Network system and communication device

• US 7,921,094 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yanagi, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, BAOQUOC N
• Application Number:
  US12/038,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/705
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A network system includes a first communication device, a second communication device and a keyword database. The first communication device includes a first input device and a first search device. The first input device allows a user to input a keyword. The first search device is capable of carrying out a first search process that includes sending the keyword input to the first input device to a search engine and receiving a search result. The keyword database stores the keyword used for the first search process. The second communication device is composed separately from the first communication device. The second communication device includes a keyword acquisition device and a second search device. The keyword acquisition device is capable of acquiring the keyword from the keyword database. The second search device is capable of carrying out a second search process that includes sending the keyword acquired by the keyword acquisition device to a search engine and receiving a search result.

Claims

1. A network system, comprising:

a first communication device;

a second communication device composed separately from the first communication device; and

a server composed separately from the first communication device,

wherein the first communication device comprises;

a first input device that allows a user to input a keyword;

a first search device capable of carrying out a first search process that includes sending the keyword input to the first input device to a search engine and receiving a search result; and

a keyword sending device that sends a combination of the keyword used for the first search process and communication device identification information of the first communication device to the server,

wherein the server comprises a keyword database that stores the combination of the keyword and the communication device identification information of the first communication device,

wherein the second communication device comprises;

a telephone device capable of receiving telephone identification information from a source when receiving an incoming call from the source;

a keyword acquisition device capable of acquiring the keyword from the server in a case where the telephone device receives the incoming call; and

a second search device capable of carrying out a second search process that includes sending the keyword acquired by the keyword acquisition device to a search engine and receiving a search result, and

wherein the server further comprises;

a first identification information database that stores a combination of the communication device identification information of the first communication device and the telephone identification information; and

a first identification information identifying device that identifies, from the first identification information database, the communication device identification information combined with the telephone identification information received by the telephone device; and

wherein the keyword acquisition device acquires, from the server, the keyword combined with the communication device identification information identified by the first identification information identifying device.

2. The network system as in claim 1, wherein:

the server is composed separately from the second communication device;

the second communication device further comprises a telephone identification information sending device that sends the telephone identification information received by the telephone device to the server;

the first identification information identifying device identifies, from the first identification information database, the communication device identification information combined with the telephone identification information sent from the telephone identification information sending device;

the server further comprises a first keyword identifying device that identifies, from the keyword database, the keyword combined with the communication device identification information identified by the first identification information identifying device, and a server side keyword sending device that sends the keyword identified by the first keyword identifying device to the second communication device; and

the keyword acquisition device acquires the keyword sent from the server side keyword sending device.

3. The network system as in claim 1, wherein:

the keyword database stores the combination of the keyword, the communication device identification information of the first communication device, and search engine identification information of the search engine to which the keyword was sent in the first search process by the first communication device;

the keyword acquisition device acquires, from the server, the keyword and the search engine identification information combined with the communication device identification information identified by the first identification information identifying device; and

the second search device is capable of carrying out the second search process that includes sending the keyword acquired by the keyword acquisition device to the search engine identified by the search engine identification information acquired by the keyword acquisition device.

4. The network system as in claim 1, wherein:

the keyword database cumulatively stores a plurality of keywords used for a plurality of first search processes, the plurality of keywords combined with the communication device identification information of the first communication device;

the keyword acquisition device acquires the plurality of keywords from the server in the case where the telephone device receives the incoming call;

the second communication device further comprises a display device that displays the plurality of keywords acquired by the keyword acquisition device, and a selecting device that allows a user to select at least one keyword displayed on the display device; and

the second search device carries out the second search process that includes sending the selected keyword to the search engine.

5. The network system as in claim 1, wherein:

the second communication device further comprises a printing device capable of printing the search result received by the second search device.

6. The network system as in claim 1, wherein:

the server is composed separately from the second communication device.

