Text-messaging server with automatic conversion of keywords into hyperlinks to external files on a network

• US 6,785,740 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoneda, Michiaki, Noma, Tsunetake
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Application Number:
  US09/539,045
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219, 709/217, 709/245, 709/227, 709/204, 709/206, 709/246, 707/102, 707/101, 707/10, 715/501.1
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/157 using dictionaries or tables

Abstract

An apparatus, a method and a medium for providing and processing information, whereby users of a chat system send easily and rapidly to one another a URL for uniquely designating the location of a file on the Internet. A hard disk drive of a WWW server records predetermined keywords and addresses for uniquely designating the locations of information corresponding to these keywords. A CPU of the WWW server receives any one of the keywords which is included in text data from an information processing apparatus, and translates the keyword into data with a tag related to the address corresponding to the keyword in question.

Claims

1. A computer-based system configured for network text-messaging services, comprising:

a first communications terminal configured to support network text-messaging;

a second communications terminal configured to support network text-messaging;

a server having an interface configured to relay text-messages exchanged between the first communications terminal and the second communications terminal; and

a network connecting said first communications terminal, said second communications terminal, and said server, wherein said server further includes;

a memory configured to store relations between a predetermined keyword and an address uniquely designating a file on said network, said file not located on said first communications terminal, said second communications terminal, or said server;

a monitoring mechanism configured to monitor communications between said first communications terminal and said second communications terminal;

a detection mechanism configured to recognize the presence of said predetermined keyword in said communications; and

a text conversion mechanism configured to convert said predetermined keyword in said communications into data with a tag related to said address of the file on the network.

2. The computer-based system of claim 1, wherein

said network comprises the Internet;

said communications comprises a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) file; and

said address comprises Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

3. The computer-based system of claim 1, wherein said server further comprises:

a text highlighting mechanism configured to highlight said tag.

4. A server configured to support network text-messaging services, comprising:

an interface configured to relay text-messages exchanged between a first communications terminal and a second communications terminal over a network;

a memory configured to store relations between a predetermined keyword and an address uniquely designating a file on said network, said file not located on said first communications terminal, said second communications terminal, or said server;

a monitoring mechanism configured to monitor communications between said first communications terminal and said second communications terminal;

a detection mechanism configured to recognize the presence of said predetermined keyword in said communications; and

a text conversion mechanism configured to convert said predetermined keyword in said communications into data with a tag related to said address of the file on the network.

5. The server of claim 4, wherein

said network comprises the Internet;

said communications comprises a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) file; and

said address comprises Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

6. The server of claim 4, further comprising:

a text highlighting mechanism configured to highlight said tag.

7. A method for network text-messaging services, comprising:

communicating between a first communications terminal and a second communications terminal over a network via network text-messaging;

monitonn by a serve communications between said first communications terminal and said second communications terminal;

storing relations between a predetermined keyword and an address uniquely designating a file on said network, said file not located on said first communications terminal, said second communications terminal, or said server;

recognizing the presence of said predetermined keyword in said communications; and

converting said predetermined keyword in said communications into data with a tag related to said address of the file on the network.

8. A method for supporting network text-messaging services, comprising:

monitoring by a serve text-messaging communications over a network between a first communications terminal and a second communications terminal;

storing relations between a predetermined keyword and an address uniquely designating a file on said network, said file not located on said first communications terminal, said second communications terminal, or said server;

recognizing the presence of said predetermined keyword in said communications; and

converting said predetermined keyword in said communications into data with a tag related to said address of the file on the network.

9. A computer program product containing instructions for supporting network text-messaging services, said instructions including instructions for:

monitoring by a server text-messaging communications over a network between a first communications terminal and a second communications terminal;

storing relations between a predetermined keyword and an address uniquely designating a file on said network, said file not located on said first communications terminal, said second communications terminal, or said server;

recognizing the presence of said predetermined keyword in said communications; and

converting said predetermined keyword in said communications into data with a tag related to said address of the file on the network.