Patent Document ID: 7853614
Application ID: 11945208

Base Claim:
1. A method comprising: receiving an assessment request associated with a domain; accessing a database to find a match for the domain, wherein the database contains at least some hierarchical domains with multiple hierarchical domain levels that are each assigned different reputability scores, and wherein at least some lower child domain levels in the hierarchical domains are assigned higher reputability scores indicating more reputability and parent domain levels of the child domain levels in the same hierarchical domains are assigned lower reputability scores indicating less reputability; deriving a reputability score by identifying one of the hierarchical domains in the database that matches the domain associated with the assessment request; identifying the reputability score for a lowest one of the hierarchical domain levels for the identified one of the hierarchical domains that matches the domain; determining whether a first domain level matches the domain in the assessment request; using a first reputability value associated with the first domain level for deriving the reputability score when the first domain level matches the domain; determining whether a second sub-domain level of the first domain level matches the domain; and using a second reputability value associated with the second sub-domain level associated with a higher reputability than the first reputability value for deriving the reputability score when the second sub-domain level matches the domain in the assessment request; and sending the reputability score in reply to the assessment request.

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Claim 4:
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, in reply to the assessment request, additional information associated with the domain and adjusting the reputability score for the domain according to the additional information.