Method, functional arrangement and software means for searching and processing information with user interface of a terminal in which an address field and virtual function keys are modified to correspond to an invoked service through data input to a browser address field, and cellular network terminal employing the method

• US 8,065,344 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Rytivaara, Markku, Mustonen, Mika P.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US10/510,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,168 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/100, 707/102, 707/200, 707/101, 707/705, 707/796, 707/803, 707/805, 707/999.01, 707/999.1, 707/999.102, 707/999.2, 707/807, 715/513, 715/514, 715/526, 715/530, 715/700, 715/738, 715/749, 715/780, 715/810, 715/828, 715/843, 715/866, 709/230, 709/237, 709/238, 709/239, 709/242, 709/243, 709/219, 709/228, 709/244, 717/171
• US Class Current: 707/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for making it easier to carry out information search and processing with a communications device. Furthermore, the invention relates to a network browser employing the method and a www service at a server in a communications network as well as a cellular network terminal. In the method according to the invention, information entered in the address field of the network browser is utilized so that the address field with its virtual function keys is modified in accordance with the service used on the basis of information entered in the address field.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an adaptive address field in a network browser installed on an information processing device, the network browser including a user interface comprising at least a function description field and one or more associated virtual function keys;

detecting data input in the adaptive address field;

determining that the data entered in the adaptive address field comprises a network address;

establishing a connection to the network address; and

modifying the function description field and the one or more virtual function keys to facilitate use of a service application associated with the network address, using the user interface of the network browser as a user interface for the service application, wherein the service application is selected based at least in part on said data input in the adaptive address field.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device accesses the service application on a network device via a communications network, and the service application controls the modification of the function description field and the one or more virtual function keys.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the network browser on the information processing device is used to access the service application on the network device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein data input fields of the service application are accessed through the adaptive address field of the network browser on the information processing device.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more virtual function keys of the network browser are modified to facilitate the use of the service application through the network browser without switching to a service specific application on the information processing device.

5. A computer readable storing medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following:

providing an adaptive address field in a network browser installed on the apparatus, the network browser including a user interface comprising a function description field and one or more associated virtual function keys;

detecting data input in the adaptive address field of the network browser;

determining that the data entered in the adaptive address field comprises a network address;

establishing a connection to the network address; and

modifying the function description field and the one or more virtual function keys to facilitate use of a service application associated with the network address, using the user interface of the network browser as a user interface for the service application, wherein the service application is selected based at least in part on said data input in the adaptive address field.

6. A computer readable storing medium according to claim 5, wherein said service application is one of the following:

telephone service, calculator, payment, information search, game, machine translation, message sending, or processing of map information.

7. A computer readable storing medium according to claim 5, wherein the one or more virtual function keys of the network browser are modified to facilitate the use of the service application through the network browser without switching to a service specific application on the apparatus.

8. A computer readable storing medium according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus accesses the service application on a network device via a communications network, and the service application controls the modification of the function description field and the one or more virtual function keys.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

provide an adaptive address field in a network browser installed on the apparatus, the network browser including a user interface comprising at least a function description field and one or more associated virtual function keys;

detect data input in the adaptive address field of the network browser;

determine that the data entered in the adaptive address field comprises a network address;

establish a connection to the network address; and

modify the function description field and the one or more virtual function keys to facilitate use of a service application associated with the network address, using the user interface of the network browser of the apparatus as a user interface for the service application, wherein the service application is selected based at least in part on said data entered in the adaptive address field.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus is a mobile terminal.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the one or more virtual function keys of the network browser are modified to facilitate the use of the service application through the network browser without switching to a service specific application on the apparatus.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus accesses the service application on a network device via a communications network, and the service application controls the modification of the function description field and the one or more virtual function keys.

13. A mobile wireless terminal, comprising:

a display;

a processor;

a browser application that, when executed by the processor, is configured to

present on the display a browser user interface that includes an adaptive address field, a function description field and one or more virtual function keys,

detect data entered in the adaptive address field,

determine that the data entered in the adaptive address field comprises a network address,

establish a connection to the network address; and

modify the function description field and the one or more virtual function keys to facilitate use of a service application associated with the network address, using the user interface of the browser application as a user interface for the service application, wherein the service application is selected based at least in part on said data entered in the adaptive address field.

14. The mobile wireless terminal according to claim 13, wherein the entry of the data occurs through a user entering the data in the adaptive address field.

15. The mobile wireless terminal according to claim 13, wherein the service application comprises one of a telephone service, calculator, payment, information search, game, machine translation, message sending, and processing of map information.

17. The mobile wireless terminal according to claim 13, wherein the one or more virtual function keys of the browser application are modified to facilitate the use of the service application through the browser application without switching to a service specific application on the mobile wireless terminal.

18. The mobile wireless terminal according to claim 13, wherein the terminal accesses the service application on a network device via a communications network, and the service application controls the modification of the function description field and the one or more virtual function keys.