Numeric/voice name Internet access architecture and methodology

• US 7,536,639 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Dutcher, William R., Griswold, Timothy J., Conley, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): RIES, LAURIE ANNE
• Application Number:
  US09/930,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20020052912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,833 Days
• Field of Search: 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/234, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 709/245, 707/1, 707/6, 455/414.2, 455/456.3, 455/3.01
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

A system that provides users of both fixed and wireless Internet devices, a method of entering numbers instead of the text characters of Internet Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) and other Internet identifiers to access Internet resources and functions, such as Web sites, e-mail services, individual documents or files, location services, etc. When the user enters a WebNum, the digits of the WebNum are sent to a database on a system that is accessible over the Internet. The database maps the WebNum back to a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), which contains a hostname in the Internet domain name structure. This would subsequently be resolved through the Internet Domain Name System (DNS) to an IP address to identify the IP address of the Web site. The cell phone provider or WID network provider would then retrieve the home page of the Web site over the Internet, to return content to the cell phone or WID display.

Claims

1. A method for accessing internet addresses based on a request from a wireless device, the method comprising:

receiving a short-name associated with a particular internet address of a website that a user of the wireless device desires to access from said wireless device, said short-name comprising a root number corresponding to the website;

searching a database for said short-name, said database being located at a location remote from said wireless device; and

if said short-name is found, retrieving said particular internet address so that said wireless device can be connected to said particular internet address,

wherein said short-name further comprises a non-numerical separator character and an extension number, said separator character separating said root number from said extension number.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said database is accessed over the internet.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said database is accessed through a wireless service provider without traversing the internet.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said short-name is received by a software application that queries said database.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said software application and said database maps said short-name to an internet URL.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein multiple short-names can map to a single internet address.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprises:

identifying a transport protocol required to complete said accessing; and

addressing a sending site in accordance with said transport protocol.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

if said database indicates that said short-name is not found, searching a second database for said short-name.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of databases, said databases arranged in a logical hierarchy so that if said short-name is not found a first database, said searching is resubmitted to a next database in said hierarchy.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said short-name is input to said wireless device in the form of voice command, and said voice command is converted to a non-voice command after being transmitted by said wireless device.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said voice command is converted to a non-voice command by a computer connected to said wireless device via a network.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said root number corresponds to a phone number in E.164 format.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein said root number corresponds to a phone number.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said root number corresponds to an address of the website and said extension number corresponds to a sub-address of the website.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein said short-name comprises multiple separator codes and multiple extension numbers.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein at least one of said extension numbers corresponds to variable data that is entered into the website corresponding to said root number, and at least one other of said extension numbers corresponds to a particular country.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein said extension number corresponds to a particular country.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein said extension number corresponds to an ITU country code.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein said extension number comprises variable data that is entered into the website corresponding to said root number.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein said root number is registered with a central authority for the internet.

21. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to receiving the root number, receiving the separator character and then receiving data from the wireless device; and

sending the data to the web site.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the data is used by the website to perform a query.

23. A method for accessing internet addresses based on a request from a wireless device, the method comprising:

receiving a short-name associated with a particular internet address of a website that a user of the wireless device desires to access from said wireless device, said short-name comprising a root number corresponding to the website;

searching a database for said short-name, said database being located at a location remote from said wireless device; and

if said short-name is found, retrieving said particular internet address so that said wireless device can be connected to said particular internet address,

wherein said short-name comprises in order, a country code indicator sequence, a country code, a separator character, and the root number.

24. A system for accessing internet addresses based on a request from a wireless device, the system comprising:

a database storing relationships between short-names and particular internet addresses of websites, wherein a short-name comprises a root number corresponding to a website, said database being located at a location remote from said wireless device; and

a controller which receives a transmitted short-name of a particular internet address of a website that a user of the wireless device desires to access from said wireless device, said controller operable to search said database for said transmitted short-name, and if said short-name is found, retrieving said particular internet address so that said wireless device can be connected to said particular internet address,

wherein said short-name further comprises a non-numerical separator character and an extension number, said separator character separating said root number from said extension number.

25. A system according to claim 24, wherein said database is accessed over the internet.

26. A system according to claim 24, wherein said database is accessed through a wireless service provider without traversing the internet.

27. A system according to claim 24, wherein said short-name is received by a software application that queries said database.

28. A system according to claim 27, wherein at least one of said software application and said database maps said short-name to an internet URL.

29. A system according to claim 24, wherein multiple short-names can map to a single internet address.

30. A system according to claim 24, wherein said system identifies a transport protocol required to complete said accessing and addresses a sending site in accordance with said transport protocol.

31. A system according to claim 24, wherein if said database indicates that said short-name is not found, said system searches a second database for said short-name.

32. A system according to claim 24, further comprising a plurality of databases, said databases arranged in a logical hierarchy so that if said short-name is not found in a first database, said searching is resubmitted to a next database in said hierarchy.

33. A system according to claim 24, wherein said short-name is input to said wireless device in the form of voice command, and said voice command is converted to a non-voice command after being transmitted by said wireless device.

