inc.
• Inventors: Brooks, Timmy L., Lockwood, John W., Reddick, David Kyle, Kulig, Matthew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burgess; Barbara N
• Application Number:
  US10/037,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,126 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/225, 709/229, 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling transmission of data packets in an information network comprises a Regional Transaction Processor (RTP) operable to communicate with a Data Enabling Device (DED) and at least one workstation. The DED searches data packets for content match information. The RTP includes instructions to generate information to include in a prompt to be presented at the workstation when the content match information is detected in at least one of the data packets. The prompt is based on information in the data packet. Transmission of the data packets through the information network is suspended by the DED until a response to the prompt is received that authorizes downloading the data packets to the workstation. If transmission of the data packets to the workstation is not authorized, the data packets are discarded by the DED.

Claims

1. A system for controlling transmission of data packets through an information network, the information network having a plurality of user workstations communicatively coupled to a network access point (NAP), said system comprising:

a Regional Transaction Processor (RTP); and

a data Enabling Device (DED), said DED being disposed at the NAP and communicatively coupled to the RTP, said DED containing content match information and operable to;

inspect at least content portions of data packets, each data packet comprising a content portion, a header, and a trailer, transiting the NAP;

forward an inspected data packet when information within the content portion of a data packet is not substantially similar to content match information; and

when information within the content portion of an inspected data packet is substantially similar to content match information, temporarily store the inspected data packet, initiate issuance of a DED message to a recipient user workstation, and invoke the RTP to process a transaction;

wherein;

the RTP transmits an RTP message to the DED authorizing forwarding of the data packet only when a result of the transaction indicates that forwarding is appropriate;

the system further comprises a plurality of DED'"'"'s, at least one intermediate DED operable to forward the DED message to a DED closest, within the information network, to the recipient user workstation;

the plurality of DED'"'"'s are operable to communicate with each other to prevent transmitting more than one DED message for the same data packet within the information network;

processing a transaction based on a user response to the DED message; and

the RTP transmits one of a Release_Content message and a Cease_Content message to the DED, based on the result of the transaction.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transaction is based on control information associated with the content match information.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the DED'"'"'s detection of data packets including content match information is performed at a rate proportional to the rate at which the data packets are received by the DED.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the RTP comprises a network server and a database, and is operable to process requests for content.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of NAPs along a network route, wherein each NAP has an associated DED operable to communicate with at least one of the other DEDs.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5 wherein:

a first NAP includes a first DED for generating a DED message.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the DED includes Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs).

8. The system as set forth in claim 7 wherein the FPGAs are reprogrammed over the network to perform a content matching function.

9. The system as set forth in claim 7 wherein a portion of the DED is dynamically reprogrammed, and the DED is operable to continue processing data packets during the dynamic reprogramming.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a Central Storage and Backup System (CSBS) operable to communicate with the RTP, to monitor operation of the RTP, and to store transaction information.

11. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the CSBS is operable to transmit information to reprogram the DED to communicate with another RTP.

12. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a content matching server operable to store content match information, to communicate with the DED, and to transmit the content match information to the DED.

13. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the DED is operable to suspend transmission of data packets through the information network until a user response to a prompt is received.

14. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the DED is further operable to search data packets for content match information to determine whether transmission of data packets containing particular content should be unconditionally prevented, and when the DED finds such content match information, the DED prevents, without additional processing, forwarding of data packets containing said particular content.

15. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein a content provider supplies transaction instructions to the RTP for use by the RTP when processing a transaction when the DED finds content match information in a data packet.

16. The system as set forth in claim 15, wherein the instructions include transmitting a transaction DED message to the recipient user workstation informing of a price to pay for content in a data packet, and allowing the user to accept or decline purchase of the content.

17. The system as set forth in claim 15, wherein the instructions specify transmitting a prompt to inform a user that content infected with a virus is attempting to be transmitted from or received by the recipient user workstation, and that transmission or reception of the virus is being halted.

18. The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the instructions include transmitting a prompt to the recipient user workstation to inform that content subject to security control is attempting to be transmitted from or received by the recipient user workstation, and that transmission or reception of the content is being halted.

19. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the RTP tallies statistics regarding transmission of designated content.

20. A method for controlling transmission of data packets through an information network, each data packet comprising a content portion, a header, and a trailer, the information network having a plurality of user workstations communicatively coupled to a network access point (NAP), said method comprising:

inspecting at least content portions of data packets transiting the NAP with a data Enabling Device (DED), said DED being disposed at the NAP and communicatively coupled to a Regional Transaction Processor (RTP), said DED containing content match information;

forwarding an inspected data packet when information within the content portion of the inspected data packet is not substantially similar to content match information; and

when information within the content portion of an inspected data packet is substantially similar to content match information, temporarily storing the inspected data packet, issuing a DED message to a recipient user workstation, and invoking the RTP to process a transaction;

wherein;

the information network comprises a plurality of DED'"'"'s, at least one intermediate DED operable to forward the DED message to a DED closest, within the information network, to the recipient user workstation; and

the method further comprises;

transmitting a message among the plurality of DED'"'"'s to prevent transmitting more than one DED message for the same data packet;

processing the transaction based on a user response to the DED message; and

transmitting a Release_Content or Cease_Content message to the DED based on whether content was authorized to be downloaded to the workstation as part of the transaction.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20, wherein the DED message is based on control information associated with the content match information.

22. The method as set forth in claim 20, further comprising processing a transaction based on a response to the DED message received from the recipient user workstation.

23. The method as set forth in claim 20, further comprising reprogramming a portion of the DED to detect different content match information.

24. The method as set forth in claim 20, further comprising suspending transmission of a data packet through the information network until a user response to the DED message is received.

25. A computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions to implement the method of claim 20.