Automatic phone number to website linking system and method

• US 20060099931A1
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tony Trujillo
• Original Assignee: Tony Trujillo
• Inventors: Trujillo, Tony
• Application Number:
  US11/272,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20060099931A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/33 containing protocol addresses or telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A system and method for providing data to a phone user based on a phone number entered by the user. The phone may access a website or send a message to a remote site when the phone number is entered or a send command is received from the user. The website may be determined by constructing a universal resource locator from the phone number or by accessing a database using the phone number. Location information may also be used to provide information to the user specific to the user'"'"'s location. In the alternative, interactive information may be automatically retrieved by the phone when a number is input using other communication channels including short messaging system (SMS) messages.

Claims

1. A method for automatically providing data to a phone:

receiving a phone number from a user;

retrieving data automatically from a remote location based on the phone number; and

displaying the data to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching a database remote from the phone to locate the phone number.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing an identification of a website to the user associated with the phone number.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

verifying the website is associated with the phone number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving data from a remote location comprises accessing a website with the phone number in a universal resource locator.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an option to the user to view retrieved data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining global positioning data related to the phone.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein retrieved data is localized based on the global positioning data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a first short messaging system message including the phone number.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a second short messaging system message with data related to the phone number.

11. A method for operating a phone comprising:

receiving a phone number from a user;

determining a website to access automatically using the phone number;

receiving data from the website; and

displaying the data to the user via the phone.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

constructing a universal resource locator using the phone number.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

accessing the website using the universal resource locator.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

checking metatags of the website for the phone number.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying an option to the user to view the website.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

searching a database for the phone number.

17. A method for providing interactive content to a phone user comprising:

receiving a phone number from a user;

sending a first short messaging system message automatically to a remote site based on the phone number; and

receiving a message from the remote site providing data related to the phone number.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data is a menu of options.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the message is a second short messaging system message.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

sending a third short messaging system message to the remote site based on user input.