System und method for redirecting users attempting to access a network site

ES 2 243 319 T3

DESCRIPTION

System and procedure for redirecting users trying to access a network destination.

Field of the invention

The present invention relates generally to network redirection, and more particularly to systems and methods for redirecting users from a requested destination on the network to one or more different destinations on the network.

Background of the invention

Through gateway devices or routers, Internet service providers (ISPs) or business network providers (such as local area networks, LANs) can allow a wide variety of users to access their networks and other Online services. In order to take advantage of user access to their computer networks and online services, company networks or their ISPs should be able to redirect users to network destinations such as web pages or personalized portal pages, to which Internet or business service providers would like users to access or view. For example, when a user is at an airport, the service provider at the airport may want to direct the user to the airport information collected on a portal page (for example, information about flight arrivals and departures), to the page of a portal that contains the user's itinerary, or to a web page related to the airport or the city in which the airport is located, to provide the user with an incentive to access the network, even when the user requests another page, such as your company's home page. ISPs, for example, might want users to access the ISP's website to view current and weather news, information related to the user's Internet service, and paid advertisements.

The redirection of web pages has been done before. For example, America Online (AOL) users, when accessing the Internet, are directed to an AOL home page, from which they can select a variety of AOL services, comprising advertisements from various companies. Typically, directing users to such a page benefits ISPs, because advertisers pay the ISP every time a user accesses the Internet, since subscribers are a safe audience for such advertising.

Advertisers pay for such advertising, not only because of the safe audience, but because they can tailor their ads based on the typical audience accessing the Internet. Additionally, AOL may market its services through its home page, and its home page may be attractive to potential subscribers. Directing users to a particular web page or portal page can have an additional function: it can direct users to a portal page, such as a sign-in page, so that the user can type the registration information to be authenticated and have authorized access to the network. In addition, users may want to establish their own specialized page, such as a page that includes their favorite links, a page that links the user to their business, or a page that includes any other element relevant to the user.

However, such redirection of users to web pages has traditionally been based on software installed on a user's computer and / or on the configurations of users' computers in communication with a primary network. For example, when a user computer is appropriately configured to access a primary network, the user computer can be configured to access a particular web page (or home page) on that network. This may be the case, for example, of businesses where users' computers are configured to access an Intranet home page or an Internet page, specific to that company and located on the Internet.

For example, International Publication No. WO 98/12643, entitled, "Procedure and Apparatus for the Creation and Use of Dynamic Universal Resource Locators," published March 26, 1998, in the name of applicant National Systems Corporation, describes the use of a dynamic URL to connect the user to a selected host computer. However, this description is limited to redirecting when the user requests a new URL, and does not provide a system where every request for a web page that the user starts, for example a URL, a request for a domain name, or an address, can be redirected. Specific IP. Additionally, the description of WO 98/12643 requires modification of the normal DNS / URL request query, and therefore the redirection is permanent and not temporary.

In yet another example, European Patent Application No. EP 0 889 418 A2, entitled "Resolution of abstract URLs through a relocation service", published on January 7, 1999, in the name of the applicant Sun MicroSystems, shows a web page server that provides URL abstraction and dynamic URL resolution. However, redirection is limited to a process that uses an abstract URL and requires modification on a web page host server, that is, the user must request the web page server where the resolution of this abstract URL resides. The process does not allow every request that comes from the user to potentially be redirected.

Therefore, procedures and systems that allow users transparent access to a computer network, using a gateway device, would be desirable, in which the computer network can provide access to users and redirect users to network destinations (e.g. For example, web pages or portal pages) established by the user, by the network administrator or by another entity. Furthermore, such redirection should be able to redirect users to a login page, when the system determines that the user does not otherwise have access to online services or networks, so that the user can establish their network access rights.

Summary of the invention

The present invention comprises a method and a system for redirecting users to network destinations, according to claims 1 to 10.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a computer system comprising a gateway device for automatic ship redirection3

ES 2 243 319 T3 computers, from a requested network destination to a different network destination, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the steps that a browser and server must perform in a conventional web page request.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the redirection function of the method and system of the present invention, in accordance with one aspect of the invention.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

The present invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention can, however, be carried out in many different ways and should not be considered limited to the embodiments shown herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the description will be comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The same numbers refer to the same items throughout the text.

