Internet connection user communications system
A method for communicating in real-time to users of a provider of Internet access service, without requiring any installation or set-up by the user, that utilizes the unique identification information automatically provided by the user during communications for identifying the user to provide a fixed identifier which is then communicated to a redirecting device. Messages may then be selectively transmitted to the user. The system is normally transparent to the user, with no modification of its content along the path. Content then may be modified or replaced along the path to the user. For the purposes of establishing a reliable delivery of bulletin messages from providers to their users, the system forces the delivery of specially-composed World Wide Web browser pages to the user, although it is not limited to that type of data.
1. A method, comprising:
accessing, by a redirecting device, user upstream traffic from a destination site requested by at least one user;
providing, by the redirecting device, a fixed identifier to a consolidating and management device, the fixed identifier based on the accessed user upstream traffic;
sending, by the consolidating and management device to the redirecting device, policy information with a unique identifier for the policy information;
creating, by the redirecting device, an entry in a table stored in the redirecting device, the entry indicating an Internet Protocol (IP) address of packet data obtained from the user upstream traffic, the entry having a predefined time expiration period during which the redirecting device will not query the consolidating and management device; and
redirecting a message, based on the accessed user upstream traffic, to the user for display on a message vehicle occurring directly from the redirecting device to the user without involvement from the destination site.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message vehicle is a pop-up window on the user PC's browser.
3. The method of claim 1 , further including a step of transmitting to the user the message vehicle for displaying and communicating the message from the consolidating and management device to the user.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the consolidating and management device utilizes at least one of:
a web cache control protocol; and
switching mechanisms in an existing ISP router or switch.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message vehicle is a prompt provided on the user PC.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fixed identifier is a modem address unique identifier of the user.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message is transmitted in response to an event determined by the redirecting device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is identified to belong to a defined group of users and wherein the message is selectively sent to a pre-selected user group.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the redirecting device is adapted for working through Web browsers irrespective of the World Wide Web destination sought by the user identifier.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the redirecting device returns the user to the Original World Wide Web destination after the message has been transmitted.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the redirecting device operates with multiple types of content.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the redirecting device comprises a hardware device that is connected at various points, in plurality, in a provider infrastructure.
13. The method of claim 12 , further including a plurality of redirecting devices.
14. The method of claim 12 , further including a step of providing optional fail-safe operation of each device so failure does not disrupt other normal browsing and Internet activity of the user but results only in an interruption of bulletin delivery.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the redirecting device comprises a software system installed on a computer system connected at various points, singly or in plurality, in a provider infrastructure.
16. The method of claim 15 , further including a plurality of redirecting devices.
17. The method of claim 15 , further including a step of providing optional fail-safe operation of each device such that failure does not disrupt other normal browsing and Internet activity of the user but results only in an interruption of bulletin delivery.
18. The method of claim 1 , further including a step of defining a specific policy for controlling the selective transmission of messages to the user.
19. The method of claim 18 , further including the step of defining a policy for at least one of:
a Web page or other page information;
timing and frequency of delivery;
activating the redirecting device to deliver a message in response to other user activity.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the activating the redirecting device to deliver a message comprises defining at least one of:
a defined destination;
an amount of activity by the user; and
requests carrying a signature of virus contamination.
21. The method of claim 1 , further including a step of generating a plurality of independently designated policies to be delivered correctly to the user even if some policy events invoke in simultaneity.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the redirecting device includes an ability to acquire knowledge of the policy information and the unique identifier when a Web or other request is detected with only an identifying IP address.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the redirecting device further performs minimizing the overhead of acquiring user parameters through caching of the user parameters for a determined portion of time.
24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the redirecting device operates in connection with a consolidating system management device for permitting a group of system devices to be viewed by a provider as a single system.
25. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying the user by using data available from the user and provider infrastructure to provide the fixed identifier based on the user upstream traffic by using an enforced delivery of a Web page to be used in distribution and subscription of new users without prior knowledge of serial numbers associated with the new user's interface equipment and without requiring the new users to utilize special software.
26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising using the enforced delivery of a Web page to reduce the volume of telephone support requests by an enforced pre-announcement of known, future system outages due to scheduled maintenance.
27. The method of claim 25 , further comprising using the identifier for detection of “signature” forms of Internet packets indicating a presence of undesirable content.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the undesirable content is a virus.
29. The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
transmitting a message identifying the undesirable content to at least one of:
a provider and the user.
30. The method of claim 29 , further including a step of logging the undesirable content identifying message.
31. The method of claim 29 , wherein the transmitting the message further includes enforcing the delivery of other user-beneficial information currently displayed on the manually accessed provider information Web page.
32. The method of claim 1 , further including a step of logging at least one of:
successful implementation of policies to each user; and
interactive responses that have been requested within the policy.
33. The method of claim 1 , further including steps of detecting and logging a number of simultaneously requested Web connections.
34. The method of claim 33 , further including a step of flagging users that are utilizing more than one simultaneous device per subscription.
35. The method of claim 1 , further including a step of transmitting explanations to be issued, in an enforced manner, to subscribers, after a service interruption, in such a manner as to alleviate customer dissatisfaction by illuminating and explaining a problem and efforts taken in a future time to eliminate the problem.
36. The method of claim 1 , further including a step of inserting at least one of:
a redirecting device in the path of web traffic from the user through an ISP;
a redirecting device in the path of web traffic from the user through an aggregation router; and
a redirecting device in the path of web traffic from the user through a CMTS.
37. The method of claim 1 , further including a step of inserting a redirecting device in the path of web traffic between a Network Address Translator (NAT) and an ISP.
38. The method of claim 37 , wherein the NAT is connected to a Wi-Fi network.
39. The method of claim 38 , wherein the Wi-Fi accommodates a plurality of users.
40. The method of claim 39 , wherein the redirecting device is further configured to identify each of the plurality of users on the Wi-Fi network.
41. The method of claim 40 , wherein the redirecting device identifies each of the plurality of users by performing the following steps: a. temporarily redirecting each active user to a visible or non-visible, null-Web page that sets a cookie with the required information to identify an action and user in the future; b. capturing an identity and previous activity flagged by the set cookie.
42. The method of claim 41 further comprising:
sending a selected message to a selected one of the identified users.
43. The method of claim 37 , wherein the redirecting device identifies each of the plurality of users by performing the following steps: a. temporarily redirecting each active user to a visible or non-visible, null-Web page that sets a cookie with the required information to identify an action and user in the future; b. capturing an identity and previous activity flagged by the set cookie.