`Kirsch
`
`USOO575 1956A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[451 Date of Patent:
`
`5,75 1,956
`May 12, 1998
`
`[54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
`REDIRECTION 0F SERVER EXTERNAL
`HYPER-LINK REFERENCES
`
`[75] Inventor: Steven T. Kirsch, Los Altos. Calif.
`
`[73] Assignee: Infoseek Corporation. Sunnyvale,
`Calif.
`
`[21] Appl. N0.: 604,468
`[22] Filed:
`Feb. 21, 1996
`
`[51] Int. Cl.6 ..................................................... .. H04Q 9/00
`[52] US. Cl. ................ ..
`395/200.33; 395/329
`[58] Field of Search ................................... .. 395/329, 335,
`395/20033, 200.47, 200.49, 762, 774, 615
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`5,572,643 11/1996 Judson .................................. .. 395/793
`5,640,193
`6/1997 Wellner ..................................... .. 348/7
`
`Primary Examiner—E1lis B. Ramirez
`Assistant Examiner-Thomas Peeso
`
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Fliesler, Dubb. Meyer &
`L0vejoy,LLP
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A Web server computer system provides for server based
`controlled management over a client reference to a resource
`locator independently selected by a client computer system
`and referencing a server external Web server. The Web
`server system provides a client system with a predetermined
`URL reference to the Web server system encoded with,
`predetermined redirection and accounting data including a
`reference to a second server system On receipt by the ?rst
`Web server system of the predetermined URL reference
`from the client system, the predetermined redirection and
`accounting data is decoded from the predetermined URL and
`processed by the Web server system to provide the client
`system with a redirection message including the reference to
`the second server system. The accounting data is processed
`by the Web server system and resulting data is selectively
`stored by the Web server system.
`
`18 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets
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`22 1
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`<——_—T——$ Interface
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`Network
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`20
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`CPU
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`Q
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`Network
`Operating
`System
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`g
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`'
`32
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1014, p. 1
`
`
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`US. Patent
`
`May 12, 1998
`
`Sheet 1 of 2
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`5,751,956
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`Fig.‘ 1
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`10/\
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`4:
`Console K18
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`INTERNET
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`L1;
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`Client
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`- 12
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`Server
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`_1__6_
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`221
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`HTTPd
`Server
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`21> Network
`<2; Interface
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`20
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`CPU
`E
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`m
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`Network <2:
`Operating
`System
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`2_8
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`_, V
`Data Files
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`3-2
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`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1014, p. 2
`
`
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`US. Patent
`
`May 12, 1998
`
`Sheet 2 of 2
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`5,751,956
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`Fig. 3
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`40
`
`Valid
`Redirection
`Request?
`
`52
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`Issue Access
`Denied
`Message
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`48
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`Client
`Request
`Received
`
`Redirect
`Request?
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`alid Access to
`Web Page’?
`
`Serve Web
`Page
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`5o
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`Receive URL
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`Parse for
`R d.
`1
`8 ‘rec
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`Update
`Database
`Record
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`62
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`604/
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`Special
`Redirect?
`
`Issue
`Response
`Message
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`68
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`Fig. 4
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`Process
`Accounting
`Data
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`K
`54
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`Process
`Redirection
`Data
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`K
`56
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`issue
`Redirection
`Message
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`58
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`Issue
`Redirection
`Message
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`58
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`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1014, p. 3
`
`
`
`5,751,956
`
`1
`METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
`REDIRECTION OF SERVER EXTERNAL
`HYPER-LINK REFERENCES
`
`2
`explicitly named data ?le constructed in accordance with the
`hypertext mark up language (HTML). This data ?le or web
`page is returned in one or more response phase HTTP
`messages by the server. generally for display by the client
`browser. Additional embedded image references may be
`identi?ed in the returned web page resulting in the client
`browser initiating subsequent HTML transactions to retrieve
`typically embedded graphics ?les. A fully reconstructed web
`page image is then presented by the browser through the
`browser’s graphical user interface.
`Due to the completely distributed client/server architec
`ture of the Web, as made possible by the URL system further
`supported by the existing Internet name resolution services
`and routing conventions. HTTP servers can be indepen
`dently established with little di?iculty. Consequently. the
`Web has no centrally or even regionally enforced organiza
`tion other than loosely by name of the top level domain.
`Searching for information or other resources provided by
`individual HTTP servers is therefore problematic almost by
`de?nition. Because of the time, cost and complexity of
`assembling comprehensive, yet e?iciently searchable data
`bases of web information and resources, commercial Inter
`net Business Services (IBS) have been established to pro
`vide typically fee based or advertising revenue supported
`search engine services that operate against compilations of
`the information and resources available via the Web corre
`lated to source URLs. Access to such search engines is
`usually provided through server local web pages served by
`the Internet Business Services. The results of a search are
`served in the form of local Web pages with appropriate
`embedded remote or hyper-linked URLs dynamically con
`structed by the server of the Internet Business Service.
`Because of the opportunity presented by the likely
`repeated client access and retrieval of search engine and
`search result web pages, providers of other Internet based
`services have begun to actively place advertisements on
`these web pages. As is typical in advertising mediums, the
`frequency of display of an advertisement generally de?nes
`the compensation paid to the advertisement publisher. Thus,
`the number of times that an advertisement is simply trans
`ferred to a client browser provides an indication of how
`effectively the advertisement is being published. A more
`direct measure of the effectiveness of a particular advertise
`ment on a particular web page is the number of times a client
`web browser chooses to actively pursue the URL repre
`sented by the advertisement. Thus, there is a need to be able
`to track information obtainable from a client browser when
`a hyper-linked advertiser’s URL is selected.
`The di?iculty in obtaining direct reference information
`arises from the fact that a web page with an embedded
`advertisement and corresponding remote URL is served in
`its entirety to the client browser upon ?rst reference to the
`web page. The selection of a particular advertiser’s URL is
`then by de?nition performed through an independent trans
`action directed to the H'I'I'Pd server associated with the
`advertiser. Since the advertiser publishing HTTPd server is
`not part of this subsequent transaction, the publishing server
`is conventionally incapable of tracking client browser hyper
`links actually executed to an advertiser’s URL or any other
`URLs embedded in a web page previously served to the
`client browser.
`Simple web page access counters are relatively well
`known and used throughout the Web. These access counters
`are based on a common gateway interface (CGI) facility
`supported by modern H'I'I'Pd server systems The CGI
`facility permits generally small programs, at least typically
`in terms of function, to be executed by a server in response
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`The present application is related to the following
`Application. assigned to the Assignee of the present Appli
`cation:
`1) IMPROVED WEB SCAN PROCESS, invented by
`Kirsch, [Attorney Docket Number: INFS1003DEL/
`GBR], application Ser. No. 08/604,584. ?led on Feb.
`21, 1996 concurrently herewith and;
`2) SECURE, CONVENIENT AND EFFICIENT SYS
`TEM AND METHOD OF PERFORMING TRANS
`INTERNET PURCHASE TRANSACTIONS invented
`by Kirsch, [Attorney Docket Number: INFS 1005DEIJ
`GBR]. application Ser. No. 08/604,506, ?led concur
`rently herewith.
`
`15
`
`20
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`The present invention is generally related to the control of
`network information server systems supporting World Wide
`Web based data pages and, in particular, to a server system
`and process for e?iciently redirecting external server hyper
`link references for purposes of controlling, moderating. and
`accounting for such references.
