Cloud-based web content filtering

• US 9,323,835 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reversing Labs International GmbH
• Original Assignee: Reversing Labs International GmbH
• Inventors: Vuksan, Mario, Novoselac, Vedran, Matijasevic, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chambers, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US13/069,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 726/22, 709/206, 709/203, 709219-220, 709/232, 709/229, 709/224, 715/239, 455/412.1, 455/414.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A method of filtering web content including maintaining a data store including a plurality of web content filtering rules. A filtering rules query is received from a client device via a network in response to the client device requesting web content. One or more web content filtering rules are transmitted to the client device via the network.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

maintaining, by a computing device, a data store including a plurality of web content filtering rules;

receiving, by the computing device, a filtering rules query from a client device, via a network, in response to the client device requesting web content;

transmitting, by the computing device, one or more web content filtering rules to the client device via the network, wherein the one or more web content filtering rules transmitted to the client device is applicable to the web content requested by the client device, wherein the one or more web content filtering rules transmitted to the client device in response to the client device requesting web content include an identification of a portion of the web content to filter and instructions for rendering the portion of the web content;

prior to rendering the requested web content, filtering, by the computing device, a portion of the web content based upon, at least in part, the transmitted one or more web content filtering rules; and

prior to rendering the requested web content, replacing, by the computing device, the filtered portion of the web content with dynamic replacement content.

2. The computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the network includes one or more of a local area network, a wide area network, and an Internet.

3. The computer implemented method according to claim 1, further including:

receiving, from the client device, a web content filter rule submission; and

updating the plurality of web content filtering rules based upon, at least in part, the web content filter rule submission.

4. The computer implemented method according to claim 3, further including determining a validity of the web content filter rule submission.

5. The computer implemented method according to claim 1, further including associating at least one category identifier with at least a portion of the plurality of web content filtering rules, the category identifier being indicative of one or more of a content type, and a content function.

6. The computer implemented method according to claim 5, wherein transmitting one or more web content filtering rules to the client device includes transmitting one or more web content filtering rules based upon, at least in part, a user defined category identifier.

7. The computer implemented method according to claim 1, further including:

defining a client group;

associating at least a portion of the web content filtering rules with the client group; and

transmitting web content filtering rules to the client device based upon, at least in part, participation of the client device in the client group.

8. The computer implemented method according to claim 7, wherein the client group includes one or more of a defined plurality of users, and a plurality of client devices associated with a group network.

9. The computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more web content filtering rules are based upon, at least in part, an external source.

10. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

maintaining a data store including a plurality of web content filtering rules;

receiving a filtering rules query from a client device, via a network, in response to the client device requesting web content;

transmitting one or more web content filtering rules to the client device via the network, wherein the one or more web content filtering rules transmitted to the client device is applicable to the web content requested by the client device, wherein the one or more web content filtering rules transmitted to the client device in response to the client device requesting web content include an identification of a portion of the web content to filter and instructions for rendering the portion of the web content;

prior to rendering the requested web content, filtering a portion of the web content based upon, at least in part, the transmitted one or more web content filtering rules; and

prior to rendering the requested web content, replacing the filtered portion of the web content with dynamic replacement content.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the network includes one or more of a local area network, a wide area network, and an Internet.

12. The computer program product according to claim 10, further including instructions for:

receiving, from the client device, a web content filter rule submission; and

updating the plurality of web content filtering rules based upon, at least in part, the web content filter rule submission.

13. The computer program product according to claim 12, further including instructions for determining a validity of the web content filter rule submission.

14. The computer program product according to claim 10, further including instructions for associating at least one category identifier with at least a portion of the plurality of web content filtering rules, the category identifier being indicative of one or more of a content type, and a content function.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the instructions for transmitting one or more web content filtering rules to the client device include instructions for transmitting one or more web content filtering rules based upon, at least in part, a user defined category identifier.

16. The computer program product according to claim 10, further including instructions for:

defining a client group;

associating at least a portion of the web content filtering rules with the client group; and

transmitting web content filtering rules to the client device based upon, at least in part, participation of the client device in the client group.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the client group includes one or more of a defined plurality of users, and a plurality of client devices associated with a group network.

18. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the one or more web content filtering rules are based upon, at least in part, an external source.

19. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, an indication of a request for web content;

generating, by the computing device, a query for web content filtering rules based upon, at least in part, the request for web content;

transmitting, by the computing device, the query for web content filtering rules to a data store including a plurality of web content filtering via a network;

receiving, by the computing device, one or more web content filtering rules from the data store, wherein the one or more web content filtering rules received by the computing device is applicable to the web content requested by the computing device, wherein the one or more web content filtering rules transmitted to the client device in response to the client device requesting web content include an identification of a portion of the web content to filter and instructions for rendering the portion of the web content;

prior to rendering the requested web content, filtering, by the computing device, a portion of the web content based upon, at least in part, the received one or more web content filtering rules; and

prior to rendering the requested web content, replacing, by the computing device, the filtered portion of the web content with dynamic replacement content.

20. The computer implemented method according to claim 19, wherein the network includes one or more of a local area network, a wide area network, and an Internet.

21. The computer implemented method according to claim 19, further including:

generating a web content filter rule submission; and

transmitting the web content filter rule submission to the data store.

22. The computer implemented method according to claim 19, wherein at least one category identifier is associated with at least a portion of the plurality of web content filtering rules, the category identifier being indicative of one or more of a content type, and a content function.

23. The computer implemented method according to claim 22, wherein transmitting the query for web content filtering rules by the client device includes transmitting the query for web content filtering rules based upon, at least in part, a user defined category identifier.

24. The computer implemented method according to claim 19, further including:

defining a client group;

associating at least a portion of the web content filtering rules with the client group; and

receiving web content filtering rules by the client device based upon, at least in part, participation of the client device in the client group.

25. The computer implemented method according to claim 24, wherein the client group includes one or more of a defined plurality of users, and a plurality of client devices associated with a group network.

26. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving an indication of a request for web content;

generating a query for web content filtering rules based upon, at least in part, the request for web content;

transmitting the query for web content filtering rules to a data store including a plurality of web content filtering via a network;

receiving one or more web content filtering rules from the data store, wherein the one or more web content filtering rules received from the data store is applicable to the web content requested, wherein the one or more web content filtering rules transmitted to the client device in response to the client device requesting web content include an identification of a portion of the web content to filter and instructions for rendering the portion of the web content;

prior to rendering the requested web content, filtering a portion of the web content based upon, at least in part, the received one or more web content filtering rules; and

prior to rendering the requested web content, replacing the filtered portion of the web content with dynamic replacement content.

27. The computer program product according to claim 26, wherein the network includes one or more of a local area network, a wide area network, and an Internet.

28. The computer program product according to claim 26, further including instructions for:

generating a web content filter rule submission; and

transmitting the web content filter rule submission to the data store.

29. The computer program product according to claim 26, wherein at least one category identifier is associated with at least a portion of the plurality of web content filtering rules, the category identifier being indicative of one or more of a content type, and a content function.

30. The computer program product according to claim 29, wherein the instructions for transmitting the query for web content filtering rules to the client device include instructions for transmitting the query for web content filtering rules based upon, at least in part, a user defined category identifier.

31. The computer program product according to claim 26, further including instructions for:

defining a client group;

associating at least a portion of the web content filtering rules with the client group; and

receiving web content filtering rules by the client device based upon, at least in part, participation of the client device in the client group.

32. The computer program product according to claim 31, wherein the client group includes one or more of a defined plurality of users, and a plurality of client devices associated with a group network.