Web site access manual of a character string into a software interface
First Claim
1. A method for connecting a user interface at a user location to a desired location on a network, comprising the steps ofproviding a display for presenting an access data entry field to a user in conjunction with the non-access data entry fields;
- in response to viewing the access data entry field, the user selectively inputting in a manual operation one or more characters into the access data entry field, wherein one or more characters represent to the user a product associated with the desired location and wherein one or more characters are input one at a time;
in response to the step of inputting, appending with a separate browser application the one or more characters with routing information provided by the user interface of an intermediate site on the network to form a routing packet which is transmitted to the intermediate site;
searching a routing database of the intermediate site to match the one or more characters of the access data entry field with routing information of a network location that corresponds to the desired location;
if a match is found, returning the matched routing information of the network location in association with instructional code to the user interface; and
routing the user to the desired location on the network using the matched routing information of the network location such that the instructional code controls the step of routing.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An architecture for accessing a network server using one or more characters. A user computer (302) disposed on a global communication packet-switched network (306) is operable to communicate with an ARS (308) and a destination server (312) also disclosed on the GCN (306). The user computer (302) runs a software interface which displays a window (2500) to the user via a display (1612). The window (2500) contains a data entry field (2502) into which the user enters the character string, the character string disassociated from an address of the destination server (312). The character string is then transmitted from the software interface either directly to the ARS (308) or indirectly to the ARS (308) through a communication package resident on the user computer (302). The ARS (308) then performs a matching operation using the character string to obtain matching information from an ARS database (310). The matched information is then returned to the user computer (302) and used to connect the user computer (302) to the destination server (312). The destination server then returns the desired information to the user computer (302) for presentation to the user.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for connecting a user interface at a user location to a desired location on a network, comprising the steps of
providing a display for presenting an access data entry field to a user in conjunction with the non-access data entry fields; -
in response to viewing the access data entry field, the user selectively inputting in a manual operation one or more characters into the access data entry field, wherein one or more characters represent to the user a product associated with the desired location and wherein one or more characters are input one at a time;
in response to the step of inputting, appending with a separate browser application the one or more characters with routing information provided by the user interface of an intermediate site on the network to form a routing packet which is transmitted to the intermediate site;
searching a routing database of the intermediate site to match the one or more characters of the access data entry field with routing information of a network location that corresponds to the desired location;
if a match is found, returning the matched routing information of the network location in association with instructional code to the user interface; and
routing the user to the desired location on the network using the matched routing information of the network location such that the instructional code controls the step of routing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for interfacing an advertiser server on a remote location on a global communication network to a potential customer at a customer location on the global communication network, comprising the steps of:
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running a primary program in a customer computer disposed at the customer location on the global communication network;
providing a visual display to the customer on the customer'"'"'s computer which operates in accordance with the operation of the primary program;
providing a defined access field within the display in conjunction with other non-access fields to allow non-routing information over a global communication network to be input to the defined access data field;
manually inputting by the potential customer at the customer'"'"'s computer the non-routing information into the defined access field, the non-routing information comprising a plurality of characters that are input one character at a time;
examining, with a secondary program operating in the background to the primary program the non-routing information at an intermediate node accessed according to routing information appended to the non-routing information, to determine if it has been pre-associated with the advertiser server on the global communication network, which pre-association indicates that a connection is to be made between the customer location, wherein the non-routing information was input, and the advertiser server;
if non-routing information is determined at the intermediate node to have a pre-association with the advertiser server on the global communication network, the intermediate node causing connection of the customer location wherein the pre-associated non-routing information was input to the remote location associated with the advertiser server on the global communication network; and
transmitting information from the advertiser server to the customer computer over the global communication network after connection. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification