CONTEST
Competed
$3,000
This contest is closed.
Problem
Patexia is looking for descriptions of a system for filtering Internet content at an Internet Service Provider (ISP) server based on filtering rules. This system is executed by an ISP server that bridges the network connection between the subscriber’s computer and the wider Internet.
Submitted documents describing this system:
- must be filed, published, or describe public use before 03/19/1997
- must not be on the known references list
The entire submission should describe a filtering system based off of three lists:
- a master list of websites that control behavior for all subscribers of the ISP (either by blocking access to these websites, or only allowing access to these websites unless otherwise allowed/blocked by the subscriber)
- for each subscriber, a list of websites or keywords present in a website that the subscriber has chosen to also block
- for each subscriber, a list of websites that the subscriber has chosen to allow even if the website is blocked on the master list
This contest is for a prior art search for US Patent 5,987,606, with a focus on claims 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 24 in addition to claims 4, 6, and 9. The context for the patent is filtering web traffic (such as banning access to certain sites at work, or age-inappropriate material from children) by an Internet Service Provider on behalf of the subscriber.
Questions
| # | Question | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is the reference either a US patent filed, a foreign patent published, or a non-patent document published before March 19th, 1997? | T/F |
| 2 | Is the reference about filtering Internet content at an Internet Service Provider (ISP) server for an ISP subscriber based on filtering rules? | T/F |
| 3 | Does the reference show a computer network where an ISP server manages the Internet access of individual accounts accessing the network from their computers? | 5 |
| 4 | Does the reference show that an ISP server has (1) a master list of websites? | 15 |
| 5 | Does the reference show that each account has (2) a list of websites or keywords the subscriber wants to block, and (3) a list of websites the subscriber wants to allow (even if the websites would otherwise be allowed or blocked by the master list)? | 15 |
| 6 | Does the reference show that the ISP server filters each account’s network traffic by blocking access to websites based on (1) the master list, (2) the subscriber’s list of blocked sites, and (3) the subscriber’s list of allowed sites? | 40 |
| 7 | (6a) Does the reference further show that the ISP server monitors each account’s network packets and will block access to websites if the packets contain keywords listed on (2) the subscriber’s list of blocked keywords? | 5 |
| 8 | Does the reference show that all of the subscriber’s filtering lists, both (2) and (3), are stored on a second ISP server that is separate from the filtering ISP server? | 15 |
| 9 | Does the reference show that if a website is blocked, the ISP server sends a rejection to the subscriber’s computer instead of the website? | 5 |
Additional Notes
This is a Prior Art Search contest aimed at determining if a patent idea was known and publicly available before a patent was filed.
+5 bonus points will be awarded for non-patent literature and for foreign language references.
This contest will close on Sunday, May 3rd, 2015 at 11:59 PM PST.
Please review the Contest Rules. For more information on how to submit to this Contest type, please read the Intro to Prior Art Search page.
