Patent ID: 8024471

Claim:
A method for controlling or monitoring Internet access by categorizing Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), comprising the steps of: receiving a URL request denoting a specified URL; generating a categorization request message to request categorization of the specified URL, wherein generating the request comprises generating a unique value to distinguish the categorization request message for the specified URL from other categorization request messages; receiving a reply message denoting a category of the specified URI amongst a predetermined set of categories; wherein: the categorization request message comprises a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packet having a payload that includes the unique value, a timestamp, and a data section representing the specified URL; and the reply message comprises a UDP packet having a payload that includes the unique value and the timestamp corresponding to the categorization request message, and a data section identifying a category of the specified URL amongst the predetermined set of categories; calculating a timeout with reference to the timestamp; resending the categorization request message upon expiry of the timeout; and resending the categorization request message a predetermined number of times, and increasing the timeout between each resend; wherein the predetermined number of times is reconfigurable during use.