Method of providing internet pages by mapping telephone number provided by client to URL and returning the same in a redirect command by server

• US 5,812,776 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Soverain IP, LLC
• Original Assignee: Open Market, Inc. (Divine Technology Ventures)
• Inventors: Gifford, David K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Ki S.
• Application Number:
  US08/486,797
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200, 395/600, 395/157, 395/200.01, 395/200.15, 395/200.47, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 395/200.33, 364/280, 364/286, 370/392, 370/401, 370/405
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

This invention relates to methods for providing access to network servers. In particular, the process described in the invention includes client-server sessions over the Internet involving hypertext files. In the hypertext environment, a client views a document transmitted by a content server with a standard program known as the browser. Each hypertext document or page contains links to other hypertext pages which the user may select to traverse. The user may also access a hypertext page by providing a conventional telephone number or other descriptor. The server maps such a telephone number or descriptor to a target page identifier using a translation database and automatically directs the client to retrieve the desired page.

Claims

1. A method of providing a client access to information pages in a server system through a network comprising:

providing a descriptor comprising a telephone number at the client;

mapping the descriptor to a uniform resource locator using a translation database residing in the server system;

returning the uniform resource locator in a REDIRECT command to the client to request the information using the uniform resource locator; and

displaying a page identified by the uniform resource locator at the client.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the uniform resource locator describes a controlled page.