Access method and system with restricted number of address indentifiers in domain areas for identifying server addresses

• US 7,093,014 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Hosomi, Itaru, Nino, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/945,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20020027568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/225, 709/226, 709/249, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A website access system allowing easy operation and a small number of steps for accessing a desired one of a great number of websites is disclosed. A plurality of domain areas are provided, which is determined so that a number of information providers is restricted. An address registration database retrievably registers a plurality of address identifiers uniquely identifying respective ones of website addresses which have been registered for each of the domain areas. An access management server receives an address identifier from the user terminal located in one of the domain areas, searches the address registration database for a corresponding website address according to the address identifier and the domain area where the user terminal is located, and then uses the corresponding website address to make the user terminal access the desired website on the network.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an address registration database for registering a plurality of address identifiers in response to requests for address identifiers from a plurality of sponsor entities, each address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers being valid in a corresponding domain area of a plurality of domain areas, each domain area of the plurality of domain areas defining a geographic area in which a number of valid address identifiers is restricted, each address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers being unique in the corresponding domain area and identifying a single corresponding URL of a single corresponding website of a corresponding sponsor entity of said plurality of sponsor entities; and

an access manager for receiving an address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers from a user terminal that is located in a domain area of the plurality of domain areas, and for searching the address registration database for a corresponding desired URL according to the address identifier and the domain area in which the user terminal is located, and for using the desired URL to cause the user terminal to access a desired website that is specified by the desired URL;

wherein the user terminal is a mobile communication terminal;

wherein the address registration database is configured such that it is able to register a first address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers as being valid in a first domain area of the plurality of domain areas and as identifying a first URL, and is configured such that it is able to register a second address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers as being valid in a second domain area of the plurality of domain areas and as identifying a second URL, said second address identifier being the same as said first address identifier, said second URL being different from said first URL;

wherein the user terminal and the access manager are configured such that, when the user terminal is located in the first domain area and sends the first address identifier to the access manager, the access manager causes the user terminal to access a first website that is specified by the first URL; and

wherein the user terminal and the access manager are configured such that, when the user terminal is located in the second domain area and sends the second address identifier to the access manager, the access manager causes the user terminal to access a second website that is specified by the second URL.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein each domain area of the plurality of domain areas is a communication area formed by a single base station, and

wherein the domain area in which the user terminal is located is determined by identification of a base station that communicates directly with the user terminal.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein each base station for each of the plurality of domain areas is a selected one of a plurality of types of base stations having different communication distances so that the number of valid address identifiers in each of the plurality of domain areas is limited to within a predetermined range.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a locations identifying device for identifying a location of the user terminal,

wherein the plurality of domain areas are formed by dividing a system service area covered by a plurality of base stations, and

wherein the domain area in which the user terminal is located is determined based on an identified location of the user terminal.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of domain areas are defined by each of a plurality of carriers, and the user terminal is operable in domain areas of the plurality of domain areas that are defined by the carriers,

wherein domain areas of the plurality of domain areas that are defined by different carriers of the plurality of carriers may overlap in geographical areas with each other,

wherein the address registration database registers the plurality of address identifiers identifying corresponding URLs for each of the domain areas defined by each of the carriers, and

wherein the access manager causes the user terminal to access the desired website on the network such that, when receiving the address identifier from the user terminal located in the domain area defined by a carrier, the access manager searches the address registration database for the corresponding desired URL according to the address identifier, the domain area in which the user terminal is located, and the carrier that the user terminal is using, and then the access manager uses the corresponding desired URL to make the user terminal access the desired website.

12. The system according to claim 1,

wherein an information providing medium is installed in at least one of the plurality of domain areas for informing users of a particular address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers that has been registered in the address registration database.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the information providing medium uses alphanumeric characters to inform users of the particular address identifier that has been registered in the address registration database.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the information providing medium informs users by sound of the particular address identifier that has been registered in the address registration database.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the user terminal comprises a speech recognizer for recognizing the sound outputted from the information providing medium to produce the particular address identifier.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the information providing medium informs users by bar code of the particular address identifier that has been registered in the address registration database.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the user terminal comprises a bar code reader for reading the bar code displayed in the information providing medium to produce the particular address identifier.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the information providing medium transmits a radio signal conveying the particular address identifier that has been registered in the address registration database.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the user terminal comprises a radio receiver for receiving the radio signal from the information providing medium to produce the particular address identifier.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the desired website is on a network, and

wherein the network is the Internet and the desired URL is a URL address of the website on the Internet.