`2. Description of the Related Art
`The recent substantial growth and use of the internation
`ally connected network generally known as the Internet has
`largely been due to widespread support of the hypertext
`transfer protocol (HTTP). This protocol permits client sys
`tems connected through Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to
`access independent and geographically scattered server sys
`tems also connected to the Internet. Client side browsers,
`such as Netscape Mozilla and Navigator (Netscape Com
`munications Corp.) and NCSA Mosaic, provide ef?cient
`graphical user interface based client applications that imple
`ment the client side portion of the HTTP protocol
`Server side application programs, generically referred to
`as H'I'I‘Pd servers, implement the server side portion of the
`HTTP protocol. HTTP server applications are available both
`commercially, from companies such as Netscape, and as
`copyrighted freeware available in source code form from
`NCSA.
`The distributed system of communication and informa
`tion transfer made possible by the HTTP protocol is com
`monly known as the World Wide Web (WWW or W3) or as
`simply “the Web.” From a client side user interface
`perspective, a system of uniform resource locators (URLs)
`is used to direct the operation of a web browser in estab
`lishing atomic transactional communication sessions with
`designated web server computer systems. In general, each
`URL is of the basic form:
`
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`httpJl<server_name>.<sub-domain.top_level-domain>l<path>
`
`The server_name is typically “WWW” and the sub_
`domain.top-level_domain is a standard Internet domain
`reference. The path is an optional additional URL quali?er.
`Speci?cation by user selection of a URL on the client side
`results in a transaction being established in which the client
`sends the server an HTTP message referencing a default or
`
`65
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1014, p. 4
`
`
`
`5,751,956
`
`3
`to a client URL request. That is, the HTML web page
`de?nition provides for the embedding of a speci?c HTML
`reference that will specify execution of a server side CGI
`program as part of the process of the web browser recon
`structing an image of a served web page. Such a HTML
`reference is typically of the form:
`<img src=“http://www.target.com/cgi~bin/cou.nt.cgi”>
`
`4
`potential security problem. In particular, the access and
`execute permissions of interpreted scripts must be carefully
`managed and monitored to prevent any unauthorized script
`from being executed that could. in turn. compromise the
`integrity of the data being collected if not the fundamental
`integrity of the server computer system itself. Consequently.
`lmown access counters provide no solution directly in full or
`in part to the need to account or audit URL references to
`external servers based on hyper-links from previously
`served web pages.
`The HTTP protocol itself provides for a basic server based
`system of URL redirection for servers and clients supporting
`the 1.5 or later versions of the HTTP protocol. A con?gur
`ration ?le associated with an HTTP server (typically
`srm.conf) can specify a redirect directive that effectively
`maps a server local directory URL reference to an external
`URL reference through the use of a con?guration directive
`of the form:
`
`Redirect ld'rrl httpzllnewservenwidgetcomldirl
`
`25
`
`Thus, a counter value incremented with each discrete execu
`tion of the CGI program (count.cgi) dynamically provides
`part of the displayable image of the reconstructed web page.
`The time, remote client requester. client domain. client
`browser type and other information that may be known
`through the operation of the HTTP protocol may be logged
`as part of the CGI program’s function. Consequently, a
`reasonable manner of accounting and auditing for‘certain
`web page accesses exists.
`Access counters. however, fundamentally log only server
`local web page accesses. The client browser to the CGI
`program is evaluated by the client in connection with the
`20
`initial serving of the web page to the client browser. The
`initial serving of the web page to the client browser can be
`connected, but any subsequent selection of a URL that
`provides a hyper-link reference to an external server is not
`observed and therefore is not counted by a CGI program
`based access ‘counter. Other limitations of access counters
`arise from the fact that the implementing CGI program is an
`independently loadable executable. The CGI program must
`be discretely loaded and executed by the server computer
`system in response to each URL reference to the CGI
`program The repeated program loading and execution
`overhead, though potentially small for each individual invo
`cation of the CGI program, can represent a signi?cant if not
`substantial load to the sever computer system. The frequent
`execution of CGI programs is commonly associated with a
`degradation of the effective average access time of the
`HTI'Pd server in responding to client URL requests. Since
`an Internet Business Service providing access to a search
`engine logs millions of requests each day, even small
`reductions in the e?iciency of serving web pages can seri
`ously degrade the cost e?iciency of the Internet Business
`Service. As of December, 1995, InfoSeek Corporation, in
`particular, handles an average of ?ve million retrievals a day.
