Method, system and program product for display management of web page phone/fax numbers by a data processing system

• US 7,607,100 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Perepa, Bhargav R., Venkataramappa, Vishwanath, Perepa, Sujatha
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault; Steven B
• Application Number:
  US10/448,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20040243939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,336 Days
• Field of Search: 715/739, 715/513, 715/764, 715/864, 709/203, 709/205
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A Web browser provides a customized display of phone and fax numbers within a Web page according to user settings. A special phone or fax tag within the Web page file identifies an alphanumeric telephone number within the display (for example, 1-888-IBM-HELP). The telephone number data within the tagged field is converted into a preferred format, as specified at the customization settings page of the Web browser (for example, all numeric 1-888-426-4357). The conversion is preferably displayed upon user indication or activation such as placement of a cursor in proximity to the area occupied by the telephone number within the Web page. A mouse click or keyboard command causes an action within the computer system, as specified within the customization page for the Web browser. For example, by clicking on the telephone number, it is loaded into another software application to connect a telephone call or to send a fax to the telephone number.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for managing telephone numbers contained within a web page, said method comprising:

displaying on a web page a telephone number in an alphanumeric representation having at least one digit of said telephone number substituted by a letter, wherein said letter substitution is based on letter-number groupings on a 12-number telephone keypad, wherein said telephone number is identified to said data processing system by a tag embedded within said web page;

in response to a conversion indication via a cursor hovering over said telephone number in its said alphanumeric representation, converting said alphanumeric representation of said telephone number to an all numeric representation of said telephone number such that all letters of said telephone number in said alphanumeric representation are converted to numbers based on said letter-number groupings on a 12-number telephone keypad;

converting the telephone number from a provided format to a preferred format, wherein the preferred format is indicated in at least one of a preference page and a customization settings page;

enabling one or more actions on the telephone number when one or more activities are indicated in the preference page or the customization settings page, wherein the activities include one or more of;

loading the telephone number to an address book and dialing the telephone number;

modifying said web page to display said telephone number in said all numeric representation;

displaying said telephone number in said all numeric representation in a simulated telephone keypad, wherein the simulated telephone keypad is displayed overlaying the web page that displays said telephone number;

displaying said telephone keypad in a language indicated in the customization settings page; and

when a hard copy output device is enabled to print a hard copy of the web page, automatically converting said telephone number to the preferred format and printing the preferred format on the hard copy of the web page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said 12-number telephone keypad includes numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said letter-number groupings include

Letters A, B and C being grouped under said number 2,

Letters D, E and F being grouped under said number 3,

Letters G, H and I being grouped under said number 4,

Letters J, K and L being grouped under said number 5,

Letters M, N and O being grouped under said number 6,

Letters P, R and S being grouped under said number 7,

Letters T, U and V being grouped under said number 8, and

Letters W, Y and Y being grouped under said number 9.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said tag indicates said telephone number is associated with a facsimile machine.

5. A data processing system for managing telephone numbers contained within a web page, said data processing system comprising:

a monitor for displaying on a web page a telephone number in an alphanumeric representation having at least one digit of said telephone number substituted by a letter, wherein said letter substitution is based on letter-number groupings on a 12-number telephone keypad, wherein said telephone number is identified to said data processing system by a tag embedded within said web page;

means for, in response to a conversion indication via a cursor hovering over said telephone number in its said alphanumeric representation, converting said alphanumeric representation of said telephone number to an all numeric representation of said telephone number such that all letters of said telephone number in said alphanumeric representation are converted to numbers based on said letter-number groupings on a 12-number telephone keypad;

means for converting the telephone number from a provided format to a preferred format, wherein the preferred format is indicated in at least one of a preference page and a customization settings page;

means for enabling one or more actions on the telephone number when one or more activities are indicated in the preference page or the customization settings page, wherein the activities include one or more of;

loading the telephone number to an address book and dialing the telephone number;

means for modifying said web page to display said telephone number in said all numeric representation;

means for displaying said telephone number in said all numeric representation in a simulated telephone keypad, wherein the simulated telephone keypad is displayed overlaying the web page that displays said telephone number;

means for displaying said telephone keypad in a language indicated in the customization settings page; and

when a hard copy output device is enabled to print a hard copy of the web page, means for automatically converting said telephone number to the preferred format and printing the preferred format on the hard copy of the web page.

6. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein said 12-number telephone keypad includes numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0.

7. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein said letter-number groupings include

letters A, B and C being grouped under said number 2,

letters D, E and F being grouped under said number 3,

letters G, H and I being grouped under said number 4,

letters J, K and L being grouped under said number 5,

letters M, N and O being grouped under said number 6,

letters P, R and S being grouped under said number 7,

letters T, U and V being grouped under said number 8, and

letters W, X and Y being grouped under said number 9.

8. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein said tag indicates said telephone number is associated with a facsimile machine.

9. A computer readable storage medium having a computer program product for managing telephone numbers contained within a web page, said computer readable medium comprising:

instructions for displaying on a web page a telephone number in an alphanumeric representation having at least one digit of said telephone number substituted by a letter, wherein said letter substitution is based on letter-number groupings on a 12-number telephone keypad, wherein said telephone number is identified to said computer readable medium by a tag embedded within said web page;

instructions for, in response to a conversion indication via a cursor hovering over said telephone number in its said alphanumeric representation, converting said alphanumeric representation of said telephone number to an all numeric representation of said telephone number such that all letters of said telephone number in said alphanumeric representation are converted to numbers based on said letter-number groupings on a 12-number telephone keypad;

instructions for converting the telephone number from a provided format to a preferred format, wherein the preferred format is indicated in at least one of a preference page and a customization settings page;

instructions for enabling one or more actions on the telephone number when one or more activities are indicated in the preference page or the customization settings page, wherein the activities include one or more of;

loading the telephone number to an address book and dialing the telephone number;

instructions for modifying said electronic page to display said telephone number in said all numeric representation;

instructions for displaying said telephone number in said all numeric representation in a simulated telephone keypad, wherein the simulated telephone keypad is displayed overlaying the web page that displays said telephone number;

instructions for displaying said telephone keypad in a language indicated in the customization settings page; and

when a hard copy output device is enabled to print a hard copy of the web page, instructions for automatically converting said telephone number to the preferred format and printing the preferred format on the hard copy of the web page.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein said 12-number telephone keypad includes numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said letter-number groupings include

letters A, B and C being grouped under said number 2,

letters D, E and F being grouped under said number 3,

letters G, H and I being grouped under said number 4,

letters J, K and L being grouped under said number 5,

letters M, N and O being grouped under said number 6,

letters P, R and S being grouped under said number 7,

letters T, U and V being grouped under said number 8, and

letters W, X and Y being grouped under said number 9.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein said tag indicates said telephone number is associated with a facsimile machine.