6. A system comprising:

an address registration database for registering a plurality of address identifiers in response to requests for address identifiers from a plurality of sponsor entities, each address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers being valid in a corresponding domain area of a plurality of domain areas, each domain area of the plurality of domain areas defining a geographic area in which a number of valid address identifiers is restricted, each address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers being unique in the corresponding domain area and identifying a single corresponding URL of a single corresponding website of a corresponding sponsor entity of said plurality of sponsor entities; and

an access manager for receiving an address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers from a user terminal that is located in a domain area of the plurality of domain areas, and for searching the address registration database for a corresponding desired URL according to the address identifier and the domain area in which the user terminal is located, and for using the desired URL to cause the user terminal to access a desired website that is specified by the desired URL;

wherein, when receiving a request for registering a new URL associated with a particular domain area from the user terminal, the access manager searches the address registration database for an available address identifier that is not used in the particular domain area and registers the available address identifier uniquely identifying the new URL of the particular domain area in the address registration database.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of domain areas are defined by each of a plurality of carriers, and the user terminal is operable in domain areas of the plurality of domain areas that are defined by the carriers,

wherein the request includes a designated carrier, and the access manager searches the address registration database for a specific available address identifier that is not used in the particular domain area of the designated carrier, and registers the specific available address identifier uniquely identifying the new URL of the particular domain area of the designated carrier in the address registration database.

8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising:

an area management database for retrievably registering overlapping domain areas defined by the carriers,

wherein the access manager searches the address registration database and the area management database to find a particular available address identifier that is not used in any domain areas of the designated carrier and a carrier overlapping with the designated carrier, and registers the particular available address identifier uniquely identifying the new URL of the particular domain area of the designated carrier in the address registration database.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the designated carrier is a carrier used for the user terminal to send the request.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the designated carrier is a carrier used for the user terminal to send the request.

11. The system according to claim 6, wherein the particular domain area is an area where the user terminal sends the request to the access manager.

21. An access service providing method for providing a user terminal with access service of accessing a desired website on a network, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a plurality of domain areas, each of the plurality of domain areas defining a geographic area in which a number of valid address identifiers is restricted, each of the plurality of domain areas being covered by at least one base station to allow the user terminal to connect to the network;

b) registering a plurality of address identifiers in an address registration database in response to requests for address identifiers from a plurality of sponsor entities, each of the plurality of address identifiers being unique and valid in a corresponding domain area of the plurality of domain areas and identifying a single corresponding URL of a single corresponding website of a corresponding sponsor entity of said plurality of sponsor entities;

c) determining, when receiving an address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers from the user terminal, a domain area of the plurality of domain areas in which the user terminal is located;

d) searching the address registration database for a desired URL according to the address identifier and the domain area where the user terminal is located; and

e) causing the user terminal to access the desired website on the network using the desired URL;

wherein the user terminal is a mobile communication terminal;

wherein a first address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers that is valid in a first domain area of the plurality of domain areas and that identifies a first URL is the same as a second address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers that is valid in a second domain area of the plurality of domain areas and that identifies a second URL, said first URL different from said second URL;

wherein, when the user terminal is located in the first domain area and sends the first address identifier, the user terminal is caused to access a first website that is specified by the first URL; and

wherein, when the user terminal is located in the second domain area and sends the second address identifier, the user terminal is caused to access a second website that is specified by the second URL.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of domain areas is a communication area formed by a single base station, and

wherein the domain area where the user terminal is located is determined by identification of a base station that communicates directly with the user terminal.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of domain areas are defined by each of a plurality of carriers, and the user terminal is operable in domain areas of the plurality of domain areas defined by the carriers,

wherein the step b) is a step of registering the plurality of address identifiers identifying corresponding URLs which have been registered for each of the domain areas defined by each of the carriers,

wherein the step c) is a step of determining the domain area defined by a carrier when receiving the address identifier from the user terminal, and

wherein the step d) is a step of searching the address registration database for a desired URL according to the address identifier, the domain area where the user terminal is located, and the carrier that the user terminal is using.

27. The method according to claim 23, wherein the designated carrier is a carrier used for the user terminal to send the request.

29. The method according to claim 21, wherein the network is the Internet and the desired URL is a URL address of the desired website on the Internet.

24. A method for registering an address identifier uniquely identifying a URL in an address registration database that is used to allow a user terminal to access a website identified by the URL on a network, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a plurality of domain areas, each of the plurality of domain areas defining a geographic area in which a number of valid address identifiers is restricted, each of the plurality of domain areas being covered by at least one base station to allow the user terminal to connect to the network;

b) receiving a request for registering a new URL for a domain area from a sponsor entity of a plurality of sponsor entities, said new URL identifying a single corresponding particular website of the sponsor entity;

c) searching the address registration database for an available address identifier that is not used in the domain area; and

d) registering the available address identifier uniquely identifying the new URL of the domain area in the address registration database.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of domain areas are defined by each of a plurality of carriers and the user terminal is operable in domain areas of the plurality of domain areas defined by the carriers, wherein the request includes a designated carrier,

wherein the step c) is a step of searching the address registration database for an available address identifier that is not used in the domain area of the designated carrier, and

wherein the step d) is a step of registering the available address identifier uniquely identifying the new URL of the domain area of the designated carrier in the address registration database.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of:

retrievably registering overlapping domain areas defined by the carriers in an area management database,

wherein;

the step c) is a step of searching the address registration database and the area management database to find an available address identifier that is not used in any of domain areas of the designated carrier and a carrier overlapping with the designated carrier, and

the step d) is a step of registering the available address identifier uniquely identifying the new URL of the domain area of the designated carrier in the address registration database.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the designated carrier is a carrier used for the user terminal to send the request.

30. The method according to claim 24, wherein the network is the Internet and the URL is a URL address of the website on the Internet.

31. A mobile terminal having a function of accessing a desired website of a sponsor entity on a network through an access server, comprising:

a transceiver operable in each of a plurality of domain areas, each of the plurality of domain areas defining a geographic area in which a number of valid address identifiers is restricted, each of the plurality of domain areas being covered by at least one base station to allow the mobile terminal to connect to the network;

an address identifier receiver for receiving address identifier data related to an address identifier of a plurality of address identifiers from an information providing medium, wherein the address identifier is uniquely associated, for a domain area of the plurality of domain areas, with a single corresponding URL of the desired website of the sponsor entity; and

a controller for sending the address identifier to the access server to access the desired website of the sponsor entity;

wherein the access server is configured to store a first address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers that is valid in a first domain area of the plurality of domain areas and that identifies a first URL, and is configured to store a second address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers that is valid in a second domain area of the plurality of domain areas and that identifies a second URL, said second address identifier being the same as said first address identifier, said second URL being different from said first URL;

wherein the mobile terminal and the access server are configured such that, when the mobile terminal is located in the first domain area and sends the first address identifier to the access server, the access server causes the mobile terminal to access a first website that is specified by the first URL; and

wherein the mobile terminal and the access server are configured such that, when the mobile terminal is located in the second domain area and sends the second address identifier to the access server, the access server causes the mobile terminal to access a second website that is specified by the second URL.

32. The mobile terminal according to claim 31, wherein the address identifier receiver is a speech recognizer for recognizing sound outputted from the information providing medium to produce the address identifier.

33. The mobile terminal according to claim 31, wherein the address identifier receiver is a bar code reader for reading a bar code displayed in the information providing medium to produce the address identifier.

34. The mobile terminal according to claim 31, wherein the address identifier receiver is a radio receiver for receiving a radio signal from the information providing medium to produce the address identifier.

35. An access service providing method for providing a user terminal with access service of accessing a website provided by an advertisement distributor, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of domain areas, each of the plurality of domain areas defining a geographic area in which a number of valid address identifiers is restricted, each of the plurality of domain areas being covered by at least one base station to allow the user terminal to connect to the website;

providing the advertisement distributor with an address identifier of a plurality of address identifiers that uniquely identifies the website, wherein the advertisement distributor informs the user terminal located in a domain area of the plurality of domain areas of the address identifier;

finding, when receiving the address identifier from the user terminal, the website according to the address identifier and the domain area in which the user terminal is located; and

causing the user terminal to access the website;

wherein the user terminal is a mobile communication terminal;

wherein a first address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers that is valid in a first domain area of the plurality of domain areas and that identifies a first URL is the same as a second address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers that is valid in a second domain area of the plurality of domain areas and that identifies a second URL, said first URL different from said second URL;

wherein, when the user terminal is located in the first domain area and sends the first address identifier, the user terminal is caused to access a first website that is specified by the first URL; and

wherein, when the user terminal is located in the second domain area and sends the second address identifier, the user terminal is caused to access a second website that is specified by the second URL.

