System and method for serving content over a wide area network

• US 20020073335A1
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accessify, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hoshiko LLC (Raoul Management LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A system and method is provided for using a DNS server operating on a wide area network to enable an authorized reception device to receive (or be provided with) restricted content data associated with a particular wide area network address and redefine the domain name associated with a particular wide area network address. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an authorization application is adapted to provide the reception device with user-verification data, receive from the reception device verification data, and provide the filtering application with authorization data. The filtering application, which operates similarly to prior art DNS server systems, is further adapted to receive filtered data (i.e., password-required data and/or pseudo-domain-name data) and authorization data in order to provide an IP address of the content server to the reception device via a wide area network, such as the Internet.

Claims

1. A DNS server system comprising:

a memory device;

a server adapted to be connected to at least one reception device; and

a filtering application connected to said memory device and said server, said filtering application adapted to;

receive filtered data corresponding to a domain name;

store said filtered data in said memory device such that said filtered data is linked to said domain name;

receive a request for an IP address associated with said domain name;

receive authorization data corresponding to said at least one reception device; and

provide said at least one reception device with said IP address after said filtering application receives said authorization data.

2. The DNS server system of claim 1, wherein said filtered data includes password-required data such that said password-required data is linked to said domain name and said IP address associated with said domain name is provided to said at least one reception device after said filtering application receives said authorization data.

3. The DNS server system of claim 2, wherein said authorization data is received from said at least one reception device.

4. The DNS server system of claim 3, wherein said authorization data includes password data embedded within said request for an IP address.

5. The DNS server system of claim 1, wherein said filtered data includes pseudo-domain-name data such that said pseudo-domain-name data is linked to said domain name and said IP address associated with said domain name is provided to said at least one reception device after said filtering application receives said authorization data.

6. The DNS server system of claim 5, wherein said authorization data is received from said at least one reception device.

7. The DNS server system of claim 6, wherein said authorization data further comprises an IP address of said at least one reception device.

8. The DNS server system of claim 2, further comprising an authorization server, said authorization server adapted to:

provide user-verification data to said at least one reception device;

receive verification data from said at least one reception device; and

provide authorization data to said filtering application.

9. The DNS server system of claim 5, further comprising an authorization server, said authorization server adapted to:

provide user-verification data to said at least one reception device;

receive verification data from said at least one reception device; and

provide authorization data to said filtering application.

10. The DNS server system of claim 8, where in said password-required data is received from said at least one reception device.

11. The DNS server system of claim 8, wherein said password-required data is received from a content server operating on said IP address.

12. The DNS server system of claim 8, wherein said password-required data is received from a system administrator of said DNS server system.

13. The DNS server system of claim 8, wherein said authorization server is further adapted to:

search a content server operating on an unlinked IP address for predefined restricted content data; and

provide said filtering application with said password-required data if said authorization server locates said predefined restricted content data on said content server.

14. The DNS server system of claim 8, wherein said user-verification data is selected from a group consisting of request-for-credit-card data, request-for-password data, request-for-user-identification data.

15. The DNS server system of claim 8, wherein said verification data is selected from a group consisting of password data and user-identification data

16. The DNS server system of claim 8, wherein said authorization server is further adapted to receive a request for user-verification data from said at least one reception device before said filtering application receives said request for said IP address.

17. The DNS server system of claim 8, wherein said authorization server is further adapted to provide encoded data to said at least one reception device after said filtering application receives said request for said IP address, wherein said encoded data corresponds to whether content data is provided to said at least one reception device by a content server operating on said IP address.

18. The DNS server system of claim 17, wherein said encoded data enables said at least one reception device to receive content data from said content server.

19. The DNS server system of claim 17, wherein said encoded data prohibits said at least one reception device from receiving content data from said content server.

20. The DNS server system of claim 17, wherein said encoded data includes a redirected URL.

21. The DNS server system of claim 8, wherein said authorization server is further adapted to identify said at least one reception device by tracking an IP address of said at least one reception device.

22. The DNS server system of claim 8, wherein said authorization server is further adapted to identify said at least one reception device by providing a cookie to said at least one reception device.

23. The DNS server system of claim 8, further comprising a content server operating on said IP address, wherein said content server is adapted to:

provide said at least one reception device with content data when a request for content data contains a domain name; and

deny a request for content data when a request for content data contains an IP address.

24. The DNS server system of claim 9, wherein said pseudo-domain-name data is received from said at least one reception device.

25. The DNS server system of claim 9, wherein said pseudo-domain-name data is received from a content server operating on said IP address.

26. The DNS server system of claim 9, wherein said pseudo-domain-name data is received from a system administrator of said DNS server system.

27. The DNS server system of claim 9, wherein said user-identification data is selected from a group consisting of request-for-password data and request-for-user-identification data.

28. The DNS server system of claim 9, wherein said user-verification data is selected form a group consisting of password data and user-identification data.

