IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,568,062
Granted Patent B2
US 12,568,062 · App. 15/943,909 · Granted Mar 3, 2026

Experience differentiation

Inventor: Gregory J. Davis (Barnegat, NJ)
Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
H04L61/4511H04L61/5007H04L63/068
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,568,062
App. No.
15/943,909
Granted
Mar 3, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems are described for differentiating user experience based on domain name system (DNS) queries. An experience differentiating DNS server may respond to user information in a DNS query to selectively deliver a different experience to the client based on the user information. The experience differentiating DNS server may determine a user information subpart of a DNS query and a domain name subpart of the DNS query. The experience differentiating DNS server may determine user supplemental address information based on the user information. The experience differentiating DNS server may determine a partial domain response based on the domain name subpart of the DNS query. The experience differentiating DNS server may determine a DNS response based on the partial domain response and the user supplemental address information. A portion of the DNS query may be encrypted, and the experience differentiating DNS server may decrypt a portion of the DNS query.

Claims (65)

1 . A method comprising:

decrypting, by a domain name service (DNS) system in order to obtain a decrypted first subpart, an encrypted first subpart of a uniform resource identifier (URI) of a DNS query from a user device;

determining, based on the decrypted first subpart, supplemental address information associated with a user that is different from the URI and the DNS query;

based on the supplemental address information and a second subpart of the URI, determining a destination address for a response to the DNS query; and

sending, to the user device, the response to the DNS query that comprises the determined destination address.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the supplemental address information is based on a query, to a database, using the decrypted first subpart.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the encrypted first subpart of the URI is encrypted with a published key after the published key is made available by the DNS system.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the decrypting comprises decrypting the encrypted first subpart based on a published key that comprises at least one of:

a decryption key, associated with the DNS system, that is valid for a predetermined period of time and invalid after the predetermined period of time has elapsed,

a decryption key made available by the DNS system via a first DNS resource record (RR), or

a decryption key having a validity period corresponding to a time to live (TTL) value of a second DNS RR.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the decrypted first subpart comprises one or more of:

a username associated with the user device,

a geographic region associated with the user device,

a customer type associated with the user device,

a customer number associated with the user device,

an account number associated with the user device, or

a service level associated with the user device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the destination address comprises:

selecting one of a plurality of DNS zone files based on the supplemental address information.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the decrypted first subpart comprises an identification of an Internet Protocol (IP) subnet, and wherein the supplemental address information comprises a host part of an IP address.

8 . An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the apparatus to:

decrypt, in order to obtain a decrypted first subpart, an encrypted first subpart of a uniform resource identifier (URI) of a domain name service (DNS) query from a user device;

determine, based on the decrypted first subpart, supplemental address information associated with a user that is different from the URI and the DNS query;

based on the supplemental address information and a second subpart of the URI, determine a destination address for a response to the DNS query; and

send, to the user device, the response to the DNS query that comprises the determined destination address.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the apparatus to determine the supplemental address information further based on a query, to a database, using the decrypted first subpart.

10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the encrypted first subpart of the URI is encrypted with a published key after the published key is made available by the apparatus.

11 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the apparatus to decrypt the encrypted first subpart based on a published key that comprises at least one of:

a decryption key, associated with the apparatus, that is valid for a predetermined period of time and invalid after the predetermined period of time has elapsed,

a decryption key made available by the apparatus via a first DNS resource record (RR), or

a decryption key having a validity period corresponding to a time to live (TTL) value of a second DNS RR.

12 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the decrypted first subpart comprises one or more of:

a username associated with the user device,

a geographic region associated with the user device,

a customer type associated with the user device,

a customer number associated with the user device,

an account number associated with the user device, or

a service level associated with the user device.

13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the apparatus to determine the destination address by:

selecting one of a plurality of DNS zone files based on the supplemental address information.

14 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the decrypted first subpart comprises an identification of an Internet Protocol (IP) subnet, and wherein the supplemental address information comprises a host part of an IP address.

15 . One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions that, when executed, cause:

decrypting, by a domain name service (DNS) system in order to obtain a decrypted first subpart, an encrypted first subpart of a uniform resource identifier (URI) of a DNS query from a user device;

determining, based on the decrypted first subpart, supplemental address information associated with a user that is different from the URI and the DNS query;

based on the supplemental address information and a second subpart of the URI, determining a destination address for a response to the DNS query; and

sending, to the user device, the response to the DNS query that comprises the determined destination address.

16 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the determining the supplemental address information further based on a query, to a database, using the decrypted first subpart.

17 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15 , wherein the encrypted first subpart of the URI is encrypted with a published key after the published key is made available by the DNS system.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15 , wherein the decrypting comprises decrypting the encrypted first subpart based on a published key that comprises at least one of:

a decryption key, associated with the DNS system, that is valid for a predetermined period of time and invalid after the predetermined period of time has elapsed,

a decryption key made available by the DNS system via a first DNS resource record (RR), or

a decryption key having a validity period corresponding to a time to live (TTL) value of a second DNS RR.

19 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15 , wherein the decrypted first subpart comprises one or more of:

a username associated with the user device,

a geographic region associated with the user device,

a customer type associated with the user device,

a customer number associated with the user device,

an account number associated with the user device, or

a service level associated with the user device.

20 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15 , wherein the determining the destination address comprises:

selecting one of a plurality of DNS zone files based on the supplemental address information.

21 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 15 , wherein the decrypted first subpart comprises an identification of an Internet Protocol (IP) subnet, and wherein the supplemental address information comprises a host part of an IP address.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2018
From: DAVIS, GREGORY J.
To: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 045462/0282 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190306110A1 · Oct 3, 2019
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