36. A storage medium storing a computer program for instructing a computer to execute a process to provide a user terminal with access service of accessing a desired website on a network, the process comprising the steps of:

a) providing a plurality of domain areas, each of the plurality of domain areas defining a geographic area in which a number of valid address identifiers is restricted, each of the plurality of domain areas being covered by at least one base station to allow the user terminal to connect to the network;

b) registering a plurality of address identifiers in an address registration database in response to requests for address identifiers from a plurality of sponsor entities, each of the plurality of address identifiers being unique and valid in a corresponding domain area of the plurality of domain areas and identifying a single corresponding URL of a single corresponding website of a corresponding sponsor entity of said plurality of sponsor entities;

c) determining, when receiving an address identifier from the user terminal, a domain area of the plurality of domain areas in which the user terminal is located;

d) searching the address registration database for a desired URL according to the address identifier and the domain area in which the user terminal is located; and

e) causing the user terminal to access the desired website on the network using the desired URL;

wherein the user terminal is a mobile communication terminal;

wherein a first address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers that is valid in a first domain area of the plurality of domain areas and that identifies a first URL is the same as a second address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers that is valid in a second domain area of the plurality of domain areas and that identifies a second URL, said first URL different from said second URL;

wherein, when the user terminal is located in the first domain area and sends the first address identifier, the user terminal is caused to access a first website that is specified by the first URL; and

wherein, when the user terminal is located in the second domain area and sends the second address identifier, the user terminal is caused to access a second website that is specified by the second URL.

37. A storage medium storing a computer program for instructing a computer to execute a process to register an address identifier uniquely identifying a URL in an address registration database that is used to allow a user terminal to access a website identified by the URL on a network, the process comprising the steps of:

a) providing a plurality of domain areas, each of the plurality of domain areas defining a geographic area in which a number of valid address identifiers is restricted, each of the plurality of domain areas being covered by at least one base station to allow the user terminal to connect to the network;

b) receiving a request for registering a new URL for a domain area of the plurality of domain areas from a sponsor entity of a plurality of sponsor entities, said new URL identifying a single corresponding particular website of the sponsor entity;

c) searching the address registration database for an available address identifier that is not used in the domain area; and

d) registering the available address identifier uniquely identifying the new URL of the domain area in the address registration database.

38. A recording medium storing a computer program for instructing a computer to execute a process to provide a user terminal with access service of accessing a desired website on a network, the process comprising the steps of:

a) providing a plurality of domain areas, each of the plurality of domain areas defining a geographic area in which a number of valid address identifiers is restricted, each of the plurality of domain areas being covered by at least one base station to allow the user terminal to connect to the network;

b) retrievably registering a plurality of address identifiers in an address registration database in response to requests for address identifiers from a plurality of sponsor entities, each of the address identifiers uniquely identifying a single corresponding URL of a single corresponding website of a corresponding sponsor entity of said plurality of sponsor entities;

c) determining, when receiving an address identifier from the user terminal, a domain area in which the user terminal is located;

d) searching the address registration database for a desired URL according to the address identifier and the domain area in which the user terminal is located; and

e) causing the user terminal to access the desired website on the network using the desired URL;

wherein the user terminal is a mobile communication terminal;

wherein a first address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers that is valid in a first domain area of the plurality of domain areas and that identifies a first URL is the same as a second address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers that is valid in a second domain area of the plurality of domain areas and that identifies a second URL, said first URL different from said second URL;

wherein, when the user terminal is located in the first domain area and sends the first address identifier, the user terminal is caused to access a first website that is specified by the first URL; and

wherein, when the user terminal is located in the second domain area and sends the second address identifier, the user terminal is caused to access a second website that is specified by the second URL.

39. A recording medium storing a computer program for instructing a computer to execute a process to register an address identifier uniquely identifying a URL in an address registration database that is used to allow a user terminal to access a website identified by the URL on a network, the process comprising the steps of:

a) providing a plurality of domain areas, each of the plurality of domain areas defining a geographic area in which a number of valid address identifiers is restricted, each of the plurality of domain areas being covered by at least one base station to allow the user terminal to connect to the network;

b) receiving a request for registering a new URL in a domain area from a sponsor entity of a plurality of sponsor entities, said new URL identifying a single corresponding particular website of the sponsor entity;

c) searching the address registration database for an available address identifier that is not used in the domain area; and

d) registering the available address identifier uniquely identifying the new URL of the domain area in the address registration database.

40. A system, comprising:

an address registration database for registering a plurality of address identifiers, each address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers being valid for a corresponding carrier of a plurality of carriers in a corresponding domain area of a plurality of domain areas maintained by the corresponding carrier, each domain area of the plurality of domain areas of each of the plurality of carriers defining a geographic area in which a number of valid address identifiers is restricted, each address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers being unique for the corresponding carrier in the corresponding domain area and identifying a corresponding URL; and

an access management server for receiving an address identifier of the plurality of address identifiers from a user terminal that is in communication with a carrier of the plurality of carriers and that is located in a domain area of the plurality of domain areas of the carrier, and for searching the address registration database for a corresponding desired URL according to the address identifier and the carrier that the user terminal is in communication with and the domain area in which the user terminal is located, and for using the desired URL to cause the user terminal to access a desired website that is specified by the desired URL;

wherein domain areas maintained by different carriers of said plurality of carriers may overlap in geographical areas.