Converting an address to a hyperlink

• US 20060167913A1
• Filed: 01/27/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tam, Chi H., Hsu, William M.
• Application Number:
  US11/044,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20060167913A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes

Abstract

In a data structure such as an electronic document, a location such as an address is entered, rendered, or scanned for as part of text of the data structure. The location is identified and is converted to a hyperlink that targets an application program such as a website. When activated, the hyperlink takes a user to the application program.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data that includes a location;

detecting the location in the received data;

converting the location to a hyperlink to an application program; and

creating a data structure that includes the hyperlink.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving data comprises receiving a second data structure.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving includes processing the data into address subfields that comprise a city subfield, an administrative unit subfield, and a postal code subfield.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the data structure to a user wherein the hyperlink is identified to the user.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending the data structure to an application program that opens the data structure and presents the hyperlink to a user.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the ability to allow the hyperlink to be activated such that a website is accessed.

7. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in claim 1.

8. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in claim 4.

9. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in claim 5.

10. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method as recited in claim 6.

11. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure associated with a hyperlink to a website comprising:

a first data field containing data representing a street address of an address;

a second data field containing data representing a city of the address; and

a third data field functioning to complete the address.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the third data field comprises one or more of the following:

an administrative unit subfield, a country subfield, and a postal code subfield.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the data stored in the data structure is associated with the hyperlink.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the hyperlink includes a website address of a website and information for the website to generate a map of the address.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the hyperlink includes a website address of a website and information for the website to generate a map of the address.

16. An data structure comprising:

text data that is received and processed to be opened by multiple application programs; and

an identified location parsed from the text and numerical data that includes a hyperlink to an application program.

17. The data structure of claim 16 wherein the data structure is created from one of the following:

a document created by a first application and opened by a second application;

a received document; and

a webpage.

18. The data structure of claim 16 wherein the application program creates one of the following:

a map of the location, directions relative to the location, a list of other locations near the location.

19. The data structure of claim 16 wherein the application program is a website.

20. The data structure of claim 19 wherein the website saves a webpage that displays a map showing the location.