US6460084B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Forced network portal
Assignee: Cisco Technology Inc
•
Filing: 1999-04-09
•
Granted: 2002-10-01
•
Expires: 2019-04-09
Abstract
Abstract A system manages communications between a user and a network by receiving a user request for access to a network file during a user network connection session with a connecting network, determining whether the user has a connected user session state or a disconnected user session state with respect to a portal server, responding to a disconnected user session state by determining a user identity that specifies a physical location for the user and providing the user with a redirected page for display in a user graphical interface program in accordance with the determined user physical location user identification and in accordance with service selection information, and then changing the user session state to a connected state, and responding to a connected user session state by routing the user request for access to the network file to a network server. The system thereby controls user access to web pages, but does not require any specialized client-side software, and permits different content to be delivered according to the location of the user who will receive it.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter Van Horne
- 👤 Edwin James Van Horne
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 03:19
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L69/00; H04L69/28; G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/953; G06F16/9537; G06F8/00; G06F8/60; H04L12/00; H04L12/66; H04L61/00; H04L61/50; H04L61/5007; H04L67/00; H04L67/14; H04L61/45; H04L61/4505; H04L61/4511; H04L67/50; H04L67/52; H04L67/56; H04L67/563; H04L67/567
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
A method of providing communication between a user and a network, the method comprising: receiving a user request for access to a network file during a user network connection session with a connecting network; determining whether the user has a connected user session state or a disconnected user session state with respect to a portal server; responding to a disconnected user session state by determining a user identity that specifies a physical location for the user and providing the user with a redirected page for display in a user graphical interface program in accordance with the determined user physical location and in accordance with user identification and service selection information, and then changing the user session state to a connected state; and responding to a connected user session state by routing the user request for access to the network file to a network server.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
144 words
A method of providing communication between a user and a network, the method comprising: receiving a user request for access to a network file during a user network connection session with a connecting network; determining whether the user has a connected user session state or a disconnected user session state with respect to a portal server; responding to a disconnected user session state by determining a user identity that specifies a physical location for the user and providing the user with a redirected page for display in a user graphical interface program in accordance with the determined user physical location and in accordance with user identification and service selection information, and then changing the user session state to a connected state; and responding to a connected user session state by routing the user request for access to the network file to a network server.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein responding to a disconnected user session state comprises providing the user with a redirected display page having authorization and identification forms that define a service selection.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein responding to a disconnected user session state comprises providing the user with a redirected display page having authorization and identification forms that specify a network access provider.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the network communications protocol comprises the Internet protocol (IP) and the step of receiving a user request for access to a network file comprises intercepting a user network GET request for a page file from a network server.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as defined in claim 4 , wherein the portal server maintains a user IP address table containing session states for each user and determines the user session state by examining the user's entry in the IP address table.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method as defined in claim 5 , wherein the step of determining a user identity that specifies a physical location for a disconnected user state comprises the portal server sending an IP redirect page that is not displayed by the user's browser but contains an SNMP query that obtains from the connecting network the physical location of the user.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the step of providing the user with a redirected page for display in a user graphical interface program comprises displaying a forced portal page as the redirected page.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
149 words
A method of providing communication between a user and a network, the method comprising: connecting the user to a local network and generating a network request for a network file from a network server; intercepting the network request at a portal server and thereby determining the network address of the user to identify the connection state of the user; responding to a disconnected connection state by sending the user a redirected query page that requests user identification that will identify the physical location of the user, determining a redirected portal page in accordance with the user physical location user identification and user service selection information, sending the user the redirected portal page, and changing the user connection state to connected; and responding to a connected connection state by routing the original network request to a network server and thereby providing the user with access to the requested network file.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
149 words
A method of providing communication between a user and a network, the method comprising: connecting the user to a local network and generating a network request for a network file from a network server; intercepting the network request at a portal server and thereby determining the network address of the user to identify the connection state of the user; responding to a disconnected connection state by sending the user a redirected query page that requests user identification that will identify the physical location of the user, determining a redirected portal page in accordance with the user physical location user identification and user service selection information, sending the user the redirected portal page, and changing the user connection state to connected; and responding to a connected connection state by routing the original network request to a network server and thereby providing the user with access to the requested network file.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the network communications protocol comprises the Internet protocol (IP) and the step of receiving a user request for access to a network file comprises intercepting a user network GET request for a page file from a network server.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as defined in claim 9 , wherein the portal server maintains a user IP address table containing session states for each user and determines the user session state by examining the user's entry in the IP address table.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the step of determining a user identity that specifies a physical location for a disconnected user state comprises the portal server sending an IP redirect page that is not displayed by the user's browser but contains an SNMP query that obtains from the connecting network the physical location of the user.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of providing communication between a user and a network, the method comprising: connecting the user to a local connecting network; generating a network request at the user for access to a network file stored at a network server; intercepting the network request at a portal server and determining the network address of the user and the connection state of the user; responding to a disconnected user state by sending the user a redirected query page that requests user identification that will identify the physical location of the user; determining a redirected portal page in accordance with the user physical location user identification and user service selection information; sending the user the redirected portal page, and changing the user connection state to connected; and responding to a connected user state by routing the original network request to a network server and thereby providing the user with access to the requested network file.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of providing communication between a user and a network, the method comprising: connecting the user to a local connecting network; generating a network request at the user for access to a network file stored at a network server; intercepting the network request at a portal server and determining the network address of the user and the connection state of the user; responding to a disconnected user state by sending the user a redirected query page that requests user identification that will identify the physical location of the user; determining a redirected portal page in accordance with the user physical location user identification and user service selection information; sending the user the redirected portal page, and changing the user connection state to connected; and responding to a connected user state by routing the original network request to a network server and thereby providing the user with access to the requested network file.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