7. A second communication device to be connected with a server in a communicable manner, the server comprising a keyword database and a first identification information database, the keyword database storing a combination of a keyword used for a search process carried out by a first communication device and communication device identification information of the first communication device, and the first identification information database storing a combination of the communication device identification information of the first communication device and telephone identification information, the second communication device comprising:

a telephone device capable of receiving the telephone identification information from a source when receiving an incoming call from the source

a keyword acquisition device capable of acquiring, from the server, the keyword combined with the communication device identification information identified by the server in a case where the telephone device receives the incoming call, wherein the server identifies, from the first identification information database, the communication device identification information combined with the telephone identification information received by the telephone device; and

a search device capable of carrying out a search process that includes sending the keyword acquired by the keyword acquisition device and receiving a search result.

8. A second communication device to be connected with a first communication device in a communicable manner, the second communication device comprising:

a keyword database that stores a combination of a keyword used for a search process by the first communication device and communication device identification information of the first communication device;

a first identification information database that stores a combination of the communication device identification information of the first communication device and telephone identification information;

a telephone device capable of receiving the telephone identification information from a source when receiving an incoming call from the source;

a first identification information identifying device that identifies from the first identification information database, the communication device identification information combined with the telephone identification information received by the telephone device;

a keyword acquisition device capable of acquiring, from the keyword database, the keyword combined with the communication device identification information identified by the first identification information identifying device in a case where the telephone device receives the incoming call; and

a search device capable of carrying out a search process that includes sending the keyword acquired by the keyword acquisition device and receiving a search result.

9. A network system, comprising:

a first communication device;

a second communication device composed separately from the first communication device; and

a server composed separately from the first communication device,

wherein the first communication device comprises;

a first input device that allows a user to input a keyword and user identification information;

a first search device capable of carrying out a first search process that includes sending the keyword input to the first input device to a search engine and receiving a search result; and

a keyword sending device that sends a combination of the keyword used for the first search process and the user identification information input to the first input device to the server,

wherein the server comprises a keyword database that stores the combination of the keyword and the user identification information,

wherein the second communication device comprises;

a telephone device capable of receiving telephone identification information from a source when receiving an incoming call from the source;

a keyword acquisition device capable of acquiring the keyword from the server in a case where the telephone device receives the incoming call; and

a second search device capable of carrying out a second search process that includes sending the keyword acquired by the keyword acquisition device to a search engine and receiving a search result, and

wherein the server further comprises;

a second identification information database that stores a combination of the user identification information and the telephone identification information; and

a second identification information identifying device that identifies, from the second identification information database, the user identification information combined with the telephone identification information received by the telephone device, and

wherein the keyword acquisition device acquires, from the server, the keyword combined with the user identification information identified by the second identification information identifying device.

10. A second communication device to be connected with a server in a communicable manner, the server comprising a keyword database and a second identification information database, the keyword database storing a combination of a keyword used for a search process carried out by a first communication device and user identification information input to the first communication device by a user, and the second identification information database storing a combination of the user identification information and telephone identification information, the second communication device comprising:

a telephone device capable of receiving the telephone identification information from a source when receiving an incoming call from the source;

a keyword acquisition device capable of acquiring, from the server, the keyword combined with the user identification information identified by the server in a case where the telephone device receives the incoming call, wherein the server identifies, from the second identification information database, the user identification information combined with the telephone identification information received by the telephone device; and

a search device capable of carrying out a search process that includes sending the keyword acquired by the keyword acquisition device and receiving a search result.

11. A second communication device to be connected with a first communication device in a communicable manner, the second communication device comprising:

a keyword database that stores a combination of a keyword used for a search process by the first communication device and user identification information input to the first communication device by a user;

a second identification information database that stores a combination of the user identification information and telephone identification information;

a telephone device capable of receiving the telephone identification information from a source when receiving an incoming call from the source;

a second identification information identifying device that identifies, from the second identification information database, the user identification information combined with the telephone identification information received by the telephone device;

a keyword acquisition device capable of acquiring, from the keyword database, the keyword combined with the user identification information identified by the second identification information identifying device in a case where the telephone device receives the incoming call; and

a search device capable of carrying out a search process that includes sending the keyword acquired by the keyword acquisition device and receiving a search result.