`The execution overhead associated with CGI programs is
`often rather signi?cant. Many CGI programs are imple
`mented at least in part through the use of an interpreted
`language such as Perl or TCL. Consequently, a substantial
`processing overhead is involved in multiple mass storage
`transfers to load both the interpreter and CGI program
`scripts. to process the scripts through the execution of the
`interpreter, and then actually log whatever useful data is
`generated. typically to persistent mass storage. Finally, the
`interpreter and/or CGI program may have to be unloaded.
`In addition, external CGI programs present a signi?cant
`problem in terms of maintenance. including initial and
`ongoing server con?guration and control, and security in the
`context of a busy server system. Individual CGI programs
`will likely be needed for each independent web page in order
`to separately identify web page service counts. Alternatively.
`a CGI program can be made suf?ciently by complex to be
`able to distinguish the precise manner in which the program
`is called so as to identify a particular web page and log an
`appropriately distinctive access count. Maintenance of such
`CGI programs on a server system where large numbers of
`page accesses are being separately counted is non trivial.
`Further, the existence of external programs, particularly
`of scripts that are interpreted dynamically, represents a
`
`When a Version 1.5 or later HTTP server receives a URL
`reference to a local directory (/dirl) that is speci?ed as above
`for redirection, a redirect message is returned to the client
`browser including a new location in the form of an URL
`(http://newservenwidgetcom/dirl). This redirect URL is
`then used by the client browser as the basis for a conven
`tional client URL request.
`This existing server based redirection function is insu?i
`cient to support external server access tracldng since, in its
`usual form, the redirection is of the entire directory hierar
`chy that shares a common redirected base directory. Even in
`the most restricted form, the redirection is performed on a
`per directory reference basis. Thus. every access to the
`directory, independent of the particular web page or graphics
`image or CGI program that is the speci?c object of an access
`request is nonetheless discretely redirected without distinc
`tion. Any potential use of the existing server redirect func
`tion is therefore exceedingly constrained if not practically
`prohibited by the HTTP protocol de?ned operation of the
`redirect directive.
`Furthermore, the redirect directive capability of the HTTP
`protocol server does not provide for the execution of a CGI
`program or other executable coincident with the perfor
`mance of the redirection thereby essentially precluding any
`action to capture information related to the redirect URL
`request. In addition, the complexity of the resource con?gu
`ration ?le necessary to specify redirection down to a per
`directory con?guration again raises signi?cant
`con?guration, maintenance and, to a lesser degree. security
`issues. Thus, server redirection does not possess even the
`basic capabilities necessary to support external URL hyper
`link reference auditing or accounting.
`Finally, a form of redirection might be accomplished
`though the utilization of a relatively complex CGI program.
`Such a redirection CGI program would likely need to
`perform some form of alternate resource identi?cation as
`necessary to identify a redirection target URL. Assuming
`that a unique target URL can be identi?ed. a redirection
`message can then be returned to a client from the CGI
`program through the HTTP server as necessary to provide a
`redirection URL to the client browser.
`Unfortunately, any such CGI program would embody all
`of the disadvantages associated with even the simplest
`access counter programs Not only would problems of execu
`tion load and latency, as well as con?guration, maintenance
`and security remain. but such an approach to providing
`redirection is inherently vulnerable to access spoo?ng.
`
`45
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`65
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1014, p. 5
`
`
`
`5,751,956
`
`6
`exposure to additional security breaches due to the closed
`form of the protocol while providing substantial security
`against inappropriate URL and protocol references. This is
`accomplished preferably by the inclusion of validation codes
`inside the URL speci?cation.