34. A system according to claim 33, wherein said voice command is converted to a non-voice command by a computer connected to said wireless device via a network.

35. A system according to claim 24, wherein said root number corresponds to a phone number in E. 164 format.

36. A system according to claim 24, wherein said root number corresponds to a phone number.

37. A system according to claim 24, wherein said root number corresponds to an address of the website and said extension number corresponds to a sub-address of the website.

38. A system according to claim 24, wherein said short-name comprises multiple separator codes and multiple extension numbers.

39. A system according to claim 38, wherein at least one of said extension numbers corresponds to variable data that is entered into the website corresponding to said root number, and at least one other of said extension numbers corresponds to a particular country.

40. A system according to claim 24, wherein said extension number corresponds to a particular country.

41. A system according to claim 24, wherein said extension number corresponds to an ITU country code.

42. A system according to claim 24, wherein said extension number comprises variable data that is entered into the website corresponding to said root number.

43. A system for accessing internet addresses based on a request from a wireless device, the system comprising:

a database storing relationships between short-names and particular internet addresses of websites, wherein a short-name comprises a root number corresponding to a website, said database being located at a location remote from said wireless device; and

a controller which receives a transmitted short-name of a particular internet address of a website that a user of the wireless device desires to access from said wireless device, said controller operable to search said database for said transmitted short-name, and if said short-name is found, retrieving said particular internet address so that said wireless device can be connected to said particular internet address,

wherein said short-name comprises in order, a country code indicator sequence, a country code, a non-numerical separator character, and the root number.

44. A method of accessing internet addresses using a web-enabled device, the method comprising:

transmitting a short-name, associated with a particular internet address of a website that a user of the wireless device desires to access from said web-enabled device, to a controller to cause the controller to search a database for said short name, wherein said short-name comprises a root number corresponding to the website, and wherein said database being located at a location remote from said web-enabled device; and

receiving said particular internet address so that said web-enabled device is connected to said particular internet address,

wherein said short-name further comprises a non-numerical separator character and an extension number, said separator character separating said root number from said extension number.

45. A method according to claim 44, wherein said database is accessed over the internet.

46. A method according to claim 44, wherein said database is accessed through a wireless service provider without traversing the internet.

47. A method according to claim 44, wherein said short-name is transmitted to a controller running a software application that queries said database.

48. A method according to claim 47, wherein at least one of said software application and said database maps said short-name to an internet URL.

49. A method according to claim 44, wherein multiple short-names can map to a single Internet address.

50. A method according to claim 44, further comprising:

identifying a transport protocol required to complete said accessing; and

addressing a sending site in accordance with said transport protocol.

51. A method according to claim 44, wherein if said database indicates that said short-name is not found, a second database is searched for said short-name.

52. A method according to claim 44, further comprising a plurality of databases, said databases arranged in a logical hierarchy so that if said short-name is not found in a first database, said searching is resubmitted to a next database in said hierarchy.

53. A method according to claim 44, wherein said short-name is transmitted by said web-enabled device in the form of a voice command.

54. A method according to claim 53, wherein said voice command is converted to a non-voice command by a computer connected to said web-enabled device via a network.

55. A method according to claim 44, wherein said short name corresponds to a phone number in E.164 format.

56. A method according to claim 44, wherein said short name corresponds to a phone number.

57. A method according to claim 44, wherein said root number corresponds to an address of the website and said extension number corresponds to a sub-address of the website.

58. A method according to claim 44, wherein said short-name comprises multiple separator codes and multiple extension numbers.

59. A method according to claim 58, wherein at least one of said extension numbers corresponds to variable data that is entered into the website corresponding to said root number, and at least one other of said extension numbers corresponds to a particular country.

60. A method according to claim 44, wherein said extension number corresponds to a particular country.

61. A method according to claim 44, wherein said extension number corresponds to an ITU country code.

62. A method according to claim 44, wherein said extension number comprises variable data that is entered into the website corresponding to said root number.

63. A method of accessing internet addresses using a web-enabled device, the method comprising:

transmitting a short-name, associated with a particular internet address of a website that a user of the wireless device desires to access from said web-enabled device, to a controller to cause the controller to search a database for said short name, wherein said short-name comprises a root number corresponding to the website, and wherein said database being located at a location remote from said web-enabled device; and

receiving said particular internet address so that said web-enabled device is connected to said particular internet address,

wherein said short-name comprises in order, a country code indicator sequence, a country code, a non-numerical separator character, and the root number.

64. A method for accessing internet addresses based on a request from a wireless device, the method comprising:

receiving a short-name associated with a particular internet address of a website that a user of the wireless device desires to access from said wireless device, said short-name comprising a root number corresponding to the website;

searching a database for said short-name, said database being located at a location remote from said wireless device; and

if said short-name is found, retrieving said particular internet address so that said wireless device can be connected to said particular internet address,

prior to receiving the root number, receiving a non-numerical start character from the wireless device, wherein the start character signifies that the root number is to follow.

65. A method according to claim 64, further comprising:

prior to receiving the start character, receiving a country code from the wireless device as part of the short-name.