Referring to Fig. 1, a computer system 10 for implementing a redirection procedure, in accordance with one of the embodiments of the invention, is illustrated in block diagram form. The computer system 10 comprises a plurality of computers 14, which can communicate with one or more online services 22 or networks, through a gateway device 12, which provides the interface between the computers 14 and the various networks 20 or services in line 22. One embodiment of such a gateway has been described in International Publication No. WO 98/40990 and in US Patent 6636894 (collectively referred to herein as "Gateway Device Applications"). Briefly, the gateway device 12 facilitates the transparent access of the computer to the online services 22 or to the networks 22, so that the computers 14 can access any of the networks through the device 12, regardless of their network configurations. .

Additionally, the gateway device 12 includes the ability to recognize computers attempting to access a network 20, the location of computers attempting to access the network, the identity of users attempting to access the network, and other additional features, such as as discussed in the "Gateway Device Applications".

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the computer system 10 also includes an access concentrator 16, located between the computers 14 and the gateway device 12, for multiplexing the signals received from a plurality of computers in a connection to the gateway device. 12. Depending on the means by which the computers 14 connect to the access concentrator, the access concentrator 16 can be configured in different ways. For example, the access concentrator may be a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM), for signals transmitted over normal telephone lines, a cable terminal (a cable modem terminal (CMTS)), for signals transmitted over coaxial cables, a wireless access (WAP) for signals transmitted over a wireless network, an Ethernet switch, or the like.

The computer system 10 further comprises one or more routers 18 and / or servers (not shown in Fig. 1), to control and direct the traffic to and from a plurality of computer networks 20 or other online services 22. Although the computer system 10 is shown with a single router, it may have a plurality of routers, connectors, switches, or the like, arranged in some hierarchical fashion to appropriately direct traffic to and from the various networks 20 or online services 22. To this In this regard, the gateway device 12 typically establishes a connection with one or more routers. The routers, in turn, establish connections to the servers of the networks 20 or the online services 22, based on the user's selection. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the devices illustrated in Fig. 1 can be combined. For example, although not shown, the router 18 may be located entirely within the gateway device 12. In addition, additional elements may be included in the computer system 10, such as network elements known to those of skill in the art.

As described in the "Gateway Device Applications", the gateway device 12 is specifically designed to tailor the configuration of each computer 14 that connects to the computer system 10, so that it is transparent to the user and to computer networks 20 or to users. online services 22. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the computer system 10 employs a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service, a protocol well known to those skilled in the art, and commonly implemented in numerous computer networks. In DHCP networks, an IP address is assigned to an individual computer of the plurality of computers 14, when the computer accesses the computer network through communication with the gateway device 12. The DHCP service can be provided by an external DHCP server 24, or it can be provided by an internal DHCP server, located on the gateway device.

To enable a computer user to communicate transparently with the computer network 20 or with online services 22, the gateway device 12 must be able to communicate with the user's computer, as well as with the various online services 22 or with networks 20. To support this communication, the gateway device 12 generally performs a packet translation function, which is transparent to both the user and the network. In this sense, for outbound traffic from a computer to a network or an online service, the gateway device changes the attributes of the packet that comes from the user, such as the source address, the checksum or the parameters. specific to the application, to meet the criteria of the network to which the user has accessed. Additionally, the outgoing packet includes an attribute that will direct all incoming packets from the network accessed through the gateway device. In contrast, the incoming traffic from the computer network or from another online service that has been directed through the gateway device, undergoes a translation function in the gateway device, so that the packets are properly formatted for the computer. user's host. In this way, the packet translation process that takes place in the gateway device 12 is transparent to the computer3

ES 2 243 319 T3 host, which appears to send and receive data directly from the computer network that has been accessed. It will be appreciated that the ability to intercept data, and the ability to interface with user computers and networks, are essential to the redirection method of the present invention, as described in detail below.

In conventional network access systems, a user typically communicates with a network through the use of a browser, which the user also uses to request a particular network destination. For example, when accessing the Internet through an ISP, a user can type a specific URL or web address into the browser, which then accesses a particular web page for the user. This is carried out in four stages, illustrated in Fig.

two. First, after the user requests a particular web page (block 30), the browser sends a transmission control protocol (TCP) request to the origin server, which is the location of the requested page (for example , www.yahoo.com). TCP requests are well known to those of skill in the art, and may be referred to in this document from here on as web page requests. Next, the browser receives an acknowledgment response from the origin server that the request for the web page has been received (block 32). Third, after the browser receives the acknowledgment response, the browser then sends an HTTP request to receive the web page. Finally, after receiving the HTTP request, the web page will send the web page material to the browser (block 32), which receives the web page (block 38).

The systems and procedures of the present invention interrupt this conventional process to redirect the user to a destination different from that requested by the user. This is done by a gateway device, as described above, or similar hardware, which is interposed between the user's computer and network destinations, to allow access to the network. This hardware must include one or more processors and network interface devices, to intercept data transmitted from computers to networks, process and manipulate the data, forward the data to the desired network destinations, and vice versa. Thus, while a gateway device will be employed in this document to illustrate the redirection capabilities of the systems and methods of the present invention, it will be appreciated that any hardware that plays an intermediary role between computers and networks can implement the present invention.

User redirection can be done by the entity that maintains such hardware, such as an ISP, or by an entity that maintains a local network. For example, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, the redirection method of the present invention may first direct a user to a login page, and require the user to type in a login name. and a key, so that the ISP or other entity that maintains the gateway device 12 can identify the user. This can occur when the gateway device or other similar authentication device, such as an AAA server described in the "Gateway Device Applications", is unable to identify and / or determine the access rights of the source requesting the access. access. Alternatively, the user may be redirected to a particular network destination (for example, to an Internet web page), or to a portal page established by the entity that redirects the user.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the redirection of users is performed by a home page redirection (HPR) process, performed by the gateway device 12, or by a redirection unit 28 in communication with the gateway device. 12, and internal or external to it. Although the redirection unit 28 can be used to implement the redirection function, reference will be made in this document to the gateway device only, for brevity. A redirection function according to one aspect of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 3.

To carry out the redirection of a user to a portal page, the gateway device 12 intercepts the original request for a web page sent by the user's browser to the origin server (the destination requested by the user) (blocks 40 , 42), and records the identity of the origin server. After intercepting the request, the gateway device 12 modifies the request (block 42), so that the request is sent to a redirection server, which is a temporary server located internally or externally to the redirecting device 12. After receiving the redirected web page request (block 42), the redirection server sends a response (block 44), through the gateway device (block 46), to the user's browser. The gateway device 12 intercepts the response and redirect from the redirect server, and modifies the response so that the response appears to come from the origin server. Specifically, the gateway device 12 can modify the IP header in the response, to indicate that the gateway device is the web page required by the user (block 46). The response from the redirect server indicates that the redirect server is the requested web page. The response additionally comprises instructions that redirect the browser to the portal page, and an autorefresh message. After the user's browser receives the redirected message (block 48), the browser will initiate a download request from the portal page (block 48), which is received by the portal page (block 52). The portal page then sends (block 52) the portal page to the user's browser (block 54).

As a result of the translation and redirection of this address content, which can be fully implemented on the gateway device, when the browser receives a response to the user's web page request, it does not appreciate that the requested web page was never retrieved. Therefore, the role of the gateway device is transparent to the browser.

According to one aspect of the invention, the content of the redirect server protocol is intended to be a destination typed by the user, long enough to complete a connection or "presentation", after which the content of the protocol directs the user to the server. from por4

ES 2 243 319 T3 such that it can be located in the gateway device, to facilitate a higher communication speed. This redirection to the portal server can be carried out by redirecting only web pages, rather than all traffic, including emails, FTPs, or any other traffic. Therefore, once authorized, if a user does not try to access a web page through their Internet browser, the gateway device can transparently forward the communication to the user's destination request, without requiring that the user access the portal page.

According to another aspect, when a destination requested from a network is entered, the user can be redirected to a particular page of a portal, based on the identity of the user, on his computer, on his location, or on one or more different attributes. , as described in detail in the “Gateway Device Applications”. For example, if a user is not recognized according to the AAA process, the user can be redirected using the procedure described above to a page in a portal, such as a sign-in page established to validate new users or to allow that users acquire access to the network. The check-in page allows new users to subscribe to the computer network, so that they can subsequently gain access to networks or online services, in a transparent way, through the gateway device. Thus, new users can gain access to networks or online services without being predefined in any kind of user database, such as a RADIUS database.

From here, the redirection unit 28 can forward the user to the destination requested by the user, or can direct him to a different page, depending on the design of the system. This redirection can be permanent, in such a way that the user is directed to a specific destination and cannot access other destinations, or it can be temporary, in such a way that the user is forced to a specific destination, after which the user can access any destination. Furthermore, after being redirected to a portal page, some kind of action may be required of the user before they are directed to their desired destination, such as providing information in response to a request.

By redirecting the user to the portal page through the redirection unit, the gateway administrator or the network operator has the opportunity to present the user with up-to-date information associated with the network or with the user's location. This is particularly useful when redirection is implemented through a network device on a local network, such as a corporate, hotel, or airport network. By way of example, the portal page may provide links to a corporate home page, an Internet travel site, an Internet search engine, or a network provider's home page. Additionally, the buttons or any other field on the portal page may include other types of information options, such as advertising fields, user-specific links or fields based on data found in the user's profile or that have been typed by the user. Username.

It will be appreciated that the portal page is not limited to providing information related to the user's billing and service plans. It is also possible to configure the portal page to include personalized information for the user or the site / location from which the user is located remotely, when the gateway device has the ability to identify such information. For example, the user may be in a hotel in order to attend a specific congress or conference, either in the same hotel or in its vicinity. The gateway device 12 may have "learned" this information about the user through an initial sign-in profile questionnaire, or the administrator of the paths may have incorporated this information into a database. Thus, the gateway device can be configured to recognize the user and customize or adapt the portal page accordingly. In the hotel scenario, the portal page may include a link to the congress or conference services offered by the hotel. The gateway device may store source profile information in a user-specific database, such as a RADIUS database, or it may store and retrieve data from external databases.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the redirection function of the system and method of the present invention can be used to redirect the user to a destination at any time the user types a destination request. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to redirecting the user to a particular destination or portal page from the user's initial attempt to access a secondary network, or to destinations through the secondary network. Therefore, when a user accesses the Internet through the gateway device, the present invention can monitor each packet transmitted from the user's computer and perform a redirection function when desired. For example, a user can browse the Internet without limitation until the user tries to access the website of a particular car manufacturer. From here, the system and method of the present invention could automatically direct the user to the website of another manufacturer, using the redirection capability of the present invention. An advertisement from a particular manufacturer may be presented to the user, before being sent to the requested address. According to a further aspect of the invention, the user's browser or his computer can be redirected to receive an advertisement on the screen or a window during the forwarding of the user to the requested address, periodically, or after the user has already you have gained access to the requested destination.

In another example of location-specific portal page data, the user may be remotely accessing the gateway device while at a particular airport terminal. The gateway device will be configured so that it is capable of providing immediate access to information related to that specific airport terminal, that is, information associated with the flights scheduled at that time leaving and arriving at the terminal, about the services of sales offered in that specific terminal, etc. In this way, the portal page can include a link for specific information on ter5 flights

ES 2 243 319 T3 terminal and / or terminal specific sales services available to the user.

It will also be appreciated that the HPR can be configured such that the portal page redirect unit 28 redirects a user to a portal page, based on specific default events, such as a pause, or in accordance with a preset time. For example, the portal page can act as a screen saver, when the user is redirected to a portal page after a given period of inactivity. These roles can be set by the ISP or by the company's network administrator.

The personalization of the information included in the portal page is not limited to the administrator of the gateway or the network operator. The user may also be able to customize the information that is provided on the portal page. Personalization by the user can be done either directly by the user, by configuring the portal page manually, or indirectly from the gateway device, which configures the portal page in response to data found in the user's specific profile. In the manual implementation, the user can be asked to select what information or type of information he would like to be provided on the portal page, for that specific network session. For example, the user may require an alarm clock counter to ensure that he arrives at an appointment, or he may require periodic updates of the price of a specific stock. The information that the user personalizes for the portal page can be specific to the network session, can be associated with the duration of a subscription to a path, or can be stored in a source profile for an indefinite period of time. The gateway device's ability to communicate with numerous user databases provides the basis for storing specific user profiles for extended periods of time.

Numerous modifications and other embodiments of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art, for whom this invention has the advantage of the explanations presented in the preceding descriptions and in the associated drawings. Thus, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments shown, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms have been used in this document, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, not intended to be limiting.