Internet domain name registration system

• US 6,980,990 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2000
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Multicheck Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Barry Fellman
• Inventors: Fellman, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahmoudi, Hassan
• Application Number:
  US09/725,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20020065903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,854 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/8, 707/103.R, 707/104.1, 707/10, 725/116, 379/93.25, 709/203, 709/317, 709/219, 709/245
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/30 Types of network names
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3025 Domain name generation or assignment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A domain name registration system includes a user interface through which a user can submit multiple names to a query server to determine the availability of the names for domain name registration. After the query results are returned for each of the multiple names submitted, the user is presented with a table listing the availability of each name in combination with multiple Top-Level Domain (TLD) extensions. The user is able to select one or more names from the table for registration in the registry database. After the query server has attempted to register each of the selected names, the user is presented with a Registry Response Table indicating which of the selected names were successfully registered as domain names. Thus, the system and method increases the speed and productivity of querying and updating a domain name registry or other database.

Claims

1. A method of displaying information on the availability of multiple names for registration as domain names, the method comprising:

displaying a query results table showing, for each of multiple names specified by a user, the availability of multiple domain names for registration, wherein each domain name is derived from one of the user specified multiple names combined with one of multiple TLD extensions; and

for each of the multiple domain names available for registration, providing a selection mechanism within the query results table to permit the selection of a plurality of available domain names for registration, to thereby enable the user to formulate a request to register the plurality of available domain names using the query results table.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple TLD extensions include extensions not specified by the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection mechanism comprises check boxes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the query results table includes a separate row for each of the plurality of names, and includes a separate column for each of the multiple TLD extensions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the query results table has a first dimension that corresponds to the names, and has a second dimension that corresponds to the TLD extensions.

6. A method of checking domain name registration availability, the method comprising:

displaying a view allowing a user to specify a name to be queried for availability as a Second Level Domain (SLD) in a domain name registry database;

receiving from the user the name to be queried for availability as the SLD;

looking up an availability status of the name in combination with each of multiple Top Level Domain (TLD) extensions not specified by the user; and

displaying query results for the name in a table showing the availability of the name as a SLD in conjunction with each TLD extension;

wherein the table is displayed within a web form that permits the user to select multiple domain names from the table and to submit, from said web form, a request to register the multiple domain names, such that multiple domain names are registered in response to a single request from the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the table has a first dimension that corresponds to the name, and has a second dimension that corresponds to the TLD extensions.

8. A method of facilitating availability checking and registration of domain names, the method comprising:

providing an electronic form for allowing a user to specify a plurality of names to be checked for availability in a domain name registry database;

receiving a set of names specified by the user from the form, the set of names comprising a plurality of names to be checked;

querying a registry database to check an availability of each of the plurality of names with each of a plurality of Top Level Domain (TLD) extensions; and

generating and returning to the user a query results display which includes a table showing the availability of each name in conjunction with each of the plurality of TLD extensions, wherein the table is presented in conjunction with a user option to select multiple available name-TLD extension combinations (“

domain names”

) to formulate a registration request, whereby the user can formulate a single request to register a plurality of domain names.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user option to select multiple available domain names comprises selection check boxes provided within the table, such that a separate check box is provided for each available domain name.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the table includes a separate row for each of the plurality of names, and includes a separate column for each of the plurality of TLD extensions.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of TLD extensions are predefined, such that the method is performed without requiring the user to specify each of the plurality of TLD extensions.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the form permits the user to specify the plurality of names by entering text strings from which the plurality of names are to be derived, and the method further comprises using a database of information about frequencies of term usage to derive variations of an entered text string to suggest to the user.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the form includes a single text window which is suitable for user entry, and concurrent submission, of the plurality names.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the table has a first dimension that corresponds to the plurality of names, and has a second dimension that corresponds to the plurality of TLD extensions.

15. A method of checking the availability of domain names for registration, the method comprising:

providing a web form allowing a user to specify multiple names to be queried for availability such that the user need not specify associated Top Level Domain (TLD) extensions;

receiving a submission comprising multiple names entered by the user into the web form;

in response to the submission, checking registration availability of each of the multiple names in combination with each of multiple Top Level Domain (TLD) extensions, to thereby check registration availability of multiple domain names; and

generating and returning to the user a query results page which includes a table indicating the availability of each name in conjunction with each TLD extension, wherein the table is displayed in conjunction with a selection mechanism for allowing the user to select multiple available domain names for registration to formulate a registration request, such that the user can request registration of multiple domain names with a single registration request.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method is performed without the user specifying the multiple Top Level Domain (TLD) extensions.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the selection mechanism comprises a separate check box for each available domain name.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the table includes a separate row for each of the plurality of names, and includes a separate column for each of the plurality of TLD extensions.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing the user an option to specify a plurality of name servers to be associated with each domain name to be registered.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a single submission from the user specifying multiple domain names to be registered, and submitting the multiple domain names for registration.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising, after submission of the multiple domain names for registration, generating a display which includes a second table indicating, for each of the multiple domain names, whether registration was successful.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second table includes domain name expiration dates.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the table includes a first dimension that corresponds to the names, and includes a second dimension that corresponds to the TLD extensions.

24. A system for allowing a user to query a database to determine the availability of multiple names for domain name registration, the system comprising:

a web page adapted for user entry and submission of a set of names to be checked for domain name registration availability, wherein the web page allows a user to submit multiple names at a time; and

a server which is responsive to submission from the web page of a set of multiple names by at least (a) determining registration availability of each of the names in combination with each of a set of multiple Top Level Domain (TLD) extensions, such that the user need not specify the TLD extensions, and (b) generating a query results display indicating, for each combination of a name and a TLD extension, whether the combination is available for registration, wherein the query results display provides a user option to generate a request to register a plurality of the combinations that are available, such that the user requests registration of multiple domain names in a single request.

25. The system as in claim 24, wherein the query results display comprises a query results table.

26. The system as in claim 25, wherein the query results table includes means for selecting multiple available domain names for registration.

27. The system as in claim 25, wherein the query results table comprises a separate row for each of the multiple names, and comprises a separate column for each of the multiple TLD extensions.

28. The system as in claim 24, wherein the server is responsive to a request to register multiple domain names by generating a web page that includes a table indicating, for each of the multiple domain names, whether registration was successful.