System and method for serving content over a wide area network

• US 7,200,863 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accessify, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hoshiko LLC (Raoul Management LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron; Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Ellen C.
• Application Number:
  US09/860,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20020073335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,148 Days
• Field of Search: 713/201, 713/183, 713/200, 705/14, 705/102, 709/229, 709/224, 709/245, 702/186, 370/432, 726/11, 726/12, 726/6, 726/4, 726/2, 726/3, 726/21, 726/26, 726/27, 726/28, 726/29
• US Class Current: 726/4
• 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 method for directing access to content over a wide area network, comprising the steps of:

receiving requests at a name server from a plurality of network devices, wherein the name server is configured to receive requests for content from the plurality of network devices via a wide area network and is operably associated with a first memory holding a domain name table, and wherein the domain name table associates IP addresses for network content servers with domain names, user-defined pseudo-domain names and user ID'"'"'s, and

wherein each request comprises a pseudo-domain name and a user ID;

determining for each of the requests a network address associated with the user ID and the pseudo-domain name of each request in the domain name table, wherein the network address comprises at least one of an IP address and a redirected domain name; and

responding to the requests by providing the network addresses to requesting ones of the plurality of network devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating an authorization server in communication with the name server and with the plurality of network devices via the wide area network, wherein the authorization server is operably associated with a second memory holding an authorization application, the authorization application operable to verify user access privileges for each of the requests.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the operating an authorization server step further comprises obtaining verification data from the plurality of network devices for verifying user access privileges.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the operating an authorization server step further comprises providing the authorization data to the name server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the responding step further comprises providing the IP address together with the redirected domain name in response to requests for which the authorization data indicates that the user is not authorized to receive unfiltered information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the responding step further comprises providing a message indicating that access to requested content is not authorized in response to requests for which the authorization data indicates that the user is not authorized to receive requested information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the responding step further comprises providing the IP address together with the redirected domain name in response to requests for which authorization data matching the authorization data in the domain name table is not received.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the obtaining verification data step further comprises obtaining payment information from users requesting access to specified content.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the obtaining verification data step further comprises obtaining information from users, the information selected from the group consisting of a user password and user identifying information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising rewarding users for designating the name server as their default name server for handling domain name requests.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating an authorization status to content servers via the redirected domain names provided in the responding step.

12. A system for directing access to content over a wide area network, comprising:

a name server configured to receive requests for content from a plurality of network devices via a wide area network, wherein the name server is operably associated with a first memory holding a domain name table, and wherein the domain name table associates IP addresses for network content servers with domain names, user-defined pseudo-domain names and user ID'"'"'s, the name server comprising instructions operable for;

receiving requests at the name server from the plurality of network devices, wherein each request comprises at least one of a pseudo-domain name and a user ID;

determining for each of the requests a network address associated with the user ID and the pseudo-domain name of each request in the domain name table, wherein the network address comprises at least one of an IP address and a redirected domain name; and

responding to the requests by providing the network addresses to requesting ones of the plurality of network devices.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising an authorization server in communication with the name server and with the plurality of network devices via the wide area network, wherein the authorization server is operably associated with a second memory holding an authorization application, the authorization application operable to verify user access privileges for each of the requests.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the authorization server application is further operable to obtain verification data from the plurality of network devices for verifying user access privileges.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the authorization server application is further operable to provide the authorization data to the name server.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions of the name server are further operable to provide the IP address together with the redirected domain name in response to requests for which the authorization data indicates that the user is not authorized to receive unfiltered information.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions of the name server are further operable to provide a message indicating that access to requested content is not authorized in response to requests for which the authorization data indicates that the user is not authorized to receive requested information.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions of the name server are further operable to provide the IP address together with the redirected domain name in response to requests for which authorization data matching the authorization data in the domain name table is not received.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the authorization server application is further operable to obtain payment information from users requesting access to specified content.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the authorization server application is further operable to obtain information from users, the information selected from the group consisting of a user password and user identifying information.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions of the name server are further operable to reward users for designating the name server as their default name server for handling domain name requests.

22. The system of claim 12, further comprising at least one content server in communication with the name server, the content server configured to determine a user authorization status based on at least one of the redirected domain names provided by the name server.