URL rescue by correction of encoding errors
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for repairing URL (Uniform Resource Locator) request messages from user computing devices, the method comprising:
- receiving a URL request from a user computing device, the URL request specifying a URL that includes a name of a domain followed by a character string, the character string including a first product identifier;
determining that the URL is invalid;
at least partly in response to receiving the invalid URL, processing the invalid URL into a repaired URL using one or more computing devices, the repaired URL being different from the invalid URL, the processing comprising;
identifying a non-URL escape sequence in the character string through a comparison with known escape sequences, the escape sequence corresponding to a special character;
replacing the non-URL escape sequence in the character string with the corresponding special character; and
decoding the URL a second time by replacing a URL escape sequence in the character string with a corresponding special character, wherein the URL was previously decoded a first time; and
in response to determining whether the repaired URL resolves to valid content, (1) providing the valid content associated with the repaired URL to the user computing device when the repaired URL is valid or (2) identifying, using the first product identifier extracted from the invalid URL, a substitute URL and providing content associated with the substitute URL when the repaired URL is invalid.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A server system is disclosed that is capable of providing responsive content to a user when a request for an invalid URL is received. In a preferred embodiment, the server system implements multiple rescue strategies for attempting to rescue the invalid URL. One such rescue strategy involves repairing the URL by correcting for encoding errors, such as errors introduced by some web clients. Another rescue strategy involves determining that the URL contains an obsolete or outdated item identifier (e.g., product identifier) that renders the URL invalid, and returning information regarding one or more related items to the user. Another rescue strategy involves mining the invalid URL for one or more text strings reflective of the type of content desired, and then using the one or more text strings to execute a keyword search to identify content to provide to the user. The various rescue strategies may be attempted in sequence according to a hierarchy.
59 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A computer-implemented method for repairing URL (Uniform Resource Locator) request messages from user computing devices, the method comprising:
-
receiving a URL request from a user computing device, the URL request specifying a URL that includes a name of a domain followed by a character string, the character string including a first product identifier; determining that the URL is invalid; at least partly in response to receiving the invalid URL, processing the invalid URL into a repaired URL using one or more computing devices, the repaired URL being different from the invalid URL, the processing comprising; identifying a non-URL escape sequence in the character string through a comparison with known escape sequences, the escape sequence corresponding to a special character; replacing the non-URL escape sequence in the character string with the corresponding special character; and decoding the URL a second time by replacing a URL escape sequence in the character string with a corresponding special character, wherein the URL was previously decoded a first time; and in response to determining whether the repaired URL resolves to valid content, (1) providing the valid content associated with the repaired URL to the user computing device when the repaired URL is valid or (2) identifying, using the first product identifier extracted from the invalid URL, a substitute URL and providing content associated with the substitute URL when the repaired URL is invalid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A web site, comprising:
-
a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, the computing system programmed to respond to a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) request from a user computing device that specifies an invalid URL, the URL request including a name of a domain and a character string, the character string including a first product identifier, the computing system configured to respond to the URL request by at least; identifying a non-URL escape sequence in the invalid URL through a comparison with known escape sequences, the escape sequence corresponding to a special character; repairing the URL by replacing the non-URL escape sequence in the character string with the corresponding special character; and decoding the URL a second time by replacing a URL escape sequence in the character string with a corresponding special character, wherein the URL was previously decoded a first time; and in response to determining whether the repaired URL resolves to valid content providing the valid content associated with the repaired URL to the user computing device when the repaired URL is valid or (2) identifying, using the first product identifier extracted from the invalid URL, a substitute URL and providing content associated with the substitute URL when the repaired URL is invalid. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. Physical computer storage that comprises a computer readable storage medium, said physical computer storage having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to:
-
determine that a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) received from a user computing device is invalid, the URL including a name of a domain and a character string, the character string including a first product identifier; at least partly in response to the invalid URL request, through a conversion process, converting the invalid URL into a repaired URL, the repaired URL different from the invalid URL, the conversion process comprising; identifying a non-URL escape sequence in the character string, the escape sequence corresponding to a special character; replacing the non-URL escape sequence in the character string with the corresponding special character; and decoding the URL a second time by replacing a URL escape sequence in the character string with a corresponding special character, wherein the URL was previously decoded a first time; and in response to determining whether the repaired URL resolves to valid content, (1) provide the valid content associated with the repaired URL to the user computing device when the repaired URL is valid or (2) identify, using the first product identifier extracted from the invalid URL, a substitute URL and provide content associated with the substitute URL when the repaired URL is invalid. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
-
Specification