Notification system and method for domain name registrars

• US 20060031330A1
• Filed: 07/19/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Go Daddy Group Incorporated (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruiz, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 7,921,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3015 Name registration, generation or assignment

Abstract

A system and method of the present invention allow communication via electronic messages between a Customer and a domain name Registrar, avoiding traditional electronic mail (email) communication. Email messages may not be delivered to the Customer for various reasons including the situations where the Customer employs anti-SPAM protective technologies. The system and method of the present invention establish a Communication Link between a Customer'"'"'s Computer and Registrar'"'"'s Server, which avoids anti-SPAM protective technologies and email messaging altogether. The implementation of this invention would result in a higher rate of delivered messages to the Customer.

Claims

1. A notification system for domain name Registrars comprising:

a) a Customer,

b) a Customer'"'"'s Computer operated by said Customer,

c) a Registrar,

d) a Registrar'"'"'s Server operated by said Registrar,

e) a Communication Link between said Customer'"'"'s Computer and said Registrar'"'"'s Server for exchanging electronic messages, wherein said Communication Link bypasses electronic mail channels of information exchange.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said Customer'"'"'s Computer comprises:

f) a Communication Software and

g) a Desktop,

wherein said Communication Software maintains said Communication Link to said Registrar'"'"'s Server and checks availability of the new messages on said Registrar'"'"'s Server and said Desktop displays notifications about new messages to said Customer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said Registrar'"'"'s Server comprises:

f) a Communication Server and

g) a Database,

wherein said Communication Server maintains said Communication Link to said Customer'"'"'s Computer and generates messages for said Customer and said Database holds records about Customer'"'"'s domain names, their expiration dates, additional products and services purchased by said Customer.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said Communication Server generates messages conforming to the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) specification.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said Communication Link is established over the Internet.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said Communication Link is secure.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the electronic messages sent over said Communication Link are encrypted using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol.

8. A notification method for domain name registrars comprising the steps of:

a) installing a Communication Software on a Customer'"'"'s Computer,

b) setting up one or more accounts for accessing messages on a Registrar'"'"'s Server,

c) accessing messages on said Registrar'"'"'s Server, and

d) notifying a Customer that messages are available for viewing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said Communication Software is downloaded from a Registrar'"'"'s website.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said accounts for accessing messages on a Registrar'"'"'s Server has the same user name and password as an account that said Customer may use for logging on to a Registrar'"'"'s website.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of accessing messages on said Registrar'"'"'s Server includes at least one of the following:

recognizing that new messages are available on said Registrar'"'"'s Server,

recognizing how many messages are available on said Registrar'"'"'s Server,

downloading headers of the messages to said Customer'"'"'s Computer,

downloading full messages to said Customer'"'"'s Computer.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of notifying a Customer that messages are available for viewing produces a popup message on a Customer'"'"'s Desktop.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said popup message on said Customer'"'"'s Desktop is accompanied by a sound.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of notifying a Customer that messages are available for viewing produces a balloon message on a Customer'"'"'s Desktop.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said balloon message on said Customer'"'"'s Desktop is accompanied by a sound.

16. The method of claim 8 further comprises a step of:

e) repeating steps c) and d).

17. The method of claim 8 further comprises a step of:

e) showing new messages to said Customer.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprises a step of:

f) repeating steps c), d), and e).