WWW addressing

• US 7,596,609 B1
• Filed: 01/28/1999
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Spring Ventures Ltd. (f/k/a Buy2 Networks Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Net-Express Ltd.
• Inventors: Roth, Roby, Refuah, Aviv, Dayagi, Gil
• Primary Examiner(s): Blair; Douglas B
• Application Number:
  US09/529,792
• Time in Patent Office: 3,897 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709216-219, 709/245, 707 1- 5, 707/10, 707100-104, 707/7
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"

Abstract

A method of WWW page retrieval from a web site, comprising entering information associated with the site; and directly displaying said page, using a browser, without any additional user intervention. Preferably, the information is in a non-Latin language. Alternatively or additionally, the information does not meet domain name specifications, for example, being in a free-form format.

Claims

1. A method of WWW page retrieval from a web site, comprising:

receiving information associated with content of a web site, wherein said received information is not a WWW address and comprises characters typed for entry by a user into a URL entry field in a browser operable on an electronic device having web browsing capabilities in which a standard URL address would be entered;

said information being received by a software not associated with said web site;

determining a geographical location of the user;

providing a page address of a page of said web site, responsive to said information and said determined geographical location, by said software;

sending the page address to the browser for retrieving said page responsive to said page address; and

thereby causing said page to be directly displayed to the user using the browser, without any additional user intervention beyond the entry of said information.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing the page address comprises performing an automated web search.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said information is in a non-Latin language.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said provided page address is selected from multiple matching sites.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the geographic location comprises determining based on the user entering location information.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the geographic location comprises determining based on the user entering the location at the time of configuration.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the geographic location comprises determining based on the user entering the location during a session in which the information is entered.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing a page address comprises providing an address of a page whose content is associated with the determined geographic location.

9. A method of WWW page retrieval from a web site, comprising:

receiving information associated with content of a web site, wherein said received information is not a WWW address and comprises characters typed for entry by a user into a URL entry field in a browser operable on an electronic device having web browsing capabilities, in which a standard URL address would be entered;

said information being received by a software not associated with said site;

analyzing said information to correct spelling in said information to a spelling-corrected input;

providing a page address of a page of said site, responsive to said spelling corrected input, by said software;

sending the page address to the browser for retrieving said page responsive to said page address; and

thereby causing said page to be directly displayed to the user using the browser, without any additional user intervention beyond the entry of said information,

wherein said page address is determined using a database of associations, said database is at least logically associated with a particular user, and said database includes user information regarding a particular user, which user information is entered by said user, which page is selected for display responsive to said user information and wherein said database is stored at a location remote from where said information received by said software is entered by the user for display of said page.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said information is entered into a window overlaying said browser.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said window is overlaying a location window of said browser.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein said providing the page address comprises retrieving information about a site from a location, and comprising updating of said information by an operator of said site.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein providing a page address comprises providing responsive to a popularity level of said page.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein providing a page address comprises providing based upon statistical information correlating said entered information and websites.

15. A method according to claim 9, including adding a user interface functionality to said browser, which functionality is used for interaction with said site.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said interface comprises icons.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein said interface comprises one or more menus.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein said functionality comprises a purchase function.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein said functionality operates based on information stored in a database.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said database contains information arranged by site.

21. A method according to claim 9, wherein said information does not meet domain name specifications.

22. A method according to claim 9, wherein said information does not meet URL specifications.

23. A method according to claim 9, wherein said information comprises a plurality of words.

24. A method according to claim 9, wherein said information comprises a field identifier and a field-match value.

25. A method according to claim 9, wherein said information is associated with an owner of the site.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein said information comprises a partial street address of said owner.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein said information comprises a telephone number of said owner.

28. A method according to claim 9, wherein correcting spelling comprises correcting at least one transliteration error.

29. A method according to claim 9, wherein analyzing comprises applying natural language recognition on said information.

30. A method according to claim 9, wherein analyzing comprises blocking access to certain types of sites.

31. A method according to claim 9, wherein said analyzing is performed locally, where said page is displayed.

32. A method according to claim 9, wherein said analyzing is performed remotely from where said page is displayed.

33. A method according to claim 9, wherein said analyzing comprises determining a one-to-one mapping between said information and a translation.

34. A method according to claim 9, wherein said information is entered in a language not supported by said browser.

35. A method according to claim 9, wherein said information is entered in a font not supported by said browser.

36. A method according to claim 9, wherein said thereby causing of directly displaying said page comprises automatically providing password information for accessing said page.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein a plurality of such passwords are stored in a password database associated with said user.

38. A method according to claim 9, wherein said provided page address is selected from multiple matching sites.

39. A method of WWW page retrieval from a web site, comprising:

receiving information associated with content of a web site, wherein said received information is not a WWW address and comprises characters typed for entry by a user into a URL entry field in a browser operable on an electronic device having web browsing capabilities, in which a standard URL address would be entered;

said information being received by a software not associated with said site, along with user-dependent information not entered by the user in a session in which said received information is entered by the user;

analyzing said received information using user-dependent information other than said received information entered by the user;

providing a page address of a page of said site, responsive to said received information entered by the user and said analysis, by said software;

sending the page address to the browser for retrieving said page responsive to said page address; and

thereby causing said page to be directly displayed to the user using the browser, without any additional user intervention beyond the entry of said information,

wherein said user-dependent information includes at least one of geographical location of the user, the user belonging to a certain customer club, the user profile, the user age, and the user browsing habits.

40. A method according to claim 39, wherein providing the page address comprises performing an automated web search.

41. A method according to claim 39, wherein said information is in a non-Latin language.

42. A method according to claim 39, wherein said provided page address is selected from multiple matching sites.