US 7,406,708 B2 · System and method for serving content over a wide area network

Abstract

A system and method is provided for using a DNS server operating on a wide area network to enable an authorized reception device to receive (or be provided with) restricted content data associated with a particular wide area network address and redefine the domain name associated with a particular wide area network address. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an authorization application is adapted to provide the reception device with user-verification data, receive from the reception device verification data, and provide the filtering application with authorization data. The filtering application, which operates similarly to prior art DNS server systems, is further adapted to receive filtered data (i.e., password-required data and/or pseudo-domain-name data) and authorization data in order to provide an IP address of the content server to the reception device via a wide area network, such as the Internet.

Claims35

Dependent claims

A method for controlling access to IP addresses for content using a domain name system, comprising the steps of:

receiving requests for content at a name server from a plurality of network devices, wherein the name server is configured to receive requests for content from the plurality of network devices via a wide area network and is operably associated with a first memory holding a domain name table, the domain name table listing IP addresses for network content servers in association with domain names and with device identifiers for the network devices, and wherein each request for content comprises a domain name and a device identifier;
determining, for ones of the requests for content, using the domain name table, corresponding ones of authorized network addresses each associated with a device identifier and a requested domain name in the domain name table, for each request in which the device identifier in the domain name table matches a device identifier included in the request, wherein the authorized network addresses comprise IP addresses;
and
responding to the requests for content by providing the authorized network addresses to requesting ones of the plurality of network devices.

1 more element

A system for directing access to content over a wide area network, comprising:

a name server configured to receive requests for content from a plurality of network devices via a wide area network, wherein the name server is operably associated with a first memory holding a domain name table, and wherein the domain name table associates P addresses for network content servers with domain names and device identifiers, the name server comprising instructions operable for:
receiving requests for content at a name server from a plurality of network devices, wherein each request for content comprises a domain name and a device identifier;
determining, for ones of the requests for content, using the domain name table, corresponding ones of authorized network addresses each associated with a device identifier and a domain name in the domain name table, for each request in which the device identifier in the domain name table matches a device identifier included in the request, wherein the authorized network addresses comprise IP addresses;
and
responding to the requests for content by providing the authorized network addresses to requesting ones of the plurality of network devices.

2 more elements

A computer-readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a signal processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving requests for content at a name server from a plurality of network devices, wherein the name server is configured to receive requests for content from the plurality of network devices via a wide area network and is operably associated with a first memory holding a domain name table, the domain name table listing IP addresses for network content servers in association with domain names and with device identifiers for the network devices, and wherein each request for content comprises a domain name and a device identifier;
determining, for ones of the requests for content, using the domain name table, corresponding ones of authorized network addresses each associated with a device identifier and a requested domain name in the domain name table, for each request in which the device identifier in the domain name table matches a device identifier included in the request, wherein the authorized network addresses comprise IP addresses;
and
responding to the requests for content by providing the authorized network addresses to requesting ones of the plurality of network devices.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for serving content over a wide area network

Life of this patent

System and method for serving content over a wide area network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims35