URL Hashing Proxy for Privacy-Preserving Web Access Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for restricting access to websites become inefficient as the URL list grows, leading to slow updates and increased complexity with a larger number of client computers, while also compromising user privacy.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system that hashes URLs and compares them with pre-stored hashes, using a proxy server to manage access based on whitelist or blacklist categories, preserving user privacy by sending only hashed URLs over the network.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the URL list is maintained and updated periodically, then access control functionality is provided, but the update speed becomes slow and the system becomes unwieldy as the URL list grows

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess control functionalityVSAvoidupdate speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the URL list into multiple category files, where each file contains URLs for a specific category. This allows independent updates of individual category files without requiring updates to the entire URL list, thereby improving update speed while maintaining access control functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-categorizing URLs into different category files and pre-computing hash values for each URL. This preparation work is done in advance, so when updates are needed, only the specific category files requiring updates are modified, rather than processing the entire URL list.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If the number of client computers increases, then more users are served, but the system becomes slower and more complex to manage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of usersVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a category file server as an intermediary between the control software and the URL list storage. This server handles the distribution and management of category files to multiple client computers, simplifying the system architecture and enabling it to scale to serve more users without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If the complete URL list is sent to the server for checking, then accurate access control is achieved, but user privacy is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess control accuracyVSAvoiduser privacy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary identifying information (hash values of URLs) from the complete URL list and sends these extracted identifiers to the server for checking. This allows the server to verify whether a requested URL belongs to a blocked category without receiving or processing the actual URL content, thereby maintaining access control accuracy while preserving user privacy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS7571325B1Remote identification of blocked websites while maintaining user privacy

Publication Date: 2009.08.04 GEN DIGITAL INC

AI summary

Methods, apparati, and computer-readable media for regulating a user's access to a Web page. A method embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of hashing (31) a URL associated with a Web page requested by the user; comparing (32) the hashed URL with a list (24) of pre-stored URL hashes; and granting (34) or denying (37) access to the requested Web page based upon results of the comparing step (32).