29. The DNS server system of claim 9, wherein said authorization server is further adapted to identify said at least one reception device by tracking an IP address of said at least one reception device.

30. The DNS server system of claim 29, wherein said authorization server is further adapted to identify said at least one reception device by providing a cookie to said at least one reception device.

31. The DNS server system of claim 9, wherein said authorization server is further adapted to:

receive pseudo-link data, wherein said pseudo-link data is adapted to link said pseudo-domain-name data to said domain name; and

receive circumventing data from said at least one reception device in order to circumvent said link between said pseudo-domain-name data and said domain name.

32. The DNS server system of claim 9, further comprising a content server operating on said IP address, wherein said content server is adapted to reward said at least one reception device for using said DNS server system.

33. A DNS server system comprising:

a memory device;

a server adapted to be connected to at least one reception device; and

a filtering application connected to said memory device and said server, said filtering application adapted to;

receive filtered data corresponding to an IP address;

store said filtered data in said memory device such that said filtered data is linked to said IP address;

receive a request for said IP address associated with said domain name;

receive authorization data, wherein said authorization data corresponds to said at least one reception device; and

provide said at least one reception device with said IP address after said filtering application receives said authorization data.

34. The DNS server system of claim 33, wherein said filtered data includes pseudo-domain-name data such that said pseudo-domain-name-data is linked to said IP address and said IP address is provided to said at least one reception device after said filtering application receives said authorization data.

35. The DNS server system of claim 33, wherein said filtered data includes password-required data such that said password-required data is linked to said IP address and said IP address is provided to said at least one reception device after said filtering application receives said authorization data.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said step of receiving filtered data further includes receiving password-required data.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein said step of receiving filtered data further includes receiving pseudo-domain-name data.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising the steps of:

providing user-identification data;

receiving verification data; and

providing authorization data.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising the steps of:

providing user-identification data;

receiving verification data; and

providing authorization data.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein said step of receiving password-required data further includes receiving password-required data from said at least one reception device.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein said step of receiving password-required data further includes receiving password-required data from a content server operating on said IP address.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein said step of receiving password-required data further includes receiving password-required data from a system administrator of said DNS server.

44. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of searching a content server operating on an unlinked IP address for predefined restricted content data.

45. The method of claim 39, wherein said step of providing user-verification data further includes providing said at least one reception device with request-for-credit-card data.

46. The method of claim 39, wherein said step of providing user-verification data further includes providing said at least one reception device with request-for-password data.

47. The method of claim 39, wherein said step of providing user-verification data further includes providing said at least one reception device with request-for-user-identification data.

48. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of providing encoded data to said at least one reception device after receiving said verification data, wherein said encoded data corresponds to whether content data from said IP address is provided to said at least one reception device.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said step of providing encoded data further comprises enabling said at least one reception device to receive content data from said IP address.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein said step of providing encoded data further comprises prohibiting said at least one reception device from receiving content data from said IP address.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein said step of providing said encoded data further includes providing a redirected URL to said at least one reception device.

52. The method of claim 39, further comprising the steps of:

providing said at least one reception device with content data when a request for content data contains a domain name; and

denying a request for content data when a request for content data contains an IP address.

53. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of identifying said at least one reception device by tracking said at least one reception device'"'"'s IP address.

54. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of identifying said at least one reception device by providing said at least one reception device with a cookie.

55. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of receiving pseudo-domain-name data further includes receiving pseudo-domain-name data from said at least one reception device.

56. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of receiving pseudo-domain-name data further includes receiving pseudo-domain-name data from a content server operating on said IP address.

57. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of receiving pseudo-domain-name data further includes receiving pseudo-domain-name data from a system administrator of said DNS server.

58. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of providing user-verification data further includes providing said at least one reception device with request-for-user-identification data.

59. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of providing user-verification data further includes providing said at least one reception device with request-for-password data.

60. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of identifying said at least one reception device by tracking said at least one reception device'"'"'s IP address.

61. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of identifying said at least one reception device by providing said at least one reception device with a cookie.

62. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of rewarding said at least one reception device for using said DNS server.

36. A method for filtering a domain name through a DNS server such that an IP address associated with said domain name can be provided to at least one authorized reception device, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving filtered data corresponding to said domain name;

storing said filtered data such that said filtered data is linked to said domain name;

receiving a request for said IP address from at least one reception device;

receiving authorization data corresponding to said at least one reception device; and

providing said at least one reception device with said IP address after said authorization data has been received.

63. A method for filtering a domain name through a DNS server such that an IP address associated with said domain name can be provided to at least one authorized reception device, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving filtered data corresponding to said IP address;

storing said filtered data such that said filtered data is linked to said IP address;

receiving a request for said IP address from at least one reception device;

receiving authorization data, said authorization data corresponding to said at least one reception device; and

providing said at least one reception device with said IP address after said authorization data has been received.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein said step of receiving filtered data further includes receiving at least one of password-required data and pseudo-domain-name data.