# US 2013/0254902 A1 · Content restriction compliance using reverse dns lookup > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0254902 A1 - Document ID: US20130254902A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/893,222 - Filed: 2013-05-13 - Published: 2013-09-26 - Earliest claimed: 2007-12-21 - Inventors: Gary Stephen Shuster - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130254902A1 ## CPC - H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)} - H04L 61/4511: using domain name system [DNS] - H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources} - H04L 63/105: {Multiple levels of security} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method for alerting Internet content providers of the age or other personal information of a computer user, which includes receiving a reverse DNS lookup query from an Internet content provider; and providing the age information of the computer user, in addition to a host name, from a reverse map zone file in response to the request. The personal information may be used by the content provider to select appropriate content for the requesting host, for example for complying with content restrictions. A system of alerting an Internet content provider of the age or other personal information of a computer user is also provided. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-13. (canceled) ### Claim 14 A method for conditionally providing content over a computer network, comprising: in response to receiving a content request from a client, determining an IP address for the client at a host server; providing a query from the host server to a reverse DNS lookup server seeking information from a DNS zone file, the query comprising the IP address; and permitting the content to be transmitted to the client only if the information from the DNS zone file indicates that the client is not ineligible to receive the content, thereby transforming user input causing the content request to be generated into an output conditioned on the information recorded in the DNS zone file. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the information from the DNS zone file comprises an indicator of a person's age, and wherein the content comprises age-restricted content. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the information from the DNS zone file comprises an indicator of a person's geographic location, and wherein the content comprises region-restricted content. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising causing a message to be transmitted to the client if the information from the DNS file does not indicate that the client is eligible to receive the content, the message informing that the content will not be provide to the client. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting the message including an invitation to the client to provide personal authentication information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising permitting the content to be transmitted to the client only if the information from the DNS zone file indicates that the client is eligible to receive the content. ### Claim 20 A computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for conditionally providing content over a computer network: instructions to determine an IP address for a client at a host server, in response to receiving a content request from a client; instructions to provide a query from the host server to a reverse DNS lookup server seeking information from zone file, the query comprising the IP address, in response to receiving the content request; and instructions permitting the content to be transmitted to the client only if the information from the DNS zone file indicates that the client is not ineligible to receive the content. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions to interpret the information from the DNS zone file as an indicator of a person's age. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions to interpret the information from the DNS zone file as an indicator of a person's geographic location. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions to cause a message to be transmitted to the client if the information from the DNS file does not indicate that the client is eligible to receive the content, the message informing that the content will not be provide to the client. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions to cause the content to be transmitted to the client only if the information from the DNS zone file indicates that the client is eligible to receive the content. ### Claim 25 A method for configuring a zone file of a DNS system to encode data for determining eligibility of a network node to receive requested content, the method comprising: maintaining a network connection for a node having a defined network address; determining at least one user parameter indicating eligibility to receive content at the network address via the network connection; and encoding the at least one user parameter in a zone file for the network address. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one user parameter comprises geographic location information for hardware communicating via the network address. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, further comprising authenticating an identity of a person communicating with the server via the network address. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, further comprising requesting the at least one user parameter for determining eligibility to receive content from the person via the network connection. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one user parameter comprises age information for one or more persons with access to the server via the node. ### Claim 30 A computer-readable medium, comprising instructions for configuring a zone file of a DNS system to encode data for determining eligibility of a network node to receive requested content, comprising: instructions to maintain a network connection for a node having a defined network address; instructions to determine at least one user parameter indicating eligibility to receive content at the network address via the network connection; and instructions to encode the at least one user parameter in a zone file for the network address. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising instructions to encode the at least one user parameter comprising geographic location information for hardware communicating via the network address. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising instructions to authenticate an identity of a person communicating with the server via the network address. ### Claim 33 (depends on 33) The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising instructions to request the at least one user parameter for determining eligibility to receive content from the person via the network connection. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising instructions to encode the at least one user parameter comprising age information for one or more persons with access to the server via the node.