Digital identity registration

• US 7,797,413 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2007
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Go Daddy Group Incorporated (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Adelman, Warren, Chadwick, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, JUNGWON
• Application Number:
  US11/746,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20070208869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1079 of unsolicited session attempts, e.g. SPIT
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

Systems and processes of the present invention allow for digital identity registration. In an example embodiment, a Registrant may access a website to enter a requested digital identity and registration information. The requested digital identity may comprise a piece of client software, a digital certificate, or a URL comprising any combination of characters—perhaps including a domain name that may be owned by the Registrant. A Digital Identity Database may then be searched to determine the availability of the requested digital identity. If the requested digital identity includes a domain name, WHOIS records may be searched to determine whether the Registrant owns and/or controls the domain name. The Registrant'"'"'s registration information also may be validated. The requested digital identity may then be registered to the Registrant, possibly by adding the requested digital identity to the Digital Identity Database and/or adding the registration information to a Records database.

Claims

1. A digital identity registration system, comprising:

a) means for receiving, by a Digital Identity Provider, a request to register a digital identity, said digital identity, and one or more registration information from a prospective Registrant;

b) means for determining, by said Digital Identity Provider, the availability of said digital identity by searching a Digital Identity Database for the availability of said digital identity, said Digital Identity Database comprising a plurality of registered digital identities; and

c) means for registering, by said Digital Identity Provider, said digital identity, if available, to said prospective Registrant.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said digital identity is a client software-based digital identity.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said digital identity is a URL-based digital identity.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for receiving comprises a website having fields for receiving said request to register a digital identity, said digital identity, and said one or more registration information from said prospective Registrant.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for registering comprises means for adding said registration information to a Records Database and means for adding said digital identity to said Digital Identity Database.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said requested digital identity comprises a domain name.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

d) means for confirming said domain name is owned and/or controlled by said prospective Registrant prior to registering said digital identity.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

e) means for selling and registering said domain name, if available, to said prospective Registrant.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

e) means for validating said registration information from said prospective Registrant prior to registering said digital identity.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said means for confirming comprises means for searching WHOIS records.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said Digital Identity Database and said Records Database are maintained by a Digital Identity Provider.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said Digital Identity Provider comprises a domain name Registrar.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said Digital Identity Provider comprises a domain name Registry.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said Digital Identity Provider comprises a Reseller of a domain name Registrar.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said website is operated by a Digital Identity Provider.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said Digital Identity Provider comprises a domain name Registrar.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said Digital Identity Provider comprises a domain name Registry.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said Digital Identity Provider comprises a Reseller of a domain name Registrar.

19. The system of claim 9, further comprising;

f) means for providing, if validated, a Validation Marker to said prospective Registrant.

20. A digital identity registration system, comprising:

a) a website hosted on at least one server computer communicatively coupled to a computer network, said website having one or more fields for receiving at least one digital identity and/or at least one registration-related information from a prospective Registrant;

b) a Digital Identity Database on at least one of said at least one server computer storing a plurality of registered digital identities;

c) a Records Database on at least one of said at least one server computer storing at least one registration-related record for said plurality of registered digital identities;

d) a search engine running on at least one of said at least one server computer, said search engine being configured to search said Digital Identity Database for the availability of said at least one digital identity; and

e) a digital identity registration software running on at least one of said at least one server computer, said digital identity registration software being configured to register said at least one digital identity, if available, to said Registrant by adding said at least one registration-related information to said Records Database and adding said digital identity to said Digital Identity Database.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said requested digital identity comprises a domain name.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

f) means for confirming said domain name is owned and/or controlled by said

Registrant.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said Digital Identity Database is maintained by a Digital Identity Provider.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said Digital Identity Provider comprises a domain name Registrar.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said Digital Identity Provider comprises a domain name Registry.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein said Digital Identity Provider comprises a Reseller of a domain name Registrar.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein said Digital Identity Provider is not a domain name Registry, Registrar, or Reseller.

28. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

g) means for validating said registration-related information from said Registrant prior to registering said requested digital identity.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said means for confirming said domain name is owned or controlled by said Registrant comprises means for searching WHOIS records.

30. A digital identity registration process, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving, by at least one server computer communicatively coupled to a computer network, a request to register a digital identity, said digital identity, and one or more registration information from a prospective Registrant;

b) determining, by at least one of said at least one server computer, the availability of said digital identity by searching a Digital Identity Database communicatively coupled to said computer network for the availability of said digital identity, said Digital Identity Database comprising a plurality of registered digital identities; and

c) registering, by at least one of said at least one server computer, said digital identity, if available, to said prospective Registrant.

31. The process of claim 30, wherein said receiving step comprises receiving said request to register a digital identity, said digital identity, and said one or more registration information from said prospective Registrant via a website communicatively coupled to said computer network.

32. The process of claim 30, wherein said registering step comprises adding said one or more registration information to a Records Database and adding said digital identity to said Digital Identity Database.

33. The process of claim 32, wherein said digital identity comprises a domain name.

34. The process of claim 33, further comprising the step of:

d) confirming said domain name is owned and/or controlled by said prospective Registrant prior to registering said digital identity.

35. The process of claim 34, further comprising the step of:

e) selling and registering said domain name, if available, to said prospective Registrant.

36. The process of claim 34, further comprising the step of:

e) validating said one or more registration information from said prospective Registrant prior to registering said digital identity.

37. The process of claim 34, wherein confirming said domain name is owned and/or controlled by said prospective Registrant comprises searching WHOIS records.

38. The process of claim 34, wherein said Digital Identity Database is maintained by a Digital Identity Provider.

39. The process of claim 38, wherein said Digital Identity Provider comprises a domain name Registrar.

40. The process of claim 38, wherein said Digital Identity Provider comprises a domain name Registry.

41. The process of claim 38, wherein said Digital Identity Provider comprises a Reseller of a domain name Registrar.

42. The process of claim 34, wherein confirming said domain name is owned and/or controlled by said prospective Registrant comprises utilizing a lookup service.

43. The process of claim 30, further comprising the step of:

d) prior to step c) suggesting, by at least one of said at least one server computer, at least one alternate digital identity.

44. The process of claim 43, further comprising the step of:

e) registering, by at least one of said at least one server computer, said alternate digital identity, if selected, to said prospective Registrant.

45. The process of claim 30, wherein said digital identity is a client software-based digital identity.

46. The process of claim 30, wherein said digital identity is a URL-based digital identity.