Internet access system and telephone directory

• US 6,999,444 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2000
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yoshihiko Nitta, Yoshiki Fujimura
• Original Assignee: Yoshihiko Nitta, Yoshiki Fujimura
• Inventors: Fujimura, Yoshiki, Nitta, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N.
• Application Number:
  US09/713,169
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/474, 370/357, 370/389, 370/338, 345/168, 379/114.01, 379/142.06, 379/142.01, 379/142.14, 379/114, 455/414, 455/566, 455/415, 709/210, 709/219, 709/216, 709/245, 709/200, 704/275, 707 1- 10
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/65 Telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading

Abstract

A telephone number sent from a handheld information terminal and identification information produced by adding, to the telephone number, address presence/absence specifying information indicating at least presence/absence of a URL address for identifying a resource on the Internet are acquired. A URL address associated with the identification information is acquired from a telephone number/URL address correspondency database in which at least telephone numbers and Internet domain addresses are associated. A telephone number/URL address correspondency analysis program functions to send the URL address to the handheld information terminal and to prompt the handheld information terminal to access the URL address.

Claims

1. An Internet access system comprising:

determination means for determining whether a telephone number and address presence/absence specifying information are added to input data or not, the address presence/absence specifying information indicating presence/absence of an Internet website address for specifying presence/absence of a website on the Internet;

an address acquisition section for acquiring the Internet website address from a database in which the telephone number and the Internet website address are associated, in a case where the determination means determines that the telephone number and the address presence/absence specifying information are added to the input data; and

an address sending section for sending the acquired Internet website address;

wherein the determination means effects line connection for communication, in a case where the determination means determines that the address presence/absence specifying information is not added to the input data.

2. An Internet access system according to claim 1, wherein said database is generated by a search section for searching resources connected to the Internet, thereby producing correspondency data between the telephone number and the Internet website address.

3. An Internet access system according to claim 1, wherein said database is generated by searching resources connected to the Internet and finding, on the basis of the telephone number and attribute information associated with the telephone number, the Internet website address associated with the attribute information.

4. An Internet access system according to claim 1, wherein said database is generated by searching resources connected to the Internet and finding, on the basis of the Internet website address and attribute information associated with the Internet website address, the telephone number associated with the attribute information.

5. A method applied to an Internet access system comprising the steps of:

determining whether a telephone number and address presence/absence specifying information are added to input data or not, the address presence/absence specifying information indicating presence/absence of an Internet website address for specifying presence/absence of a website on the Internet;

acquiring the Internet website address from a database in which the telephone number and the Internet website address are associated, in a case where it is determined in the determining step that the telephone number and the address presence/absence specifying information are added to the input data; and

sending the acquired Internet website address;

wherein in the determining step, line connection for communication is effected, in a case where it is determined in the determining step that the address presence/absence specifying information is not added to the input data.