`
`5
`Access spoo?ng is a problem particular to CGI programs
`arising from the fact that the HTML reference to the CGI
`program may be issued without relation to any particular
`web page. Consequently. any CGI program implementing an
`access counter or other auditing or accounting data collect
`ing program can produce an arti?cially in?ated access count
`from repeated reference to the CGI program HTML state
`ment outside and independent of a proper web page. Access
`spoo?ng inherently undermines the apparent if not actual
`integrity of any data gathered by a CGI program Since. at
`minimum. the ability to insure the accuracy of even a simple
`access count would be of fundamental importance to an
`Internet service advertiser, the use of CGI programs to
`provide even basic accounting or auditing functions is of
`limited practical use. Finally, HTML does not provide a
`tamper-proof way for two URLs to be accessed in sequence
`with just one URL reference buton. such as, for example, a
`server CGI counter URL reference followed by external
`server URL reference.
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`Thus, a general purpose of the present invention is to
`provide a system and method of reliably tracking and
`redirecting hyper-link references to external server systems.
`This is achieved by the present invention through the
`provision of a Web server computer system that provides for
`server based controlled management over a client reference
`to a resource locator that is independently selected by a
`client computer system and that references an external Web
`Server. The Web server system provides a client system with
`a predetermined URL reference to the Web server system,
`encoded with predetermined redirection and accounting data
`including a reference to a second server system. On receipt
`by the ?rst Web server system of the predetermined URL
`reference from the client system, the predetermined redirec
`tion and accounting data is decoded from the predetermined
`URL and processed by the Web server system to provide the
`client system with a redirection message including the
`reference to the second server system. The accounting data
`is processed by the Web server system and resulting data is
`selectively stored by the Web server system.
`Thus. an advantage of the present invention is that URL
`reference data is captured in an expedient manner that
`interposes a minimum latency in returning the ultimately
`referenced web page while imposing minimum visibility of
`the redirection protocol on client users
`Another advantage of the present invention is that inde
`pendent invocations of server external support programs and
`multiple external data references are not required as a
`consequence of the present invention. thereby minimizing
`the CPU and disk intensive load on the web server computer
`system and the resulting latency.
`A further advantage of the present invention is that the
`reference identi?er and redirection directive can both be
`maintained wholly within the URL speci?cation discretely
`provided by a client HTML request Thus, the present
`invention is superior in both ef?ciency and maintenance
`requirements to a CGI counter, or any method that incor
`porates a CGI counter.
`Still another advantage of the present invention is that
`program modi?cations necessary to support the protocol of
`the present invention are implemented entirely at the server
`end of a protocol transaction. Client side participation in the
`transaction is within the existing client side de?ned HTML
`protocol.
`65
`A still further advantage of the present invention is that
`the implementation of the invention introduces minimum
`
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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`These and other advantages and features of the present
`invention will become better understood upon consideration
`of the following detailed description of the invention when
`considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.
`in which like reference numerals designate like parts
`throughout the ?gures thereof. and wherein:
`FIG. 1 provides a schematic representation of client and
`server computer systems internetworked through the Inter
`net;
`FIG. 2 provides a block diagram of a server computer
`system implementing an HTTP daemon (H'I'I'Pd) server in
`accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
`invention;
`FIG. 3 provides a ?ow diagram illustrating the process
`performed by a preferred embodiment of the present inven
`tion in receiving and processing client URL requests; and
`FIG. 4 provides a ?ow diagram illustrating the server side
`processing of special redirect URLs in accordance with
`another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`
`A typical environment 10 utilizing the Internet for net
`work services is shown in FIG. 1. Client computer system 12
`is coupled directly or through an Internet service provider
`(ISP) to the Internet 14. By logical reference via a uniform
`resource locator, a corresponding Internet server system 16,
`18 may be accessed. A generally closed hypertext transfer
`protocol transaction is conducted between a client browser
`application executing on the client system 12 and an H'I'I‘Pd
`server application executing on the server system 16. In a
`preferred embodiment of the present invention. the server
`system 16 represents an Internet Business Service that
`supports or serves web pages that embed hyper-link refer
`ences to other HI'I'Pd server systems coupled to the Internet
`14 and that are at least logically external to the server system
`16.
`A web page served by the server system 16 to the client
`12 embeds a URL reference to a web page served by the
`logically external server system. Selection of this embedded
`URL through the client browser of the client computer
`system 12 results in an HTTP transaction with the server
`system 16 rather than the external server. The information
`stored in the embedded URL ?rst served with the web page
`to client system 12 is thus provided back to the server system
`16 upon selection of the URL even though the apparent
`target of the URL is the external server system. A redirection
`response is then provided by the server system 16 to the
`client system 12 providing the corresponding redirection
`URL.
`As shown in FIG. 2, the server system 16 receives the
`redirection request information via a network connection 20
`to a network interface 22 within the server system 16. The
`network interface 22 is coupled through an internal bus 24
`to a central processing unit (CPU) 26. The CPU 26 executes
`a network operating system 28 in support of the network
`interface 22 and other functional aspects of the server
`system 16. The network operating system 28 supports the
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1014, p. 6
`
`
`
`5,751,956
`
`7
`execution by the CPU 26 of an H'I‘I'Pd server application 30
`that de?nes the responsive operation of the server system 16
`to HTTP requests received via the network 20. Finally, the
`network operating system 28 provides for temporary and
`persistent storage of data in a mass storage device 32
`preferably including a persistent storage media such as
`provided by a conventional hard disk drive.
`In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the
`present invention, the embedded redirection information
`provided as part of a URL H'I'I'Prequest is processed by the
`H'I'I'Pd server 30. Preferably, the processing by the H'I'I'Pd
`server 30 is performed through the execution of the server 30
`itself as opposed to the execution of any external CGI
`programs or the like. The redirection information is pro
`cessed by the execution of the server 30 to identify and
`validate the particular URL reference that provided the
`redirection information and to generate a redirection target
`URL.
`In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an
`embedded URL containing redirection information is for
`matted as follows:
`
`httpzll<direct__server>lredirect?<data>?http:ll<redirect_server>
`
`10
`
`8
`the redirection URL to the server system 16 or those that are
`determined to be obsolete by convention.
`In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the
`validation data encodes a data representation that can be
`used in conjunction with the HTTP protocol to provide
`information regarding the client system 12 that submitted
`the redirection URL and. optionally, the graphics series
`identi?er data, to limit repeated use of the redirection URL
`by the same client system 12 Within a de?ned short period
`of time. Thus, an inappropriate attempt by a third party client
`to, in elfect, tamper with the data collected by the server
`system 16 with respect to any particular redirection URL can
`be identi?ed with relative if not complete certainty and
`blocked. In addition. date codes older than a certain time
`interval can be declared by computation to be invalid.
`Consequently, a copy of the embedded redirection URL
`cannot be stored on a client system 12 and remain viable for
`use for longer than a period of time de?ned exclusively by
`the server computer system 16.
`Each of the data terms within a redirection URL may be
`statically or dynamically created by the H'ITPd server 30 as
`part of the process of originally serving a web page with the
`embedded redirection URL to a client computer system 12.
`With dynamic generation, different graphic images corre
`sponding to a single advertiser or one of any number of
`advertisers may be etfectively served with an otherwise
`statically de?ned web page. The data terms of the embedded
`redirection URL may be dynamically selected based on the
`identity of the advertiser and graphics image in addition to
`separately establishing a hypertext link to the graphics
`image as part of an instance of serving a particular web page
`by the H'I'I'Pd server 30. Indeed, the selection of advertiser
`and graphics image could be made at least in part on the
`identity of the client computer system 12 as established
`through information provided by the conventional operation
`of the HTTP protocol, and on the client pro?le if known.
`The validation code may also be dynamically generated.
`In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the
`validation code encodes a representation of the day of the
`year with the account and image identi?er data terms to
`generate an identi?er, preferably encoded as two digits, that
`provides a su?icient degree of uniqueness to allow an
`embedded redirection URL to be aged on a per day basis.
`Furthermore, the validation code remains constant on a per
`day basis and thereby still permits the number of references
`on a per day per speci?c client system 12 basis to be tracked
`by the H'I'I'Pd server 30 so as to limit the frequency that a
`speci?c instantiation of the Web page is repeatedly presented
`to a speci?c client 12. Additionally, the H'I'I'Pd server 30
`may operate to block operation on a received redirection
`URL where the corresponding web page has not recently
`been served to the requesting client 12.
`Various bit shift, check sum, and modulo arithmetic
`algorithms can be utilized to generate the validation code in
`a consistent manner known to the HI‘I'Pd server 30, but that
`cannot be readily discerned upon examination of the result
`ing redirection URL by a speci?c client computer system 12.
`Alternately, the validation code may be an arbitrarily
`selected value that is implicitly recognized as valid by the
`H'I‘I'Pd server 30 for a programmable period of time from
`one day to several weeks or longer. In the extreme, and
`consistent with the initially preferred embodiment of the
`present invention, the validation code is a static value
`provided as part of the embedded redirection URL.
`Independent of the particular manner the validation code
`is generated or the assigned length of time that the code is
`recognized by the H'ITPd server 30 as valid, evaluation of
`
`25
`
`The direct_server portion of the embedded URL speci?es
`the HTTP server target of a transaction that is to be initially
`established by the client system 12. The remaining infor
`mation is provided to the targeted direct server. While the
`direct server may be any HTTP server accessible by the
`client system 12 that has been designated to service redi
`rection requests in accordance with the present invention,
`the direct server is preferably the H'I'I'Pd server 30 that
`initially served the web page with the embedded redirection
`URL to the client system 12.
`The term “redirect” in the embedded redirection URL is
`a key word that is pre-identi?ed to the H'ITPd server 30 to
`specify that the URL corresponds to a redirection request in
`accordance with the present invention. Although the term
`“redirect” is the preferred term, any term or code may be
`selected provided that the term can be uniquely identi?ed by
`the H'I‘T'Pd server 30 to designate a redirection URL.
`The “data” term of the redirection URL provides refer
`ence identi?er data to the H'I'I'Pd server 30 that can be used
`to further identify and potentially validate a redirection URL
`to the H'ITPd server 30. ‘This data thus permits an account
`45
`ing of the redirection URL to be made by the H'I'I'Pd server
`30. In the context of an advertisement, the data may encode
`a particular advertising client for whom access data may be
`kept, a particular instance of the graphic image provided to
`a client system 12 in association with the redirection URL,
`and potentially a validation code that may serve to ensure
`that inappropriate client uses of a redirection URL can be
`distinguished and discarded by the I-I'I'I‘Pd server 30.
`An exemplary redirection URL, constructed using HTML
`in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
`invention, is as follows.
`
`50
`
`<a hmf=“httpJ/wwwinfoseekcomlIS/redirecti'NwPg-(Dii
`AA’.7httpJ/www.newspage.com”>
`
`Within the redirection data. the data component “NwPg”
`serves as a client or account identi?er. The data component
`“003" is a series identi?er indicating a particular graphic
`image that was associated with the redirection URL as
`embedded in the web page served to the client system 12.
`Finally. the data component “AA” may be utilized to provide
`a basic validation identi?er that serves to permit the I-I'ITPd
`server 30 to identify inappropriate repeated submissions of
`
`65
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1014, p. 7
`
`
`
`5 ,75 1,956
`
`25
`
`9
`the data terms of a redirection URL is preferably performed
`completely internally to the HTI‘Pd server 30. The data
`terms are preferably sufficiently complete as to be unam
`biguous in identifying a particular instantiation of an embed
`ded redirection URL without signi?cant. if any, resort to the
`loading and execution of an external program or even
`signi?cantly to interrogate look-up ?les stored by the per
`sistent storage device 32. Consequently. the burden of
`evaluating a redirection URL in accordance with the present
`invention is almost completely computational in nature. A