System and method for restricting internet access of a computer

• US 7,689,666 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard Commons
• Original Assignee: Richard Commons
• Inventors: Commons, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Chankong, Dohm
• Application Number:
  US11/895,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/218, 709/225, 707/1, 707/9, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links

Abstract

A system for selectively allowing and restricting access to websites requested by a user includes a computer having a central processing unit, a display, a keyboard and a web browser installed on the central processing unit. The web browser has a list of allowable top level domains (TLDs), and the central processing unit includes a database having a list of allowable uniform resource locators (URLs). The web browser compares the TLD and URL associated with a requested website to respectively determine if they are the same as a TLD or URL in the lists of allowable TLDs and URLs. If either the TLD or URL associated with the requested website is the same as a TLD or URL on the lists, the user is allowed to access the requested website on the computer. If neither the TLD nor the URL associated with the requested website is the same as a TLD or URL on the lists of allowable TLDs and URLs, the user is denied access to the requested website on the computer.

Claims

1. A system for selectively allowing and restricting access to websites requested by a user, each of the requested websites having a uniform resource locator (URL) and a top level domain (TLD) associated therewith, the system comprising:

a computer, the computer having a central processing unit, a display operatively coupled to the central processing unit for displaying messages, and a keyboard operatively coupled to the central processing unit for the user to enter the URL and TLD of a requested website;

a web browser installed on the central processing unit of the computer, the web browser having a list of allowable TLDs, and the central processing unit including a first database having a first list of allowable URLs; and

a temporary second database, the temporary second database being situated at one of the central processing unit of the computer and a remote website, the temporary second database having a second list of allowable URLs, the web browser comparing the TLD associated with the requested website with the list of allowable TLDs, and if the TLD associated with the requested website is the same as one of the allowable TLDs of the list of allowable TLDs, then the web browser allows the user to access the requested website on the computer, and if the TLD associated with the requested website is not the same as one of the allowable TLDs of the list of allowable TLDs, then the web browser compares the URL associated with the requested website with the first list of allowable URLs, and if the URL associated with the requested website is the same as one of the allowable URLs of the first list of allowable URLs, then the web browser allows the user to access the requested website on the computer, and if the TLD associated with the requested website is not the same as one of the allowable TLDs of the list of allowable TLDs, and if the URL associated with the requested website is not the same as one of the allowable URLs of the first list of allowable URLs, then the web browser compares the URL associated with the requested website with the second list of allowable URLs of the temporary second database, and if the URL associated with the requested website is one of the allowable URLs of the second list of allowable URLs, then the web browser allows the user to access the requested website on the computer, and if the URL associated with the requested website is not the same as one of the allowable URLs of the second list of allowable URLs, then the web browser causes the central processing unit of the computer to display a message on the display of the computer advising the user of the computer that access to the requested web site on the computer is not allowed.

2. A system for selectively allowing and restricting access to websites requested by a user as defined by claim 1, wherein the temporary second database is situated at the remote website having a URL associated therewith;

and wherein the web browser compares the URL associated with the requested website with the URL associated with the remote website at which the temporary second database is situated, and if the URL associated with the requested website is the same as the URL associated with the remote website at which the temporary second database is situated, the web browser allows the user to access the requested website on the computer.

3. A system for selectively allowing and restricting access to websites requested by a user as defined by claim 1, which further comprises:

a third database, the third database being situated at a remote website, the web browser allowing the user of the computer access to the remote website at which the third database is situated, the third database having a list of websites of the user, each of the websites in the user'"'"'s list of websites having a TLD and URL associated therewith, the TLD and URL associated with the website requested by the user to be accessed on the computer being the same as the TLD and URL of one of the websites of the list of websites of the third database.

4. A system for selectively allowing and restricting access to websites requested by a user as defined by claim 3, wherein the third database includes a first, non-published list of websites and a second, publicly viewable list of websites.

5. A method for selectively allowing and restricting access to websites requested by a user on a computer, each of the requested websites having a uniform resource locator (URL) and a top level domain (TLD) associated therewith, the computer having a central processing unit, a display operatively coupled to the central processing unit for displaying messages, and a keyboard operatively coupled to the central processing unit for the user to enter the URL and TLD of a requested website, the method comprising the steps of:

entering by the user on the keyboard of the computer the URL and TLD of a requested website;

comparing by a web browser installed on the central processing unit of the computer the TLD associated with the requested website with a list of allowable TLDs of the web browser;

if the TLD associated with the requested website is the same as one of the allowable TLDs of the list of allowable TLDs of the web browser, then allowing by the web browser the user to access the requested website on the computer;

if the TLD associated with the requested website is not the same as one of the allowable TLDs of the list of allowable TLDs, then comparing by the web browser the URL associated with the requested website with a first list of allowable URLs of a first database situated at the central processing unit;

if the URL associated with the requested website is the same as one of the allowable URLs of the first list of allowable URLs, then allowing by the web browser the user to access the requested website on the computer;

if the TLD associated with the requested website is not the same as one of the allowable TLDs of the list of allowable TLDs, and if the URL associated with the requested website is not the same as one of the allowable URLs of the first list of allowable URLs, then comparing by the web browser the URL associated with the requested website with a second list of allowable URLs of a temporary second database situated at one of the central processing unit of the computer and a remote website;

if the URL associated with the requested website is the same as one of the allowable URLs of the second list of allowable URLs, then allowing by the web browser the user to access the requested website on the computer; and

if the URL associated with the requested website is not the same as one of the allowable URLs on the second list of allowable URLs, then causing by the web browser the central processing unit of the computer to display a message on the display of the computer advising the user of the computer that access to the requested website on the computer is not allowed.

6. A method for selectively allowing and restricting access to websites requested by a user on a computer as defined by claim 5 which further comprises the steps of:

situating a third database at a remote website, the third database having a list of websites of the user, each of the websites in the user'"'"'s list of websites having a TLD and URL associated therewith, the requested website having an associated TLD and URL which is respectively the same as the TLD and URL associated with one of the websites in the user'"'"'s list of websites;

allowing by the web browser the requested website to be accessed on the computer by the user if at least one of the TLD and the URL of the requested website is the same as respectively one of the allowable TLDs of the list of allowable TLDs and the same as one of the URLs of the first list of URLs; and

if neither one of the TLD and URL associated with the requested website is respectively the same as one of the allowable TLDs of the list of allowable TLDs and one of the URLs of the first list of allowable URLs, then causing by the web browser the central processing unit of the computer to display a message on the display of the computer advising the user of the computer that access to the requested website on the computer is not allowed.