PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8631156-B2
Application Number: US-90311010-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Systems and methods for providing network resource address management

Abstract:
Systems and methods are provided for allowing a user to obtain an intended network resource address. An undesired network resource address (NRA) which had been mistakenly entered by a user may be identified as being undesired. In response, an intended NRA may be determined and provided to the user. For example, a database of undesired NRAs may be access to determine an intended NRA (e.g., based on an association of the undesired NRA with an intended NRA). The undesired NRA database may be located local to or remote from the user equipment. The NRA database may be updated in response to, for example, receiving an undesired address command from the user.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for identifying an undesired network resource address, the method comprising:
 receiving from a user input device, information corresponding to a first user-specified network resource address; 
 while data corresponding to the first user-specified network resource address is presented on a display screen, receiving from the user input device, an undesired address control command identifying the first user-specified network resource address as an undesired network resource address, wherein the undesired address control command is received within a predefined time window beginning after the first-user specified network resource address is received, and the undesired address control command identifies a second user-specified network resource address, different than the first user-specified network resource address; and 
 storing data indicative of the first user-specified network resource address in an electronic database in response to the undesired address control command. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising associating with electronic processing equipment the first user-specified network resource address with an intended network resource address in the electronic database. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic database contains information indicative of network resource addresses identified as being undesired network resource addresses based at least in part on past actions performed by a user. 
     
     
       4. A system comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a memory containing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
 receive from, a user input device, information corresponding to a first user-specified network resource address; 
 while data corresponding to the first user-specified network resource address is presented on a display screen, receive, from the user input device, an undesired address control command identifying the first user-specified network resource address as an undesired network resource address, wherein the undesired address control command is received within a predefined time window beginning after the first-user specified network resource address is received, and the undesired address control command identifies a second user-specified network resource address, different than the first user-specified network resource address; and 
 store data indicative of the first user-specified network resource address in an electronic database in response to the user selection. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
 associate the first user-specified network resource address with an intended network resource address in the electronic database. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the electronic database contains information indicative of network resource addresses identified as being undesired network resource addresses based at least in part on past actions performed by a user. 
     
     
       7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:
 receive from, a user input device, information corresponding to a first user-specified network resource address; 
 while data corresponding to the first user-specified network resource address is presented on a display screen, receive, from the user input device, an undesired address control command identifying the first user-specified network resource address as an undesired network resource address, wherein the undesired address control command is received within a predefined time window beginning after the first-user specified network resource address is received, and the undesired address control command identifies a second user-specified network resource address, different than the first user-specified network resource address; and 
 store data indicative of the first user-specified network resource address in an electronic database in response to the user selection. 
 
     
     
       8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:
 associate the first user-specified network resource address with an intended network resource address in the electronic database. 
 
     
     
       9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the electronic database contains information indicative of network resource addresses identified as being undesired network resource addresses based at least in part on past actions performed by a user.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure is generally directed to managing access to network resources and, more particularly, to preventing a user from unintentionally accessing undesired network resources. 
     With the promulgation of the Internet, the number of network resource addresses, including the number of phishing, advertisement-heavy, and non-content pages that prey on those who type in a network resource address incorrectly, has grown substantially. From the viewpoint of a user in a web browsing environment, it may be difficult to resolve minor variations in network resource addresses, such as web addresses. This may increase the difficulty a user faces when trying to reach an intended destination in a web browsing environment. For example, a user looking for information about Apple Inc. products on the web may inadvertently reach an undesired web destination, such as aapple.com, appl.com, or any other number of web sites preying upon the misspelling of apple.com. 
     A user may not always browse the web via bookmarks. For example, there may be web sites that a user may visit by typing the URL into the address bar of a web browser and, in some cases, allow the web browser to auto-complete the remainder of the URL address. If the user had at one time entered an address incorrectly, later when the user attempts to go to the same intended address, the web browser may auto-complete the address with the incorrect address. 
     For example, a user may occasionally access the web site http://www.apple.com. Variants of the apple.com site may include appl.com, appl.tv, and applemacs.com, among others. The user may access one of these variants by accident. The user may also click on a variant web link, such as applemacs.com, mistaking it for a site the user desires, such as apple.com. 
     With some web browsers, once a user types in an address, the browser remembers that address and suggests it to the user again in the future when it determines that user is attempting to enter that same address. In this example, some time later, the user may type in “appl” and the web browser may suggest appl.com which is not the user&#39;s intended destination. If the user selects appl.com again, it becomes even more likely for the web browser to suggest it in the future due to the heuristic algorithms used by the web browser. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided for accessing an intended network resource address (NRA) even when information corresponding to an inputted NRA corresponds to an undesired NRA. NRA information may be received and processed to determine whether the information corresponds to an undesired NRA. When the NRA information corresponds to an undesired NRA, an intended NRA may be identified and a function may be performed based on the intended NRA. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Features of the disclosure, its nature, and various advantages will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an illustrative network resource address management system in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  shows an illustrative web browser display screen in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 3  shows an illustrative web browser display screen for displaying network resource address recommendations in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 4  shows an illustrative web browser display screen for updating an undesired address database in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 5  shows an illustrative web browser display screen for displaying updated network resource address recommendations in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 6  shows an illustrative web browser display screen for confirming a network resource address recommendation in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 7  is a flow chart of illustrative steps involved in directing a user to a desired network resource address in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 8  is a flow chart of illustrative steps involved in performing a function based on an undesired address database in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 9  shows an illustrative web browser display screen for providing search results in accordance with some embodiments; and 
         FIG. 10  is a flow chart of illustrative steps involved in filtering search results based on an undesired address database in accordance with some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     The network resource address management systems and methods of the present disclosure may be used for guiding users to their intended network destination. The features of the present disclosure are generally described in the context of an network resource address (NRA) management application. A network resource address (NRA) is any suitable information that may be used to identify a particular network resource or group of resources. For example, an NRA may be a uniform resource locator (URL), an internet web page address, a file transfer protocol (FTP) address, a local area network address, any other suitable address, or any combination thereof. An NRA management application may be any suitable software, hardware, or both for implementing and performing the functionality described in the present disclosure. For example, the NRA management application may be a web browser, web browser plug-in, web browser button, motion gesture, stand-alone application, any other suitable application, or any combination thereof. 
     In some embodiments, an undesired address command or control may be implemented as part of the NRA management application. Activation of this command or control in connection with a particular NRA may, for example, indicate to the NRA management application to not access or provide as a suggestion, the associated NRA in the future. The NRA management application may also, for example, ask the user what site the user wanted to go to or otherwise associate the undesired address to the address the user intended. 
     In some embodiments, the undesired NRA may, for example, be uploaded to a central server and used in connection with maintaining a central database of undesired NRA&#39;s that other users may use in connection with their own use of respective NRA management applications. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may determine undesired NRAs, intended NRAs, or both based on user preference information. Preference information may include, for example, an indication that the user prefers content that does not contain too many advertisements, pop-up windows, any other suitable attribute, or any combination thereof. For example, if a user prefers a particular provider of news content, then the NRA management application may determine that an NRA that was mistakenly entered by the user believing it would lead to a desired news content resource is an undesired NRA if, in fact, the NRA management application determines that the entered NRA corresponds to an undesired NRA according to the user&#39;s preferences. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may determine undesired NRAs, intended NRAs, or both based on temporal information. For example, if a user inputs more than one NRA within a predefined time window (e.g., a few seconds), the NRA management application may determine that the first NRA corresponds to an undesired NRA and the last NRA corresponds to a desired NRA. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may automatically preview web pages and store NRA information in one or more undesired address databases based on the number of advertisements, lack of relevant content, any other suitable property, or any combination thereof. For example, the NRA management application may store a “parked page”, such as appl.com, in an undesired address database due to the large number of advertisements and relative lack of relevant content. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may remove undesired web pages from a listing of NRA recommendations, any other suitable listing, or any combination thereof. For example, the NRA management application may forego providing appl.com as a recommendation when a user enters “appl” in a web browser address field. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may alter the appearance of an undesired address in a listing of NRA recommendations, any other suitable listing, or any combination thereof. For example, an undesired address may be highlighted, have a different color, have a different font, be associated with a graphic icon, be differentiated in any other suitable manner, or any combination thereof. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may automatically redirect a user from an undesired address or web link to an NRA that is not stored in an undesired address database. For example, the NRA management application may access content from apple.com in response to a user inputting appl.com. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may prompt a user to confirm an undesired address, NRA recommendation, any other suitable action, or any combination thereof. For example, the NRA management application may ask the user to confirm appl.com as an undesired address in response to the user selecting an undesired address command on the web browser. The NRA management application may, for example, ask the user if the user meant to input apple.com in response to the user inputting appl.com. If the user says yes, the NRA management application may provide content for or otherwise redirect to the desired site apple.com. 
     Illustrative features of the present disclosure are described with reference to  FIGS. 1-10  below. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an illustrative network resource address management system  100  for providing NRA management in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. System  100  is one example of a suitable architecture used in connection with implementing an NRA management application having NRA management capabilities. In some embodiments, other architectures may be used and may include more or fewer components than those illustrated. 
     System  100  may include user equipment  140 , which may include, for example, one or more of the following components: processing equipment  102 , output device  104 , input device  106 , network interface  108 , modules  112 , any other suitable component, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, user equipment may be referred to as a user device or user devices. 
     In some embodiments, components  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  112 , any other suitable component, or any combination thereof may be part of a single installation or device, including but not limited to: a personal computer, a laptop, a tablet computer, an in-vehicle computer, a gaming computer, a personal computer television (PC/TV), a PC media server, a PC media center, a game console or device, an email device, a personal digital assistant, a smartphone, a mobile telephone, an internet phone, a satellite phone, a portable video player, a portable music player, a portable gaming machine, a wifi enabled laptop, netbook, or tablet computer, a 3G (or other cellular network) enabled laptop, netbook, or tablet computer, any other suitable device, or any combination thereof. For example, user equipment  140  may be a tablet computer running on the Internet. 
     In some embodiments, components  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  112 , any other suitable component, or any combination thereof may be implemented as separate devices. For example, components  104  and  106  may be included in a smartphone while components  102 ,  108 , and  112  are included in a PC/TV. 
     In some embodiments, components  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  112 , any other suitable component, or any combination thereof may exchange communications and data over communications path  110 , which may be any suitable wired, wireless, or both path and which may use any suitable hardware, software, or both for facilitating the transfer of data and control signals between components. Communications path  110  may include one or more communications paths, such as a satellite path, a fiber-optic path, a cable path, a path that supports Internet communications, free-space connections (e.g., for broadcast or other wireless signals), one or more busses, any other suitable wired or wireless communications path, or any combination of such paths. 
     In some embodiments, the components shown in system  100  may be coupled with each other via communications paths, such as those described above in connection with paths  110 , as well other short-range point-to-point communications paths, such as USB cables, IEEE 1394 cables, SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array) cables, wireless paths (e.g., Bluetooth, infrared, IEEE 802-11x, any other suitable wireless path, or any combination thereof), or other short-range communication via wired or wireless paths. BLUETOOTH is a certification mark owned by Bluetooth SIG, INC. The system components may also be coupled with each other through one or more indirect paths via data network  124 . Communications path  110  may be provided by one or more of these communications paths, but is shown as a single path in  FIG. 1  to avoid overcomplicating the drawing. 
     Processing equipment  102  may include any suitable software, hardware, or both for processing data. For example, processing equipment  102  may include any suitable processing circuitry such as one or more microprocessors (e.g., dual-core Intel® Xeon® Processors), microcontrollers, digital signal processors, programmable logic devices, any other suitable device, or any combination thereof. INTEL and XEON are registered trademarks owned by Intel Corporation. 
     In some embodiments, processing equipment  102  may include circuitry suitable for communicating with data network  124 , NRA server  128 , or other networks or servers. In some embodiments, communications circuitry may be represented as network interface  108  and may be coupled to data network  124  through communications path  126 . This circuitry may include, for example, a cable modem, an integrated services digital network (ISDN) modem, a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem, a telephone modem, a wireless modem, any other suitable communications device, or any combination thereof. 
     Communications path  126  may include one or more communications paths, such as a satellite path, a fiber-optic path, a cable path, a path that supports Internet communications, a path that supports free-space connections (e.g., for broadcast or other wireless signals, IEEE 802-11x, any other suitable path, or any combination thereof), one or more busses, any other suitable wired or wireless communications path, or any combination of such paths. Communications path  126  may be provided by one or more of these communications paths, but is shown as a single path in  FIG. 1  to avoid overcomplicating the drawing. 
     Data network  124  may be one or more networks including the Internet, a mobile phone network, mobile device (e.g., Blackberry) network, cable network, public switched telephone network, wifi network, satellite network, local area network (LAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), or other types of communications network or combinations of communications networks. BLACKBERRY is a service mark owned by Research In Motion Limited Corp. 
     To provide for interaction with a user, user equipment  140  may include input device  106 , output device  104 , any other suitable device, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, input device  106 , output device  104 , or both may be provided as stand-alone devices or integrated with other elements of user equipment  140 . 
     In some embodiments, input device  106  may include hardware, software, or both. For example, input device  106  may include any suitable device or interface, such as a remote control, mouse, trackball, keypad, keyboard, touch screen, touch pad, stylus input, joystick, voice recognition interface, any other suitable input device or interface, or any combination thereof. For example, input device  106  may include a computer keyboard and mouse. 
     In some embodiments, input device  106  may be used to provide input data to processing equipment  102 , any other suitable component, or any combination thereof. Input device  106  may provide access to or the ability to add an NRA to an undesired address database by, for example, selecting a selectable option provided in a display screen. 
     In some embodiments, input device  106  may provide access to or the ability to add an NRA to an undesired address database by, for example, pressing a dedicated button (e.g., a key on a keyboard, a mouse button, a soft key, any other suitable button, or any combination thereof). For example, NRA information may be stored in database  120  in response to a user pressing the left mouse button on a computer mouse. 
     In some embodiments, input device  106  may provide access to or the ability to add an NRA to an undesired address database by, for example, making a selection, inputting data, or both using a touchscreen, voice command, motion gesture (e.g., shaking, moving, making a gesture, any other suitable action, or any combination thereof), any other suitable option, or any combination thereof. For example, NRA information may be stored in database  120  in response to a user shaking a mobile phone when an NRA displayed on the mobile phone is undesired. 
     Output device  104  may include hardware, software, or both. Output device  104  may include one or more of a monitor, a television, a liquid crystal display (LCD) for a mobile device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) device, any other suitable equipment for providing visual images, or any combination thereof. For example, output device  104  may be a smartphone. 
     In some embodiments, one or more audio speakers may be provided as integrated with other elements of user equipment  140 , such as output device  104 , or may be stand-alone units. For example, output device  104  may be a computer monitor with integrated speakers. 
     Modules  112  may include any suitable software, hardware, or both. For example, modules  112  may include one or more types of storage devices, such as memory (e.g., random-access memory, read-only memory, synchronous dynamic random access memory, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory devices, any other suitable memory, or any combination thereof), hard disks, magneto-optical disks, optical disks, any other suitable fixed or removable storage devices, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, modules  112  may refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to processing equipment  102  for execution. In some embodiments, the processing equipment and the memory may be supplemented by, or incorporated in, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). 
     Modules  112  may include, for example, operating system  114  (e.g., Mac OS®, any other suitable operating system, or any combination thereof), network communication module  116 , web browser application  118  (e.g., Apple Safari®), local undesired address database  120 , audio engine  122 , any other suitable applications  150 , or any combination thereof. 
     Operating system  114  may be multi-user, multi-processing, multi-tasking, multi-threading, real-time, any other suitable configuration or implementation, or any combination thereof and may perform tasks, including but not limited to: recognizing input from and providing output to components  104 ,  106 ,  108 , any other suitable component, or any combination thereof; managing files, directories, or both on modules  112 , any other suitable memory or storage, or any combination thereof; controlling peripheral devices, any other suitable device, or any combination thereof; and managing communications path  110 , any other suitable communications paths, or any combination thereof. 
     Network communications module  116  may include software, hardware, or both for establishing and maintaining network connections (e.g., software for implementing communication protocols, such as TCP/IP, HTTP, any other suitable software or hardware, or any combination thereof). 
     Web browser application  118  may include hardware, software, or both to implement a web browser window, web browser navigation controls, NRA controls, undesired address control, or any other suitable functionality. 
     In some embodiments, information associated with undesired addresses may be stored in local undesired address database  120  for use in identifying undesired address, providing NRA recommendations, providing any other suitable information, or any combination thereof. An undesired address may be, for example, a misspelled NRA, an advertisement-heavy web site (e.g., a “parked page”, any other advertisement-heavy web site, or any combination thereof), a pay-per-click web site, a pay-per-lead web site, a web site with undesirable content, any other undesired address, web site, or program, or any combination thereof. Processing equipment may identify an undesired address by, for example, receiving information via an undesired address control, receiving information via a motion gesture, previewing a web site, processing one or more user histories, processing one or more undesired address databases, or by any other suitable technique. 
     Audio engine  122  may include any suitable software component, service, or both for receiving and processing audio signals received through network interface  108  or provided locally by a media player or other application. In some embodiments, an audio signal may be produced in association with an undesired address. An example audio engine  122  is CoreAudio®, included in Mac OS X operating system, developed by Apple Inc. (Cupertino, Calif., USA). 
     NRA Server  128  may include any capable hardware, software, or both. In some embodiments, NRA server  128  may include one or more computers and may be coupled to data network  124  through communications path  130 . In some embodiments, system  100  may include undesired address database  132 , which may include hardware, software, or both. For example, database  132  may include memory, storage, or both as described with reference to modules  112 . NRA server  128  may be coupled to undesired address database  132  through communications path  134 . In some embodiments, undesired address database  132  may include one or more separable databases coupled to server  128 , each other, or both through any suitable communications path in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Communications paths  130  and  134  may include any of the communications paths described above in connection with path  110  and  126  and may be exchanged over one or more communications paths, but are shown as single paths in  FIG. 1  to avoid overcomplicating the drawing. Although communications between components  128  and  132  with user equipment  140  are shown as through data network  124 , in some embodiments, components  128  and  132  may communicate directly with user equipment  140  via communications paths such as those described above in connection with paths  110  and  126 . 
     The NRA management application may be either partially or wholly implemented on any suitable component or combination or components described with connection to system  100 . In some embodiments, the NRA management application may be implemented in a computer system that may include a back-end component (e.g., a data server, any other suitable back-end component, or any combination thereof), a middleware component (e.g., an application server, an Internet server, any other suitable middleware component, or any combination thereof), a front-end component (e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or an Internet browser, any other suitable front-end component, or any combination thereof), any other suitable component, or any combination thereof. The components of system  100  may be part of a single installation or device capable of implementing the NRA management application and may be connected by any form or medium of communication, such as those described above in connection with paths  110 ,  126 ,  130 , and  134  and data network  124 . 
     In some embodiments, processing equipment  102  may execute instructions for the NRA management application. The NRA management application may be, for example, integrated into web browser application  118 , operating system  114 , any other suitable application, or any combination thereof. For example, the NRA management application may include or function with web browser application  118 , any other suitable component, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the NRA management application may be a web browser plug-in. 
     In some embodiments, input device  106  may be used to provide input data to the NRA management application. For example, the NRA management application may receive NRA information, an undesired address command, or both via input device  106 . 
     In response to an undesired address command, the NRA management application may store information associated with undesired addresses in an undesired address database (e.g., local undesired address database  120 , undesired address database  132 ) for use in identifying undesired address, providing NRA recommendations, providing any other suitable information, or any combination thereof. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may identify an undesired address. For example, the NRA management application may access undesired address database  132  through server  128  in response to receiving NRA information via input device  106 . When the NRA management application receives an NRA, the address may be communicated, for example, to server  128  through data network  124 . 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application, server  128 , or both may access database  132  in order to determine whether the address is an undesired address and, if so, which address recommendations to provide. For example, the NRA management application may identify a misspelled or advertisement-heavy web page as an undesired address and store data associated with the undesired address in an undesired address database (e.g., local undesired address database  120 , undesired address database  132 ). 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may remove undesired addresses out of a listing of NRAs. For example, when an undesired address is received, the NRA management application may provide NRA recommendations that do not include the undesired address. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may store undesired address information, user browsing histories, user preference information, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof in undesired address database  132 , any other suitable database (e.g., local undesired address database  120 ), or any combination thereof. For example, the NRA management application may store user browsing preferences, browsing histories, or both in any suitable database. 
       FIG. 2  shows an illustrative web browser display screen  200  for providing NRA management in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, an NRA management application may provide access to any suitable type of content in a single display, a single screen overlay, multiple displays, multiple screen overlays, any other suitable display, or any combination thereof and may or may not be updated at any suitable time interval. 
     In some embodiments, display screen  200  may include navigation region  202  for displaying one or more individually selectable portions, such as NRA field  204 , NRA  206 , undesired address control  208 , search field  210 , navigational controls  212  (e.g., back icon, forward icon, reload icon, cancel or stop icon, close icon, minimize icon, maximize icon, any other suitable icon, or any combination thereof), any other suitable field, icon, or button, or any combination thereof. 
     In some embodiments, input device  106  may be used to input an NRA, such as NRA  206  (e.g., “http//www.appl.com”) in NRA field  204 . The NRA management application may provide content associated with NRA  206 , for example, in display region  214 . 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may perform an undesired address control function in response to a user selecting a selectable option (e.g., undesired address control  208 ) in a display screen, pressing a dedicated button (e.g., a key on a keyboard, a mouse button, a soft key, any other suitable button, or any combination thereof) on an input device or any other suitable device, making a selection using a touchscreen or other input interface or device, making a selection or inputting data via voice command, making a motion gesture, any other suitable option, or any combination thereof. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may identify an undesired address in response to a user selecting undesired address control  208  using, for example, input device  106 . When undesired address control  208  is selected, for example, the NRA management application may store information associated with NRA  206 , user browsing histories, user preference information, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof in a database. For example, the NRA management application may store information associated with the undesired address in local undesired address database  120  for use in providing recommended NRAs to user equipment  140  shown in  FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the NRA management application may store information associated with the undesired address in undesired address database  132  for use in providing recommended NRAs to any suitable number of users via NRA server  128  and data network  124  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     In some embodiments, display screen  200  may also include one or more display regions, one or more advertisements, one or more options regions, any other suitable region, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, display screen  200  may be personalized in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that the aforementioned features may be included in other display screens of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 3  shows an illustrative web browser display screen  300  for displaying NRA recommendations in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, display screen  300  may include navigation region  302  for displaying one or more individually selectable portions, such as NRA field  304 , NRA  306 , undesired address control  308 , search field  310 , navigational controls  312  (e.g., back icon, forward icon, reload icon, cancel or stop icon, close icon, minimize icon, maximize icon, any other suitable icon, or any combination thereof), any other suitable field, icon, or button, or any combination thereof. 
     In some embodiments, input device  106  may be used to input an NRA, such as NRA  306  (e.g., “appl”) in NRA field  304 . In some embodiments, the NRA management application may provide individually selectable NRA recommendations in drop-down box  316  based on information provided via, for example, NRA field  304 . NRA recommendations in drop-down box  316  may be, for example, NRA recommendation  318  (e.g., “appl.com”), NRA recommendation  320  (e.g., “apple.com”), NRA recommendation  322  (e.g., “appl.tv”), NRA recommendation  324  (e.g., “applemacs.com”), any other suitable recommendation or NRA, or any combination thereof. 
     In some embodiments, input device  106  may be used to select an NRA recommendation. The NRA management application may provide content associated with one or more NRA recommendations, for example, in display region  314 . For example, the NRA management application may provide content associated with NRA recommendation  318  (e.g., http://www.appl.com) in display region  314  in response to a user selecting NRA recommendation  318  (e.g., “appl.com”). 
       FIG. 4  shows an illustrative web browser display screen  400  for updating an undesired address database in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, display screen  400  may include navigation region  402  for displaying one or more individually selectable portions, such as NRA field  404 , NRA  406 , undesired address control  408 , search field  410 , navigational controls  412  (e.g., back icon, forward icon, reload icon, cancel or stop icon, close icon, minimize icon, maximize icon, any other suitable icon, or any combination thereof), any other suitable field, icon, or button, or any combination thereof. 
     The NRA management application may provide access to or the ability to add information associated with an NRA to an undesired address database (e.g., local undesired address database  120 , undesired address database  132 ). In some embodiments, display screen  400  may include undesired address control  408  for associating an NRA, such as an NRA in field  404 , as an undesired address in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, NRA  406  (e.g., “http://www.appl.com”) may be an undesired address and may have been input in field  404 , selected from drop-down box  316  shown in  FIG. 3 , selected from a listing of web links, or arrived at though any other suitable process using input device  106 . The NRA management application may provide content associated with NRA  406 , for example, in display region  414 . 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may provide confirmation region  416  in response to selection of undesired address control  408 . Confirmation region  416  may be, for example, a single display region, a single screen overlay region, multiple display regions, multiple screen overlay regions, any other suitable display, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, confirmation region  416  may be accompanied by informational header  418  (e.g., “Undesired Address?”), affirmative confirmation option  420  (e.g., “Yes”), negative confirmation option  422  (e.g., “No”), any other suitable feature or option, or any combination thereof. When affirmative confirmation option  420  is selected, for example, the NRA management application may store information associated with NRA  406 , user browsing histories, user preference information, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof in a database. For example, the NRA management application may store information associated with the undesired address in local undesired address database  120  for use in providing recommended NRAs to user equipment  140  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may store information associated with the undesired address in undesired address database  132  for use in providing recommended NRAs to any suitable number of users via NRA server  128  and data network  124  shown in  FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the NRA management application may periodically store NRA information in any suitable temporary storage device (e.g., database  120 , database  132 ) without receiving confirmation by the user. The NRA management application may delete NRA information the temporary storage device, return the display screen to a non-confirmation state, or both in response to the user selecting, for example, negative confirmation option  422 . 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may provide confirmation region  416  in response to receiving more than one NRA within a predefined time window (e.g., a few seconds). For example, NRA  406  (e.g., “http://www.appl.com”) may be an undesired address input in field  404  and may be followed almost immediately by the input of a desired address (e.g., “http://www.appl.com”) in field  404 . The NRA management application may determine, for example, that the first NRA corresponds to an undesired NRA and the last NRA corresponds to a desired NRA. The NRA management application may store information associated with the undesired address, desired address, or both, for example, in local undesired address database  120  for use in providing recommended NRAs to user equipment  140  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an illustrative web browser display screen  500  for displaying updated NRA recommendations in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, display screen  500  may include navigation region  502  for displaying one or more individually selectable portions, such as NRA field  504 , NRA  506 , undesired address control  508 , search field  510 , navigational controls  512  (e.g., back icon, forward icon, reload icon, cancel or stop icon, close icon, minimize icon, maximize icon, any other suitable icon, or any combination thereof), any other suitable field, icon, or button, or any combination thereof. 
     In some embodiments, input device  106  may be used to input an NRA, such as NRA  506  (e.g., “appl”) in NRA field  504 . In some embodiments, the NRA management application may provide individually selectable NRA recommendations in drop-down box  516  based on information provided via, for example, NRA field  504 . NRA recommendations in drop-down box  516  may be, for example, NRA recommendation  518  (e.g., “appl.com”), NRA recommendation  520  (e.g., “apple.com”), NRA recommendation  522  (e.g., “appl.tv”), any other suitable recommendation or NRA, or any combination thereof. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may access an undesired address database (e.g., local undesired address database  120 , undesired address database  132 ) to determine if NRA  506 , NRA recommendations  518 ,  520 ,  522 , any other suitable information, or any combination thereof is associated with an undesired address. The NRA management application may provide NRA recommendations that are not associated with undesired addresses. For example, the NRA management application may provide NRA recommendation  520  in drop-down box  516  in response to information associated with NRA recommendation  520  not being stored in an undesired address database. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may provide an undesired address in drop-down box  516  in an altered form, such as being highlighted, having a different color, having a different font, having a different size, being co-located with a graphic icon, being differentiated in any other suitable manner, or any combination thereof. 
     For example, information associated with NRA recommendations  518  and  522  may be stored in an undesired database. The NRA management application may, for example, highlight and change the font and size of NRA recommendation  518  from Arial 12 point font to Courier New 10 point font. The NRA management application may, for example, italicize, add an icon, and change the color of NRA recommendation  522  from black to gray. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may not provide an undesired address as an NRA recommendation in drop-down box  516  in response to information associated with the address being stored in an undesired address database. For example, the NRA management application may not provide “applemacs.com” as an NRA recommendation in drop-down box  516  in response to information associated with http://www.applemacs.com” being stored in local undesired address database  120 , undesired address database  132 , or both. 
     In some embodiments, input device  106  may be used to select an NRA recommendation. The NRA management application may provide content associated with one or more NRA recommendations, for example, in display region  514 . For example, the NRA management application may provide content associated with NRA http://www.apple.com in display region  514  in response to a user selecting NRA recommendation  520  (e.g., “apple.com”). 
       FIG. 6  shows an illustrative web browser display screen  600  for confirming an NRA recommendation in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, display screen  600  may include navigation region  602  for displaying one or more individually selectable portions, such as NRA field  604 , NRA  606 , undesired address control  608 , search field  610 , navigational controls  612  (e.g., back icon, forward icon, reload icon, cancel or stop icon, close icon, minimize icon, maximize icon, any other suitable icon, or any combination thereof), any other suitable field, icon, or button, or any combination thereof. 
     In some embodiments, input device  106  may be used to input an NRA, such as NRA  606  (e.g., “http://www.appl.com”) in NRA field  604 . In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, the NRA management application may provide NRA  606  in association with an NRA recommendation (e.g., an NRA recommendation in drop-down box  316  shown in  FIG. 3 , an NRA recommendation in confirmation box  616 , any other suitable NRA, or any combination thereof). In some embodiments, the NRA management application may provide NRA  606  in association with an NRA link (e.g., a web link, any other suitable NRA link or pointer, or any combination thereof). 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may access an undesired address database (e.g., local undesired address database  120 , undesired address database  132 ) to determine if NRA  606 , any other suitable information, or any combination thereof is an undesired address. In some embodiments, NRA  606  (e.g., “http://www.appl.com”) may be an undesired address and may be stored in an undesired address database. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may provide an NRA recommendation via confirmation region  616 . In some embodiments, confirmation region  616  may be a single display region, a single screen overlay region, multiple display regions, multiple screen overlay regions, any other suitable display, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, confirmation region  616  may be accompanied by informational header  618  (e.g., “Do you mean apple.com?”) that may include information (e.g., text, one or more images, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof) indicative of one or more recommended NRAs (e.g., http://www.apple.com). In some embodiments, confirmation region  616  may include affirmative confirmation option  620  (e.g., “Yes”), negative confirmation option  622  (e.g., “No”), any other suitable feature or option, or any combination thereof. When affirmative confirmation option  620  is selected, for example, the NRA management application may provide content associated with an NRA recommendation provided in informational header  618  in display region  614 . In some embodiments, the NRA management application may provide an NRA associated with informational header  618  as an updated NRA  606  in field  604 . 
     In some embodiments, in response to selection of affirmative confirmation option  620 , the NRA management application may store information associated with NRA  606 , user browsing histories, user preference information, NRA recommendation information associated with informational header  618 , any other suitable information, or any combination thereof in any suitable database for use in providing NRA recommendations to user equipment  140  shown in  FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the NRA management application may store NRA information in undesired address database  132  for use in providing recommended NRAs to any suitable number of users via NRA server  128  and data network  124  shown in  FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the NRA management application may store an NRA recommendation in any suitable database and may associate the NRA recommendation with a corresponding undesired address for use in providing future NRA recommendations. 
     In some embodiments, in response to selection of negative confirmation option  622 , the NRA management application may provide one or more additional NRA recommendations in, for example, confirmation box  616 . For example, the NRA management application may provide a selectable field to input the desired NRA using input device  106 . In some embodiments, in response to selection of negative confirmation option  622 , the NRA management application may provide content associated with NRA  606  (e.g., “http://www.appl.com”) in display region  614  and may or may not provide confirmation dialog (e.g., ask if the user would like to display content associated with NRA  606  even though it is an undesired address) to confirm this feature. 
       FIG. 7  is a flow chart of illustrative steps involved in directing a user to a desired NRA in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, input device  106  may be used to input an NRA using an NRA management application which may be running on the Internet, one or more private networks, or both. 
     At step  702 , the NRA management application may receive NRA information through any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     At step  704 , the NRA management application may access one or more undesired address databases (e.g., local undesired address database  120 , undesired address database  132 , any other suitable database or storage including distributed storage locations, or any combination thereof) through any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     At step  706 , the NRA management application may determine if the NRA information, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof is associated with an undesired address. For example, the NRA management application may access an undesired address database (e.g., local undesired address database  120 , undesired address database  132 ) to determine if NRA  606  shown in  FIG. 6  is associated with an undesired address. If the NRA management application determines that the NRA information, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof is associated with an undesired address, the process may proceed to step  708 . If the NRA management application determines that the NRA information, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof is not associated with an undesired address, the process may proceed to step  716 . 
     At step  708 , the NRA management application may provide content associated with the received NRA information, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof to user equipment  140 , any other suitable equipment or device, or any combination thereof through any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the NRA management application may provide content associated with NRA  606  in display region  614 . 
     At step  710 , the NRA management application may determine if an undesired address command has been received. For example, the NRA management application may receive the undesired address control command via undesired address control  608 , any other suitable process or component, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the NRA management application may receive the undesired address control command via a time-based input of NRAs, such as the input of two NRAs within a predefined time window. The NRA management application may receive an undesired address command through any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. If the NRA management application has not received an undesired address command, the process may proceed to step  702 . If the NRA information, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof has been identified as an undesired address, the process may proceed to step  712 . 
     At step  712 , the NRA management application may confirm whether the NRA information is to be included in an undesired address database. For example, the NRA management application may provide confirmation region  616  (e.g., “Undesired Address?”) in response to selection of undesired address control  608 . If the NRA management application has not received confirmation (e.g., by selecting negative confirmation option  622 , by not receiving input after a predetermined time interval), the process may proceed to step  702 . If the NRA management application has received confirmation (e.g., by selecting affirmative confirmation option  620 ), the process may proceed to step  714 . 
     At step  714 , the NRA management application may store information associated with the NRA, user browsing histories, user preference information, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof in a database (e.g., local undesired address database  120 , undesired address database  132 ) via any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     At step  716 , the NRA management application may identify one or more NRA recommendations based on the NRA information, information stored in an undesired address database, or both. For example, the NRA management application may provide individually selectable NRA recommendations in a drop-down box in accordance with information in an NRA field, undesired address database, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof. The NRA management application may identify, provide, or confirm NRA recommendations using any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     At step  718 , the NRA management application may confirm whether an NRA recommendation is a desired NRA. The NRA management application may confirm an NRA recommendation, for example, in response to a user selecting an NRA recommendation, such as an NRA recommendation associated with informational header  618 , or affirmative confirmation option  620 . In some embodiments, the NRA management application may not confirm an NRA recommendation in response to a user selecting negative confirmation option  622 . If the NRA management application has not confirmed the NRA recommendation, the process may proceed to step  716 . If the NRA management application has confirmed the NRA recommendation, the process may proceed to step  720 . 
     At step  720 , the NRA management application may provide content associated with the confirmed NRA recommendation, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof to user equipment  140 , any other suitable equipment or device, or any combination thereof through any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the NRA management application may provide content associated with an NRA recommendation associated with informational header  618  in display region  614 . 
       FIG. 8  is a flow chart of illustrative steps involved in performing a function based on an undesired address database in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, input device  106  may be used to input an NRA using an NRA management application which may be running on the Internet, one or more private networks, or both. 
     At step  802 , the NRA management application may receive NRA information through any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the NRA management application may receive NRA information via NRA field  504  shown in  FIG. 5 , any other suitable field, program, or application, or any combination thereof. 
     At step  804 , the NRA management application may access user information such as user browsing histories, user preference information, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof stored in any suitable database or storage device through any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     At step  806 , the NRA management application may access one or more undesired address databases (e.g., local undesired address database  120 , undesired address database  132 , any other suitable database or storage including distributed storage locations, or any combination thereof) through any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     At step  808 , the NRA management application may identify one or more NRA recommendations based on the NRA information, user information, information stored in an undesired address database, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof. For example, the NRA management application may provide individually selectable NRA recommendations, such as NRA recommendation  520 , in drop-down box  516  in accordance with information provided via, for example, NRA field  504 , database  120 , database  132 , any other suitable component, or any combination thereof. 
     At step  810 , the NRA management application may confirm the one or more NRA recommendations. For example, the NRA management application may confirm an NRA recommendation in response to a user selecting NRA recommendation  520 . In some embodiments, the NRA management application may not confirm an NRA recommendation in response to a user selecting a negative confirmation option or by not receiving input after a predetermined time interval. 
     At step  812 , the NRA management application may perform a function based at least in part on the one or more confirmed NRA recommendations. In some embodiments, the NRA management application may provide content associated with the confirmed NRA recommendation, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof to user equipment  140  through any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the NRA management application may provide content associated with NRA recommendation  520  in display region  514 . In some embodiments, the NRA management application may display an image, video, or both to alert a user of any suitable outcome, such as the input of NRA information associated with an undesired address or the successful storing of information in an undesired address database. In some embodiments, the NRA management application may play an audio file to alert a user of any suitable outcome, such as the input of NRA information associated with an undesired address or the successful storing of information in an undesired address database. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may filter search results associated with user-specified search parameters (e.g., text, search strings, keywords, partial or complete NRA information, any other suitable parameter, or any combination thereof). The NRA management application may, for example remove undesired addresses from a listing of search results resulting from the user-specified search parameters. 
       FIG. 9  shows an illustrative web browser display screen  900  for providing filtered search results in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, an NRA management application may provide access to any suitable type of content in a single display, a single screen overlay, multiple displays, multiple screen overlays, any other suitable display, or any combination thereof and may or may not be updated at any suitable time interval. 
     In some embodiments, display screen  900  may include navigation region  902  for displaying one or more individually selectable portions, such as NRA field  904 , NRA  906 , undesired address control  908 , search field  910 , navigational controls  912  (e.g., back icon, forward icon, reload icon, cancel or stop icon, close icon, minimize icon, maximize icon, any other suitable icon, or any combination thereof), any other suitable field, icon, or button, or any combination thereof. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may receive search parameters. For example, an input device may be used to input search parameter  916  (e.g., “appl”) in search field  910 . 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may provide content or listings associated with search parameters entered in search field  910 , any other suitable search field or provider, or any combination thereof in display region  914 . For example, if the NRA management application receives search parameter  916  in search field  910 , the NRA management application may provide individually selectable listings, content, or both associated with NRAs in display region  314 . Search result listings may be, for example, listings  918  (e.g., “appl.com”),  920  (e.g., “apple.com”), and  922  (e.g., “appl.tv”). 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may access an undesired address database (e.g., local undesired address database  120 , undesired address database  132 ) to determine if a search result listing, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof is associated with an undesired address. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may provide search result listings that are not associated with undesired addresses. For example, the NRA management application may provide search result listing  920  in display region  914  in response to information associated with search result listing  920  not being stored in an undesired address database. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may provide an undesired address as a search result listing in an altered form, such as being highlighted, having a different color, having a different font, having a different size, being co-located with a graphic icon, being differentiated in any other suitable manner, or any combination thereof. 
     For example, information associated with NRA recommendations  918  and  922  may be stored in an undesired database. The NRA management application may, for example, highlight and change the font and size of NRA recommendation  918  from Arial 12 point font to Courier New 10 point font. The NRA management application may, for example, italicize, add an icon, and change the color of NRA recommendation  922  from black to gray. 
     In some embodiments, the NRA management application may remove an undesired address from search result listings in response to information associated with the address being stored in an undesired address database. For example, the NRA management application may not provide “applemacs.com” as search result listing in display region  914  in response to information associated with http://www.applemacs.com” being stored in local undesired address database  120 , undesired address database  132 , or both. 
     In some embodiments, input device  106  may be used to select a search result listing. The NRA management application may provide content associated with one or more search result listings, for example, in display region  914 . For example, the NRA management application may provide content associated with NRA http://www.apple.com in display region  914  in response to a user selecting NRA recommendation  920  (e.g., “apple.com”). 
       FIG. 10  is a flow chart of illustrative steps involved in filtering search results based on an undesired address database in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, input device  106  may be used to input search parameters using an NRA management application which may be running on the Internet, one or more private networks, or both. 
     At step  1002 , the NRA management application may receive search parameters through any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the NRA management application may receive search parameters via search field  510  shown in  FIG. 5 , any other suitable field, program, or application, or any combination thereof. 
     At step  1004 , the NRA management application may access user information such as user browsing histories, user preference information, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof stored in any suitable database or storage device through any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     At step  1006 , the NRA management application may access one or more undesired address databases (e.g., local undesired address database  120 , undesired address database  132 , any other suitable database or storage including distributed storage locations, or any combination thereof) through any suitable communications path, network, or both in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     At step  1008 , the NRA management application may process the search parameters using any suitable search algorithm. The searching process may be generalized, for example, by communications paths  110 ,  126 ,  130 , and  134 , and data network  124 . In some embodiments, the searching process may include other servers, databases, or both coupled with data network  124 . 
     At step  1010 , the NRA management application may identify one or more search result listings based on the search parameters, user information, information stored in an undesired address database, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof. For example, the NRA management application may provide individually selectable search result listings in display region  514  in accordance with information in search field  510 , database  120 , database,  132 , any other suitable component, or any combination thereof. 
     At step  1012 , the NRA management application may filter search result listings according to user information, information stored in one or more undesired address databases, any other suitable information, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the NRA management application may remove a search result listing associated with an undesired address from a listing of search results. For example, the NRA management application may filter undesired addresses (e.g., “http://www.appl.com”, any other suitable listing or content, or any combination thereof) out of search result listings provided in display region  514 . In some embodiments, the NRA management application may provide undesired addresses as search result listings in altered form, such as being highlighted, having different colors, having different fonts, being co-located with graphic icons, being differentiated in any other suitable manner, or any combination thereof. 
     It will be understood that the foregoing is only illustrative of the principles of the disclosure, and that the disclosure may be practiced by other than the described embodiments, which are presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20101012
Publication Date: 20140114
Grant Date: 20140114
Priority Date: 20101012
Inventors: LEE JEFFERY T.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04L61/301", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L61/301", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F16/9566", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F16/9566", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 45925986