Systems and methods for discerning and controlling communication traffic

• US 7,933,951 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bushnell Hawthorne, LLC
• Original Assignee: Paxfire, Inc.
• Inventors: Sullivan, Michael, Sullivan, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayard, Djenane M
• Application Number:
  US12/161,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20090013089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/230, 709/226, 709/227, 709/229, 709/201, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

Communication traffic redirection systems and methods are disclosed that allow for redirection of communication traffic over the Internet based, at least in part, on the type of higher-level communication protocol intended to be used. The systems and methods permit redirection of only certain types of communication traffic of interest for example HTTP traffic, while permitting other types of communication, for example SMTP traffic, to pass without redirection. The systems and method can employ a training and dynamic feedback procedure to ensure only traffic of interest is redirected. The systems and methods provide efficient redirection of specific types of traffic to redirect landing pages, and allow for efficient methods of generating revenue through advertising.

Claims

1. A computer system for redirecting Internet communications, said system comprising:

a first processor that receives information from a computer at a point of origin;

a second processor that analyzes the information for one or more pre-defined bit strings or character sets;

a third processor that receives return information from a computer that communicates with other computers on the Internet;

a fourth processor that analyzes the return information for said one or more pre-defined bit strings or character sets;

a fifth processor that

a) supplies one or more IP Addresses for the information requested if one or more of the pre-defined bit strings or character sets are not encountered,

b) supplies one or more second IP Addresses for the information requested if one or more different bit strings or character sets are encountered,

c) supplies one or more third IP Addresses if one or more of the pre-defined bit strings or character sets are encountered and a higher level protocol can be inferred, and/or

d) allows the traffic to flow thru unmodified; and

a sixth processor that analyzes a request submitted to said different IP Address for one or more alternative bit strings or character sets,

wherein the alternative bit strings or character sets are indicative of a particular higher level Internet communication protocol, and

wherein the system further comprises maintaining a list of bit strings or character sets for which a different IP Address should not be supplied, wherein the list is updated one or more times after creation of the list, and wherein the list is updated based on monitoring of requests for;

originating IP Address, requested hostname, size of a DNS query, frequency of a single hostname or domain name, port number, date, and/or time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the higher-level Protocol is HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, FTP, SSH, Telnet, or other protocol above IP, or two or more of these.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the higher-level Protocol is HTTP.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising one processor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the alternative bit strings or character sets relate to a request to communicate via a particular port number.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the information from the computer at a point of origin is a DNS query and the pre-defined bit strings or character sets relate to a hostname.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising the computer at the point of origin.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a seventh processor that receives a request to connect to a computer at said IP Address.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an eighth processor that analyzes the request for pre-defined bit strings or character sets that are indicative of a particular Internet communication protocol.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the particular Internet communication Protocol is HTTP.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor that receives the request and the processor that analyzes the request are the same processor.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a ninth processor at the IP Address,

wherein the ninth processor generates a landing page containing information that is relevant to the content of the information sent from the point of origin.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a tenth processor at the different IP Address.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the higher level protocol can be inferred from the IP Address of the computer at the point of origin.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein items for the list are generated by the sixth processor that analyzes a request submitted to said different IP Address.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the list is maintained by an eleventh processor that transparently passes DNS responses if one or more conditions or pre-defined bit strings or character sets are not encountered, and that supplies a different IP Address if one or more of the conditions or pre-defined bit strings or character sets are encountered.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein a list is maintained on a computer that analyzes said request submitted to said different IP Address and a list is maintained on a computer that analyzes said request submitted to said different IP Address, and wherein the two lists are compared to identify entries in common or not in common.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein a list is maintained on a webserver, and wherein at least two lists are compared to identify entries in common or not in common.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is used for analysis and monitoring of Internet traffic.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is operated to optimize it for various parameters.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is operated to build an effective set of rules for redirection of Internet traffic.