178 words
A server that manages access by a user to a network, the server comprising a computer with: a central processing unit that communicates with network information sources; and memory that contains programming instructions executed by the central processing unit to cause the computer to perform steps such that it receives a user request for access to a network file during a user network connection session with a connecting network, determines whether the user has a connected user session state or a disconnected user session state with respect to a portal server, responds to a disconnected user session state by determining a user identity that specifies a physical location for the user and providing the user with a redirected page for display in a user graphical interface program in accordance with the determined user physical location user identification and in accordance with service selection information, and then changing the user session state to a connected state, and responds to a connected user session state by routing the user request for access to the network file to a network server.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
178 words
A server that manages access by a user to a network, the server comprising a computer with: a central processing unit that communicates with network information sources; and memory that contains programming instructions executed by the central processing unit to cause the computer to perform steps such that it receives a user request for access to a network file during a user network connection session with a connecting network, determines whether the user has a connected user session state or a disconnected user session state with respect to a portal server, responds to a disconnected user session state by determining a user identity that specifies a physical location for the user and providing the user with a redirected page for display in a user graphical interface program in accordance with the determined user physical location user identification and in accordance with service selection information, and then changing the user session state to a connected state, and responds to a connected user session state by routing the user request for access to the network file to a network server.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
A server as defined in claim 13 , wherein the server responds to a disconnected user session state by providing the user with a redirected display page having authorization and identification forms that define a service selection.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
A server as defined in claim 13 , wherein the server responds to a disconnected user session state by providing the user with a redirected display page having authorization and identification forms that specify a network access provider.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
46 words
A server as defined in claim 13 , wherein the network communications protocol comprises the Internet protocol (IP) and the server receives a user request for access to a network file by intercepting a user network GET request for a page file from a network server.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
39 words
A server as defined in claim 16 , wherein the server maintains a user IP address table containing session states for each user and determines the user session state by examining the user's entry in the IP address table.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
56 words
A server as defined in claim 17 , wherein the server determines a user identity that specifies a physical location for a disconnected user state by sending an IP redirect page that is not displayed by the user's browser but contains an SNMP query that obtains from the connecting network the physical location of the user.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
36 words
A server as defined in claim 18 , wherein the server provides the user with a redirected page for display in a user graphical interface program by displaying a forced portal page as the redirected page.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
184 words
A program product for use in a computer system that executes program steps recorded in a computer-readable media to perform a method for providing communication between a user and a network, the program product comprising: a recordable media; and a program of computer-readable instructions executable by the computer system to perform method steps comprising receiving a user request for access to a network file during a user network connection session with a connecting network; determining whether the user has a connected user session state or a disconnected user session state with respect to a portal server; responding to a disconnected user session state by determining a user identity that specifies a physical location for the user and providing the user with a redirected page for display in a user graphical interface program in accordance with the determined user physical location and in accordance with user identification and service selection information, and then changing the user session state to a connected state; and responding to a connected user session state by routing the user request for access to the network file to a network server.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
184 words
A program product for use in a computer system that executes program steps recorded in a computer-readable media to perform a method for providing communication between a user and a network, the program product comprising: a recordable media; and a program of computer-readable instructions executable by the computer system to perform method steps comprising receiving a user request for access to a network file during a user network connection session with a connecting network; determining whether the user has a connected user session state or a disconnected user session state with respect to a portal server; responding to a disconnected user session state by determining a user identity that specifies a physical location for the user and providing the user with a redirected page for display in a user graphical interface program in accordance with the determined user physical location and in accordance with user identification and service selection information, and then changing the user session state to a connected state; and responding to a connected user session state by routing the user request for access to the network file to a network server.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
36 words
A program product as defined in claim 20 , wherein responding to a disconnected user session state comprises providing the user with a redirected display page having authorization and identification forms that define a service selection.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
37 words
A program product as defined in claim 20 , wherein responding to a disconnected user session state comprises providing the user with a redirected display page having authorization and identification forms that specify a network access provider.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
48 words
A program product as defined in claim 20 , wherein the network communications protocol comprises the Internet protocol (IP) and the step of receiving a user request for access to a network file comprises intercepting a user network GET request for a page file from a network server.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
41 words
A program product as defined in claim 23 , wherein the portal server maintains a user IP address table containing session states for each user and determines the user session state by examining the user's entry in the IP address table.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
62 words
A program product as defined in claim 24 , wherein the method step of determining a user identity that specifies a physical location for a disconnected user state comprises the portal server sending an IP redirect page that is not displayed by the user's browser but contains an SNMP query that obtains from the connecting network the physical location of the user.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
39 words
A program product as defined in claim 25 , wherein the method step of providing the user with a redirected page for display in a user graphical interface program comprises displaying a forced portal page as the redirected page.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5003595A
Cited
US5185860A
Cited
US5241594A
Cited
US5526489A
Cited
US5991828A
Cited
US5561769A
Cited
US5812776A
Cited
US5964830A
Cited
US5987232A
Cited
US6157946A
Cited
US5898780A
Cited
US5684950A
Cited
US5835727A
Cited
US6012088A
Cited
US5845070A
Cited
US6182141B1
Cited
US5944824A
Cited
US6006334A
Cited
US6091951A
Cited
US6021496A
Cited
US5991810A
Cited
US5974453A
Cited
US6026441A
Cited
US6009103A
Cited
US6141687A
Cited
US6119160A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-09-30 | 2006-04-01 | 2006-10-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-09-30 | 2010-04-01 | 2010-10-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-09-30 | 2014-04-01 | 2014-10-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |