System and method for efficiently accessing internet resources

• US 8,645,552 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Slingshot Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: AXP Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Himmelstein, Richard B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N
• Application Number:
  US12/476,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20090300140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/229, 709/226, 707/999.01, 715/765, 715/780
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A system and method for efficiently accessing Internet resources is disclosed. One example directory system for permitting a user to access and retrieve information from a network of computers is disclosed. The example system comprises a key phrase field for accepting a search term, a data table and a search unit. The data table comprises a plurality of cells for storing unique identifiers wherein at least one of said plurality of cells may be activated by the user to perform an action related to the stored unique identifiers. The search unit conducts a search for unique identifiers from the network of computers related to the search term.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing one or more types of contact information for a plurality of organizations in a database;

determining an access level for a request that includes a telecommunications identifier associated with an organization of the plurality of organizations, wherein the access level identifies which of the one or more types of contact information are accessible to the request;

responding to the request with one or more types of contact information for the organization that are determined as accessible to the request based on the access level and the telecommunications identifier of the request; and

displaying the one or more types of contact information for the organization, including an item, and indicating that an action is available for the item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said responding to the request with one or more types of contact information comprises interfacing with a software application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the software application initiates an e-mail based on an e-mail address of the one or more types of contact information for the organization.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the software application initiates a telephone call based on a telephone number of the one or more types of contact information for the organization.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the software application initiates a facsimile based on a facsimile number of the one or more types of contact information for the organization.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the software application initiates a video web phone based on the one or more types of contact information for the organization.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said storing one or more types of contact information comprises storing the one or more types of contact information for the plurality of organizations in a local database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said storing one or more types of contact information comprises storing the one or more types of contact information for the plurality of organizations with an Internet service provider.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the one or more types of contact information for the organization using contrasting lettering to indicate an available action.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications identifier comprises a telephone number associated with the organization.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications identifier comprises an email address associated with the organization.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the one or more types of contact information for the organization according to an organizational structure of the organization.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising validating the one or more types of contact information for the organization.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more types of contact information for the organization comprises a desired method of contact.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating that additional information associated with the organization is available.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the one or more types of contact information for the organization in a data table, wherein the data table comprises a column defined by the organization, and wherein the column is associated with information regarding a person associated with the organization.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more types of contact information for the organization comprises a website address associated with the organization.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising accessing the website address associated with the organization.

19. A method, comprising:

initiating a search request to retrieve one or more types of contact information for a plurality of organizations across the Internet based on a telecommunications identifier associated with an organization of the plurality of organizations;

determining an access level for the search request, wherein the access level identifies which of the one or more types of contact information are accessible to the search request;

receiving the one or more types of contact information for the organization that are determined as accessible to the search request based on the access level and associated with the telecommunications identifier in response to said initiating a search request;

displaying the received one or more types of contact information for the organization;

indicating that an action is available for an item of the received one or more types of contact information for the organization; and

invoking a communication based on the received one or more types of contact information for the organization.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said invoking a communication comprises invoking a video web phone call based on the received contact information for the organization.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said invoking a communication comprises invoking a telephone call in response to a single selection of a telephone number of the received contact information for the organization.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying the received one or more types of contact information for the organization; and

displaying an item of the received one or more types of contact information for the organization using contrasting lettering to indicate an available action.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the telecommunications identifier includes a telephone number associated with the organization.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the received one or more types of contact information for the organization includes a desired method of contact.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying the received one or more types of contact information for the organization; and

indicating that additional information associated with the organization is available.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the telecommunications identifier comprises e-mail address associated with the organization.

27. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory connected to the processor and configured to store instructions to control operation of the processor;

a storage device configured to store a database comprising one or more types of contact information for a plurality of organizations;

wherein the processor is configured to determine an access level for a request that includes a telecommunications identifier associated with an organization of the plurality of organizations;

wherein the access level identifies which of the one or more types of contact information are accessible to the request;

wherein the processor is further configured to response to the request with one or more types of contact information for the organization that are determined as accessible to the request based on the access level and the telecommunications identifier of the request; and

wherein the processor is further configured to display the one or more types of contact information for the organization, including an item, and indicating that an action is available for the item.