System and method for identifying content service within content server

• US 7,873,705 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flash Networks, Ltd. (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Flash Networks, Ltd. (Constellation Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kalish, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava; Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jakovac; Ryan J
• Application Number:
  US10/799,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20050204035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,503 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

The present invention discloses a new method for identifying current content service visited by a mobile device user within a content server through a cellular network. According to this method the received content from the content provider server is parsed for identifying embedded hyperlinks and respective link titles. The parsed content is analyzed for identifying chosen hyperlinks of previous received content, recording thereof and identifying mobile device location within content server site according to the sequence of at least two successive hyperlinks titles.

Claims

1. A method for determining the activation of proxy server services user who is using at least one cellular network to visit content accessed by various hyperlinks that are associated with a content server, through at least one proxy server, the contextual location relating to a communication link currently used by the mobile device user, the method being executed by the at least one proxy server, the method comprising:

configuring proxy services actions by defining for each service a sequences of hyperlinks titles of the content server which correspond to contextual location within the content server, wherein said defining is preformed by the proxy server operator;

receiving, from the content server and through the at least one proxy server, user visited content that includes embedded hyperlinks that are each associated with a corresponding title and a corresponding target uniform resource locator (URL), wherein each title is presented to the user over a webpage having a different URL than the target URL;

parsing the received content, extracting the embedded hyperlinks and their corresponding titles and target URLs, and storing the hyperlinks, each title being associated with a respective target URL, wherein each target URL is a dynamic URL comprising periodically changing code numbers identifiable, in real-time, only by the content server;

upon receiving a subsequent URL request, extracting a corresponding hyperlink title from a previously stored hyperlink based on the subsequently requested target URL;

creating a short term user surfing course comprising a sequence of hyperlink titles and a corresponding target URLs sequence; and

identifying the contextual location of mobile device user within the content server by

(i) comparing the sequence of user selected hyperlink titles of the short term user surfing course with a plurality of predefined sequences of titles stored in a database wherein the predefined sequences of titles were defined by the proxy operator, and

(ii) identifying at least partial selected sequence which is similar to hyperlinks titles sequence in the database, wherein each hyperlinks titles sequence in the database is associated with a corresponding contextual location,

determining the activation at least one proxy server service, wherein the activation of the service is based on the identified contextual location of the user,

wherein;

the receiving, the parsing, the identifying, and the comparing are performed by at least one computer throughout the user surfing session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy server services include accessing control utilities enabling access restriction to specific content according to content location as defined by the hyperlinks title sequence corresponding to access restrictions defined by the proxy operator.

3. The method of claim 1 the proxy server services include caching utilities enabling to identify cached content by the proxy server according the identified content location.

4. The method of claim 1 the proxy server services include billing applications by applying billing rules by the proxy server in accordance with the identified content location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the location within the content server site is arranged for data retrieval services comprising retrieving required data from respective data source according to the identified location within the content server site.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the content to fit user mobile device specifications wherein the identification of the location within the content server site is arranged for selecting content processing before delivery to the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the location within the content server site is arranged for sampling the usage of the location and providing usage statistical analysis.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the sequence of hyperlink titles to the user for enabling the identification of previously visited content services.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the service identification is arranged for tracking users'"'"' activities for billing purposes.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the identification of services by the user is arranged for enabling the user to return to the services.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the service identification module functionality is implemented at least in part within the user device.

12. A system for determining the activation of proxy server services, utilizing at least one cellular network to visit content by accessing various hyperlinks, through at least one proxy server, over a cellular network, said system comprising:

an interface module, a content analysis module;

a tracking module, and an activation module

wherein the interface module is arranged to Configure proxy services actions by defining for each service a sequences of hyperlinks titles of the content server which correspond to contextual location within the content server, wherein said defining is preformed by the proxy server operator;

wherein the content analysis module is arranged to;

receive user visited content from the content server, the content exhibiting embedded hyperlinks each associated with corresponding title and corresponding target uniform resource locator (URL), wherein each title is presented to the user over a webpage having a different URL than the target URL;

parse the received content and extract the embedded hyperlinks and their corresponding titles and dynamic URLs and store the hyperlinks wherein each title is associated with its corresponding target_URL, wherein each target URL is a dynamic URL comprising periodically changing code numbers identifiable, in real-time, only by the content server; and

upon receiving a subsequent URL request, extract corresponding hyperlink title from previously stored hyperlink according to presently received URL based on the subsequently requested target; and

create a short term user surfing course comprising a sequence of user selected hyperlink titles and their corresponding dynamic URLs;

wherein the tracking module is arranged to identify the mobile device user contextual location within content server by comparing the sequence of user selected hyperlink titles of the short term user surfing course with a plurality of predefined sequences of titles stored on a database, wherein the predefined sequences of titles were defined by the proxy operator;

and wherein the activation module is arranged to determine the activation at least one proxy server service, wherein the activation of the service is based on the identified contextual location of the user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the identification of the location within the content server site is arranged for access control utilities enabling access restriction to specific content according to content location as defined by the hyperlinks title sequence.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the identification of location within content server site is arranged for caching utilities enabling to identify cached content according the identified content location.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the identified contextual location within content server site is used for enabling applying billing rules, which take into account the identified location.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the identification of location within content server site is arranged for data retrieval services for retrieving required data from respective data source.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a processing module for adapting the content to user mobile device specifications wherein the identification of the location within the content server site is arranged for selecting the respective content processing to be performed on the content before delivery to the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the identification of the location within the content server site is arranged for sampling the usage of said location and providing usage statistical analysis.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising displaying the sequence of hyperlink titles to the user for identifying previously visited services.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the tracking module is arranged for tracking users'"'"' activities for billing services.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the identification of content location by the user is arranged for enabling the user to return to a predefined content location.

22. The system of claims 12, wherein the content analysis module is implemented within an existing gateway or proxy on the network.