Method of accessing a target entity over a communications network
First Claim
1. A method of accessing a target entity over a communications network, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a)--providing a DNS-type distributed database system storing records each associated with a corresponding domain name and holding communication data for use in accessing said target entity, 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, said number string being a telephone number;
(b)--supplying a said number string indicative of a said target entity and forming the related said domain name by said process including parsing at least a substantial part of the number string into at least a part of a siad domain name;
(c)--applying the domain name formed in step (b) to the DNS-type distributed database system to retrieve the communication data held in the corresponding said record; and
(d)--using the communication data retrieved in step (c) in accessing said target entity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of accessing a target entity over a communication network employs a distributed database system similar top the DNS of the Internet; indeed the DNS may be used as the required distributed database. The distributed database stores records, each associated with a corresponding domain name and holding communication data for use in accessing a target entity. Each of these domain names are 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. Upon the input of a number indicative of a target entity, the related domain name is formed by parsing the number and the domain name is then used to retrieve the corresponding communication data from the DNS-type distributed database system. This data is then used in accessing the target entity. In one embodiment the communication network is a telephone network and the target entity is a called party; in this case, the number string comprises a dialed number and the retrieved communication data is a URI indicative of the location on the Internet of a current telephone number for the target party, the URI once retrieve being used to access the current telephone number over the Internet for use in setting up a call to the target party.
1242 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of accessing a target entity over a communications network, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a)--providing a DNS-type distributed database system storing records each associated with a corresponding domain name and holding communication data for use in accessing said target entity, 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, said number string being a telephone number; (b)--supplying a said number string indicative of a said target entity and forming the related said domain name by said process including parsing at least a substantial part of the number string into at least a part of a siad domain name; (c)--applying the domain name formed in step (b) to the DNS-type distributed database system to retrieve the communication data held in the corresponding said record; and (d)--using the communication data retrieved in step (c) in accessing said target entity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification