Content Restriction Compliance Using Reverse DNS Lookup

• US 20090164597A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary S. Shuster
• Original Assignee: Gary S. Shuster
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

A method for alerting Internet content providers of the age or other personal information of a computer user, which includes receiving a reverse DNS lookup query from an Internet content provider; and providing the age information of the computer user, in addition to a host name, from a reverse map zone file in response to the request. The personal information may be used by the content provider to select appropriate content for the requesting host, for example for complying with content restrictions. A system of alerting an Internet content provider of the age or other personal information of a computer user is also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for alerting an Internet content provider to at least one user parameter associated with a content request, the method comprising:

receiving a reverse DNS lookup query from an Internet content provider via a computer network, the reverse DNS lookup query specifying a host IP address;

obtaining a host domain name and at least one user parameter from a DNS zone file for the host IP address, wherein the at least one user parameter describes a personal attribute of a person associated with the host domain name; and

providing the host domain name and the at least one user parameter in a signal to the Internet content provider, in response to the DNS lookup query.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining the at least one user parameter from a resource record of the zone file.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining the at least one user parameter encoded as text in a resource record of the zone file.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing the at least one user parameter representing information selected from a reported numerical age, a birth date, and a geographic area where the person resides.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising receiving information indicating the at least one user parameter from an Internet service provider for the host associated with the resource record, and placing the at least one parameter into the resource record.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising modifying the at least one user parameter stored in the resource record using updated information supplied by the Internet service provider.

7. A system for alerting an Internet content provider of personal attributes of a computer user, the system comprising a computer-readable media encoded with instructions for:

receiving a reverse DNS lookup query from a remote host, the reverse DNS lookup query specifying a host IP address;

accessing a host domain name and at least one user parameter from a DNS zone file for the host IP address, wherein the at least one user parameter describes a personal attribute of a person associated with the host domain name; and

transmitting the host domain name and the at least one user parameter in a signal to the remote host, in response to the DNS lookup query.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the computer-readable media further comprises encoded instructions for obtaining the at least one user parameter from a resource record of the zone file.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the computer-readable media further comprises encoded instructions for obtaining the at least one user parameter encoded as text in a resource record of the zone file.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the computer-readable media further comprises encoded instructions for providing the at least one user parameter representing information selected from a reported numerical age, a birth date, and a geographic area where the person resides.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the computer-readable media further comprises encoded instructions for receiving information indicating the at least one user parameter from an Internet service provider for the host associated with the resource record, and placing the at least one parameter into the resource record.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the computer-readable media further comprises encoded instructions for modifying the at least one user parameter stored in the resource record using updated information supplied by the Internet service provider.

13. The system according to claim 7, wherein Internet content is distributed to a computer user based on the age information recited in the zone file after a reverse DNS lookup queried by an Internet content provider.

14. A method for conditionally providing content over a computer network, comprising:

in response to receiving a content request from a client, determining an IP address for the client at a host server;

providing a query from the host server to a reverse DNS lookup server seeking information from a DNS zone file, the query comprising the IP address; and

permitting the content to be transmitted to the client only if the information from the DNS zone file indicates that the client is not ineligible to receive the content, thereby transforming user input causing the content request to be generated into an output conditioned on the information recorded in the DNS zone file.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the information from the DNS zone file comprises an indicator of a person'"'"'s age, and wherein the content comprises age-restricted content.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the information from the DNS zone file comprises an indicator of a person'"'"'s geographic location, and wherein the content comprises region-restricted content.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising causing a message to be transmitted to the client if the information from the DNS file does not indicate that the client is eligible to receive the content, the message informing that the content will not be provide to the client.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting the message including an invitation to the client to provide personal authentication information.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising permitting the content to be transmitted to the client only if the information from the DNS zone file indicates that the client is eligible to receive the content.

20. A computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for conditionally providing content over a computer network:

instructions to determine an IP address for a client at a host server, in response to receiving a content request from a client;

instructions to provide a query from the host server to a reverse DNS lookup server seeking information from zone file, the query comprising the IP address, in response to receiving the content request; and

instructions permitting the content to be transmitted to the client only if the information from the DNS zone file indicates that the client is not ineligible to receive the content.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions to interpret the information from the DNS zone file as an indicator of a person'"'"'s age.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions to interpret the information from the DNS zone file as an indicator of a person'"'"'s geographic location.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions to cause a message to be transmitted to the client if the information from the DNS file does not indicate that the client is eligible to receive the content, the message informing that the content will not be provide to the client.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions to cause the content to be transmitted to the client only if the information from the DNS zone file indicates that the client is eligible to receive the content.

25. A method for configuring a zone file of a DNS system to encode data for determining eligibility of a network node to receive requested content, the method comprising:

maintaining a network connection for a node having a defined network address;

determining at least one user parameter indicating eligibility to receive content at the network address via the network connection; and

encoding the at least one user parameter in a zone file for the network address.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one user parameter comprises geographic location information for hardware communicating via the network address.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising authenticating an identity of a person communicating with the server via the network address.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising requesting the at least one user parameter for determining eligibility to receive content from the person via the network connection.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one user parameter comprises age information for one or more persons with access to the server via the node.

30. A computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for configuring a zone file of a DNS system to encode data for determining eligibility of a network node to receive requested content, comprising:

instructions to maintain a network connection for a node having a defined network address;

instructions to determine at least one user parameter indicating eligibility to receive content at the network address via the network connection; and

instructions to encode the at least one user parameter in a zone file for the network address.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising instructions to encode the at least one user parameter comprising geographic location information for hardware communicating via the network address.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising instructions to authenticate an identity of a person communicating with the server via the network address.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising instructions to request the at least one user parameter for determining eligibility to receive content from the person via the network connection.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising instructions to encode the at least one user parameter comprising age information for one or more persons with access to the server via the node.