Apparatus, system, and method for communicating to a network through a virtual domain

• US 8,762,498 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DataCloud Technologies, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Darmate Glassworks LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Campbell, Douglas A., Hamor, Alan B., Helton, Mike D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VAN H
• Application Number:
  US13/731,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20130159464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5053 Lease time; Renewal aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention is an apparatus, system and method for communicating to a network through an ad hoc virtual domain. The present invention contains a deceiver, a controller, and a forwarder through which a client communicates through. The deceiver, controller, and forwarder collectively establish the domain in which the ad hoc virtual namespace will exist. This invention allows clients to interact over a network in a fashion that is anonymous and unique to the session which the client is engaging in.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a controller device comprising a processor, a destination internet protocol (IP) address from a plurality of categories for virtual names based on a virtual namespace destination address specified by request data received from a device, wherein a category of the plurality of categories is related to the virtual namespace destination address;

establishing a correlation between the destination IP address and a forwarder IP address of a forwarder device; and

instructing the forwarder device to send the request data to the destination IP address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual namespace destination address comprises a domain name extension.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of categories for virtual names comprises respective human-readable words.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the destination IP address comprises sending, by the controller device, a query to a server device to initiate a name resolution for the virtual namespace destination address.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a name-to-IP-address time-to-live (TTL) parameter of the device, wherein the name-to-IP-address TTL parameter defines a time duration for which the correlation is valid.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a sending of a data packet comprising the forwarder IP address to the device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, from the forwarder device, a request to confirm at least one of a validity of the device or a status of the name-to-IP-address TTL parameter of the device; and

in response to the receiving the request, sending a response to the forwarder device confirming at least one of the validity of the device or the status of the name-to-IP-address TTL parameter of the device.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor, coupled to a memory, configured to execute or facilitate execution of computer-executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

identifying a destination internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to a category, of a plurality of categories for virtual names, related to a virtual namespace destination address represented in a data request from a device;

establishing a correlation between a forwarder IP address of a forwarder device and the destination IP address; and

sending an instruction to the forwarder device to forward the data request to the destination IP address.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the data request comprises a domain name extension as at least a portion of the virtual namespace destination address.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the domain name extension is formatted as human language text.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise querying a server device to facilitate resolving a name for the virtual namespace destination address.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise querying a domain name server to facilitate the identifying the destination IP address.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise establishing a name-to-IP-address time-to-live (TTL) value that defines a time period of validity for the correlation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise initiating a sending, to the forwarder device of confirmation information confirming at least one of a validity of the device or a status of the name-to-IP-address TTL value of the device.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending a data packet comprising the forwarder IP address to the device.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system to perform operations, comprising:

in response to the receiving, from a device, a data request comprising a virtual namespace destination address, selecting a destination internet protocol (IP) address from a plurality of categories for virtual names, wherein a category of the plurality of categories corresponds to the virtual namespace destination address;

establishing a correlation between the destination IP address and a forwarder IP address of a forwarder device; and

instructing the forwarder device to direct the data request to the destination IP address.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise establishing a variable of the device that defines a time period for which the correlation is to remain established.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the forwarder device, a request to confirm at least one of a validity of the device or a status of the name-to-IP-address TTL variable of the device; and

in response to the receiving the request, sending a response to the forwarder device that indicates confirmation of at least one of the validity of the device or the status of the name-to-IP-address TTL variable of the device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the virtual namespace destination address comprises a domain name extension.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the selecting the destination IP address comprises sending a query to a server device to initiate a name resolution for the virtual namespace destination address.