Method and apparatus for accessing communication data relevant to a target entity identified by a number string
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Service resource items (49) for use in call setup in a telephone system are held on servers (58) that are connected to a computer network which is logically distinct from the telephone system infrastructure; this computer network may, for example, make use of the Internet. Each service item (49) is locatable on the network at a corresponding URI and is associated with a particular telephone number. A mapping is provided between telephone numbers and the URIs of associated service resource items. When it is desired to access a service resource item (49) associated with a particular telephone number, this mapping is used to retrieve the corresponding URI (step 55) which is then used to access the desired service resource item (56, 57, 59).
114 Citations
64 Claims
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1-16. -16. (canceled)
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17. A method of accessing a target entity identified by a number string, said method comprising:
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(a) storing in the domain name system of the Internet, hereinafter the DNS, records each associated with a corresponding domain name and holding an URI of an entity associated with the domain name, each said domain name being related to a respective number string from which it can be derived by a process including parsing at least a substantial portion of the number string into at least a part of said domain name;
(b) applying said process to the said number string identifying the target entity whereby to form the related domain name;
(c) supplying the domain name formed in (b) to the DNS to retrieve the URI held in the corresponding said record, this URI being that of the target entity; and
(d) using the URI retrieved in (c) in accessing said target entity. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of accessing a target entity identified by a number string, said method comprising:
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(a) storing in a DNS-type database system records each associated with a corresponding domain name and holding an URI of an entity associated with the domain name, each said domain name being related to a respective number string from which it can be derived by a process including parsing at least a substantial portion of the number string into at least a part of said domain name;
(b) applying said process to the said number string identifying the target entity whereby to form the related domain name;
(c) supplying the domain name formed in (b) to the DNS-type database system to retrieve the URI held in the corresponding said record, this URI being that of the target entity; and
(d) using the URI retrieved in (c) in accessing said target entity. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of accessing a target entity identified by a number string, said method comprising:
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(a) forming, from said number string identifying the target entity, a domain name by a process including parsing at least a substantial portion of the number string into at least a part of said domain name;
(b) supplying the domain name formed in (a) to the domain name system of the Internet and receiving back from the domain name system a resource record including an URI of the target entity; and
(c) using the URI received back in (b) to access said target entity. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. Apparatus for accessing a target entity identified by a number string, said apparatus comprising:
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the domain name system of the Internet, hereinafter the DNS;
at least one server of the DNS being arranged to store records each associated with a corresponding domain name and holding an URI of an entity associated with the domain name, each said domain name being related to a respective number string from which it can be derived by a process including parsing at least a substantial portion of the number string into at least a part of said domain name;
a parsing arrangement for applying said process to the said number string identifying the target entity whereby to form the related domain name;
an URI-retrieval arrangement for supplying the domain name formed by the parsing arrangement to the DNS to retrieve the URI held in the corresponding said record, this URI being that of the target entity; and
an access arrangement arranged to use the URI retrieved by the URI-retrieval arrangement to access said target entity. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. Apparatus for accessing a target entity identified by a number string, said apparatus comprising:
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a DNS-type database system comprising at least one server arranged to store records each associated with a corresponding domain name and holding an URI of an entity associated with the domain name, each said domain name being related to a respective number string from which it can be derived by a process including parsing at least a substantial portion of the number string into at least a part of said domain name;
a parsing arrangement for applying said process to the said number string identifying the target entity whereby to form the related domain name;
an URI-retrieval arrangement for supplying the domain name formed by the parsing arrangement to the DNS-type database system to retrieve the URI held in the corresponding said record, this URI being that of the target entity; and
an access arrangement arranged to use the URI retrieved by the URI-retrieval arrangement to access said target entity. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. Apparatus for accessing a target entity identified by a number string, said apparatus comprising:
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a parsing arrangement arranged to form, from said number string identifying the target entity, a domain name by a process including parsing at least a substantial portion of the number string into at least a part of said domain name;
an URI-retrieval arrangement for supplying the domain name formed in (a) to the domain name system of the Internet and for receiving back from the domain name system a resource record including an URI of the target entity; and
an access arrangement arranged to use the URI retrieved by the URI-retrieval arrangement to access said target entity. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. Apparatus for accessing a target entity identified by a number string, said apparatus comprising:
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a parsing arrangement arranged to form, from said number string identifying the target entity, a domain name by a process including parsing at least a substantial portion of the number string into at least a part of said domain name;
an URI-retrieval arrangement for supplying the domain name formed in (a) to a DNS-type database system and for receiving back from that system a resource record including an URI of the target entity; and
an access arrangement arranged to use the URI retrieved by the URI-retrieval arrangement to access said target entity. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A computer program product for use in accessing a target entity identified by a number string, the computer program product when executing on computing equipment being arranged to condition the equipment to provide at least:
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a parsing arrangement arranged to form, from said number string identifying the target entity, a domain name by a process including parsing at least a substantial portion of the number string into at least a part of said domain name;
an URI-retrieval arrangement for supplying the domain name formed in (a) to the domain name system of the Internet and for receiving back from the domain name system a resource record including an URI of the target entity; and
an access arrangement arranged to use the URI retrieved by the URI-retrieval arrangement to access said target entity. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A computer program product for use in accessing a target entity identified by a number string, the computer program product when executing on computing equipment being arranged to condition the equipment to provide at least:
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a parsing arrangement arranged to form, from said number string identifying the target entity, a domain name by a process including parsing at least a substantial portion of the number string into at least a part of said domain name;
an URI-retrieval arrangement for supplying the domain name formed in (a) to a DNS-type database system and for receiving back from that system a resource record including an URI of the target entity; and
an access arrangement arranged to use the URI retrieved by the URI-retrieval arrangement to access said target entity. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64)
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Specification