System and method for controlling access to data located on a content server
First Claim
1. In a distributed data communication system wherein communication between a content requestor and a first content server occurs over a first communication link, wherein said content requestor under control of user input communicates a data request signal to said first content server over said first communication link, and wherein said first content server, upon receiving said data request signal, communicates content data to said content requestor according to said data request signal, a method of filtering said content data comprising the steps of:
- setting said content requestor in an advisory mode wherein said content requestor communicates portions of said data request signal to a first advisory server over a seond communication link, and wherein said first advisory server is remote from said first content server;
controlling said first advisory server upon receipt of said portions of said request signal to retrieve characterization data from a data base coupled to said first advisory server and to communicate said characterization data to said content requestor over said second communication link; and
inhibiting loading of at least a portion of said content data according to said characterization data.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The content of free speech over distributed networks, such as the Internet, is often inappropriate for minors as well as offensive to some adults. The invention comprises an advisory server operated by, for example, a third party watchdog group, which rates the content of data downloaded from a content server to a client in order to block or censor unwanted material. In operation, each time data (e.g., a web page) is downloaded from a content server to the client, prior to display, the client sends a request signal to the advisory server asking that it advise the client on the content of the web page. The advisory server rates the page and sends a classification rating back to the client. The client thereafter displays or does not display the web page according to the classification rating based on the client'"'"'s selected preferences. The advisory server may also assign a rating to any links contained on the web page or may also be asked by the client to block any pages which require a fee. In this manner parents are effectively empowered control the content of data disseminated in their homes.
882 Citations
36 Claims
-
1. In a distributed data communication system wherein communication between a content requestor and a first content server occurs over a first communication link, wherein said content requestor under control of user input communicates a data request signal to said first content server over said first communication link, and wherein said first content server, upon receiving said data request signal, communicates content data to said content requestor according to said data request signal, a method of filtering said content data comprising the steps of:
-
setting said content requestor in an advisory mode wherein said content requestor communicates portions of said data request signal to a first advisory server over a seond communication link, and wherein said first advisory server is remote from said first content server; controlling said first advisory server upon receipt of said portions of said request signal to retrieve characterization data from a data base coupled to said first advisory server and to communicate said characterization data to said content requestor over said second communication link; and inhibiting loading of at least a portion of said content data according to said characterization data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A system for censoring downloaded data from a content server to a client, comprising:
-
a remote advisory server connected to a content server and to a client through a distributed network; and a database associated with said advisory server for storing a plurality of characterization data, wherein said remote advisory server, upon receipt of a request signal from the client, rates a downloaded data from the content server with an appropriate characterization data from said database and forwards said characterization data to said client, said client censoring said downloaded data based on said characterization data. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
Specification